Your most excessive ratings deviations

Above:
1. Three Floyds Cimmerian Sabertooth Berzerker (5.0, +19.9%)
Hands down, my favorite IIPA ever. Only beer I've ever given all 5's.
2. Three Floyds Blot Out the Sun (4.95, +18.4%)
Thre first 3F beer I ever had, so maybe I was biased. I'd like to revisit this one and see how it compares to memory.
3. Sixpoint Bengali (4.71, +16.9%)
Just about perfect for a session IPA, in my humble opinion.
4. Half Acre Daisy Cutter (4.78, +14.6%)
The definition of a perfect Pale Ale. I'd drink this every single day if it were available here.
5. Three Floyds Robert the Bruce (4.43, +14.3%)
I think this one's underrated because it's a year-round brew that isn't Zombie Dust. Good complexity and tasty.

Below:
1. Stone Double Bastard (2.74, -35.7%)
Overly sweet, way too boozy. I just couldn't get into this beer.
2. Country Boy Galaxy Pale (2.59, -29.8%)
In CB's defense, I think I may have gotten a fill from a bad keg. Another I'd like to revisit.
3. Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro (3.34, -19.7%)
Flat, tasteless, chalky. I much prefer the regular version.
4. New Belgium Trippel (3.07, -19.4%)
Tasted like liquified banana-nut bread with alcohol added.
5. Dogfish Head Burton Baton (3.51, -17.2%)
I actually kinda liked this one, but it just tasted off. Too malty and sweet to be a IIPA, in my opinion.

 

Generally speaking, my reviewing has evolved as my palate has developed, so reviews from 2010-2012 may not be representative of my current tastes, and may not be accurate reflections of how I would receive the beers now. And when it comes to BMC-ish stuff, they're all crap, but I think different BAs take different approaches to how they review them creating somewhat random variances from the rDev. That said...

Above...
Michelob Ultra
Anheuser-Busch
Light Lager 4.20 2.5 +35.1%
I only gave it a 2.5, but apparently that's crazy. I don't like it, but when I had it, comparatively speaking, it was alright.

Boulevard / Sierra Nevada Terra Incognita
Boulevard Brewing Co.
American Wild Ale 8.00 4.68 +30%
This was great. I didn't think of it as a wild ale, and I think that that designation would be misleading to people expecting a true wild ale. I thought it more like a strong ale, maybe like an imperial brown or something? IDK, but it was a style-transcending beer, and it really appealed to my tastes.

Punishment
Stone Brewing Co.
Chile Beer 12.00 3.61 +28%
Crime
Stone Brewing Co.
Chile Beer 9.60 3.53 +25.2%
I'll tackle these two simultaneously. I liked the heat. It was weird and over-the-top, and I totally get why many would hate it, even if they like chili beers - but I was okay with it. My only gripe was the price. If these were say, half the price they were, I might buy one again.

Evil Twin / Stillwater / Stone - "The Perfect Crime"
Stone Brewing Co.
Saison / Farmhouse Ale 6.80 4.33 +23.7%
This was a from a couple of years ago, and I guess others were disappointed. I don't remember what there was about it that would make my review so high above the average.

Below...
Ommegang Aphrodite
Brewery Ommegang
Fruit / Vegetable Beer 8.90 1.55 -58.7%
This was consumed in my pre-sour days back 2011, having been recommended even though I said I didn't like sours. It was sour, fruity, and pinkish purple - I was so aggravated and unhappy, it is literally one of maybe like 3 or 4 drain-pours ever. I never went back to it (don't even know if around anymore. My other pre-sour ale was Petrus, which I returned to and really loved once my palate had opened up to that sort of beer.

Heineken Lager Beer
Heineken Nederland B.V.
Euro Pale Lager 5.00 2 -26.2%
I don't know why I'm so below the average on this anymore than I get why I'm so above the average on the Michelob Ultra. This beer just sucks for me.

Black (黑)
Mikkeller ApS
American Double / Imperial Stout 17.50 2.86 -24.7%
This is another one that goes back - again to 2011 - so my memory's dimmed - I just recall not liking it. sorry, can't give you more than that.

Rolling Rock Extra Pale
Latrobe Brewing Co.
American Adjunct Lager 4.60 2 -22.5%
See Heineken above, with the additional note that this is one of the wateriest beers I've had. Just pointless.

Northwind Imperial Stout
Two Brothers Brewing Company
Russian Imperial Stout 9.10 3 -21.1%
We're going back to 2012 here, and again, like Black above, I'm not sure what it was that turned me off so.

 

Delirium Tremens: 3.68 (-10.9%) - My lowest deviation. Normally, everything I try from Belgium I end up giving above a 4, but this BSPA just didn't do much for me for whatever reason.

Alaskan Icy Bay IPA: 4.57 (+24.9%) - Highest deviation. I find that in general my highest deviations are Alaskan-brewed beers. Especially plain old IPAs from breweries all over the state. Maybe I get them fresher than most people since I live here? I don't know.

