99, 98, 97 Bottles…

Ever wished there was a site where you could easily post beer reviews, read about beers people have tried, and make a list of beer you want to try? Maybe you find Beer Advocate, Rate Beer, or The Full Pint intimidating or frustrating to use? Enter 97 Bottles — currently in private beta — made by the folks at BlueFlavor.

It’s an ambitious project, since there are other beer review sites out there, but this one is geared more toward the “average Joe” reviewer. Some people have complained about having to fill out too much information for reviews, but I’d argue that in order for a review to be helpful there need to be some basic standards for information. Users are prompted to select the beer source, serving type, and even free-form some attributes to help with tagging. Don’t know what “mouthfeel” means? No worries! You can post your review anyway.

I’ve added a few reviews to the site, including some for beers not cataloged in their database, but I just can’t get in to the habit of using the site. The reviews are almost too subjective and “average” as to have no meaning. One person may love every beer made by Leinenkugel, but I know I think they’re all mediocre. The quality of the reviews seems to have a direct correlation to the type of beer. For example, the more rare, Belgian, stout, or exotic a beer is, the better the review might be. More experienced beer drinkers seek out these beers, and the reviews are more detailed. Other times, a relative newbie to craft or specialty beers might post a review that just describes the beer as “pretty good” with no details on why they thought this.

While it’s nice to get a list of all currently reviewed beers sorted by style or brewery, it doesn’t match up to the experience of going to a bottle shop and scanning the shelves for that rare find or favorite malty friend. In a town like Portland with so many fantastic pubs that carry all kinds of specialty beer, I’m more likely to follow a pub on Twitter and read about their latest tap list, or mosey over to a favorite brewpub and try something new. I know others aren’t this lucky, so I’d be curious to see if 97 Bottles has more value or interest for people who don’t live in Beervana.

And I think that is why I forget to use the site; it doesn’t match the experience I want to have when I’m seeking out new beers. I don’t really care what other people may think of it, the joy is in the hunt for something new and trying it without knowing what you might be about to drink. If I want to write about a beer, I do it here. If I want to tell more people about that beer, I’ll do it in person or on Twitter.

If you’re curious to find out about 97 Bottles for yourself, let me know. I’ve got a few private beta invites left and would be happy to share them. I know the team at BlueFlavor is looking for feedback on the site!