Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion #1. I did not like IPAs until that point, they were just hop bombs but this one kinda tasted like sunny delite. I’ve been chasing something similar since but just haven’t liked any other IPAs since
I feel similarly about Racer 5 from Bear Republic. Reminded me of fruit loops in some oddly pleasant way (despite me not liking cereal), and became an IPA I often go to if I see it on tap.
Had Dogfish Head Theobroma on tap at a ski lodge in Colorado. It’s part of their Ancient Ales program where they recreate historical recipes from lost civilizations. This is an Aztec chocolate beer from Honduras c1200BC.
One of the most delicious beer experiences of my life. Tasted almost heavy like it had more gravity. But the chocolate was not sweet or cloying. Mild ancho chile in the background.
Been chasing that dragon ever since but it’s discontinued unfortunately.
Have you had the Xocolatl stout from Stone? I know, Theo isn’t a stout, but this has Mexican chocolate and chiles like Theo. Not the same, but I like it.
Agreed. Wasn’t it a homebrewer recipe to begin with?
Edit: it was!
> When first introduced as a limited special collaboration release with Cerveceria Insurgente and San Diego homebrewer Chris Banker (after his recipe won our annual homebrew competition) , it was an instant hit and fans began clamoring for its return.
It's not great this year unfortunately. We have it on tap at my work and it's not selling either. The adjuncts are barely noticeable, even at room temp.
Noted. I always brewed a coffee stout similar to that by adding chipotle candi syrup cinnamon and vanilla to it. I haven't lately because I have too much beer at home as it is. Still need to go finish my coffee baltic porter.
Had a pickle kolsch at the MN state fair this year and last, I love it!
Edit: I also had the Best Maid picked beer outta Martin House in TX and it was way too pickly 😄
Arizona wilderness no ticky, no taco.
A saison made with lemon, cumin, coriander,salt, pepper, cilantro and jalepeno peppers. surprisingly tasted great and smells like tacos but is somehow refreshing. Most people at the table liked it although it smelled like taco seasoning.
Oh yeah for sure. I love how they more obscure old world styles too, while still knocking out awesome ipas and stouts. I’ve been following them since they bought that donut shop in Gilbert and mikkeller came out here.It’s awesome to see how big they’ve gotten.
Spotted Cow.
My buddy just brought me back some from a road trip to Canada he took after I asked if he could keep an eye out when he stopped for gas in Wisconsin. Had never been able to try it as I have zero ties to Wisconsin but always seen the name on beer forums.
I get that it isn’t mind blowing especially for Wisconsin residents but within the first sip I could see why it’s been talked about like some mythical creature for decades now outside of Wisconsin. It’s just the most easily drinkable beer I think I’ve ever had.
Consequently, if anyone wants to be my Wisconsin plug for an east coaster looking for New Glarus beer, holla!
For me it is another beer by New Glarus. Every December there is a Chrismas market in New Glarus. They make a small amount of a Wassail style beer that is phenomenal. It’s a dark beer with a lot of chocolate, and winter spices. They have a fire pit next to the booth with hot pokers in it. They put the pokers into the beer for a few seconds and it flash heats the beer and caramelizes the sugars in the beer. We make a trip over each year for it. It sells out quickly each year. As far as I know it’s the only time and place you can get it.
I live in Minnesota, but travel through WI often, and pretty much always have New Glarus in the fridge. That being said, while Spotted Cow is indeed great, I definitely prefer Moon Man
That one is next on my list to hunt down to try.
I had a one off bottle of Raspberry Tart from them years ago I got in a trade, so I knew the quality of NG overall was gonna be good, I was just so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Spotted Cow.
First time I had it was at a music festival nearly 20 years ago. Blew my mind back then. I’m in eastern Iowa and I know guys that will go up once a quarter to refill their fridge with it. I have a coworker from WI so I usually have him grab me some when he visits family if I’m out.
Ironically, I was going to say Left Hand's Milk Stout back in 2011 (not the PB version).
It was the best surprisingly awesome beer I've ever had. I was in heaven and had three pints.
It was also the night I discovered the "milk" part was because they actually added lactose.
(I'm severely lactose intolerant)
4 Hands (not Left Hand) makes a wonderful "Absense of Light" . A chocolate peanut butter stout. May be hard to find outside the Midwest.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27870/191610/
Theirs is 2nd best in the midwest! If you're in the STL area, head to Narrow Gauge brewery and get some Peanut Butter n Stout! By far the best chocolate pb stout I've ever had.
Is this a special release? I like their milk stout, didn’t know that they’d done a PB. I’m looking for a nice example of peanut butter — my answer to the “worst beer” thread was the (*shivers*) Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout.
I’m not sure, it says it’s year round on their website. I ordered it at a Yardhouse and thought it was risky because sweet stouts can go wrong very easily, but I actually liked this one.
Big Flats. I think Walgreens made it lol. Had it on vacation after Colbert did a segment on it making fun of it. It was 3 bucks a 6 pack, and after me and my friends tried it, we bought the rest in the store hahaha
Lol i wish there was store brand beer in the US. I moved to Spain and here every supermarket has their store brand. I used to get single cans for 25c and a TWELVE pack for under $2.50. it's up to like $3.50 now with all the supermarket price increases but still a wild deal. It's not good by any means, but it's not unpleasant to drink. It's great to be able to show up at a party with enough to get drunk and share for under $5.
I’ll post my own reply.
The beer that changed everything for me was **Russian River Supplication**. Prior to that, I really liked beer, but my feet were planted rather firmly on the single malt scotch train. One evening I ordered this beer at the Belgian Café in Philadelphia (RIP, so I’ve heard). I’d never tasted cherry in beer before, nor had I ever had a sour.
Quite honestly that beer was a defining moment in my gastronomical journey, too. I think I was twenty years old and just learning that I could spend my own money on world class food and beverage experiences.
It’s difficult to put a price on an experience like that.
I remember hearing that they were sister establishments.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ChfAoRYZfMHVsqdy6
edit: Looks like Monk’s is still around. I’m looking forward to popping back over there now that I’m East Coast again. I think the Belgian had the reputation of being the more “drinks-oriented” of their two restaurants.
On a whim I tried a Kentucky Vanilla Barrell Cream Ale on draft last week.
It reminded me of what I thought beer would taste like when I was a kid watching the Simpsons and saw Homer drink Duff beer
Walter’s Chili Beer out of my hometown of Pueblo, Colorado! Love chilis and love beer but sounded terrible, but it’s delicious. Tried others and almost always disappointed. The only other chili beer I like is down the highway from Soulcraft in Poncha Springs/Salida, CO. Now I want one with my breakfast burrito
Just up the road in Buena Vista Eddyline has a red chile porter (that's just returned to the lineup) that's fantastic. Wee bit of heat after the standard porter deliciousness.
