I recently spotted and old beer review from years ago. It's not terrible but if I were to review it again the review would be substantially different. I don't know if the beer has changed, or more likely, my palate and knowledge has developed. If I edit the timestamp remains the same. If I delete the review, then post a new one it gets a current timestamp, perhaps more accurately reflecting my current thought. Am i overthinking this? It feels as though I am answering my own question.
I can't vote for both? I usually copy my old review, delete the review, then start a new one -- but paste the old review into my new review as a record. I don't do that often, but it saves my past notes and time-stamp updates the review. Clear as mud?
I've noticed the same issue. I haven't done the following, but it might be worth considering. You do this to get a current date. First copy your old review and save locally for reference. Then delete the old review. Now write a new review, and include your discussion of the changes from the previous review, including date.
I edit, but basically leave a note of the original score and date, along with the caveat that this has been updated as of (whenever).
I mainly do this with beers I've cellared, but if I try something fresh for the first time in years and it doesn't match up with how I remember it, I'll do it as well.
I get this for cellared beers, because the beer itself changes over time, but some breweries tweak their beers, so if I think that that is why a review is outdated I think that a new review is warranted.
This is what I do as well, but usually only when I feel there has been a pretty dramatic change since I reviewed it. I expect there to be minor aroma and flavor changes over time (due to slight recipe changes, unavailability of certain hops, etc.), which I usually feel do not warrant an edit. I would add that I do the same thing for place reviews. Often times when there's an ownership change, there can be be a pretty dramatic change in the quality of my drinking experience at an old location. Unfortunately, it's usually a drop off in the quality of that experience.
You can never go back home. When I've gone back to a city that I used to live in, I've learned to not revisit my old haunts. The bartenders that gave you a free one here and there, the regulars you shot the shit with, the songs you played on the jukebox, they've all moved on. Ask the friends you hung out with back in the day to take you to the new spot, or just hang out in the backyard and play with their kids and dogs. Getting old sucks.
Edit the old one. A review is just a snapshot of time and place. Just add the new review after the old one, and if you change the numbers, also note the old scores.
I edit and then add additional review below similar with a lot of my side-by-side beer battles. Don't want to destroy the initial impression. Then read through the whole thing to understand the chronology.
If I edit the original review (from, say, 12 years ago) then the date of the review stays the same and I’m essentially reviewing a beer 12 years in the future. I always delete the old review but preserve the text and ratings and put it at the bottom of the new review, so I’m keeping a record of the previous review but actually rating/reviewing the current beer as of how I perceive it now. Seems dishonest/deceptive to do otherwise. Edit: @steveh nailed it
Glad others follow the same steps. I thought maybe I was overloading the system with double long reviews.
I edit the existing score and/or review and then make a note within the review that includes the month and year of the edit.
...I just append my re-review to my original (including all ratings and scores)...this is primarily for my benefit... ...I find it helps at times when the beer has changed (e.g., ABV or hop schedule)...I also like seeing how my perception changes over time...
This is a good point to bring up. My only issue with editing my original review, which might be a few years old, is that it doesn't change the date stamp. Regardless, this is what I do as I like to see if my opinion has changed or, perhaps, if the beer itself isn't tasting how it once did. What would be cool is if the date of the review would update to the current date/time if the review is edited.
