Craft Brew BEER Thread

[Xyclone]

List your favorite craft brews here!

I'll start the list off:

1. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
2. Stone IPA
3. Lagunitas IPA
4. Sierra Nevada Summerfest (seasonal)
5. Speakeasy Big Daddy IPA
6. Stone Ruination IPA

I have quite a few selections from Stone Brewery (Escondido, CA) sitting in my stash; I also have a Belgian Tripel, 90 minute IPA, and Speakeasy IPA; I will update as I try those.

Currently sipping on some 60 minute IPA right now, and it's oh-so-good.

Updated the list on 8/30.

 

[virtuamike]

Stone 11th Anniversary / Sublimely Self-Righteous
Russian River Pliny The Elder
Dogfish Palo Santo Marron
North Coast Old Stock Ale
Drake Denogginizer

 

[Xyclone]

Great choices, I hadn't heard of the last three. I'll definitely pick up Pliny the Elder, and the rest, the next time I'm at BevMo.

 

[xanis]

I just recently had a Founder's Breakfast Stout for the first time and I loved it. I'm a fan of stouts in general, but this one blew the others out of the water.

 

[virtuamike]

Yeah Pliny rules. Bevmo should have Old Stock - at least the ones up here do. I've only had Denogginizer on tap, but I guess it's available bottled now. If you like big beer, you'll love it.

 

[xSauronx]

favorites:
duck rabbit milk stout
front street brewery bier de garde
okocim porter
edit: also the franziskaner dunkelweiss

see sig: beer list, it covers most of what ive had

 

[HybridSquirrel]

natty light...aww yea

 

[Howard]

Don't have a favorite just yet but Dogfish Red & White is definitely not my cup of tea.

 

[soulcougher73]

Lost Coast-Great White
Lost Coast-Downtown Brown
Koenighoven-Quadrupel

Those are my current favs.

 

[Xyclone]

Sauron, that's quite a list in the sig. I don't think CA gets any of the beers posted in your craft brew list. Howard, have you tried Dogfish's IPA's? Soulcougher, I should check out Lost Coast - I saw them in Bevmo. I saw their "Indica" IPA and chuckled.

EDIT: And HybridSquirrel:

 

[ZOXXO]

In the short time I have been exploring the craft brews, Founders Breakfast Stout and Chimay Blue have been two that struck me as something special.

 

[Squisher]

In the short time I have been exploring the craft brews, Founders Breakfast Stout and Chimay Blue have been two that struck me as something special.

Was it the Kentucky Breakfast Stout? If it wasn't, you're in for real treat when you try the KBS.

Getting back on topic. My favorites? Gee, too many. I think I've liked just about everything from Dogfish Head, Dark Horse, and Goose Island and most from Bell's and Founders.

Goose Island Bourbon County
Founder's KBS
Dark Horse Perkulator
Bell's Batch 9000
Dogfish Head 120 min. IPA

 

[Xyclone]

Hmm, it looks like I should check out the Founders Breakfast Stout. I really didn't care for Irish Dry Stout (Guinness), but maybe Double/Imp Stout will be radically different. I hope I can find it in So Cal.

And BevMo was out of Chimay Blue (an overpriced, overhyped beer, according to my cousin, a self-proclaimed beer expert), but I'll definitely pick it up next time. The way I see it, the high abv will redeem itself if it is in fact overpriced.

 

[Xyclone]

Squisher, do you know if those beers make it out to So Cal? I know BevMo doesn't carry the 120 Minute IPA, which is a bummer, because that's a DAMN strong ale. Is it super-duper hopppy?

Have any of you tried the classic Sierra Nevada Pale Ale? Is it worth it? I was about to pick up a 24 case for $26 (reasonable) at BevMo the other day, but hesitated. I know the reviews are great, and I haven't really given Pale Ales a proper try.

 

[Squisher]

Squisher, do you know if those beers make it out to So Cal?

No, not off hand.

I know BevMo doesn't carry the 120 Minute IPA, which is a bummer, because that's a DAMN strong ale. Is it super-duper hopppy?

