I'm sitting here drinking a KBS (a perfect 5/rated a 5 in all categories), and thinking about my long-held theory about rating beers. I think people tend to become harder raters the longer they rate beers. I have no evidence to back this up, and I have no plans to research it. However, I feel like people rate beers higher early on in their BA time. Now, I know some of you have never and will never rate something a perfect 5. Why not? Is it not possible to brew the perfect beer? So tell us when you joined BA, total beers rated, how many perfect 5s you have, and the date of your perfect 5s. I'm curious how long it's been. For me: Joined BA: May 28, 2015 Total Beers Rated: 1716 Number of perfect 5s: 7 All Perfect 5s: 01/26/2021 - Founders KBS Mackinac Fudge 12/02/2017 - Founders CBS 10/10/2017 - Old Nation M43 01/01/2017 - Perrin No Rules 03/30/2016 - Prairie Pirate Bomb! 11/21/2015 - Founders Backwoods Bastard 07/03/2015 - Founders KBS
Paryebola from FW. On my profile it shows Founders Imperial Stout, but i had had a few before i rated it on here. There might have been other 5s since my last rating but i can't remember . Maybe i need a notebook a la @snaotheus
Only one for me https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18371/68662/?ba=MrOH#review Different strokes for different folks. I had hauled some back from a Michigan trip at the behest of an acquaintance, and kept a couple for myself. Couldn't see the appeal.
Oof. For a time I was rating to style alone, and the only one I can think of that rated a perfect 5 was Founder’s Underground Mountain Brown. Still don’t think I’ve had a better brown ale.
It took me a while to get my first 5 rating because at the beginning I wasn't really sure how far beer flavors could go and what to compare to. There are beers I really love and might be some of my favorites for the style but I haven't rated a 5 because maybe the appearance or mouthfeel wasn't as good as I thought it could be, or maybe the smell wasn't as strong as the flavor, something like that. I try to rate technically, sincerely and accurately to me and what I consider the ratings to represent. For instance, a 5 mouthfeel to me usually means thicker, fuller, smoother, or it could just be super pillowy and silky soft even if it isn't as thick and full as others, so there could be some variation. Appearance too is something that I tend to not really go low unless it doesn't look very good like particles floating in it, not greatly colored, etc. I feel like after having tried some of the highest rated and "best" beers out there you start to get a better sense of what a 5 could/would be. In the end it is mostly subjective and personal to people at least to some extent as we all have our preferences. I have a list of across the board 5 rated beers, there are plenty of 4.9s that could also be in the same wheelhouse, or even some other 4.7 and 4.8 rated beers like my favorite Belgian ales that might be some of the best and greatest from the style, but because of individual ratings like mouthfeel and overall I haven't given any a total 5. It might be interesting to see what people's highest rated beers from their top styles are, maybe in another thread... Here are my current fully rated 5 beers, the most recent being classic King Julius. As you can see, a bunch of heavy hazy DIPAs, a barrel aged imperial stout, smoothie-style fruited sour ales and a couple interesting wild ales. 10-25-2018 Damon Hill Farmstead Brewery Russian Imperial Stout 10.5 4.49 5 +11.4% 12-13-2016 Pow Pow Trillium Brewing Company Hazy Imperial IPA 8.5 4.46 5 +12.1% 03-20-2017 The Streets Trillium Brewing Company Hazy Imperial IPA 10 4.47 5 +11.9% 06-30-2017 Big Bird Trillium Brewing Company Hazy Imperial IPA 8.5 4.42 5 +13.1% 05-26-2018 Permutation Series #40: Double IPA with Orange Peel, Lactose and Vanilla Trillium Brewing Company Imperial IPA 8.1 4.42 5 +13.1% 09-01-2018 Insert Hip Hop Reference There Trillium Brewing Company Hazy Imperial IPA 10 4.51 5 +10.9% 12-09-2018 Dialed Up Trillium Brewing Company Imperial IPA 11 4.5 5 +11.1% 02-15-2019 Plane Over Car Over Train Over Boat Trillium Brewing Company Imperial IPA 13 4.34 5 +15.2% 04-06-2019 Dialed Up w/ El Dorado & Pinot Gris Juice Trillium Brewing Company Imperial IPA 11 4.37 5 +14.4% 04-18-2019 Past, Present, Pretzel Trillium Brewing Company American IPA 7.5 4.25 5 +17.6% 05-21-2019 Clover Hill Farmstead Brewery Specialty Saison 6.5 4.69 5 +6.6% 07-23-2019 Insert Hip Hop Reference Everywhere Trillium Brewing Company Imperial IPA 10.3 4.37 