Notes on Tasting

I started doing the tastings because I don't have nearly enough experience tasting different beers to provide a solid background on what I want to brew. My scores are based on how I like what I am tasting. This is different from how a certified judge would rate a beer, since they are required to judge to a standard.

I think once I taste more types of beer though I will come to regret my ratings since the final score is based on whether I like the style almost as much as whether I like the individual beer. Bur for now I will proceed as I started until I have a better sense of each style, and then I will probably change my evaluation to more closely match the way certified judges evaluate a beer.

With the exception of the Oktoberfest, I have only judged beers that are available in 16 - 22oz bottles for the following reasons:

1. I need 22oz bottles for my own batches, it is too much work, and requires too much shelf space to fill/condition/store 12 oz bottles.
2. I don't drink to get drunk, and 2 beers is the perfect number for an evening.
3. I don't want to drink 6 servings of beer I am tasting, my money goes a lot farther 22oz per flavor.

I may need to start buying 6-packs if I find styles that are not available as 16-22 oz bottles.

I find that my inexperience makes it difficult to adequately describe a beer, so I have started looking at the BCJP style guide to understand how best to describe the beer I am tasting.