Top 250 Beers

[dmclone]

What have you had?

http://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/top/

#10 Trappist Westvleteren 12 (XII)
#12 Pliny The Elder
#13 Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout
#17 King Sue
#28 Zombie Dust
#34 PseudoSue
#51 Todd The Axe Man
#54 Prairie Artisan - Bomb!
#55 Founders Breakfast Stout
#56 Trappistes Rochefort 10
#60 Abrasive Ale
#71 Cantillon Lou Pepe - Kriek
#73 Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze Golden Blend
#80 Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze
#82 Hopslam Ale
#86 Sosus
#91 Imperial Biscotti Break Bourbon Barrel Aged
#96 St. Bernardus Abt 12
#101 Evil Twin Double Barrel Jesus
#105 Darkness
#118 XHOPS (Gold Label)
#128 Dreadnaught IPA
#130 Stone Enjoy By IPA
#134 Born Yesterday Pale Ale
#152 Sculpin IPA
#156 Nelson
#160 AleSmith Speedway Stout
#161 Stone Enjoy By Unfiltered IPA
#165 Cantillon Gueuze 100% Lambic
#193 Masala Mama India Pale Ale
#198 Stone Imperial Russian Stout
#201 Serendipity
#205 Raspberry Tart
#214 Ten FIDY
#218 Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break
#219 Founders Imperial Stout
#241 Lagunitas Sucks (Brown Shugga Substitute Ale)
#246 Pure Hoppiness
BTW-I think they need to come up with a better way to rank these. Not sure how though.

A few that I've had that I'm surprised that are not on here.


Beer Geek Brunch
Xocoveza Mocha Stout
Victory at Sea (Coconut)

I know they are not on here because they are local but I can think of at least 5 beers from 515 that would land in the middle of this list.

 

[zumbro clones]

I'm disappointed in myself -- I've only had the Founders Stouts.

I have had a lot of New Glarus beers but the Raspberry Tart doesn't sound too appealing to me.

 

[nfrine]

Burp...had all of them...burp.

 

[2forISU]

I see zero beers from the following companies...garbage list
http://www.rhinegeist.com/home
http://www.victorybeer.com/
http://www.dogfish.com/

 

[Wesley]

OP, how did you miss Pliny the Younger for Pliny the Elder?

 

[clones26]

no Coors Light, list invalid.

In all seriousness this is a good list but Exile and Confluence are as good as I've had elsewhere but aren't on the list...YET. I know everyone has different tastes, but some of the beers on this list I've had are awful and others sound bad.

 

[Styx]

OP, how did you miss Pliny the Younger for Pliny the Elder?

I have no clue what this question means.

 

[dmclone]

OP, how did you miss Pliny the Younger for Pliny the Elder?

Pliny the Younger is only released once a year and very hard to get.

 

[Styx]

Pliny the Younger is only released once a year and very hard to get.

There is a restaurant close to me that just received their one keg of Younger for the year, but they have not said yet when they are tapping it. Tonight they are doing a side by side blind tasting of Elder with Melvin 2x4 DIPA. I guess the 2x4 is supposed to taste just like the Elder.

 

[Al_4_State]

I'm a little surprised seeing Zombie Dust ahead of Sue and Todd. It's a clear step below both, IMHO.

2. KBBS
3. Mornin' Delight
5. Heady Topper
11. Julius
12. Pliny The Elder
13. Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout
17. King Sue
18. Focal Banger
19. Sip of Sunshine
20. KBS
21. Abner
28. Zombie Dust
29. Parabola
34. PsuedoSue
38. Bourbon County Brand Stout
30. Supplication
43. Bell's Black Note Stout
50. Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Lord
51. Todd the Axe Man
55. Founder's Breakfast Stout
58. Atrial Rubicite
60. Abrasive
64. Beatification
67. Assassin
82. Hopslam
85. Permanent Funeral
86. Sosus
91. Imperial Biscotti Break
96. St. Bernardus Abt 12
105. Darkness
117. Consecration
123. Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
130. Stone Enjoy By IPA
148. Yellow Rose
171. Tweak
174. Live Oak Hefeweizen
175. Wisconsin Belgian Red
193. Masala Mama
201. Serendipity
206. Raspberry Tart
212. Lunch
215. Ten Fidy
241. Lagunitas Sucks
242. Blind Pig

 

[dmclone]

There is a restaurant close to me that just received their one keg of Younger for the year, but they have not said yet when they are tapping it. Tonight they are doing a side by side blind tasting of Elder with Melvin 2x4 DIPA. I guess the 2x4 is supposed to taste just like the Elder.

