Submitting beer scores is your chance to recognise and support the best real ale pubs in the Branch area. It is a quick and easy way in which members can contribute to CAMRA, and involves little more than simply enjoying a pint (please note that only CAMRA members are eligible to participate in beer scoring). From 2026 onwards, beer scoring is done using six different ratings: "Undrinkable", "Poor", "Acceptable", "Good", "Very Good" and "Excellent".

All scores are used at our Branch meeting every November to compile a “hit list” of around double the number of pubs that we can enter in to the next edition of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. Only the pubs on this list will be included in voting for Good Beer Guide entries at the following February Branch meeting. They will also be used to select pubs for the annual branch Real Ale Quality Award.

The Good Beer Guide is one of CAMRA’s bestselling publications and an invaluable guide to finding the best real ale pubs both locally and more importantly when travelling. It is vital that we enter the best pubs in our Branch area and your beer scores are essential to the first stage of the selection process. The more members that contribute then the more accurate the end result, so please don't just leave it to others. Further information on this branch's Good Beer Guide selection process can be found on the GBG Selection Process page.

Please read the important notes below.

There are four possible ways for you to submit your scores in order of preference:

1. Submit online to CAMRA’s National Beer Scoring System (NBSS) via CAMRA's online pub guide .
   • You will have to log in with your CAMRA membership number and password.
   • Find the pub and enter scores in the box on the right hand side.
   • You can also review and edit your scores at the CAMRA Beer Scoring System
2. Complete and email this Beer Scoring Excel spreadsheet 2024/25 to ku.gro.armac.hgrubnide@atad_bup (please read the “Read Me” tab)
3. Enter your scores into, and email this Beer Scoring Word document (typed) 2024/25 to ku.gro.armac.hgrubnide@atad_bup (If you don’t have Excel)
4. Print, complete and post this Beer Scoring Word document (hand-written) 2024/25 to the postal address of our chair, or bring along to the next meeting (Ideal for non smartphone owners to fill it in at the pub)

The deadline for submitting scores to be used on this year's hit list is two weeks before the November meeting if using NBSS, or 1st November for forms being emailed or posted.

Scores for pubs outwith our branch area should only be entered using the CAMRA online pub guide or NBSS so they can be seen by the relevant branch.

The top-scoring pubs will be listed every month on the Top Beer Scores page.

Important Notes

1. Scores should only be given for REAL ALES and REAL CIDERS.
2. Duplicate Scores (same scorer, date, pub, Real Ale). These are occurring quite frequently and may be due to system errors: if you enter scores for someone else put their name and/or membership number in the comments column. All identical duplicate scores (same date; pub; Real Ale name / no Real Ale name) will be disregarded unless there is an explanation.
3. Scores - some people tend to score high, some tend to score low. Please read the definitions.
4. Scores - be critical and give praise where due - don't just give everything a "Good"!
5. Scores - Do not mark down a Real Ale because it is not your preferred style. However do mark down poorly made Real Ales. Don’t give it a high score while thinking "it is not a good Real Ale but this is as good as it gets". The thinking should be - I have just walked in to a GBG listed pub expecting some interesting, quality Real Ales, not just a line-up of un-interesting big brands or the mediocre products of a poorly run microbrewery. It’s the pubs choice what Real Ales they sell!
6. Edinburgh Pubs - These require at least 3 visits (on separate days) to be eligible for inclusion on the hit list. So if you find good Real Ale in a pub that is not one of the usual suspects then please visit it a few times and tell ku.gro.armac.hgrubnide@ofni_bup about it so other branch members can be encouraged to visit.