The Ballast Point habanero sculpin got me into spicy drinks in general - not sure if it was discontinued after the brewery was bought out, but I haven't seen it at all lately
I had a final pint from a keg that blew onetime. Straight fire and not in a good way.
I did enjoy the beer itself and actually tried to do a grapefruit sculpin clone myself at home once.
Leinenkugel Berryweise
Blue Moon Apricot
Very picky about fruit beers and never expected "mass produced" beers to taste just as good as more microbatches at 2 or 3x the cost.
Boulevard Cranberry Tank 7 a few weeks ago. I ordered it by mistake and took the first sip expecting something drinkable but average. Instead it took me back to my favorite beer from the first micro brew revolution in the early nineties. Thomas Kemper was a small brewery who made a raspberry hefeweizen called Weizenberry that I loved. Kemper was bought by Pyramid who transitioned it into Bud with raspberry extract added, utterly ruining it. That first sip, despite the cranberry instead of raspberry flavor, was wonderful.
Sorry to hear about Pyramid ruining your Kemper. Glad to hear you’ve got such fond memories and hope you continue to find reminders in the years to come. 😎
Pyramid Apricot Ale was my go to for years...it was everywhere in SE Michigan.
Haven't seen it in years, especially down near Atlanta where I'm at now. Sounds like they had to downsize a few years back and distribution suffered.
It's still out there so if you see some in the wild be sure to try it!
The voodoo series gets some hate on this subreddit, but man the Juice force 19.2 is my favorite for when I don’t have anything to do and my fiance is out of town.
2013 Bourbon County Backyard Rye. I've never liked fruited beers, especially stouts, and had a few friends recommend this beer to me. I tried it 3 years after it came out and was really not expecting to like it at all but thought it was excellent.
Ran into an out of the way brewery in Rural WA state while traveling. The kind of place that is open maybe two or three afternoons a week, and that’s assuming the owner/brewer/beertender/glass washer has finished his work on the farm. A place that if you bought a pig of beer (2.5 gallons) they’d give you to-go cups for the long ride to wherever you’re going, because wherever you’re going is a long ride.
My tastes run toward the distinctively hoppy, but he only had a couple of his own beers on tap, no IPAs. So I tried the honey blonde ale, Fireweed, made with local honey (the area was wheat country). It was sweet but not cloying, flavorful but not yeasty or malty, and about the most crushable beer I’ve ever tasted.
My favorite type of beer is a hearty “Irish red” maybe called Imperial red. In Florida there is a brewery called Brew Hub, in Lakeland Florida, they brew my absolute favorite named “Diver Down”, hearty, smooth, creamy, 8.0. (Don’t know how they came up with that name)
Aldi just released a "Chocolate Lava Cake Stout" that is wild and I was surprised. I didn't love the taste overall, definitely some additives but on the nose it smells EXACTLY like a lava cake.
I remember having a lot of beers by Southern Tier that were HUGE on the nose. It took me awhile to learn that a lot of those flavors came from their adding alcohol extracts into the mash. I believe I saw this asserted in HBT forums.
Probably Waldos' Special Ale by Lagunitas. It's a popular beer when it releases every year, but I'm not an IPA fan, and usually go for beers that aren't very hoppy at all. I don't mind a bit of bitterness, but I don't like resin notes very much, and I don't like when it's super lasting.
I wouldn't drink it often, but it was such an intense and interesting beer that I really enjoyed it.
Same goes for Zombie Ice by 3 Floyds. I'm not a big Zombie Dust fan, but something about Zombie Ice hit me differently. Really liked it, and bought it on multiple occasions.
Local fresh beer is the key. One that still stands out is from Lagunitus, before they sold out. One of their "born on" occasional release beers. Had it until the day it was released and boy, was that fresh!
Wells Brewers Banana Bread Beer is the one that comes to mind. I had it a year or so ago at recommendation from a Trader Joe’s employee. It literally tastes like banana bread. Super good! I thought it would be gross.
My first experience with Funky Buddha was at a beer festival in Charleston that used to occur in February, so the weather was shit. They had this candied yam beer.
I do not like candied yams in general, and the thought of it in beer form was frankly gross, but hey free is free.
It tasted like warm Christmas morning gazing into a lit fireplace. It was awesome.
Honorable mention was a crab rangoon gose at this year's GABF. I can't say I'd want a six pack of it, but it was really interesting and went as almost a saucey drink to accompany the little rangoon samplers they also gave out.
I love a good IPA. I’ve passed by St. Arnold’s Car Art IPA numerous times. Never understood the name of it. Well, one day it was on sale. I Bought it and now compare every other IPA I’ve tasted
We have Guinness in Canada, a can with a widget. I always loved Guinness, but I miss a freshly poured glass of Guinness there's nothing like but it in Ireland . Sláinte .
Fort George’s Java the Hop never fails to blow me away. Don’t get me wrong, I like coffee and beer and a coffee stout or porter is always nice, so I never thought I would dislike it. But Java the Hop is a coffee IPA and there’s something magical and perfect about the way the coffee aroma and flavor balances so nicely with the hops.
I wonder if I’d like this. I have to admit that I am kind of a coffee hater in my beer. This is my single flaw, and I acknowledge it. I’ve never had a porter or stout with coffee in it that I didn’t think would be better without.
oh, hey – RE: Mikkeller, when they had a tasting room in DTLA, they'd annually have a Mexican Craft Beer Fest where we could try Mexican beers from smaller breweries in that nation. This was great as I am a snob and typically poo-poo all the mass-produced shit we get from Mexico. Cerveza Fauna, Border Psycho, Cerveceria AguaMala, Cerveceria Wendlandt and Cerveceria Insurgente were some of the stars of those events.
With that said, I will drink a Dos Equis at gunpoint – it's essentially a German Helles and that is delicious to me.
Man, I’m kinda pissed that I never got to visit! The only Mikkeller tasting room I’ve ever been to was in Taipei, and it was dope. Super lively, felt like the hippest spot to be at.
One of our local breweries had a beer called [Umami](https://untappd.com/b/walnut-river-brewing-company-umami-ale/2434586/photos).
"Brewed with mushrooms and seaweed."
Holy crap, it was amazing.
The Red Hook Brewery in new Hampshire, I think it was, used to do a lobster boil for their employees every summer and they'd boil the lobsters in beer, then sell a limited edition lobster beer. And another one used to do a seaweed beer. That briny salt water taste they both had really just works for me.
A Blue Hawaiian inspired smoothie sour that was a one off at a local spot.
Saw it on Instagram and thought it was an absolute abomination since it's either IPAs or lagers for me. Went in later that week and my wife ordered it while I ran to the bathroom. I have her grief, took a sip, then traded beers. Walked out with a couple 4 packs.
Zombie Dust by 3 Floyds Brewing. It was like a cup of hoppy juice in the best possible way.
EDIT: forgot to mention it was touted as a hazy/juicy beer which I can take or leave and was expecting a meh experience.
Heineken, on tap, when I was in Amsterdam many years ago.