5 +14.4% 11-14-2019 Dialed Up w/ Mosaic & Riesling Juice Trillium Brewing Company Imperial IPA 11 4.34 5 +15.2% 03-26-2020 Double Barrel Cuvée De Tetreault Trillium Brewing Company Wild Ale 14.9 4.42 5 +13.1% 04-16-2020 Twice The Daily Serving: Blackberry & Pomegranate Trillium Brewing Company Fruited Sour Ale 7 4.54 5 +10.1% 09-06-2020 Twice the Daily Serving: Raspberry Trillium Brewing Company Fruited Sour Ale 7 4.55 5 +9.9% 11-28-2020 Turducken - Triple IPA Trillium Brewing Company Hazy Imperial IPA 10 4.34 5 +15.2% 12-24-2020 Twice The Daily Serving: Mixed Berry Trillium Brewing Company Fruited Sour Ale 7.2 4.64 5 +7.8% 03-01-2026 King Julius Tree House Brewing Company Hazy Imperial IPA 8.2 4.7 5 +6.4% Something I noticed as well is when I have an old classic beer again and I look back at my review I usually end up editing the rating to be a little bit higher, because I feel like now having run the gamut of beer so to speak I have a better idea of what's out there, all the possibilities, average flavor, etc so I have a better informed opinion now with my experienced senses. When I look back at old beers like Founders, SN, Oskar Blues, Lagunitas etc sometimes they are 4.25 and when I retry them I usually end up ticking a 4.25 flavor to 4.5 and slightly enhance it's overall rating. For me anyway, I feel like I enjoy the beers and standard flavors more now. Also, I tend to rate a bit higher than the average, so there's that too. It's been over 10 years since Oct 2015, with 19 total 5 ratings so far, and over 3000 ratings.
My only perfect score was for the Bruery's Humulus Lager back in 2011. I try to rate to style and only give 5s for characteristics that I feel couldn't be improved upon.
Very interesting. I agree it's easy to rate something slightly off no matter how good the beer. It looks like that 18 of your 19 perfect ratings came between 2018 and 2020, with only one recently. That seems to track with my theory. Do you think you've changed what you consider a 5 since 2020?
I haven't changed my standards or the way I rate at all. As far as the dates go, it probably has more to do with my access to those types of beers that would give me a 5 rating. I haven't been to Hill Farmstead since that time, don't trade for beers anymore or even do bottle shares like old times, don't get every new Trillium release in the city since I'm not there as much and it's a bit out of the way, etc. I just started getting Tree House downtown in the city and make the trek to Trillium once in a while too now that it's getting warmer. For a while after moving around a couple times to different apartments I've been finding peace and enjoyment with normal beers at the store again, as average as they may be, at least there is great variety and all. I have had some nice gueuze lambics that were close to 5 for me and other beers too that might've been almost a 5. Over the past few years I kinda haven't been drinking as many new beers as I used to pre-pandemic, as I got more into wines and even some whisky, I have always tried to rate or review a new beer that I try on here though if it's in the database or I feel like it's worth adding. I feel like a lot of great beer was being made during that time period of 2016-2020 and I was working in the city mainly with easy access to Trillium in downtown so I would get most of the new releases, and most I highly enjoyed. Now we have access to Tree House in downtown as well finally, so once in a while I take a look at the menu when I'm low on fresh stuff and take the trip. It's been nice... Here are the rest of my ratings after perfect 5 on my first page of beers top down.
The highest grade I’ve ever given is 4.7 Not by design necessarily, but in my head I always think perfection (5) is out of reach / an impossible standard to strive for. Interestingly my 4.7 is for Heady Topper (way back in 2016). Just behind at 4.69 is Pliny the Younger (2017).
Nothing over 4.8; two over 4.5, both in 2016. Weihenstephaner Original Helles 4.78. Great Lakes Eliot Ness 4.64. Recent Eliot Ness probably didn't live up to the rating from 10 years ago. Not sure about the Helles since no recent trials.
Founders Canadian breakfast stout and BCBS Mon Cheri stout got both the perfect 5 ratings. I probably called both near perfection in a bottle when reviewing them. Ah, last but that was in 2019, bit dated now.
I don't care, tbh. I don't rate every beer I drink, nor do I think my ratings are the gold standard. Just live in that moment, and if it grabs you like that, own it. Peace...