It's funny I'm not a fan of IPAs normally (too bitter for me), yet I love all the versions from Dogfish Head. The 120 min. is just that much smoother and fuller in flavor. I'm sure you can get someone to order some, but the only hold back will be that the distributor will want to sell it a case at a time. $$$

 

[andylawcc]

Stone's stuff (anything from Arrogant Bastard to the Double AB to the Ruination to the Sublimely Selfrighteous to the IRS to the Cali-Belique IPA)

North Coast Rasputin
Speedway Stout
most IPAs

do not like:
Chimay (don't like Belgium Ale stuff, too sweet)
Stella (the other Heineken)
Dogfish Head 60 min (i usually don't say this, but this is really overboard)

 

[andylawcc]

and i did see the 60 minute here in So Cal. a few small liquor stores carry it (locate in San Gabriel Valley)

 

[Xyclone]

Stone's stuff (anything from Arrogant Bastard to the Double AB to the Ruination to the Sublimely Selfrighteous to the IRS to the Cali-Belique IPA)

This is making me even more anxious to try them out! I have Stone IPA, Stone OAKED Arrogant Bastard, Stone Sublimely Self Righteous, and Ruination IPA; the Bevmo near me didn't sell the Double AB, and I've heard mixed reviews about the Cali-Belique. I'm a total Stone Brewery virgin; I was working my up to the hoppiness with Lagunitas and Dogfish Head.

North Coast Rasputin
Speedway Stout
most IPAs

Hmm, will have to try these.

do not like:
Chimay (don't like Belgium Ale stuff, too sweet)

I also don't care for sweet Ales, hence my liking for hoppy IPA's.

Stella (the other Heineken)

Yeah, Stella is meh.

Dogfish Head 60 min (i usually don't say this, but this is really overboard)

Whaaaaa? I thought it was incredibly balanced. I took my first sip and said out loud, "wow, this is some damn good beer." I think it had the perfect balance of hops and malt, especially compared to some over-the-top hopped-out West Coast IPA's. In what sense did you think it was overboard?

 

[Xyclone]

It's funny I'm not a fan of IPAs normally (too bitter for me), yet I love all the versions from Dogfish Head. The 120 min. is just that much smoother and fuller in flavor. I'm sure you can get someone to order some, but the only hold back will be that the distributor will want to sell it a case at a time. $$$

Yeah, the 60 minute IPA is already priced right IMO ($10 for a 6 pack here; I can see myself getting more of these), and the 90 minute IPA is pushing it ($11 for a 4 pack on sale, usually $15). Maybe if I can find it on tap... I paid $15 for a 6 pack of Oaked Arrogant, though, which was just as expensive as the 90 min.

 

[ZOXXO]

Was it the Kentucky Breakfast Stout? If it wasn't, you're in for real treat when you try the KBS.

It was the regular BS but KBS is already on the must buy list.

 

[virtuamike]

Have any of you tried the classic Sierra Nevada Pale Ale? Is it worth it? I was about to pick up a 24 case for $26 (reasonable) at BevMo the other day, but hesitated. I know the reviews are great, and I haven't really given Pale Ales a proper try.

I go through a pitcher or two of Sierra Nevada every week at the bowling alley. For a widely available beer, it's solid stuff. Not super complex, but tasty and very drinkable.

For cases of Sierra, try Costco or even Walmart.

 

[virtuamike]

And BevMo was out of Chimay Blue (an overpriced, overhyped beer, according to my cousin, a self-proclaimed beer expert), but I'll definitely pick it up next time. The way I see it, the high abv will redeem itself if it is in fact overpriced.

Nah, not overhyped. Pricey but good. Dark fruit and sweet malt. Don't drink it too cold, otherwise you won't get all the complexity.

 

[stinkynathan]

Surly Furious
Bell's Expedition Stout
Young's Double Chocolate
Left Hand Milk Stout
Bell's Bubble Jack IPA
Founders Breakfast Stout
Nogne-O Imperial Stout

I'm sure I'll think of more later.

 

[xSauronx]

Sauron, that's quite a list in the sig. I don't think CA gets any of the beers posted in your craft brew list.

yeah, turns out north carolina has a lot of microbreweries and some brewpubs, and i try and of them i can find

the list is handy when shopping, since you can bookmark it on a smartphone and browse/sort. i have a bad memory so if i dont write it down or have it handy, i wont always remember what i tired, or what i thought of a beer

 

[Xyclone]

Virtuamike, both the Sierra Nevada and the Chimay sound promising. Too bad Costcos in the SFV don't carry Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, which is weird because they had stocked the 2010 Summerfest for a killer price ($21.50 for a 24 pack). That was my first real craft beer, other than a 22oz of Newcastle and Fat Tire I picked up at Ralphs. I was about to get a case of Coronas for a party, then realized how much I dislike them, moved to the Heineken display, then saw Newcastle, then seasonal Sierra Nevada?! Way to go Costco! After tasting my first one, I wondered why people would pay more for imported beer that they had to mask with lime and salt.

Stinkynathan, nice list, but none are available in the southwest. I like how the Surly Furious comes in cans, so you don't have to worry about skunked beer.

Sauron, I'm wayyy ahead of you on that one. I made a list before I went to Bevmo, and I'm adding to the list as this thread goes. It sucks to get home and realize you didn't get that beer that you wanted to try.