Favorite Beer

[prof_stack]

To taste my favorite beer on tap, I would have to fly to Munich, take the S5 train to Heershing, and take a taxi to the Andechs Monastary on top of the hill. 

One twist of the handle of the large wooden vats released the perfect amount of beer and foam into the 1/2 liter glasses.

Their Doppelbock went down with waves and waves of malt running over my tongue.  Never experienced anything like that before.  Their Helles was also most impressive. 

Those guys know their beer!

[fxb750]

That's what's required for twisties.....

[troyhamilton]

just cold.

[alanp]

I live in the land of 3.2 beer.  Strong beer can only be sold warm in a package store. 

Good god man, get a cooler and buy it warm then!

Bud products you say?  Such shyte shall never darken my lips....life is WAY TOO short for that.

Dude, beer that's been sitting warm is crap- any brand.  Add time from the east coast or Europe and it's crapier crap.  Bud is consistently the best, freshest beer you can buy here.  And you won't find fresher beer anywhere in the USA short of a Brew Pub.  In fact, I've never had a good bottle Heineken in my life- anywhere.  I've had wonderful Sam Adams in the east, it's just terrible here (I bought a six pack last week and couldn't finish the first one).  

MO, Fresh beer is better than most brand differences.

To each his own, but that freshness stuff is mostly guys in the advertising room trying to figure out a way to promote their mediocre beer.  Most alcoholic beverages improve, and cost more the older they are; wine, port, scotch, whatever.  Same definitely holds true for my homebrew.  A 2 month old bottle isn't ready to drink.  Give it about 6 more months and it will test dramatically better.  And I'll take a warm, 10 year old bottle of Afligem Triple over a fresh Bud anyday.  ;D

Age can certainly matter with beer, but if it is stored properly (out of the sun and heat, and in a brown rather than clear or green bottle) it will last a very long time.   

beer doesnt get better with age.  no way.  Best brand beers I've had is Anchor Steam and Sam Adams.  But here the heartland, warm in package stores, forget it.  Just taste like crap.  Even tap beer is usually too old here to taste good.

It just taste the same.  Fresh beer is better regardless of brand.

Lowryter,   See this article:. 

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/101/store

Your blanket statement that beer doesn't improve with age is incorrect,  but may be correct for the beers that you enjoy. 

[EvanM]

So I finally got my case of Westvleteren XII after a year of waiting. Opened it, and abruptly discovered why it has been voted the worlds best beer.
After this discovery, it had gotten me thinking. How many of us here enjoy "the good stuff", and what is your favorite?

[Vasco DG]

There are two readily available types of beer. Good beer and Better beer.

There is also the most ellusive and enjoyable sort which is



FREE BEER!!!!

[QCGoose]

So I finally got my case of Westvleteren XII after a year of waiting. Opened it, and abruptly discovered why it has been voted the worlds best beer.
After this discovery, it had gotten me thinking. How many of us here enjoy "the good stuff", and what is your favorite?

A few years ago, my friends introduced me to the wonderful world of micro-breweries.

I wasn't much of a drinker, and I still wouldn't consider myself one (at least in the "heavy drinker" sense), but I do enjoy "the good stuff". I used to just drink the typical piss water: Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Coors Light, PBR, etc. There's no other way to describe that stuff than just your typical, mainstream piss water.

These days it's all about the "fancy beers", and I like to sample a bit of everything when I travel (no drinking while riding, and if I'm driving, I'm strict about limiting myself; otherwise I just grab a bit of whatever and bring it home).

But to be honest, my current favorite is brewed right here in the good ol' Quad Cities. It's known as Uncommon Stout: a dark, 6.5% beer with a heavy coffee flavor, brewed at Bent River Brewery in Moline, Illinois.

(Beer Advocate Review)
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/5443/19174

Another similar beer is Redband Stout, brewed right here in Davenport, Iowa at Great River Brewery. It, too, has a strong coffee flavor, but is a bit sweeter and stronger in flavor than Uncommon from Bent.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23052/66492/

In fact, I'm tippin' back on a glass of Uncommon from my growler as I write this.  :BEER:

[guzzidoo]

Stouts and Porters rule!

[EvanM]

Stouts and Porters rule!

Ill drink to that!
 :BEER:

[EvanM]

A really nice smooth stout is Marstouns Oyster Stout. Goes with anything, and is probably the smoothest beer I've ever had.
Another one to give a try if you can find it, is Harviestoun's Ola Dubh 18yr, and 30yr. In fact, anything from them is ridiculously good!

[Sasquatch Jim]

 He said there is only good beer and better beer.  This could only be the opinion of one who has never tasted
 Grizzly beer from Canada, aptly named, or Panda beer from China, one of the mysteries of the East.
 If any of you have tasted either of these, please add your opinion of their, er, taste.
 And what you did after trying it.

[QCGoose]

And what you did after trying it.

My guess would be something involving a mop and a bucket... :D

[Two Checks]

Samuel Adams Triple Bock.

[jomcgui]

My favorite are pilsners(Becks or Urquell).  I support the local microbreweries efforts but they usually do more along the lines of ales.  Their versions of pilsners generally are too heavy not crisp enough.  Like the IPAs when at the locals.  Witkerke has my vote for wheat beer.  Not beer but we have a local distillery that does a super vodka. Valentines.  2 versions plus a 1st batch of gin.  I'd put it against any foreign or premium brand vodka. 

