The Beer Lover’s Buying Guide, except for advertising, is produced by the Beverage Testing Institute, an independent full-time, professional review service.
Procedures
All beers are reviewed in a professional tasting room designed to minimize external factors. Panelists taste “blind,” aware only of the category being reviewed. To avoid palate fatigue, a maximum of 35 beers are tasted over a three-hour session.
Availability
Some of the products reviewed are not yet imported or are available in small quantities. In other cases, they are available only at the brewpub. For help in tracking them down, there is no substitute for cultivating a relationship with a good beer retailer.
Tasting Notes
BTI’s highly structured tasting notes emphasize accurate descriptions as well as scores.
Interpreting the 100-point Scale
Consumers can translate the point score to the following quality bands:
| Point Range | Quality Band |
|---|---|
| 96-100 points | Platinum |
| 90-95 points | Gold |
| 85-90 points | Silver |
| 80-84 points | Bronze |
| Less than 80 | Not Recommended |
Legend
= Brewpub- ABV = Alcohol by volume
- Date denotes the date on which the beer was tasted
Contact Information
Beverage Testing Institute
920 W. Van Buren Suite 5000
Chicago, IL USA 60607
Phone (312) 226-7857
Fax (312) 226-7858