The Perfect Pour

gillagorilla

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$$$

I originally came here for the cider (they do have the best cider selection in MD). Once, I got into beer it was convenient that they have one of the best selections in all of MD, but they were also close to UMBC.

It is very well-lit and the layout is well-planned, but it can get pretty cramped after a delivery day and they rearranged stuff the first few times I went, but now it seems very stable.

They have specific people for wine, spirits, and beer, but there is usually at least one for each on duty. Some are nicer with customers than others. Two of the beer guys are really nice and make great recommendations.

PP has probably the best selection in the area, but this must be taken with a grain of salt. They are notorious in MD for their price gouging, and I have recently come to realize this. I was going to get my first mix six there and it came to about $35, to which I declined (these were just average beers). So, I found out about Honeygo and got an arguably better/more expensive mix six plus a DFH 750ml for the same price. They are also pretty good with freshness, but their Mikkeller's are pretty old. Also, their singles/bombers pricing is horrible. They do sell jeroboams and the incredibly rare stuff though.

Also, they have a member's card but it is only for the very rare specials, but they are usually only a dollar and after something has gone old, but sometimes it is steal. They also only refrigerate packs of stuff and usually only stuff that sells quickly (BMC).

05-18-2013 00:07:12 | More by gillagorilla

Jeffreysan

Maryland

4.34/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.75 | $$$

The Perfect Pour is an exceptional liquor store in Howard County, located in a strip mall anchored by a Costco just off of I-95 and MD-175.

It has quite an extensive selection of wine, a great selection of liquor, especially bourbon, vodka and scotch. But its beer selection is insane. The Perfect Pour has quite possibly the best selection of Belgian, English, German and American craft beers that I've seen in the Mid-Atlantic/Northern VA/DC/MD area. They even carry several bottles of mead, which I don't really see much elsewhere. Practically the entire back wall of the store is dedicated to American craft brews, displayed on shelving going about 10 to 12 feet high. European beer, arranged by county, are displayed on another shelving opposite the wall shelving.

In addition to six packs, and four packs, the Perfect Pour sells an extensive selection of 22 ounce and 750 ml bottles. Further, shoppers are permitted to make mixed six packs of 12 ounce bottles from virtually every beer they sell in 12 ounce bottles, an option that I’ve taken advantage of many times, in fact practically every time I’ve gone into the store.

The store’s staff is very helpful and knowledgeable, and unlike other reviewers, I’ve never had a problem with them “recommending” a beer that I didn’t want. Every staff member that I’ve interacted with have been very respectful and they even help carry your purchases out to your car if, like me, you’ve bought several cases worth of beer at one time.

The other negatives that other reviewers have mentioned, specifically, parking and how cramped the store are valid, but if you’re patient, it isn’t really that bad. Well, except for the parking. It sucks.

As for their prices. Many reviewers have complained about how expensive some of the prices are, especially for the rarer beers. Unfortunately, I cannot attest to this, as for the most part, I’ve not seen the rarer beers anywhere else in the area, at least not in the quantity that the Perfect Pour has.

Overall, I love this store!

04-17-2013 02:11:51 | More by Jeffreysan

CrazyEasyBartender

Maryland

4.51/5  rDev +4.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

My go to beer store in Columbia. Have pretty much everything I am looking for and the occasional rarity which is nice. My go to staff member is Ken and he always has recommendations and advice for me which is helpful since I'm a budding craft beer enthusiast. Prices may be a little bit higher but I really don't mind. With so much selection it's at times hard to go in and just buy one or two things. I usually walk out with more beer than I anticipated but its because I'm curious to try things not because the staff pushes you to buy it. Bothers me a little that their distributor for dogfish head likes to play games because I want my new beers on time! Excited for the American Beauty release later this year and Ken said it may take a while to get it in the store because of the distributor. Not a deal breaker and really only pertains to DFH and Stone. Overall if you live close to Columbia you should check out The Perfect Pour. Nice staff and good selection.

03-19-2013 01:23:16 | More by CrazyEasyBartender

TychoNDC

New York

4.41/5  rDev +2.6%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.75 | $$$

This is my go-to bottle shop when I am in the Columbia area. They carry pretty much every beer available in MD, including limited releases (in limited quantities of course). The shop is packed with beer, but remains navigable so long as there aren't too many people there. The service tends to be very good, unfortunately as the shop carries wine, liquor, and beer (with an excellent selection of each, particularly scotch), their staff tend to be specialized as well. As a result, when things are busy, it can be hard to track down a beer guy to ask about a particular brew.

As has been mentioned in other reviews, they do tend to be a bit pricey for the area, but I don't find them outrageous for most items. The rare bombers do seem to be more expensive, but I usually avoid them out of concern for my budget anyways!