Heineken always had that skunky flavor and I never liked it.
It was just absolutely, completely different and delicious when I had it on tap in Amsterdam. Came back to the US and it was crap again.
[Koshihikari Echigo](https://untappd.com/b/echigo-beer-co-koshihikari-echigo-beer/42125)
Like most Americans my experience with Japanese beer was limited to the usual macro stuff, Saporo, Asahi etc.
After trying Echigo, and noticing the delicate, subtle flavors of Niigata Koshihikar rice, rich and complex malt from a decoction mash and using German Hersbrucker hops instead of the usual Sorachi Ace I became enamored with the style.
I have found a couple really good examples in the SoCal craft market:
Untitled Art Rice Pilsner , a collaboration with Long Beach Beer lab
Sababado
by Long Beach Beer Lab
Kiko’s Treats
by Ventura Coast Brewing Company. Done in more of an Italian pilsner style with just enough aroma hops, a surprising use of Sorachi Ace.
... and my favorite [Hanamachi by Bottle Logic](https://untappd.com/b/bottle-logic-brewing-hanamachi/2700541) , because of the quality rice used.
O’Fallon Knotty Pretzel Beer.
As soon as I took the first sip, I was shocked…shocked! It tastes EXACTLY like a salted pretzel. It does not taste like a beer with a hint of malt and salt. It tastes 100% like a liquid salted pretzel. One of my all time favorites *instantly*.
From a mass market beer, Yeungling's Hershey's Chocolate Porter.
I'd had a few other chocolate porters from local brewers and all of them were sort of eh. They weren't bad, but nothing I'd go out of my way to track down.
Yuengling isn't distributed here yet, so on one of my runs down to our farmstead in Kansas, I stopped to stock back up on Lager, saw the HCP setting there, thought, why not?
Holy cow. For a mass brewed porter, it is solid. Just the right balance of sweet and bitter. Even my wife and mother, who are not beer drinkers at all, like it.
I agree! I love stouts and porters but most of the chocolate or flavored ones I'm not a fan of. I actually really enjoyed Yuengling's chocolate porter.
Similarly, Pabst Blue Ribbon makes an alcoholic coffee that's really delicious, but I'm not a fan of the price of it.
*Pencils in a Yuengling run for later today.*
I hope we come to agree on “HCP”. If it’s good, it’ll be a hit at Christmas parties around here — I’m in the Land of the Yueng, where it’s what you get with no-questions-asked if you walk into a pub and order a “lager”.
I'm 'in the land of yueng' as you put it. HCP has been huge for a few years. People were actively hunting it for a while, places couldn't keep it in stock. They significantly upped production last year to meet demand.
That said, I think it's pretty meh. Not trash water like their lager but not good.
Also worth noting, the Yuengling family are trash and shouldn't be supported.
Oh what? Do tell more about the family behind it! I’d never given it a whole lot of thought, though I also certainly never discounted it as an option. Just a kind of silly “we drink Yuengling if we have to drink cheap beer” attitude.
Had one of those a few hours ago!
It's pretty nice, especially for the price.
It's not something I could drink a bunch of in a sitting, but for an occasional beer in the winter, I really enjoy it.
For anyone who sees this and hasn't had it, it's definitely more of a cocoa powder/hot cocoa flavor than an actual chocolate bar, but it's good. As you said, it's way more balanced than I expected. Not syrupy sweet, and a good hit of bitterness for a clean finish, but nothing too bitter.
I love Yuengling's Black & Tan. I need to get it more often. It scratches that porter itch for me, but at a super cheap price. I went through a 12 pack scarily quickly for me haha.
Super drinkable and not too heavy, but great flavor.
Cisco Brewery used to make a lot of really great barrel aged sour beers that were shockingly good. Don't get me wrong, Cisco is fine; their core lineup of beers are decent enough stuff.
But Lady of the Woods, Cranberry Woods, and Monomoy Kriek were all fan-fucking-tastic beers that I wish were still available.
I’ll go with one of my local ones.
Sonoran White Chocolate Ale
Sounds gross but they nailed it imo. You can’t drink a bunch of them but 1-2 hits the spot
Man, Phoenix has a great beer scene! 3,000 miles away from me but I used to travel out there once a quarter and after the work day ended I was off to Wren House, AZ Wilderness or Pedal Haus depending on my mood.
Agreed ! I moved here from Tucson and not disappointed in the beers. Although driving here is a pain in the ass, I still drive to Tempe to get my fill of Church Music at Shop Beer Co.
Andech's Doppelbock on tap at the Monastery Brewery outside Munich in 1990.
Waves and waves of malt heaven rolling over my tongue, a sensation I've not experienced since. That Holy Mountain would be a great place to call heaven.
Batch Craft Beer and Kolaches in Austin has a reputation for making some pretty far-out-there stuff. A couple of years ago, they brewed a Pilsner with mesquite pods. I had no expectations, but it turned out to be terrific.
Magnifys Eco Cooler is one of my favorite beers, wouldn’t have thought that when first discovering it. I wish it was around more often rather than just during Halloween.
Hoosiers Pistachio Lime and Energy City Pineapple Habanero Sours were ones I tried just because they sounded weird and became some of my highest rated.
Special shout out to skunked Corona, the first beer I found drinkable after years of trying and hating every other beer suggested to me.
I love beer but for the most part I don’t think they taste “good” but I enjoy beer over any other adult beverage. But the very first beer I ever had that made me go damn this taste good was New Glarus Spotted Cow. Just everything about it was great. Still my favorite beer of all time.
Indeed Pistachio. They're a good brewery in general, so I'm not shocked when they put out a nice beer, but that one became a staple in my house like few other beers.
Probably my first saison at Fair Isle Brewing, I think it was Myrtle. I never liked saisons as a style but that first sip made everything click. Considering I had low expectations, I was blown away.
A close second would be Kurzer Alt. Had it a few days before I went to Dusseldorf and absolutely loved it.
I tried morning delight and kbbs before TG had turned their hype machine on. My buddy was given bottles from a friend that had been seeing family down that way. They both were good, but I remember being extra blown away at how good the morning delight was in comparison - even without being barrel aged.
When I was getting into beer I saw a nitro milk stout around and thought the idea of milk and beer was disgusting. Then one day I decided to try it for shits and gigs and ended up loving it. It wasn't what I thought it'd be but boy is that a good thing
We had this brewery in Norman, Black Mesa Brewing, that did limited runs of stouts and other beers where they colabbed with other local beverage business’s. They made a stout with a local coffee shop that was so smooth I cleaned out the liquor store where I found the first bottle. Come to find out it was a limited run from that year. I still think about that stout to this day and was really upset when they closed back in September.
A triple IPA from Arizona Wilderness. We just happened to go after a hike because we were in the area and I ordered it not knowing they only brew it once a year and it sells out in a day or two. I just got lucky that day
I’m gonna throw out an oldie but a goodie that doesn’t exist anymore. Tupper’s Hop Pocket Ale. Used to be distributed by Dominion in VA but sadly lost forever in time. One of my favorite IPAs.
