Shiner Black Lager:
I have never been a fan of this Mid Texas brew house. Their claim to fame being a Hefe-, which leaves much to be desired- par at best. Nevertheless, it was on sale, so why not? It pours well and has a wonderful rich chocolate and roasted scent to it. Not overpowering, in fact, could have given a bit more bite and I would not have complained. Good color and nothing too odd that would take points away. Not bad – I might buy it again.
Package – 5.9
Color – 7.8
Taste – 6.0
After Taste – 7.0
Boddington's:
It is the magnetic opposite of a Guinness. And I’m attracted to both. Thick White head that cascades just like the famous stout! And laces perfectly as you drink. Such a great late summer beer.The only way I can describe the first few sips is to say: Pure Silk. Its one of the most effortless drinks to keep on swallowing. Can design is a very clever- a great bright yellow with a bee and cask on the cover help it stand out among the 'regular' colors. I cannot drink just one and since they are in a 1 pint aluminum can they leave you with a slight buzz and a smile. Love the Bee! Cheers Wu!
Package: 8.5
Color: 9.0
Taste: 8.0
After Taste: 7.8
Justin, my brother, had told me on several occasions that if I ever had the chance to head out to Missouri I must seize the opportunity to visit this store. Thinking it was nothing more than a simple "beer store" my sister and I walked in. Inside it was full of boxes and empty wine crates piled to the ceiling. Drifting aimlessly we passed bottles of French wine that exceed the middle class America pocketbook, and headed to the back where I could see the blue tint of florescent lights on glass doors- the beer cooler! It was a pretty nice collection: Chimay (red,white & blue), the whole Unibroue collective, tons of Fort Collins Co brews, New Belgium collection, and other west coast known names. Approx 20-30 different types- nice but not orgasmic. A few minutes after debating which one to grab a very nice gentleman approached and asked if we needed help. I rattled off that I was hoping for a little more of selection of Belgium Bottle Fermented beers... to which he quickly and calmly retorted: "Follow me". He took me around the corner and imagine that I had the same feeling that a father has after seeing his newborn child in his wifes arms. HOLY SHIT! Wall to wall beer, Stouts, Porters, Sweet Porters, Lagers, Ales, True Bitters, Pilsners! Everything!!! Over 100 types, colors and varietes!! It was amazing! Well $60 and 4 beers later I reminded my sister that she promised not to let me spend over $30. One of those beers was a 6 pack of 1554. The dark coal colored liquid was smooth pouring and held a wonderful head. The aroma was suttl eand yet well balanced. I wasnt expecting it to taste and to finish so well! If I had to choose a picture to describe the taste it would be: On a porch of cabin in a rocking chain around 7:30pm watching the sun set up in the Rockies. It was awesome. 
This brewing company deserves all the praise and hype you might expect. They truly love to brew and you can taste it in every sip.
label and how it reflects the quality of the beer once tasted. Example - if the text looks like it was hand written with a magic marker from Ms. Johnson's 5th grade art class and tastes like someone dropped their glue stick in it, the beer should receive high marks - it looks like it tastes. Text and orginality are deserving of high marks. A good example of clever and unique art work that springs to mind would be the Unibroue Brewery in Quebec (see photo). Don't forget the cap!
important. You want a light colored beer to finish easy and smooth and a dark beer to leave something with you until the end. The color of the pour is the first thing you judge before taking the ever important step into grading the taste.
you say: "Whoa!" These judgments should be noted the second you allow air into your mouth. Let the beer to be born on your tastebuds. Keep it simple and keep it truthful. Don't let your head over analyze it, save that for the next category.
Taste is the Majors. What do you taste after 1/2 of the glass is downed? Have the flavor's melded or changed? Too much Hopps? And contrary to popular belief too much hops is possible. Do you taste chocolate and does it relate well with the color and original first impressions of the beer? I have had beers that were terrible on first taste and strangely got better and better as i drank, this will denote high marks in the After Taste category.
beverage this low there are certain criteria it must meet: Is this beer truly offensive to my very existence? Are you stupider or perhaps less alive because you partook of these libations? Was this beer brewed in someones meth lab? If the answer is YES to any one of these statements it must rank somewhere between 0.0-0.9
usually the placement for most home brewers 1st batches. Of course you can't say this in front of them because if they are anything like me they invited a whole group of people over to try the very first batch of a classic American Pilsner that tastes more like the south end of the north bound kangaroo than beer. Also, in the PTBGS there are artistic categories that they receive a score in the 1's: you can be certain that someone used monotone color in a clear bottle and possibly used wine corks to seal the bottles.
"That Right Thar is bad news" Poor craftsmanship and moreover poor quality. These are the 'ohh my god it burns...is it suppose to burn when I drink it' beers. Most often these nearly undrinkable concoctions contort the face into a near photo copy of the wrapper of a box Sour Patch Kids. Ouch!
These beers usually dominate the college frat and party scene. Cheap as hell and the brewers usually get their yeast cultures from Wonderbread. Keystone and Colt 45 are classic examples. I won't say that I haven't downed a huge 40oz of Schlitz just to look cool in college, but I can assure you those days are in the past.
In the words of my good friend Dr. Wu: "meh". Its not good beer. It's not terrible. Its missing something. It has too much of something that is making it taste like a bike chain (don't laugh I've said that before). But the bad is not the overwhelming part, just the part that is taking it away from sitting atop a high slot on the scale. Most of the American Pilsners that refuse to actually add flavor to their beer fall into this category . I promise not to show bias.
If you are drinking at a party and run outta beer while in the midst of an engaging conversation with one or more individuals and someone passes you a solid 5 beer on the PTBGS, you would continue mid sentence and never look down at what you just drank. These are the move-along-nothing-to-see-here beers. Please note: offensive beers need not be lumped into this category just because you think 5 means bad- please scroll up to see the definition that best matches your beer.
Nothing great but drinkable and slightly enjoyable by the mass public. These beers often have 'mass-appeal' and usually don't give you terrible hangovers.
Respect the 7. Just as a trip through Vegas rollin' on 7's will bring you luck, a beer crafted with respect to quality and balance will net you a 'High Roller' feeling. Sometimes I give beers that are not really good low seven because the company or person that crafted the beer took a real risk in experimenting with something new and unique. Pumpkin Beer, Pepper Beer, and Lambic fermented with odd fruits stand firm here. However, shit is shit, so don't give a Jalapeño and peach blend a fighting chance if it is a terrible idea. But show respect when it is deserved.
Great Beers Apply Within! These beers are the most sought after by this humble writer. More often than not they are affordable and very enjoyable to drink no matter what the occasion. Beer connoisseurs will often agree with your choices in this category. 8's help you find a slot for great beers that aren't your favorite type to imbibe. For example, if you don't really enjoy stouts, but respect them as a variety of beer, and you know that you had a well crafted stout that needs to be congratulated...place him here.
These beers demand to be followed up by the exact same bottle you just downed. Respect be given to these pints! Yea, though I walk in the valley of the shadow and death, Yea, I will fear no evil. I have thy liquid bread, and it is good. Special Note- *Anything over 9.5 yield power over the drinker so intense that if you happen to pass said beer at your local beverage shoppe you simply could NOT resist purchasing a 6 pack of this beer. It's beyond your control.
sampled never once has a beer been so good that it made my eyes roll into the back of my head. A beer so divine that you are at a loss of words and usually a loss of bladder control. This beer is out there, I MUST believe this, it is what keeps me searching.