All in all, I have enjoyed every visit to The Perfect Pour, and continue to look forward to coming in. I can easily spend 30 minutes+ browsing the shelves and always come away with a beer I wasn't expecting.

02-07-2013 19:11:45 | More by TychoNDC

stollio

Maryland

2.73/5  rDev -36.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 3 | $$$$

The selection has always been one of the best in the state, that is not the problem. The staff try hard but dont seem to be very well informed. But the main problem is the pricing. It used to be ok as there were very few places that carried a good selection, but now there are lots of options all with better prices. I nw only go when I cant find what i am looking for anywhere else which is rare.

01-13-2013 22:04:25 | More by stollio

CaptFrothy

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev -11.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | $$$$

Excellent selection of beers especially American ones.

This place is 10 minutes from my house, after many visits I now only go when seeking something hard to find that I need for a special reason, I just can't stomach the price gouging.

Examples of the prices that pizz me off - Everybody else, Corsendonk Christmas 6 pack with glass - $17.99. Perfect Poor - $17.99 for a 4 pack, no glass.
Goose Island BCBS - everybody else, $5-6 a bottle. PP... $12 a bottle.
Chimay Speciale Cent Cinquante - everybody else $24.. Perfect Poor - $34.

State Line has a better selection and way better prices.

11-30-2012 22:19:34 | More by CaptFrothy

Jtc2811

District of Columbia

3.9/5  rDev -9.3%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$$$

The perfect pour has a great number of benefits and disadvantages. On the 1 hand, their staff is very knowledgeable, and very helpful. They have a truly amazing selection of beer wine and liquor. Damn near everything that you can buy in maryland you can find at the perfect pour. They have a specially dazzling array of belgian beers, including most beers by mikkeller. The even have rare things that you would not normally find in maryland , including special release 1 offs. They are often the first store to get a new release.

All of that said, there are a number of negatives to the store. First, it is very crowded. When there are more than 5 er 6 people in the store for beer, it is nearly impossible to move. Boxes 20 feet high clutter the hallway. Second, it can be very difficult to find what you want without looking through the entire stock. There seems to be very little rhyme or reason to the organization. Finally, and this is my biggest complaint, the store is guilty of insane price gouging. It seems that releases That the owners believe will sell well Can go for as much as 3 * the market price. If you want to buy rare beer here, you really need to do your research first.

03-11-2012 18:14:17 | More by Jtc2811

djbow

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$$$

If you can distribute it in Maryland, odds are you can find it at the Perfect Pour. The selection of beer offered at the Perfect Pour is second to none in the State. When my usual haunts are out of a particular beer this is my go to place.

The staff is attentive when hailed and they know beer. Unlike many other stores in MD, the Perfect Pour is more beer that wine or spirit focused. This becomes apparent when you become lost in row after row of beer.

The only down side to the Perfect Pour is their prices. On average, they are 20 - 60% higher than other merchants on more exotic or limited production beer choices. This said, their pricing is competitive and at time less expensive that other on the more "vanilla" craft beer and macro beer varieties.

In conclusion, if you live in MD and are searching for a hard to find ber, give the Perfect Pour a call. Odds are they will fill you order if it is sold in MD.

02-06-2012 04:06:21 | More by djbow

jimmy666

Maryland

3.74/5  rDev -13%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 5 | $$$$

I recently went back to this place to see if anything had changed. The selection is still top notch, service is still the same though. I asked for a certain beer and was told i did not want that and I should get something else.

The prices are a little higher on some everyday stuff and down right outlandish on hard to get stuff.If you absolutly have to have something and are in the area stop there but don't expect to get any deals.

I would also check the dates on some of the bottles because while finding a 3 or 4 year old Imperial stout is a good thing it is not good for an IPA or a pale Ale.

12-20-2011 22:59:45 | More by jimmy666

hogdishfed

Maryland

3/5  rDev -30.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 5 | $$$$

This the the Mecca of craft beer. Whether you're looking for domestic or import, single or six, bomber or sixtel - they likely have what you're looking for. If you read all the reviews here, it's obvious Perfect Pour has got the goods.

But Caveat Emptor - they like to play silly little games with their pricing. When other retailers have a seasonal beer in stock at reasonable prices, you will often find that Perfect Pour is strangely "out of stock". Then, when those other retailers sell out, the beer magically appears on Perfect Pour shelves - at jacked-up prices. $21 for a six of FD Fear? A few weeks ago other stores were selling it for half that price - but Perfect Pour "hadn't received their shipment yet". Trust me, Perfect Pour is the FIRST retailer to get their shipment.

I used to love this place - now it appears they've let the beer go to their heads. I only go there if I'm desperate.

11-11-2011 13:18:46 | More by hogdishfed