 

Jockamo ipa abita... -65.1 horrible beer
90min ipa -56.5

 

Ska orange chocolate stout 21.2
Twin leaf megahertz double ipa 20.5
Also had highland devils britches ipa at around -45
And wicked weed cool cucumber -36.2

 

I don't have enough big negative rdev numbers to do a "top 5" for both sides just yet, so I'll just do the highest two for both instead.

Lowest:
Yuengling Black & Tan (2.84, rdev -11.8%) -- oddly, if I had reviewed this one as I was drinking my first bottle of it, things would've turned out much differently. I actually liked it the first time... and then every other bottle I had from that 12-pack failed to live up to the first one, after a while seeming worse each time. May have to go back and try this again and re-review if it's a drastically different experience (or at least closer to that first one that was actually decent), though I definitely won't be buying a full 12-pack of them again.

Foster's Premium Ale (2.53, rdev -10.3%) -- could not drink much more than half of the giant can. Just gross. Smelled gross, tasted... less gross but still not good, felt strangely thin/watery... if not for whatever small amount the appearance score added, my rating would've been even lower. Honestly a bit surprised that the average rating on this is so close to being an "average" 3 rather than firmly in the "poor/awful" range.

Highest:
Starr Hill's Snow Blind doppelbock (4.43, +21.7%) -- really liked this one, probably still one of my "top 5" favorite beers so far. I suppose I may have rated it too high, I haven't had other doppelbocks to compare it to, but I plan on getting more of it the next time it's on the shelves so if my opinion changes I can always re-review.

Shiner's Birthday Beer Chocolate Stout (4.2, +17.6%) -- it tastes like a chocolate cake, just like the kind I sometimes used to have on my birthday as a kid. It has a cake right there on the label and is called "Birthday Beer," so that seems to have been exactly what they were going for. And they succeeded.

 

my highest:
Bud Light Lime-A-Rita
Anheuser-Busch
American Malt Liquor 8.00 3.75 +77.7% -I think it represents exactly what it is labeled as which is a beer masquerading as a margarita, it doesn't make sense to rate this poorly just because you dislike the brand or what the beer stands for
my lowest =

Cintra
Drinkin - Comp. Ind. Bebidas E Alimentação, S.A. (CINTRA)
American Adjunct Lager 4.80 1.15 -48.4% This is a long time ago that I even attempted to enjoy this, but for whatever reason the beer came off as tasteless and overly carbonated evidently

 

Above:
Ottakringer Helles (4.0, +29.9%) - Vienna's "city beer". Yes it's an industrial pale lager, but i found it to be a particularly good example of it. Tasty and refreshing, but not too strong. As it should be.

Below:
Kozel Cerny (Dark) (3.0, -19.1%) - a dark Czech lager. Seems to be very appreciated by reviewers. Too thick and sweet for my taste, kind of like Kvass. I hate Kvass.

 

Miller Chill with a +55.7 and Bells Cherry with a -40.5. The Bells was quite a few months old and it doesn't age well so I think my perception was off. I'll try it again next year. I stand by my Miller Chill rating.

 

I don't rate most of the beers I drink and sometimes I think my ratings are shite.... so take this with a pinch of salt





Low:

I&G oak aged - It's overly sweet shite. minus 46.8%

Infra Red - Hardknott - Overcarbed, over yeasty, tasted like a bad homebrew. - minus 32.1%

Caledonian 80/- - crap beer from a crap brewery. All their beers have a bad flavour to them. Some excessively misty eyed ratings from 'muricans setting this one far too high imo. minus 26.9%

Sierra Nevada Stout - Overly carbed but even when purged it simply does not have the flavour of many stouts at lesser strengths. A good negative example of how much better stouts are suited to cask imo. I still quite liked it but minus 26.3%

Hibernation Ale - Great Divide - sickly sweet middle iirc. minus 25.4%


High

St. Mungo - WEST - I remember this pint it was fucking excellent. Sadly every time I've had this beer since it's disappointed and I really should re-rate it as this is a false score. Plus 18.7%

NZPA - Hawkshead - excellent beer from an excellent brewery. No idea about the low ratings from others, maybe the bottle isn't as good?? plus 13.6%

Perlenbacher pils - pretty crap pils but its cheap. Should probably be a bit lower - plus 13.2%

Hawkshead Bitter - again, a good beer. Probably not as good in the bottle, hence the different rating plus 11.3%

Oyster Stout Marstons - I presume I rated this high because it was made by marstons and I actually liked it . plus 10%

 

Totally agree on 90 Minute. I'm -20.3% on that one. I'm not sure why it's so highly rated. Maybe it's one of those beers that was pathbreaking back in the day but has long since gotten left in the dust?

 

I'll play along, why not?

Above:
1 — Prairie Christmas Bomb! 4.8 (+19.1%) Absolutely loved this beer, don't think I overrated it by any means.
2 — Grimm Bros. Little Red Cap 4.23 (+18.8%) Lovely brew from Northern Colorado, fantastic balance.
3 — Ska Vernal Minthe Stout 4.21 (+18.6%) It's like a liquid Thin Mint cookie, come on!
4 — Stone Master of Disguise 4.42 (+17.6%) This was a total mindfuck beer, loved the richness and depth of flavors.
5 — Breckenridge SummerBright 3.75 (+16.8) Lots of good memories made with this beer in tow, excellent on a golf course.

