Probably not a shocker, but interesting to see the data, it appears the average ABV across a given beer category does increase the average beer score for that particular category. A few noticeable outliers are goses and berliner weisses which tend to score high despite their low ABV, and American malt liquors score low despite their relatively high alcohol content.

The chart below shows Beeradvocate’s average rAVG score for each beer category (essentially the average of all individual beer averages for each beer category) in a scatter plot with the beer category average ABV.

Relationship of ABV to Beer Score

 

 

Full Data Set:

 

Beer Category

Average ABV

rAVG

Low Alcohol Beer 0.96 2.50
Kvass 1.07 3.19
Light Lager 4.04 2.67
English Dark Mild Ale 4.07 3.69
Berliner Weissbier 4.15 3.81
English Bitter 4.27 3.49
Faro 4.58 3.64
Gose 4.62 3.80
English Pale Ale 4.71 3.49
Euro Pale Lager 4.84 2.86
Kölsch 4.94 3.56
Irish Dry Stout 4.95 3.64
American Adjunct Lager 4.95 2.64
German Pilsener 4.98 3.38
Czech Pilsener 5.00 3.43
Munich Helles Lager 5.01 3.52
American Blonde Ale 5.01 3.41
Kristalweizen 5.10 3.48
Kellerbier / Zwickelbier 5.12 3.65
Japanese Rice Lager 5.12 2.92
Munich Dunkel Lager 5.14 3.57
American Pale Lager 5.16 3.31
Hefeweizen 5.17 3.55
Vienna Lager 5.18 3.39
American Pale Wheat Ale 5.20 3.50
Euro Dark Lager 5.20 3.37
English Brown Ale 5.25 3.59
Witbier 5.25 3.55
Dortmunder / Export Lager 5.26 3.38
Fruit / Vegetable Beer 5.26 3.37
Cream Ale 5.27 3.51
English Stout 5.27 3.61
Schwarzbier 5.28 3.61
Happoshu 5.31 2.88
California Common / Steam Beer 5.32 3.59
American Amber / Red Lager 5.36 3.36
Dunkelweizen 5.42 3.59
Irish Red Ale 5.43 3.49
American Pale Ale (APA) 5.44 3.66
Roggenbier 5.46 3.66
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB) 5.50 3.62
Lambic – Unblended 5.54 3.96
Lambic – Fruit 5.57 3.74
Altbier 5.65 3.63
Scottish Ale 5.67 3.59
Rauchbier 5.67 3.74
Märzen / Oktoberfest 5.67 3.58
English Porter 5.69 3.70
Belgian Pale Ale 5.84 3.58
Gueuze 5.86 3.95
Scottish Gruit / Ancient Herbed Ale 5.96 3.71
American Amber / Red Ale 5.96 3.55
Chile Beer 5.98 3.52
Herbed / Spiced Beer 6.00 3.44
American Dark Wheat Ale 6.09 3.60
Oatmeal Stout 6.10 3.75
American Brown Ale 6.10 3.69
Milk / Sweet Stout 6.22 3.86
Smoked Beer 6.23 3.67
Saison / Farmhouse Ale 6.32 3.78
Rye Beer 6.32 3.73
American Stout 6.38 3.76
American IPA 6.47 3.77
Flanders Red Ale 6.49 3.82
Belgian Dark Ale 6.53 3.60
American Porter 6.55 3.79
Black & Tan 6.63 3.57
Bock 6.65 3.57
American Wild Ale 6.77 3.94
Maibock / Helles Bock 6.82 3.63
Pumpkin Ale 6.83 3.67
Sahti 6.94 3.70
American Black Ale 6.98 3.82
Bière de Garde 6.99 3.72
Foreign / Export Stout 7.01 3.72
Winter Warmer 7.01 3.66
English Strong Ale 7.11 3.62
Belgian IPA 7.25 3.80
Dubbel 7.43 3.70
Weizenbock 7.60 3.78
American Double / Imperial Pilsner 7.69 3.71
Euro Strong Lager 7.83 2.87
Baltic Porter 8.01 3.84
American Malt Liquor 8.08 2.51
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy 8.20 3.80
Doppelbock 8.22 3.74
Old Ale 8.37 3.84
Belgian Strong Pale Ale 8.52 3.72
Braggot 8.77 3.70
Tripel 8.81 3.75
American Doublel / Imperial IPA 8.92 3.91
American Strong Ale 9.21 3.84
Bière de Champagne / Bière Brut 9.31 3.87
Wheatwine 9.93 3.83
Russian Imperial Stout 10.04 3.99
American Double / Imperial Stout 10.20 4.02
English Barleywine 10.46 3.84
Quadrupel (Quad) 10.58 3.92
American Barleywine 10.68 3.90
Eisbock 13.92 3.76

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