Customer Reviews

The Beer Guide

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is exactly what I need when I go to a beer store which has an extensive selection or see something at a local beer distributor which I have not recognized before. Before I printed out pages from the RateBeer web site of top beers but never had something I could hold in my hand. Now I have what is an exhaustive guide of what purports to have "2,700 domestic and imported beers" "sold in America."

Except for sections on types of beers, beers widely distributed in the US, beer rating and beer-food pairing, this is pretty much a graphic-less bare bones guide to beers that have been rated on [...] with selected quotes of descriptions from members and a star system instead of the numerical system used on the site.

Personally, I prefer the numerical system rather than the star system but I find the descriptions helpful. The introduction, however, seems misleading when it states that these ratings reflect the consensus of the whole community on each beer because there are many beers which have less than 100 ratings in this guide. Yes, the community claims over 30,000 visitors but I think they should have mentioned how many people rated each beer.

Distribution seems to be another issue as the cover states these reflect imported beers and the Westvleteren beers are mentioned. The monks prohibit the sale of this beer outside of their abbey. Why not just create a guide that lists all the site's beers instead? Most of the beers are available at specialty beer shops from what I can see. Another minor glitch I saw was the listing of Wagner Valley as in Lodi, NJ instead of NY. One other criticism I have is that sometimes beers are listed by the name and sometimes by brewery.

But other than my nit-picking, Josh Oakes did a fine job of locating select quotes which describe the beers in this guide. Beer lovers who prefer major beers like Bud, Miller and Coors will not like a guide which slams these macro beers but the beer aficionado folks will love having this for reference and casual reading. I've purchased beer rating guides in the past and have never seen one more exhaustive and packed with beers as this.

This is a must have gift for any beer lovers that you know!

In case you haven't heard, beer's the new wine, and RateBeer's been guiding drinkers of Milwaukee's finest through the microbrew revolution for seven blurry years. "The Beer Guide" basically puts the best of the website in your pocket, with reviews of nearly 3,000 brews that range from Bud Ice to Zywiec Porter. Everything's ranked alphabetically, with an easy (if brutally honest) five-star rating system, listing of alcohol content, and short descriptions that are as funny as they are informative.

I especially liked the section in front with brief, helpful definitions of the different styles of beer (a crash course on learning your lagers from your lambics) and a Food-to-Beer pairing guide in the back that suggests, wine-style, what brews go best with which meals. There's also a Judging Sheet in the back to help get your own tasting chops up--you too could be a RateBeer star. Sized to fit in the palm of one hand (presumably with a pint in the other), it's the ideal guide for sudsers of any level looking to elevate their game.

I love beer and always look forward to trying new ones. Nevada the state I live in does not have a great selection, so I am forced to buy beer when I travel. Than I run into the problem so many new beers and I have to transport them back home. This is where the Beer Guide comes in, they do a great job rating beers and I can pull out the Beer Guide for ideas on what to get. I find my tastes run smiliar to the Beer Guide's raters and have never been disappointed.

No Beer Guide will be complete and it is important to get something that is current as beers change over time or go out of business. The Beer Guide is current and comprhenisive. A great buy for any beer lover.

This ultra-simple directory of all beers you're likely to find for sale in North America (both foreign and domestic) has a typical beer-snob bias toward heavy, sweet and strong top-fermented brews with a corresponding dismissal of light lagers and pilsners. You already know what's in here, so why do we need yet another reviewer telling us that Chimay Blue is perfect and Budweiser is plonk?

The 1-to-5 star rating system is entirely subjective, of course, and there's not a hint of text in here about prices, places to buy, glassware, or the brewing process. Also, keep in mind that this is a beer guide, not a pub guide. Generally, a waste of money.

Spend a little more and buy THE BEER BOOK, which is truly an excellent guide and a joy to browse.

This book is great for several reasons. 1) It has a listing for nearly every beer you can find in the best beer stores anywhere in North America. 2) It is small enough to keep in your glove box and take INTO the liquor store with you. 3) It's concise ratings and descriptions give you just enough information to make an informed purchase of any beer you can find.

If you want a book that will help you buy good beer, this is it. No history, no fancy pictures, just the information that you need. It's like the beer encyclopedia. VERY useful!

I bought this for my fiancee for Christmas and he likes it so much he wants to take it into beer stores with him to evaluate what beers he wants to get. For the beer lover this is a great buy. Well worth the price paid too.

The Beer Guide offers a brief, non-pictoral look at over 2,700 imported and domestic beers. If you're looking for a quick reference guide, this one is decent enough, but there are a a few inconsistencies with the book that make it less than stellar. First of all, several well known craft beers are missing from the book altogether (Troeg's Nugget Nectar, for example), other beers are "questionably categorized" - old ales are sometimes labeled barleywines - and the rating system they devised for this book, a 1-5 point system, is utterly useless and arbitrary. Several good, but not great domestic craft beers, like Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale, are rated a 5 ... the highest rating, right alongside beers like Westvleteren 12 ... and rated higher than beers like Three Floyds Dark Lord ...! I know beer ratings are a subjective art, but c'mon.

All in all, this is a very good beginners guide and the problems inherent in the book may only bother a true beer geek. Despite it's limitations, I've enjoyed thumbing through it.

There hasn't been a beer book released yet that's so comprehensive and accurate. The Beer Guide by RateBeer, edited by Josh Oakes and with a food pairing guide by award-winning beer writer Stan Hieronymous, is the strongest and newest guide for beer lovers and beer newbies alike. A bit of beer education and a lot consumer guide, this book eliminates the confusion of an overwhelming new array of beers in the market place -- a few of which being among the best in the world.

[...] is now nearing a remarkable one million beer ratings and that online power has been in part selectively reduced to this special little pocket sized tome. Enjoy!

The perfect guide to bring into a wide-selection beer shop. To be sure, it's the beer geek's view of the world, so the hoppier the beer, the better. But no other guide is so comprehensive. Similar to a Zagat restaurant guide in approach, its ratings are based on consumer responses. And with this in hand, you'll never have a disappointing ale or lager again. The food-pairing guide alone is worth the cover price.