Mike's Meanderings

The Three-Point Scale

The Three-Point Scale

The 3-point scale is a simple rating scheme that I helped create years ago. It's a simple way for me to classify different things in my life. It was born out of an attempt to rate beers, and not liking how untappd had their system. This is a system that lets me look at the particulars of something, and distill it down to a basic level.

The 3-Point Scale

Rating Explanation
1 I wouldn't drink it, even if you bought it.
2 I would drink it if you bought it.
3 I would buy and drink this.

Diving deeper

1 Rating

This is something that I would avoid as much as I can.

In Beer Terms: I would not drink this beer you handed me, even if you purchased it.

2 Rating

Sometimes I like this, others meh.

In Beer Terms: If you bought me this beer, I would drink it.

3 Rating

Love it.

In Beer Terms: Not only would I buy this beer for myself, I would probably buy this beer for others.

Why?

Too often we rate things based off how they compare to something else. I like the idea considering it on it's own. For example, is Goose Island Bourbon Barrel Stout better than the Youngblood Brewing George Webb Telescope Sour? No. They're both 3's and stand on their own. Would I have more than one Bourbon Barrel Stout? No. It's good in small portions, but that doesn't take away from how I rate it.

Taking each beer and rating it on it's own merits is freeing. Plus, if I tell someone something is a 2 or 3, they know that I'll enjoy it.