Is the consensus score assigned to a beer necessarily an average score?

The consensus score assigned to a beer does not have to be an average score because consensus is achieved through discussion and agreement among judges rather than simply calculating a numeric average of individual scores. This process can result in a score that reflects the judges' collective opinion, which may take into account various factors, including the style guidelines, the intended characteristics of the beer, and the judges' experiences.

Judges may weigh certain aspects more heavily during discussions based on their expertise or the context of the tasting, allowing for a more nuanced evaluation that transcends simple averaging. This flexibility is important in ensuring a fair and accurate representation of the beer's quality as perceived by the judging panel as a whole.

In situations where there are varying opinions or when judges have strong feelings about particular attributes of the beer, the final consensus score can thus differ from an average of the individual scores, reflecting a collaborative conclusion rather than a mechanical calculation.