In our BABBs mini-competitions we collaboratively judge beers according to the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) standard. We use the BJCP 2021 scoring guidelines, download them here, or get an app on your phone. This is guide for beginners to help you make sense of the BJCP process and the score sheet. You can download a blank pdf of the standard scoresheet here.

The central section of the scoresheet covers the aspects of the beer, which the BJCP divides into: Aroma, Appearance, Flavour, and Mouthfeel.

In this section you should simply describe the beer.

Keep your language simple and direct. Don’t worry if you feel a little short on vocabulary, this is a learning process. Use references to common food items. For each characteristic you mention you should also include a degree or an amount. Descriptors such as medium, moderate, medium, high, low, medium-low, slight, delicate, strong, dominant, etc are appropriate.

Little tips are provided as to what should be mentioned in an ideal answer. “Comment on…”.  If in doubt work through these. 

This example sheet is a description of a Czech Premium Pale Lager.


Note that in the above sheet

• Each characteristic of the beer is worked through.
• The degree of each is indicated with a descriptor, “moderate”, “medium” etc.
• Each “comment on” tip has been addressed.
• It uses language generally in line with the BJCP descriptions, and is simple and direct.
• Additions like “lovely” and “good for style” are included but kept to a minimum.

See also How to Read a BJCP Scoresheet and BJCP Scoresheets 2: Scoring the Beer on the BABBs Blog.
 

The Beer Judge Certification Program, Inc. (BJCP) is a world-wide certifying organization for judges of beer and related fermented products. Founded in 1985, they now have a presence in over 60 countries and have more than 7500 active judges in the program. https://www.bjcp.org/about/introduction-bjcp/