Some use Untappd to look up ratings when shopping for beer or look up beers they are on the fence about. Individual ratings should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism, but the average score from a large number of check-ins is a pretty good indicator of a beer’s quality. The smaller the number of check-ins you see, the warier you should be. Of course, individual check-ins are anecdotal.This information would also be useful to people who collect and trade for beer. If there are lots of reviews that say the flavor of a certain adjunct is falling off, it may be best to crack your bottle open sooner rather than later. If you’re worried that you may have held onto a bottle for too long, check to see what others are saying about it. This is more applicable to cellarable beers, such as stouts and barleywines, but this really works on any beer with a long(ish) shelf life. You can look at recent check-ins to determine how a beer is drinking.Telling the world that the year-old IPA you’re drinking doesn’t taste right just makes you look foolish. Also, be sure the beer you’re drinking isn’t too old. That’s not to say you shouldn’t check in styles you don’t generally care for. If you don’t like a certain style of beer, then you’re not the person to evaluate it. The brewery and the retailer will both be grateful, as will any friends of yours who are curious about where they can get some of their own. But before you finalize that check-in, make sure to tell everyone where you got it.

If you’re enjoying what you’re drinking, that’s great! Go ahead and check it in. Include as much information as possible in a check-in.How to use Untappd without looking like a newb

Untapped beer ratings