LOL!!
If BigWill and I ever manage to span the thousand miles between us, you can be sure there will be a Axiom Beer Shootout Report. As to whether we'd have the discipline to do it double-blind, well, it depends on your definition of double-blind
I have probably already mentioned that I am a Certified
Beer Judge, so I actually have some experience with and guidelines for psuedo-objective tasting. Once upon a time, some friends and I did a series of tastings of commercial beer using scoring sheets and double-blind conditions. The problem was, we found that the time it takes to actually analyze, score and debrief the beers really detracted from the experience of "drinking a beer with friends".
In homebrew competitions, I typically can judge only ~5 beers per hour, while drinking 2-3 ounces of each. You owe the brewer thoughtful analysis and comments. Depending on the style, it becomes very difficult to give credible feedback beyond about 8 beers - fewer for stronger or hoppier styles. Palate fatigue.
That being said, it can be fun and informative to pick a style, assemble some examples, have the designated steward serve the beers, and try to describe what you like and why using the style guidelines.
Previous Topic
Index
