Popular Review

The popular review is just that – a review by enthusiasts who want to share their impressions of a beer with other like-minded individuals. It’s also an opportunity for beer drinkers to challenge themselves to get the most out of a brew by checking out its individual components and overall appeal.

If you see a beer you would like to review while reading through our judges' reviews, click the beer image and scroll down to "Review This Beer."
 

LEARN TO REVIEW
We believe the most direct route to discovering and appreciating the myriad styles and flavors in the world of beer is to understand what expert beer judges consider when they review beer.

Here are the criteria used by BJCP-certified judges when they review beer at an event. We hope this will help our readers gain a keener appreciation of what makes some beers stand out more than others.

We use a 100-point scale with the following categories:

Aroma (as appropriate for style)
Review malt, hops, esters, and other aromatics.
(24 points)

Appearance (as appropriate for style)
Review color, clarity, and head (retention, color and texture)
(6 points)

Flavor (as appropriate for style)
Review malt, hops, fermentation characteristics, balance, finish/aftertaste, and other flavor characteristics.
(40 points)

Mouthfeel (as appropriate for style)
Review body, carbonation, warmth, creaminess, astringency, and other palate sensations.
(10 points)

Overall Impression
Review overall drinking pleasure associated with entry, make suggestions for improvement.
(20 points)

Willamette Valley Hops
Presenting Sponsor - Official Review

Score Breakdown

100 to 96: World Class – You need this beer in your life.

95 to 91: Exceptional – Don’t hesitate.

90 to 86: Very Good – A brew to savor.

85 to 75: Average – Somewhat unimpressive.

74 and below: Not Recommended – Just walk away.
 

Final note: Style is the starting point for beer judging. We employ BJCP guidelines for our reviews as they are classic, objective and have been constantly updated by experts over time as expectations for styles change and new ones arrive. They are also oriented towards homebrewing competitions in general, and do not seek to promote a specific festival. They can be accessed at BJCP.org and through a handy mobile app listed under BJCP.

Starting with the BJCP’s most recent guidelines, we have created family groupings for the various styles as a way to help readers navigate the site. They can be found at Style Families under the Beer Review header.