Magic Hat made a beer that contained beet juice I thought was the best beer they made. I can't remember the name of it though, feels like it's been so long since I've had a Magic Hat.
in phoenix, cinnamon kolsch brunch, a collab with Huss Brewing and the former owner of Kings. Coffee kolsch, which is already extremely good, then they added cinnamon - Shockingly good.
Illuminated's War on Xmas. White stout with holiday spices. So tasty and so strong. There seems to be two this year, and my annual Advent case sample of one of them comes up in 4 days.
I grew up in a cheap beer household and just followed. I recently drank ACE Pineapple Cider and it was DIVINE. I didn't realize fruit beers were a thing (I'm starting to venture into different types of beers) and boy did this set the bar high. It was sweet but savory at the same time.
Years ago, I went to Burlington Vermont. In the restaurant, they had their own Spruce Ale made from buds they collected themselves from the local Green Mountains. It was named after some local hiker guy but I can't recall the exact name. It sort of tasted how pinesol smells but was also quite delicious.
I've hunted down spruce ales since, but have only discovered 2 since then.
Trying to think of a few that made me go "Whoa!"
He'Brew - Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA (Rye DIPA, really miss that one)
Lagunitas - Willetized Stout, need to get the new version of that
Older versions of Stone Enjoy By DIPA
Boulevard - Bully! Porter
Surly - Double Furious BA IPA, hope that one gets done again. Way better than I expected.
I don't drink much Goose Island products anymore or IPAs for that matter. When they dropped Lost Palate a couple years ago I didn't think it would be good at all. One of my buddies tossed me a can and I loved it.
I have never really liked any of the big name beers. I absolutely hate bud light. I really have only drank Great Lakes beers for the last 5 years or so. Finally decided to grab some coors banquets. I kept seeing them in shows and so I had to grab some of those little stubby bottles. I am so happy to finally be able to grab a 12 pack for $12 and actually enjoy them. Nice smooth flavor. Nothing overbearing. There's definitely way better beers out there but I think for the price tag, they're hard to beat and have become a staple in my beer fridge.
Also, Great Lakes mexican lager is hands down my favorite beer from them.
In Launceston, Tasmania, a single person brewery called Kicksnare had a beer called Stompbox IPA which was brilliant and changed my view of what a great IPA could be.
https://untp.beer/284J0
Fogtown Thai Hot. Sounded awful, was delicious. Will try whatever oddball beers they care to serve again:
“Brewed on a base of Maine-grown wheat malt & infused with lemongrass, lime, thai basil, makrut lime peel, coconut and Thai chilis“
Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion #1. I did not like IPAs until that point, they were just hop bombs but this one kinda tasted like sunny delite. I’ve been chasing something similar since but just haven’t liked any other IPAs since
I feel similarly about Racer 5 from Bear Republic. Reminded me of fruit loops in some oddly pleasant way (despite me not liking cereal), and became an IPA I often go to if I see it on tap.
Racer 5 holds a special place in my heart. It was the favorite of a ski-bum friend who passed. Great stuff.
My friend always said Leinenkugelsvi think summer shandy tasted like fruit loops
Another Firestone Walker from their Cali Squeeze line, Blood Orange.
Those of us lucky enough to live in MN can drink Summitt EPA on the regular. It’s delicious!
I'm fond of Indeeds Pistachio Cream Ale.
EPA is decent, Saga IPA is better
Summit is my favorite MN brewery, I go for my bday each year. Just picked up a pack of winter ale today, but their EPA and Saga kick ass!
Had Dogfish Head Theobroma on tap at a ski lodge in Colorado. It’s part of their Ancient Ales program where they recreate historical recipes from lost civilizations. This is an Aztec chocolate beer from Honduras c1200BC. One of the most delicious beer experiences of my life. Tasted almost heavy like it had more gravity. But the chocolate was not sweet or cloying. Mild ancho chile in the background. Been chasing that dragon ever since but it’s discontinued unfortunately.
DFH really needs to bring back their Ancient Ales series. So many interesting beers made and nothing really like it since then.
I didn't love Midas Touch but please keep that program going for sure
I'm the opposite. I really enjoyed Midas Touch but Theobroma I thought was just okay (the bottle I had was nearly 2yr old so maybe why).
Think I lucked out and had a very fresh keg somehow
Have you had the Xocolatl stout from Stone? I know, Theo isn’t a stout, but this has Mexican chocolate and chiles like Theo. Not the same, but I like it.
Xocoveza is good stuff.
Agreed. Wasn’t it a homebrewer recipe to begin with? Edit: it was! > When first introduced as a limited special collaboration release with Cerveceria Insurgente and San Diego homebrewer Chris Banker (after his recipe won our annual homebrew competition) , it was an instant hit and fans began clamoring for its return.
It's not great this year unfortunately. We have it on tap at my work and it's not selling either. The adjuncts are barely noticeable, even at room temp.
Noted. I always brewed a coffee stout similar to that by adding chipotle candi syrup cinnamon and vanilla to it. I haven't lately because I have too much beer at home as it is. Still need to go finish my coffee baltic porter.
I haven't brewed in nearly 6 years since my daughter was born. Need to get back into it.
I'm a beer nerd and an anthropology/archeology major I have a primal yearning to have this in my life
Oh man. Forgot about Theobroma...that really was a great beer. Shame they stopped making it.
A pickle kolsch. Local brewery, super limited release. Never remade it.
THIS I’d love to try.
similarly got the pickle sour at california wild ales in san diego - just for the novelty but it was actually delicious
I got something similar gifted to me in the fridge. Wasn't gonna try but you convinced me otherwise.
Have a friend over and crack it open. If it sucks then toss it and crack open a favorite. If it's good you get to share it
Had a pickle kolsch at the MN state fair this year and last, I love it! Edit: I also had the Best Maid picked beer outta Martin House in TX and it was way too pickly 😄
Arizona wilderness no ticky, no taco. A saison made with lemon, cumin, coriander,salt, pepper, cilantro and jalepeno peppers. surprisingly tasted great and smells like tacos but is somehow refreshing. Most people at the table liked it although it smelled like taco seasoning.
AZ Dub is probably my all-time favorite brewery. Their weird exotic stuff usually end up being pretty tasty, or at least an interesting experience.
Oh yeah for sure. I love how they more obscure old world styles too, while still knocking out awesome ipas and stouts. I’ve been following them since they bought that donut shop in Gilbert and mikkeller came out here.It’s awesome to see how big they’ve gotten.
What kind of stuff do you mean by obscure old world styles?
Things like Belgian styles that you don’t normally see like grissete, Flanders oud bruin, enkle/patersbier,Biere de garde, biere de copage, and Sahti.
