I started tracking my craft beer consumption using the Untappd app back in 2012. Now, I definitely don’t log every beer that I have, but I do log every “new” beer that I have. At each “Check-in” You are given an opportunity to give your beer a rating out of 5, enter the location or establishment where you drank it and include a comment. It could be tasting notes or a little story about what you were doing when you indulged. I figured that at the time of this post I have just reached 1100 unique check -ins so I thought it would be worth while to g0 back though my beers and list all of the ones that I have given a 5-star rating. There are currently 60 beer on that list, so that means that I only give out a 5-star rating 5.45% of the time. In looking over those 60, my beer preferences can be summed up by saying that I love my IPAs. The higher the alcohol percentage, the higher the IBU the better chance it will be highly rated! Imperial Russian Stouts are definitely up there too.

The beer at the top of my list when sorting my check-ins by “top rated” is arguably one of the best IPA’s available in the Province of British Columbia. It is none other than Fat Tug by Driftwood Brewing made in our capital city of Victoria on Vancouver Island. This isn’t the only time this brewery will appear on my list but I felt it needed to be acknowledged separately!

In no particular order, here are the other beer that I have given a 5-Star rating;

Total Eclipse of the Hop – Howe Sound Brewing, Squamish BC – 8% Imperial IPA – 90 IBU

King Heffy – Howe Sound Brewing, Squamish BC – 7.7% Imperial Hefeweisen – 20 IBU

Lord of the Hops – Parallel 49, Vancouver, BC – 7.2% Imperial IPA – 70 IBU

Singularity – Driftwood Brewing, Victoria BC – 11% to 14% Russian Imperial Stout – Annual small batch release. IBU – N/A

The Immortal IPA – Elysian Brewing Co.- Seattle WA – 6.3% IPA – 54 IBU

Lucky 13 – Lagunitas Brewing Co. – Petaluma, CA – 8.9% – American Strong Ale – 55 IBU

Space Dust – Elysian Brewing Co. – Seattle, WA – 8.2% Ipa – 62 IBU

Hop Therapy – Russell Brewing Co. – Surrey, BC – 9% Imperial IPA – 100 IBU

Hop Manna – Schmaltz Brewing Co. – Clifton Park, NY – 6.8% IPA – 65 IBU

A Little Sumpin’ Wild – Lagunitas Brewing Co. – Petaluma, CA – 8.9% Belgian IPA – 73 IBU

Scotch Ale – Boundary Bay Brewery  – Bellingham, WA – 6.4% Wee Heavy – 31 IBU

Hopworks IPA – Hopworks Urban Brewery – Portland, OR – 6.6% IPA – 75 IBU

Ruination – Stone Brewing – Escondido, CA – 8.2% Imperial IPA – 100 IBU

Sartori Harvest – Driftwood Brewery – Victoria, BC – 7% Fresh Hop IPA – 75 IBU est. – Annual small batch release shortly after the hop harvest. Check the link.

Burton Baton – Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – Milton, DE – 10% Imperial IPA – 70 IBU

Gigantic IPA – Gigantic Brewing Co. – Portland OR – 7.3% Imperial IPA – 85 IBU

West Coast IPA – Green Flash Brewing Co. – San Diego, CA – 7.3% IPA – 95 IBU

Brooklyn Local 2 – Brooklyn Brewery – Brooklyn, NY – 9% Belgian Strong Dark Ale – 21 IBU

Inversion IPA – Deschutes Brewery – Bend, OR – 6.8% IPA – 80 IBU

Stone 16th Anniversary IPA – Escondido, CA – 10% Imperial IPA – 85 IBU

Twenty Pounder – Driftwood Brewery – Victoria, BC – 9% Imperial IPA – IBU n/a

From East Van With Love – Parallel 49 – Vancouver, BC – 11.5% Imperial Maple Bourbon Stout – 50 IBU

Delirium Tremens – Brouwerji Huyghe – Melle, BEL – 8.7% Belgian Strong Ale – 25 IBU

