In part one we discussed how to describe the beer in the middle section covering: Aroma, Appearance, Flavour, and Mouthfeel. Now we turn our attention to scoring. It’s common to score each section as you go, once you have described each aspect. You can always go back and adjust scores later. Note that the sections are weighted differently, reflecting the relative importance of each beer aspect. They sum to 50, with Aroma out of 12, Appearance out of 3, Flavour out of 20, Mouthfeel out of 5. An ‘Overall’ score makes up the remaining 10. You can download a blank pdf of the standard scoresheet here.
The score for each section reflects how well the beer measures up against the BJCP guidelines, that is all. There will always be an element of subjectivity to this process. You may prefer beers that are different, or have a personal opinion of what this style should be; but try as best as you can to set aside your personal biases.
BJCP talk about “top down” and “bottom up” approaches, where you either add up points for accurate style traits, or subtract points for aspects the beer lacks. You can give them both a try. Perfect points for one particular section is possible, but keep in mind that the overall score should be regarded as exponential. A beer that scores 45+/50 should be a seriously world class example of the style!
Beers with obvious faults can be difficult to judge. By all means reduce scores for faulty beers, but also try and see past the fault so that you can give proper credit for positive aspects of the beer. If a beer is truly undrinkable, you may assign a beer a “courtesy score” of 13/50 overall. In this instance, always give plenty of feedback so the brewer might correct the problems next brew. 
The example above is a description of a Czech Premium Pale Lager. With these scores, the characteristics of this beer align exceptionally well with the BJCP guidelines for the style. This is an excellent beer!
The Overall Impression section is an overall score of how well the beer aligns with the style guide. How do all the aspects work together? In the text area, It’s nice to begin with a positive comment about something that you enjoyed about the beer.
Importantly, you should follow this with detailed and constructive feedback about how the beer could be improved, but we’ll discuss that in another article.
Finally, the total score is just the sum of each section for a value out of 50. If you look to the left of the scoresheet, there is a scoring guide. Check the main descriptor, as well as the description that aligns with the score you have given. How does it compare? You might adjust the scores up or down at this point to bring it in line with this guide.
See also How to Read a BJCP Scoresheet, and BJCP Scoresheets 1: Describing 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/