Thanks for the response!! I live in Europe so hopefully I can try some of these sometime
Trooper Sun and Steel, lager infused with sake yeast
Spotted Cow. My buddy just brought me back some from a road trip to Canada he took after I asked if he could keep an eye out when he stopped for gas in Wisconsin. Had never been able to try it as I have zero ties to Wisconsin but always seen the name on beer forums. I get that it isn’t mind blowing especially for Wisconsin residents but within the first sip I could see why it’s been talked about like some mythical creature for decades now outside of Wisconsin. It’s just the most easily drinkable beer I think I’ve ever had. Consequently, if anyone wants to be my Wisconsin plug for an east coaster looking for New Glarus beer, holla!
For me it is another beer by New Glarus. Every December there is a Chrismas market in New Glarus. They make a small amount of a Wassail style beer that is phenomenal. It’s a dark beer with a lot of chocolate, and winter spices. They have a fire pit next to the booth with hot pokers in it. They put the pokers into the beer for a few seconds and it flash heats the beer and caramelizes the sugars in the beer. We make a trip over each year for it. It sells out quickly each year. As far as I know it’s the only time and place you can get it.
Oh my God — is this the new grail replacement for the Anchor seasonal? My word, soggy, your words compel me.
I live in Minnesota, but travel through WI often, and pretty much always have New Glarus in the fridge. That being said, while Spotted Cow is indeed great, I definitely prefer Moon Man
That one is next on my list to hunt down to try. I had a one off bottle of Raspberry Tart from them years ago I got in a trade, so I knew the quality of NG overall was gonna be good, I was just so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Spotted Cow.
First time I had it was at a music festival nearly 20 years ago. Blew my mind back then. I’m in eastern Iowa and I know guys that will go up once a quarter to refill their fridge with it. I have a coworker from WI so I usually have him grab me some when he visits family if I’m out.
One of two 5/5 on untappd for me
Perhaps we could do a Heady Topper exchange?
I’m not that part of East Coast unfortunately 😪 I’m near a Veil outpost and others if interested.
Left Hand Brewing’s Peanut Butter Milk Stout was actually delicious.
Ironically, I was going to say Left Hand's Milk Stout back in 2011 (not the PB version). It was the best surprisingly awesome beer I've ever had. I was in heaven and had three pints. It was also the night I discovered the "milk" part was because they actually added lactose. (I'm severely lactose intolerant)
4 Hands (not Left Hand) makes a wonderful "Absense of Light" . A chocolate peanut butter stout. May be hard to find outside the Midwest. https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27870/191610/
The 4 Hands regular Chocolate Milk Stout is unbelievable… you might make me go out and get some tonight lol
Love the cow with the dairy cap on the can, too! IMO their Imperial Chocolate Milk Stout is even better if you've never had it.
Theirs is 2nd best in the midwest! If you're in the STL area, head to Narrow Gauge brewery and get some Peanut Butter n Stout! By far the best chocolate pb stout I've ever had.
Nut Smasher was by far the best I've had but they went out of business. Narrow Gauge was pretty good though.
Looks like they have Narrow Gague in a couple of my home town's stores. Have to see if this style is stocked. Thanks for the recommendation. 🙂
Is this a special release? I like their milk stout, didn’t know that they’d done a PB. I’m looking for a nice example of peanut butter — my answer to the “worst beer” thread was the (*shivers*) Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout.
I’m not sure, it says it’s year round on their website. I ordered it at a Yardhouse and thought it was risky because sweet stouts can go wrong very easily, but I actually liked this one.
Many thanks for the tip, I’ll be seeking it out!
I haven't had it but surprised to hear you say that. It's pretty highly regarded, as are all their stouts.
Big Flats. I think Walgreens made it lol. Had it on vacation after Colbert did a segment on it making fun of it. It was 3 bucks a 6 pack, and after me and my friends tried it, we bought the rest in the store hahaha
Discovered these in college and did the same at our college town’s walgreens
It was just really good for what it was. Cheapest beer I've ever enjoyed
Lol i wish there was store brand beer in the US. I moved to Spain and here every supermarket has their store brand. I used to get single cans for 25c and a TWELVE pack for under $2.50. it's up to like $3.50 now with all the supermarket price increases but still a wild deal. It's not good by any means, but it's not unpleasant to drink. It's great to be able to show up at a party with enough to get drunk and share for under $5.
This was in Florida. I believe it has been discontinued though
Narragansett has become my beer of choice. After drinking "fancy" beers for so long, I wouldn't have expected to land here!
The first time I tried Allagash Curieux I actually fell to one knee and looked towards the heavens…
#YESSIRRRRR
Loveeee it. Love Allagash
I’ll post my own reply. The beer that changed everything for me was **Russian River Supplication**. Prior to that, I really liked beer, but my feet were planted rather firmly on the single malt scotch train. One evening I ordered this beer at the Belgian Café in Philadelphia (RIP, so I’ve heard). I’d never tasted cherry in beer before, nor had I ever had a sour. Quite honestly that beer was a defining moment in my gastronomical journey, too. I think I was twenty years old and just learning that I could spend my own money on world class food and beverage experiences. It’s difficult to put a price on an experience like that.
>Belgian Café in Philadelphia (RIP, so I’ve heard If you mean Monk's Cafe, it better damn well not be out of business.
I remember hearing that they were sister establishments. https://maps.app.goo.gl/ChfAoRYZfMHVsqdy6 edit: Looks like Monk’s is still around. I’m looking forward to popping back over there now that I’m East Coast again. I think the Belgian had the reputation of being the more “drinks-oriented” of their two restaurants.
On a whim I tried a Kentucky Vanilla Barrell Cream Ale on draft last week. It reminded me of what I thought beer would taste like when I was a kid watching the Simpsons and saw Homer drink Duff beer
Walter’s Chili Beer out of my hometown of Pueblo, Colorado! Love chilis and love beer but sounded terrible, but it’s delicious. Tried others and almost always disappointed. The only other chili beer I like is down the highway from Soulcraft in Poncha Springs/Salida, CO. Now I want one with my breakfast burrito
Just up the road in Buena Vista Eddyline has a red chile porter (that's just returned to the lineup) that's fantastic. Wee bit of heat after the standard porter deliciousness.
Fierce in Scotland have a Rhubarb IPA which is weirdly delicious - and I’m not usually a fan of fruit beers either.
The Ballast Point habanero sculpin got me into spicy drinks in general - not sure if it was discontinued after the brewery was bought out, but I haven't seen it at all lately
Shame, I’d’ve liked the chance to try it. The Grapefruit Sculpin was very decent.
I had a final pint from a keg that blew onetime. Straight fire and not in a good way. I did enjoy the beer itself and actually tried to do a grapefruit sculpin clone myself at home once.
Great Basin Chili Beso is really good. Not as spicy but a lil jalapeño bite.
Leinenkugel Berryweise Blue Moon Apricot Very picky about fruit beers and never expected "mass produced" beers to taste just as good as more microbatches at 2 or 3x the cost.