Below:
1 — Harvester Pale Ale 1.45 (-58.9%) This tasted and smelled like a burnt eraser, awful.
2 — Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin 1.5 (-51.6%) One of the worst beers I've ever had, disgustingly artificial.
3 — New Belgium Hoptober 2.0 (-47.4%) Such a mismatch of flavors, this beer didn't know what it was trying to accomplish.
4 — Grimm Bros. Gustavus 1.5 (-47.4%) Tasted and smelled like a smoked rotten banana with spice and yeast, no thank you.
5 — Big Sky Moose Drool 2.0 (-45.9%) Never have been able to enjoy this sweaty malty mess of a beer, meh.

 

Above.

• Swami's IPA
• Stroh's
• Duvel
• 605 Harvest Pale Ale
• Seef Bier (WAY underrated imo)

Below.

• Corona Light
• BA Narwhal
• Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale
• Coor's Light
• Founders Devil Dancer

 

Above
Old Style Lager + 25.9%, (my AAL of choice)

Under
Chameleon Hop on Top - 60.2%, (worst beer I've ever tried, maybe a bad bottle, will never know)
Samichlaus Classic Bier - 50%, (had at a bottle share, 3 out of the 4 of us struggled to consume our 3 oz. pour. Connoisseur's of fine ales we are not.)

 

There's a bit of a theme to each of my groups of excessive deviation.

1. Kona Longboard Island Lager at +23.7% - This was a decently tasty pale lager.
2. Great Lakes The Doppelrock at +23.1% - One of the closest US-brewed doppelbocks I have ever had to the German exemplars.
3. Sixpoint Jammer at +22.7% - this was a nice, subtle, mildly salty gose, which seems to go unappreciated in favor of wanting more explosive tart and salt flavors.
4. Ayinger Brau Weisse at +19.9% - This is the perfect hefeweizen, as far as my palate is concerned.
5. Great Lakes Eliot Ness at +18.6% - This is the single best Vienna lager I have ever been fortunate enough to taste.

Running theme for my positive deviations: I rate lagers higher than most BAs, and also enjoy subtle beers.

1. Stone Master of Disguise at -67.6% - This was an IPA/IIPA that had some other stuff dumped into it, and was called a "stout". In my opinion, it had as much in common with a stout as a thoroughbred Triple Crown winner has in common with a ball of aluminum foil previously used to wrap used cat litter.
2. Sierra Nevada Kellerweis at -66.7% - The label calls this a hefeweizen. It has noticeable floral hop presence. Which is exactly what I do not want in a hefeweizen.
3. Three Floyds Blot Out The Sun at -66.3% - This is a black IPA mislabeled as a stout.
4. MadTree/Listermann Madmann at -57.7%: This a hop-forward gose. Enough said.
5. Rivertown Winter Ale at -57.3% - An alleged brown ale / winter warmer, which is more leafy-tobacco hop bitterness.

Running theme for my negative deviations: Noticeable extra hop presence in styles not generally known for their hoppy nature.

Such is the nature of my palate, alas.

 

Above:
Winter Dunkel, Whistler Brewing Company 4.54 +34.7% (average: 3.37)
Maybe it's not what it's supposed to be for the style, but I just really liked it. It was fucking delicious.

Lil’ Red Sour Cherry Berliner Weisse, Parallel 49 Brewing Company 3.4 +30.8% (average: 2.6)
Parallel 49 only brewed this one once, and I think most people got beer that was off. I was lucky enough to get a bottle that was okay, although it was only an okay beer and not anything great, I thought.

Bunny's Black & Tan, Wolf Brewing Company 4 +19.4% (average: 3.35)
To be fair, I may not have even been drinking the same beer as everyone else who rated this one, as the brewery has made a lot of changes.

Savant, Elysian Brewing Company 4.49 +17.2% (average: 3.83)
I just really like it!

Port In The Storm Porter, The Port Gastropub / Sea Level Brewing Company 3.9 +16.1% (average: 3.36)
I don't even remember this beer.

Below:
Lindemans Pêche, Brouwerij Lindemans 1.5 -61.8% (average: 3.93)
I like fruit lambics, but this was like drinking syrup. I poured it down the drain.

Paradise Valley Grapefruit Ale, Whistler Brewing Company 2.12 -38.6% (average: 3.45)
To my mind, this is a fruit beer gone horribly wrong. I'm not sure why it's so bad, because I've had lots of grapefruit radlers that work just fine. The smell of the grapefruit in this one reminded me of stomach acid. It wasn't so bad I poured it down the drain, but I kind of had to drink it with my nose plugged. I tried to give it away to friends, but no one would take the stuff.

Total Domination IPA, Ninkasi Brewing Company 2.46 -32.8% (average: 3.66)
Maybe I got an off bottle?

Ugly Sweater, Parallel 49 Brewing Company 2.5 -32.1% (average: 3.68)
I'd say maybe it's just a style thing, but I think I've enjoyed other beers of this style.

Shipload Of Hops, Granville Island Brewery 2.18 -31.2% (average: 3.17)
I think some people are just too generous.