Chasin’ Freshies -Deschutes Brewery – Bend, OR – 7.4% Fresh Hop IPA – 65 IBU

7 Hop IPA – Rogue Ales & Spirit – New Port, OR – 7.77% Imperial IPA – 76 IBU

Juxtapose – Four Winds Brewing – Delta, BC – 6.5% Wild IPA – 50 IBU

187 On An Undercover Hop – Parallel 49 – Vancouver, BC – 10% Imperial IPA – 187 IBU

What Cheer Brett IPA – Trading Post Brewing – Langley, BC – 6.6% Brett IPA – 56 IBU

Thundercone Fresh Hop Ale – McMenamins – Portland, OR – 6.19% Fresh Hop IPA  – 54 IBU

Dead Guy Ale -Rogue Ales & Spirit – New Port, OR – 6.5% Helles Bock – 40 IBU

Maximus – Lagunitas Brewing Co. – Petaluma, CA – 8.2% Imperial IPA – 72 IBU

Palate Wrecker – Green Flash Brewing Co. – San Diego, CA – 9.5% Imperial IPA – 149 IBU

Seven – Upright Brewing Co. – Portland, OR – 8% Farmhouse Saison – 23 IBU

The Royale – Gigantic Brewing Co. – Portland, OR – 6.3% Belgian Pale Ale – IBU n/a

Hop Zombie – Epic Brewing – Aukland, NZ – 8.5% Imperial IPA – 90 IBU

Imperial IPA -Green Flash Brewing Co. – San Diego, CA – 9% Imperial IPA – 101 IBU

Hop Stoopid – Lagunitas Brewing Co. – Petaluma, CA – 8.0% Imperial IPA – 102 IBU

Parabola (2012) – Firestone Walker – Paso Robles, CA – 13% Imperial Russian Stout – 82 IBU

Hop Harvest – Bridgeport Brewing – Portland, OD – 8% Fresh Hop Imperial Pils – 60 IBU

Double Trouble – Tuatara BreweryWellington, NZ – 9% Imperial IPA – 167 IBU

Winter Beard – Muskoka Brewery – Bracebridge, ON – 8% Choco Cranberry Stout – IBU n/a

Inertia II – Brassneck Brewery – Vancouver, BC – 11% Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – IBU n/a

Val-Dieu Grand Cru – Brasserie de L’AbbayeV Val Dieu – Abbel, Liege – 10.5% Belgian Quad

Imperial Porter – Central City Brewing – Surrey, BC – 9% Imperial Porter – 40 IBU

Hermannator – Vancouver Island Brewing – Victoria, BC – 9.5% Ice Bock – IBU n/a

Grande Reserve 17 – Unibroue – Chambly, QC – 10% Belgian Strong Dark Ale – 35 IBU

Old Cellar Dweller – Driftwood Brewing – Victoria, BC – 13.1% Barleywine – IBU n/a

Captain Cook’s IPA – Kauai Brewing Co. – Eleele, HI – 5.8% IPA – 84 IBU

Brother Thelonius – North Coast Brewing – Fort Bragg, CA – 9.4% Belgian Strong Dark Ale  – 32 IBU

Triplicity – Four Winds Brewing – Delta, BC – 9% Belgian Tripel – 33 IBU

Motherland – Hopworks Urban Brewery – Portland, OR – 9.8% Imperial Russian Stout – 60 IBU

RuinTen – Stone Brewing – Escondido, CA – 10.8% Triple IPA – 110 IBU

Imperial Coconut Porter – Maui Brewing – Kihei, HI – 9.5% Imp. Coconut Porter – 30 IBU

Disruption – Category 12 Brewing – 6.7% Black IPA – 77 IBU

Vexillum – Four Winds Brewing – Delta, BC – 9% Imperial IPA – 100 IBU

Gimme Shelter – Parallel 49 – Vancouver, BC – 7% Apple IPA – 22 IBU

Drawn to Light – Driftwood Brewing – Victoria, BC – 7% Belgian Pale Ale – IBU n/a

Born Yesterday – Lagunitas Brewing Co – Petaluma, CA – 6.5% Fresh Hop IPA – IBU n/a

Chocolate Hazelnut Porter – Heretic Brewing Co. – Fairfield, CA – 7% Porter – 33 IBU