What Exactly Is A 5.0 Beer Rating?

I have never rated a beer a 5.0. The highest rating I have given a beer is 4.79. Over a 4.00 is exceptional. Over a 4.25 is top quality beer. Over a 4.50 is unmistakable greatness.

In my ratings I aim for the "average" beer to be 3.75 and adjust my ratings accordingly. I also rate within a style. For within a style, if a beer is superior it may get above a 4.0. If mediocre, closer to a 3.5.

I don't know. For me a 3.75 seems to be near average on BeerAdvocate so I've made it my average for beer ratings and it seems to be quite accurate and consistent when comparing reviews to others on the site.

 

But, the BA scale is 1-5, which makes 3 average. Most beers, while good and enjoyable, are closer to average than above or below it.

 

A 5.0 beer for me is a perfect representation of what I want in my mouth. To date, I have 7 perfect 5.0 beers out of 3,213 reviews, & this from someone whose reviews are frequently below average.

Looking back, I wouldn't change any of them, though some of them wouldn't have retained that 5.0 over time (in particular Rye Hipster Brunch Stout which was decadently perfect the first time I had it & has wavered from amazing to sub-mediocre in subsequent batches).

That said, people are going to review how they review & if folks want to indulge in grade inflation it's no skin off my nose.

 

I’ve rated 502 beers. 32 have been greater than 4.5 (only 4 are greater than 4.75). Each of these beefs were at the time something that I would have made time to make sure that I did not miss a chance to try that beer again. (Some of these has since become more available so I wouldn’t rush out to grab, but those are part of my regular rotation).

Are there perfect beers? I’m not even sure what that would mean. I’ve been fortunate enough to have many great beers. I enjoy a variety of styles but I tend to rate IPAs and stouts higher, but those are the styles that I drink and enjoy the most. The top is pretty crowded there. There are a few other styles that have cracked my top 10%. Those, I feel are truly best in their class.

 

Like nearly everyone else I have ever asked, I am an above average driver.

 

No 5s, a few 4.8 plus, but a 5 imo is impossible. There always has to be room for better and not equal.

 

Great question and great thread @SierraNevallagash

Contrary to some of the posts so far saying “there’s no such thing as a 5” I think I should be giving more 5’s. Off the top of my head I can’t think why beers like Zombie Dust, SNPA, Old Rasputin, Westmalle Tripel, Heady Topper, Two Hearted and even Stone IPA couldn’t have an argument for perfect 5’s based on what they are and what they have achieved in the beer world. I maybe drifting into a beer hall of fame territory but the original question made me think why not.

 

I only rate on Untappd because my “reviews” are like a NC-17 movie rating (or worse). I mainly make fun of “new money” but that’s neither here nor there.

A few weeks ago I checked in a pretty standard local stout. It checked the boxes for what it was and I gave it a 3.5 rating. For me a 3.5 is a decent brew, nothing special and that’s my I’d drink again rating. One of my “friends” made a comment that if it checked all the boxes why didn’t I rate it higher? I simply replied that I don’t review beers like a fuck boi. I think that sums up beer ratings in 2020.

 

It’s allowed if you’re over 40 and been in the game for at least 15 years.

 

A perfect 5 beer isn't quite like a unicorn. I believe that there might actually be one out there but, I've never experienced it.

In 2150 ratings (2135 reviews) I never met a 5. In fact, I only have 8 beers rated at 4.75 or above.

For me a 3.75 is something that I'd buy again.
A 4 is very good.
A 4.25 is Hall of Fame worthy.
A 4.50 is rarified air.
And, a 4.75 is Rushmore-level.

5? - I can't even imagine what it would be like. I suppose that I'll know it when/if I see it.

 

This!

 

I waited a while after joining BA before I started reviewing, mostly (I think) as a more formal outlet versus the text messages I'd send friends raving or bemoaning the beers I had tried. I had already been introduced to craft some time back, long before I even knew what BA was. Looking back, I think the more pertinent take away isn't just my change in tastes or the expansion of my palate, but the range or opportunities I had to try different things.

To put another way, in high school I remember thinking the Catcher in the Rye was such a great book. In beer form, at the time I might have ranked it a 5 out of 5, since I hadn't read anything quite like it at the time. Now, who knows? I haven't even revisited it in ages, and I am guessing it wouldn't speak to me the same way today as it did then. But I'm also guessing that someone out there, whether they're reading CITR for the first time or not, will still think it's a 5.

All that said... just from glancing at my list, and thinking about the beers I've had since then, or revisited, or kept in my rotation, I'm ok with most of my 5s. Is Bigfoot the best barleywine around? No, but for the style I can't think of another barleywine that so widely defines it. Same with Orval, La Fin du Monde, Temptation, PtY, MOAS (droool....), that Xyauuy I had, Schlenkerla's rauchbiers...

At the same time, much as I loved Zombie Dust (sorry, @Minnesota_beer_guy—but I’m with ya in spirit—and the Two Hearted, even if I didn’t give it a 5) or Hopocalypse, I now have some quibbles to make with that past self of mine. (and don't even ask me about Green Flash's West Coast IPA!)

Maybe another question is, why not the 5? What if the best beer is in fact the one you’re drinking right now, in the spirit of something a great (beer) philosopher once said?

 

This thread prompted me to take a closer look at my ratings/reviews. I've only given one perfect 5. The first time I had PtY in 2011 while trying to get out of downtown LA. That batch on that day and under those conditions, was perfect for me. Have I had batches of PtY that didn't justify a 5 rating, absolutely. But I stand by my rating for that beer that day. So there's absolutely plenty of confounding subjective variables at play.

Looking over my stats (over 2700+ beers) I'm pretty satisfied with how my numbers shake out, as I try not to buy bad beer and BA certainly helps me avoid some sub-par purchases.

5.0 (n=1) is 0.04% for me
>/= 4.75 (n=17) are 0.6%
>/= 4.5 (n=180) are 6.6%

In all those beers, there's only a handful where I have a negative rdev (CBS, SOS, Black Tuesday, Rochefort 10, Nelson Takes Flight, Permanent Funeral, and Bad Boy). So maybe I tend to rate high, or I just make good informed purchases for my preferences. Nevertheless, I think that accurately reflects my craft experiences, where roughly 1 out of every 20 beers is a fantastic highly-memorable experience. TETO

 

I don't agree that a 5 is a "perfect" beer, I think of them as masterpieces. Art isn't measured in terms of perfection. Think of movie reviews as an analogy. Most would agree that the Godfather is a 5 star masterpiece. I don't think you can call it perfect though. Remember the scene where Sonny beats up his brother-in-law? It's actually funny how badly some of those punches miss. Plus James Caan just isn't a great actor.