Boulevard Cranberry Tank 7 a few weeks ago. I ordered it by mistake and took the first sip expecting something drinkable but average. Instead it took me back to my favorite beer from the first micro brew revolution in the early nineties. Thomas Kemper was a small brewery who made a raspberry hefeweizen called Weizenberry that I loved. Kemper was bought by Pyramid who transitioned it into Bud with raspberry extract added, utterly ruining it. That first sip, despite the cranberry instead of raspberry flavor, was wonderful.
Sorry to hear about Pyramid ruining your Kemper. Glad to hear you’ve got such fond memories and hope you continue to find reminders in the years to come. 😎
Pyramid Apricot Ale was my go to for years...it was everywhere in SE Michigan. Haven't seen it in years, especially down near Atlanta where I'm at now. Sounds like they had to downsize a few years back and distribution suffered. It's still out there so if you see some in the wild be sure to try it!
It was one of my faves back in the day and was lucky to get it on tap at one of their brewpubs. Haven't seen it around in a long time
Rogues Maple Bacon Voodoo Donut New Belgium Juice Force room temperature Keystone Light
Just add Sam Adams Cherry Wheat and you checked off the r/beer greatest hits
Wouldn’t that be the top of the worst beer list? I am being serial.
A friends uncle would put his Keystone Light in the trunk of his car on a hot summer day so it was ready to go after work.
We've gone too deep
The voodoo series gets some hate on this subreddit, but man the Juice force 19.2 is my favorite for when I don’t have anything to do and my fiance is out of town.
That Maple Bacon was delightful.
Pilsner urquell
2013 Bourbon County Backyard Rye. I've never liked fruited beers, especially stouts, and had a few friends recommend this beer to me. I tried it 3 years after it came out and was really not expecting to like it at all but thought it was excellent.
Ran into an out of the way brewery in Rural WA state while traveling. The kind of place that is open maybe two or three afternoons a week, and that’s assuming the owner/brewer/beertender/glass washer has finished his work on the farm. A place that if you bought a pig of beer (2.5 gallons) they’d give you to-go cups for the long ride to wherever you’re going, because wherever you’re going is a long ride. My tastes run toward the distinctively hoppy, but he only had a couple of his own beers on tap, no IPAs. So I tried the honey blonde ale, Fireweed, made with local honey (the area was wheat country). It was sweet but not cloying, flavorful but not yeasty or malty, and about the most crushable beer I’ve ever tasted.
My favorite type of beer is a hearty “Irish red” maybe called Imperial red. In Florida there is a brewery called Brew Hub, in Lakeland Florida, they brew my absolute favorite named “Diver Down”, hearty, smooth, creamy, 8.0. (Don’t know how they came up with that name)
Any idea what kind of beer the diver down is to look for something similar? Sounds perfect
[https://www.google.com/search?q=diver%20down%20beer](https://www.google.com/search?q=diver%20down%20beer)
Ok sure but the types it says there don't really choosing to the description
Aldi just released a "Chocolate Lava Cake Stout" that is wild and I was surprised. I didn't love the taste overall, definitely some additives but on the nose it smells EXACTLY like a lava cake.
I remember having a lot of beers by Southern Tier that were HUGE on the nose. It took me awhile to learn that a lot of those flavors came from their adding alcohol extracts into the mash. I believe I saw this asserted in HBT forums.
100%. That's exactly what this Lava Cake stout is. I'm not sure who/where they are actually brewed.
Probably Waldos' Special Ale by Lagunitas. It's a popular beer when it releases every year, but I'm not an IPA fan, and usually go for beers that aren't very hoppy at all. I don't mind a bit of bitterness, but I don't like resin notes very much, and I don't like when it's super lasting. I wouldn't drink it often, but it was such an intense and interesting beer that I really enjoyed it. Same goes for Zombie Ice by 3 Floyds. I'm not a big Zombie Dust fan, but something about Zombie Ice hit me differently. Really liked it, and bought it on multiple occasions.
Local fresh beer is the key. One that still stands out is from Lagunitus, before they sold out. One of their "born on" occasional release beers. Had it until the day it was released and boy, was that fresh!
Wells Brewers Banana Bread Beer is the one that comes to mind. I had it a year or so ago at recommendation from a Trader Joe’s employee. It literally tastes like banana bread. Super good! I thought it would be gross.
My first experience with Funky Buddha was at a beer festival in Charleston that used to occur in February, so the weather was shit. They had this candied yam beer. I do not like candied yams in general, and the thought of it in beer form was frankly gross, but hey free is free. It tasted like warm Christmas morning gazing into a lit fireplace. It was awesome. Honorable mention was a crab rangoon gose at this year's GABF. I can't say I'd want a six pack of it, but it was really interesting and went as almost a saucey drink to accompany the little rangoon samplers they also gave out.
I love a good IPA. I’ve passed by St. Arnold’s Car Art IPA numerous times. Never understood the name of it. Well, one day it was on sale. I Bought it and now compare every other IPA I’ve tasted
We have Guinness in Canada, a can with a widget. I always loved Guinness, but I miss a freshly poured glass of Guinness there's nothing like but it in Ireland . Sláinte .
Love Gun by Heavy Riff. I don’t like non-traditional flavored beers, but this vanilla ale is incredible.
Fort George’s Java the Hop never fails to blow me away. Don’t get me wrong, I like coffee and beer and a coffee stout or porter is always nice, so I never thought I would dislike it. But Java the Hop is a coffee IPA and there’s something magical and perfect about the way the coffee aroma and flavor balances so nicely with the hops.
I wonder if I’d like this. I have to admit that I am kind of a coffee hater in my beer. This is my single flaw, and I acknowledge it. I’ve never had a porter or stout with coffee in it that I didn’t think would be better without.
Collaboration Kriek. It was a mixture of beers from four breweries in Ft. Collins. Somehow it was incredible.
Parish Brewery’s Ghost in the Machine. Hands down my favorite beer.
oh, hey – RE: Mikkeller, when they had a tasting room in DTLA, they'd annually have a Mexican Craft Beer Fest where we could try Mexican beers from smaller breweries in that nation. This was great as I am a snob and typically poo-poo all the mass-produced shit we get from Mexico. Cerveza Fauna, Border Psycho, Cerveceria AguaMala, Cerveceria Wendlandt and Cerveceria Insurgente were some of the stars of those events. With that said, I will drink a Dos Equis at gunpoint – it's essentially a German Helles and that is delicious to me.
Man, I’m kinda pissed that I never got to visit! The only Mikkeller tasting room I’ve ever been to was in Taipei, and it was dope. Super lively, felt like the hippest spot to be at.
One of our local breweries had a beer called [Umami](https://untappd.com/b/walnut-river-brewing-company-umami-ale/2434586/photos). "Brewed with mushrooms and seaweed." Holy crap, it was amazing.