[pebra]

So I finally got my case of Westvleteren XII after a year of waiting. Opened it, and abruptly discovered why it has been voted the worlds best beer.
After this discovery, it had gotten me thinking. How many of us here enjoy "the good stuff", and what is your favorite?

Good, Certainly, but I'd say its unavailability has led to a hyping of its quality.
YMMV and all that.
And, cheers!

[molly]

Good we haven't had a beer thread for a while, I like beer.
Just got back from the Parish brewery in Leicestershire, England. Baz the owner/brewer is a bit of a character and brews his Bonce Blower beer at 12%. This is stuck on top of the bar with a 'come on if your hard enough' aura about it. Three half pints are your limit (after consultation with the local constabulary) and to be fair that's enough.
The taste is unusual with a hint of cough linctus, aircraft fuel and hot tarmac.
Not for the faint hearted or anyone really that's sane.

[geeseman]

Most overlooked Beer and only available in certain regions of the US. No it is not an Asian Beer Originally from the oldest brewery in the US, Pottstown PA. They are expanding and thankfully for me took over the old Schlitz brewery in Tampa and business is good they are expanding that site. My everyday beer is the Black and Tan

Good quality American beer at piss water prices. Even the Light is pretty darn good.

[wrbix]

I've moved on (up?) to IPAs, but wonder what the next step is, or even if there is one.  :BEER:

Lagers are entry drugs to the "hard stuff" that come later, IMHO. After IPAs, lagers seem like "having sex in a boat", if y'all know that old saying.

[dilligaf]

My guess would be something involving a mop and a bucket... :D

Good one.
Matt

[redbirds]

I love trying beer from micro breweries when traveling. One of my favorites is the Dodging Duck in Boerne, Texas, right in the heart of the Hill Country and great motorcycling roads. I really don't have a favorite beer. :BEER:

[Dilliw]

All beer is good :)

Lately I've been in to the Dogfish beers coming out of DE.  Actually the guy is from Charleston, SC so maybe it's the local connection, but both the 60 and 90 are good stuff.

Now here's a trick adder to the original question.  When riding I need can beer for packing purposes.  So what't the best can beer out there?  For me it's two of the Oskar beers out of CO: Mam's Pils and Dale's Pale Ale.  Both available at the IGA's on the way to Cruso too!

[Pfaff!]

 ;D

Though I'm a man of simple taste, and do prefer German Lager; best of all the Radeberger.

[blackbuell]

Like redbirds, when we travel we seek out microbrews based on recommendations from locals who are also beer enthusiasts. If available, we will purchase sampler trays--Sandy will generally end up drinking my wheat beer & Belgium-style beer samples in trade for her IPA's, but we will both at least try each one of the beers. We used to (and sometimes still do) visit wineries to sample wines--now we enjoy the beer sampling more.

In grad school my housemate and I would organize double-blind beer tasting events for our fellow grad students; we would rank the beers and give awards (in the form of free beer) to the individuals who brought the winners. Pilsner Urquell was a frequent "light" beer and overall beer winner.

Lately I've been favoring malty Brit ales such as Belhaven Scottish Ale. I also love Sam Smith's outmeal stout.

New Belgium Fat tire is also pretty good.

[alpine]

Last week I opened a beer that was given to me six months ago by a friend at a function we attended. It was a large size bottle of " Three Philosophers " ..  It was very good and very interesting (expensive) !  I like porters and stouts(which are the same with different names) . The Rogue stouts and porters  brewed in Newport , Oregon are very good and tasty.

Roberto.

[Farmer Dan]

New Castle Brown Ale, when my ulcer lets me :BEER:

[lti_57]

I like IPA's a bunch  Porters and Stouts. And not in that order
When i was a kid my Opa from Wiesbaden  came to visit he drank some of our American beer this was in the 70's
and said it was for pregnant women  I did not drink then but i always remembered that

[ranette]

We have a couple of beers up here that have been receiving over the top praise from the beer enthusiast sites.  One brewery is called Hill Farmstead, we had guests go up there last weekend to find a 4 hour wait to buy beer.  The other started as a brewpub but due to Hurricane Irene is now simply a microbrewery, The Alchemist, their only product now being a double IPA called Heady Topper.  While I can appreciate the quality of these, and take for granted their availability while beer geeks from across the country would give up body parts for a steady supply, I find them overly hoppy; good for one, but I have to move on to something a little lighter to balance things out.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22511/57886/
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27039/16814

I've always loved Belgian beers, and my current taste runs to Rodenbach Flemish Sour Ale, very tart, almost like a hard cider, great to drink in the summer: as far as style, the polar opposite of the IPA's currently creating such a stir in Vermont.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/216/673

[Muley]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i5k4I1AOEI

[JJ]

There are two readily available types of beer. Good beer and Better beer.

There is also the most ellusive and enjoyable sort which is



FREE BEER!!!!

Agreed (+1).  There is nothing better than a fresh, local draft beer from anywhere in Germany!  This one (Bit Burger) is from Aachen :) 8) ;-T

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Kutztown Birch Beer was traditionally made from birch oil distilled from the sap of the black birch tree. Today our Birch Beer is made from the finest birch oil available. In traditional clear glass bottles!