Joined BA: August 4, 2014 Total Beers Rated: 1,747 Number of perfect 5s: 29 1/5/2026 - Brewer's Choice 2021: BA Imperial Stout & Barleywine Ale, Boulevard Brewing Co. 1/5/2026 - Double Dragon, Felinfoel Brewery Co. 8/18/2024 - Vic's Little Secret, Limestone Brewers 12/16/2023 - Abraxas, Perennial Artisan Ales 3/19/2023 - Pliny The Elder, Russian River Brewing Company 3/16/2023 - Medianoche - Old Rip, WeldWerks Brewing Co. 12/16/2022 - Rodenbach Alexander, Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V. 12/5/2022 - Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout, Toppling Goliath Brewing Company 5/18/2021 - Lunch, Maine Beer Company 4/6/2021 - Barrel Aged Tiki Sour, Backpocket Brewing 1/16/2021 - Mornin' Delight, Toppling Goliath Brewing Company 12/24/2020 - Oude Geuze, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen 12/21/2020 - KBS - Maple Mackinac Fudge, Founders Brewing Company 9/3/2020 - Dolphin Sparkles, Toppling Goliath Brewing Company 7/12/2020 - Tropicália, Creature Comforts 8/7/2019 - Bamburana, Oskar Blues Grill & Brew 6/25/2018 - J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Port Cask), J.W. Lees & Co (Brewers) Ltd 11/16/2017 - XHops - Gold, Toppling Goliath Brewing Company 10/19/2017 - MO, Maine Beer Company 10/12/2017 - Zombie Dust, 3 Floyds Brewing Co. 9/8/2017 - Rupture, Odell Brewing Company 8/10/2017 - DKML, Founders Brewing Company 12/19/2016 - King Sue, Toppling Goliath Brewing Company 11/2/2016 - Maudite, Unibroue 9/7/2016 - Pseudo Sue - Mosaic Dry Hop, Toppling Goliath Brewing Company 4/23/2016 - The Waldos' Special Ale, Lagunitas Brewing Company 2/4/2016 - Hopslam Ale, Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store 9/19/2015 - Pseudo Sue, Toppling Goliath Brewing Company 8/26/2015 - Trappistes Rochefort 10, Brasserie de Rochefort As I said on that other thread, I will always give the brewer the benefit of the doubt. If the beer delivers on its promises, I'll give it its due. I'm not an expert, but I can tell when a beer conforms to the brewer's description. If it hits on all cylinders, I have no problem giving it 5's across the board (which is how DKML wound up on this list). And I drink only the finest beers, so there's that.
I had an analogy about how y'all have low standards for having so many 5 ratings, and I've never seen a perfect 10 woman in my life, but I lost it. Anyhow, maybe I don't get out as much as I should, and I don't trade or chase releases anymore, but I've lived in Philly, DC, GR, RVA, and spent a fair amount of time in VT for work. I've had more than enough access to quality beers. Only one 5 in over 1200 beers rated.
Few weeks ago did a “whale” barleywine tasting. All were 4.5+. 5’s were: SP 10 year barleywine, SP continuance 10 year, perennial triple barrel blue ridge, TB Wilderness of history. Unfortunately the only time I had Perrin “no rules” it was clearly infected.
Joined BA: Sep 20, 2015 Total Beers Rated: 2,111 Number of perfect 5s: 0 Average beer rating: 4.11 Highest rated: Central Waters Twenty-Five Pappy's (15yr BA Imperial Stout (gold label), rated 4.87 Revolution V.S.O.J. 2024 BBA English Barleywine, rated 4.87 Revolution Double Barrel V.S.O.D. 2023 Imperial Oatmeal Stout, rated 4.86 I'm not against rating a beer 5.0. I could rate any or all three of them 5.0, and others as well. Keep in mind, though, that for most of us a 5.0 is a snapshot in time. Dozens of beers have been my #1 rated. Should my current favorite be a 5.0? When it's no longer my favorite should I demote it? If I do that, shouldn't I do a side-by-side runoff? What about one-offs, changing tastes, memory, and rating to style?
I've given three perfect fives, but in each case I rated them somewhere lower, probably a 3.75 or 3.5. But sometime after that and when revisiting each one I rationalized that these beers couldn't be anything more that perfect for likability so I upped their scores to fives. Pliny the Elder, KBS Maple Mackinac Fudge and Goldfinger Brewing's Vienna Lager.
Looks like I've only given 2, although I stopped reviewing many many moons ago. Those were the Andechs Doppelbock and Keesmann Herren Pils. Both of those were 15+ years ago. I might toss in a 3rd one if I were still reviewing (Second Street Brown from Santa Fe NM), which I discovered 5'ish years ago.