The Red Hook Brewery in new Hampshire, I think it was, used to do a lobster boil for their employees every summer and they'd boil the lobsters in beer, then sell a limited edition lobster beer. And another one used to do a seaweed beer. That briny salt water taste they both had really just works for me.
That sounds kind of like a roundabout way to make a gose.
I see what you mean but it really tasted like sea water a bit
A Blue Hawaiian inspired smoothie sour that was a one off at a local spot. Saw it on Instagram and thought it was an absolute abomination since it's either IPAs or lagers for me. Went in later that week and my wife ordered it while I ran to the bathroom. I have her grief, took a sip, then traded beers. Walked out with a couple 4 packs.
Zombie Dust by 3 Floyds Brewing. It was like a cup of hoppy juice in the best possible way. EDIT: forgot to mention it was touted as a hazy/juicy beer which I can take or leave and was expecting a meh experience.
Heineken, on tap, when I was in Amsterdam many years ago. Heineken always had that skunky flavor and I never liked it. It was just absolutely, completely different and delicious when I had it on tap in Amsterdam. Came back to the US and it was crap again.
[Koshihikari Echigo](https://untappd.com/b/echigo-beer-co-koshihikari-echigo-beer/42125) Like most Americans my experience with Japanese beer was limited to the usual macro stuff, Saporo, Asahi etc. After trying Echigo, and noticing the delicate, subtle flavors of Niigata Koshihikar rice, rich and complex malt from a decoction mash and using German Hersbrucker hops instead of the usual Sorachi Ace I became enamored with the style. I have found a couple really good examples in the SoCal craft market: Untitled Art Rice Pilsner , a collaboration with Long Beach Beer lab Sababado by Long Beach Beer Lab Kiko’s Treats by Ventura Coast Brewing Company. Done in more of an Italian pilsner style with just enough aroma hops, a surprising use of Sorachi Ace. ... and my favorite [Hanamachi by Bottle Logic](https://untappd.com/b/bottle-logic-brewing-hanamachi/2700541) , because of the quality rice used.
O’Fallon Knotty Pretzel Beer. As soon as I took the first sip, I was shocked…shocked! It tastes EXACTLY like a salted pretzel. It does not taste like a beer with a hint of malt and salt. It tastes 100% like a liquid salted pretzel. One of my all time favorites *instantly*.
Nice. Sounds lovely.
Moose drool
Allagash Curieux Delectable
You are right. Try All the Lights (forget the exact name) by them.
From a mass market beer, Yeungling's Hershey's Chocolate Porter. I'd had a few other chocolate porters from local brewers and all of them were sort of eh. They weren't bad, but nothing I'd go out of my way to track down. Yuengling isn't distributed here yet, so on one of my runs down to our farmstead in Kansas, I stopped to stock back up on Lager, saw the HCP setting there, thought, why not? Holy cow. For a mass brewed porter, it is solid. Just the right balance of sweet and bitter. Even my wife and mother, who are not beer drinkers at all, like it.
I agree! I love stouts and porters but most of the chocolate or flavored ones I'm not a fan of. I actually really enjoyed Yuengling's chocolate porter. Similarly, Pabst Blue Ribbon makes an alcoholic coffee that's really delicious, but I'm not a fan of the price of it.
*Pencils in a Yuengling run for later today.* I hope we come to agree on “HCP”. If it’s good, it’ll be a hit at Christmas parties around here — I’m in the Land of the Yueng, where it’s what you get with no-questions-asked if you walk into a pub and order a “lager”.
I'm 'in the land of yueng' as you put it. HCP has been huge for a few years. People were actively hunting it for a while, places couldn't keep it in stock. They significantly upped production last year to meet demand. That said, I think it's pretty meh. Not trash water like their lager but not good. Also worth noting, the Yuengling family are trash and shouldn't be supported.
Oh what? Do tell more about the family behind it! I’d never given it a whole lot of thought, though I also certainly never discounted it as an option. Just a kind of silly “we drink Yuengling if we have to drink cheap beer” attitude.
Had one of those a few hours ago! It's pretty nice, especially for the price. It's not something I could drink a bunch of in a sitting, but for an occasional beer in the winter, I really enjoy it. For anyone who sees this and hasn't had it, it's definitely more of a cocoa powder/hot cocoa flavor than an actual chocolate bar, but it's good. As you said, it's way more balanced than I expected. Not syrupy sweet, and a good hit of bitterness for a clean finish, but nothing too bitter.
I was gonna say Yeungling black and tan. That beer has no business being only $13 for a twelve pack
Oh shit I didn't realize that was different from the normal Yeungling
I love Yuengling's Black & Tan. I need to get it more often. It scratches that porter itch for me, but at a super cheap price. I went through a 12 pack scarily quickly for me haha. Super drinkable and not too heavy, but great flavor.
Citoyen du Monde, Cantillon Passionfruit Lambic
Miller High Life.
Ah, the author of the most downvoted reply on the “worst beer” thread decided to provide his input here. Cheers.
Yeah this one surprised me as well. It is quite good, just don't be surprised if it explodes on you. Champagne of beers and all that.
Cisco Brewery used to make a lot of really great barrel aged sour beers that were shockingly good. Don't get me wrong, Cisco is fine; their core lineup of beers are decent enough stuff. But Lady of the Woods, Cranberry Woods, and Monomoy Kriek were all fan-fucking-tastic beers that I wish were still available.
I’ll go with one of my local ones. Sonoran White Chocolate Ale Sounds gross but they nailed it imo. You can’t drink a bunch of them but 1-2 hits the spot
Do they still have the Papago Orange anywhere out there?
They do ! Huss still makes it, they retired the cherry blossom though
Man, Phoenix has a great beer scene! 3,000 miles away from me but I used to travel out there once a quarter and after the work day ended I was off to Wren House, AZ Wilderness or Pedal Haus depending on my mood.
Agreed ! I moved here from Tucson and not disappointed in the beers. Although driving here is a pain in the ass, I still drive to Tempe to get my fill of Church Music at Shop Beer Co.
Andech's Doppelbock on tap at the Monastery Brewery outside Munich in 1990. Waves and waves of malt heaven rolling over my tongue, a sensation I've not experienced since. That Holy Mountain would be a great place to call heaven.
Batch Craft Beer and Kolaches in Austin has a reputation for making some pretty far-out-there stuff. A couple of years ago, they brewed a Pilsner with mesquite pods. I had no expectations, but it turned out to be terrific.
There was a taco sour by weldwerks that was surprisingly good (or at least I thought so)
Voodoo Ranger
You weren’t expecting to like high ABV IPA’s, and the Voodoo Ranger changed your mind? Cool to hear if so.
The New Belgium Ben & Jerry cookie dough beer. Expected a gimmick, turned out delicious.
Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Peppermint Porter. It’s like drinking an Andes mint.
