** THE SCORING FORMAT IS SCHEDULED TO CHANGE FROM 1st JUNE 2026 so THE FOLLOWING CONTENT WILL BE AMENDED SHORTLY **

WHY CAMRA MEMBERS SCORE BEERS

CAMRA members across the country visit pubs and taste the beer - WHY?

CAMRA branches analyse beer quality information compiled from thousands of beer scores submitted by CAMRA members (both local branch and visitors) over the course of the year to rank the pubs according to the quality of their real ale.

The result of this analysis is used to:

	To monitor the Quality of Real Ale being served in pubs
	To help branches select pubs for inclusion in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide (GBG)
	To help branches select pubs for the Pub of the Year shortlist and other local awards
	To help branches select pubs that qualify for LocAle accreditation

How do I score the quality of a beer I am drinking??

You have to judge how well the beer has been kept by its smell, taste and appearance and rate it using the table that follows. Marks are on a scale of 0 to 5 (including 1/2 marks if you can't decide between two)

0 No cask ale available Not stocked or run-out

0.5 Undrinkable So poor you have to take it back or can't finish it. "Revolting"; "Off"

1 Poor Beer that is anything from barely drinkable to drinkable with considerable resentment. "Unpleasant"; "Inferior"

2 Average Competently kept, drinkable pint but doesn't inspire in any way, not worth moving to another pub but you drink the beer without really noticing. "Mediocre"; "Run of the mill"

3 Good Good beer in good form. You may cancel plans to move to another pub. You may want to stay for another pint. "Enjoyable"; "Nice"

4 Excellent Excellent beer in excellent condition. You stay put! "First-class"; "Great"

5 Perfect Probably the best you are ever likely to find it. A seasoned drinker will award this score very rarely. "Superlative"; "Stunning"

THE FOLLOWING TABLE SHOWS VALUES TO BE USED FROM 1ST JUNE ONWARDS. PLEASE IGNORE UNTIL THEN

RATING	DESCRIPTION	YOUR REACTION
Excellent	Exceptional and clear (if intended to be) with fantastic aromas, flavours and ideal carbonation.	Superb! You tell your friends and compliment the cellar manager.
Very Good	Satisfying and well-kept with a great appearance, good carbonation and enticing aromas and flavours.	You consider having another and may cancel plans to move to another pub
Good	Nice appearance, good carbonation, aromas and flavour.	Pleasant but not memorable. You're happy to have another but might consider something else
Acceptable	Unremarkable and ordinary, with no noteworthy characteristics.	You're unlikely to have another unless it is all there is and there isn’t another pub to go to.
Poor	Noticeably imperfect	Drinkable with resentment, but you politely ask for a replacement
Undrinkable	Unpleasant to drink, likely with a disgusting taste, incorrect appearance and off/foul aroma	You politely ask for it to be replaced and consider asking the publican to take it off.

How do I submit my scores?

You can submit scores either via CAMRA's online pub guide CAMRA Pubs, or CAMRA GBG Web App (Apple devices only). To do this you will need:

• Your CAMRA membership no....
• ...and password
• Pub Location...
• ... and name
• Date of your visit
• A score out of 5
• Name of the brewery and beer (please ignore the note that says it is optional)
• Further instructions can be found here, Beer scoring instructions

Our branch collates and reviews scores regularly through the year
Early the following year we hold open Selection Meetings, which review each pub meeting our minimum beer score criteria
This results in a short list of pubs recommended for the next GBG

We always need more scores to make this process work better and to give us more confidence in the statistics. The area North Cheshire CAMRA covers is huge with many rural pubs and there will always be deserving pubs that we struggle to get to or overlook, and whose regulars do not submit scores. If you have ever wondered why a pub is not in GBG, then it may well be because CAMRA members have not entered scores - by scoring a pub you can make a difference!

If you are not a CAMRA member but would like your opinions of beer quality in pubs to count, then join CAMRA at http://www.camra.org.uk/join