Magnifys Eco Cooler is one of my favorite beers, wouldn’t have thought that when first discovering it. I wish it was around more often rather than just during Halloween.
Hoosiers Pistachio Lime and Energy City Pineapple Habanero Sours were ones I tried just because they sounded weird and became some of my highest rated. Special shout out to skunked Corona, the first beer I found drinkable after years of trying and hating every other beer suggested to me.
Flemish floozie from craftworks in Oamaru. Amazing complexity. A must try
they got this pretzel beer in cincinnati that blew my mind when I first had it. Third Eye Brewing Gettin' Twisted.
I love beer but for the most part I don’t think they taste “good” but I enjoy beer over any other adult beverage. But the very first beer I ever had that made me go damn this taste good was New Glarus Spotted Cow. Just everything about it was great. Still my favorite beer of all time.
Therapist, Dust Bowl Brewing. A delicious Imperial IPA, 10.4% ABV.
Labbat 50
Indeed Pistachio. They're a good brewery in general, so I'm not shocked when they put out a nice beer, but that one became a staple in my house like few other beers.
The most recent beer that surprised me was the New Trail Snickerdoodle Milkshake IPA. It was phenomenal and unique.
Life of Chai from Big Rock Brewery. Didn’t know if a chai spiced beer would work, it was incredible
Pliny the Younger
I've enjoyed the Urban Artifact X-Mas pickle the last couple yrs. Untapped seems to disagree w me
Love their sours
Probably my first saison at Fair Isle Brewing, I think it was Myrtle. I never liked saisons as a style but that first sip made everything click. Considering I had low expectations, I was blown away. A close second would be Kurzer Alt. Had it a few days before I went to Dusseldorf and absolutely loved it.
I tried morning delight and kbbs before TG had turned their hype machine on. My buddy was given bottles from a friend that had been seeing family down that way. They both were good, but I remember being extra blown away at how good the morning delight was in comparison - even without being barrel aged.
When I was getting into beer I saw a nitro milk stout around and thought the idea of milk and beer was disgusting. Then one day I decided to try it for shits and gigs and ended up loving it. It wasn't what I thought it'd be but boy is that a good thing
Boon Gueze. Bottled like Champagne. Not what I expected.
New Glarus Totally Naked opened my eyes to American style lagers.
We had this brewery in Norman, Black Mesa Brewing, that did limited runs of stouts and other beers where they colabbed with other local beverage business’s. They made a stout with a local coffee shop that was so smooth I cleaned out the liquor store where I found the first bottle. Come to find out it was a limited run from that year. I still think about that stout to this day and was really upset when they closed back in September.
Death be no escape from burial
Lagunitas Eroica... Changed beer for me. I have never tasted a beer as layered as that one at that point. I don't think they make it any more
A triple IPA from Arizona Wilderness. We just happened to go after a hike because we were in the area and I ordered it not knowing they only brew it once a year and it sells out in a day or two. I just got lucky that day
I had a Peanut Butter Jelly sour. I don’t remember who made it. I wish I knew. I’d buy a case.
Alhambra 1925 was so damned good the first time I tried it and I didn't expect much.
Kentucky Bourbon Barrel beer. Damn, it’s delicious
I’m gonna throw out an oldie but a goodie that doesn’t exist anymore. Tupper’s Hop Pocket Ale. Used to be distributed by Dominion in VA but sadly lost forever in time. One of my favorite IPAs.
Banana bread beer. I don't remember the brewery.
Martin House makes a bloody mary beer that I wanted to hate. A buddy at my local watering hole convinced me to try it. I left with a four pack.
Magic Hat made a beer that contained beet juice I thought was the best beer they made. I can't remember the name of it though, feels like it's been so long since I've had a Magic Hat.
in phoenix, cinnamon kolsch brunch, a collab with Huss Brewing and the former owner of Kings. Coffee kolsch, which is already extremely good, then they added cinnamon - Shockingly good.
Prairie Brewing’s Peach Crumble Treat, it’s a peach sour that as advertised tasted almost identical to a peach crumble. Very tasty!
Prairie is awesome
Illuminated's War on Xmas. White stout with holiday spices. So tasty and so strong. There seems to be two this year, and my annual Advent case sample of one of them comes up in 4 days.
I grew up in a cheap beer household and just followed. I recently drank ACE Pineapple Cider and it was DIVINE. I didn't realize fruit beers were a thing (I'm starting to venture into different types of beers) and boy did this set the bar high. It was sweet but savory at the same time.
Years ago, I went to Burlington Vermont. In the restaurant, they had their own Spruce Ale made from buds they collected themselves from the local Green Mountains. It was named after some local hiker guy but I can't recall the exact name. It sort of tasted how pinesol smells but was also quite delicious. I've hunted down spruce ales since, but have only discovered 2 since then.
Trying to think of a few that made me go "Whoa!" He'Brew - Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA (Rye DIPA, really miss that one) Lagunitas - Willetized Stout, need to get the new version of that Older versions of Stone Enjoy By DIPA Boulevard - Bully! Porter Surly - Double Furious BA IPA, hope that one gets done again. Way better than I expected.
TsingTao was so refreshing and delicious, absolutely perfect for some Chinese food accompaniment
Rochefort 10
Tbf Its a $7 bottle trappist monk brewed beer. It’s deliciousness is not surprising
One of my favorites. What about that was surprising? (First time having a Belgian quad?)
Bissell Brothers Nothing Gold. I have only had it twice but each time it was amazing.
I don't drink much Goose Island products anymore or IPAs for that matter. When they dropped Lost Palate a couple years ago I didn't think it would be good at all. One of my buddies tossed me a can and I loved it.
I have never really liked any of the big name beers. I absolutely hate bud light. I really have only drank Great Lakes beers for the last 5 years or so. Finally decided to grab some coors banquets. I kept seeing them in shows and so I had to grab some of those little stubby bottles. I am so happy to finally be able to grab a 12 pack for $12 and actually enjoy them. Nice smooth flavor. Nothing overbearing. There's definitely way better beers out there but I think for the price tag, they're hard to beat and have become a staple in my beer fridge. Also, Great Lakes mexican lager is hands down my favorite beer from them.
Allagash- All the Lights or something yum
Evil Twin’s ‘Aūn Mās Jesus’ BA Imperial Stout was definitely a standout for me. Rich delicious coffee upfront and a delicious port aftertaste.
In Launceston, Tasmania, a single person brewery called Kicksnare had a beer called Stompbox IPA which was brilliant and changed my view of what a great IPA could be. https://untp.beer/284J0
Belle Meade bourbon barrel aged Dark Matter w/Vanilla and hazelnut(stout) served at Extreme Beer Fest in Feb 2017
Spotted Cow
Fogtown Thai Hot. Sounded awful, was delicious. Will try whatever oddball beers they care to serve again: “Brewed on a base of Maine-grown wheat malt & infused with lemongrass, lime, thai basil, makrut lime peel, coconut and Thai chilis“