I have a feeling I would prefer Elder. TIPA's and even some DIPA's are little overkill for me.

I agree with Al_4_State that Zombie Dust is overated.

 

[StClone]

If not for the fact my hometown is Decorah home of TopplingG I would have only one off that list.

Is it a case of TOO many good beer varieties, takes and styles to make this meaningful?

For instance The Great American Beer Festival in Denver rates beers by class and I do not see any cross reference between these two lists: https://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/the-competition/winners/

I live in Central Wisconsin now and I am fortunate to be awash in suds produced by Central Waters, Point and several lesser breweries. And find my locale brews to serve my tastes as some of the highly-rated TG's stuff.

 

[CyinCo]

I counted 5 that I have had on that list. I guess I better get busy on sampling.

 

[Styx]

I have a feeling I would prefer Elder. TIPA's and even some DIPA's are little overkill for me.

I agree with Al_4_State that Zombie Dust is overated.

Pliny the Elder is also a DIPA. The impression I'm am getting from how they are running the event is that it's a "can you tell the difference" more than a "what do you like better" type of thing.

I also agree that Zombie Dust is overrated. I get a musty aftertaste from it that I don't enjoy.

 

[dmclone]

One big key to scoring high is that you have to be somewhat limited but still decently known throughout the country.

BTW-You can also break it down by style, state, etc.

Here is wisconsin

http://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/state/wi/

 

[dmclone]

Ratebeer.com also has a top 50 list. Very stout heavy.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/top-50/

 

[ILiftWithRoyce]

34-PsuedoSue
51-Todd the Axeman
55-Founders Breakfast Stout
60-Abrasive
82-Hopslam
111-XHOPS Gold
130-Stone Enjoy By
134-Lagunitas Born Yesterday
152-Sculpin IPA
187-Victory at Sea
199-Stone Imperial Russian Stout
215-TEN FIDY
220-Founders Imperial Stout
224-Bells 30th Anniversary Ale
246-Pure Hoppiness

Fun list! Its pretty neat how you can knock out several top-100 just by making a drive up to NE Iowa

 

[AmesHawk]

My god, I hope my wife will never see my list. Almost depressing for myself to see how much money is invested here.

3. TG -Moring Delight
5. Alchemist - Heady Topper
6. Maine BC - Dinner
13. Goose Island - BCB Coffee Stout
17. TG - King Sue
18. Alchemist - Focal Banger
20. Founders - KBS
28. 3 Floyds - Zombie Dust
29. Firestone Walker - Parabola
34. TG- PseudoSue
38. Goose Island - BCB Stout
43. Bells - Black Note Stout
45. Deschutes - The Abyss
51. Surly - Todd the Axeman
52. Goose Island - BCB Barleywine
54. Prairie Artisan - Bomb!
55. Founders - Breakfast Stout
60. Surly - Abrasive
67. TG - Assassin
75. CWBC - Black Gold (15)
82. Bells – Hopslam
86. TG – Sosus
101. ET – Double Barrel Jesus
105. Surly – Darkness
118. TG – Xhops Gold
123. Weihenstephaner - Hefeweissbier
128. 3 Floyds – Dreadnaught
130. Stone – Enjoy By
146. Prairie Artesian – Pirate Bomb
152. Ballast Point – Sculpin
156. Alpine – Nelson
160. Alesmith – Speedway Stout
161. Stone – Enjoy By Unfiltered
187. Ballast Point – Victory at Sea coffee/vanilla
196. Surly – Darkness Rye (15)
199. Stone – Russian Imperial Stout
202. NG – Serendipity
206. NG – Raspberry Tart
212. Maine BC – Lunch
214. Trillium – Melcher Street
215. Oscar Blues – Ten Fidy
219. ET – Biscotti Break
220. Founders – Imperial Stout
241. Lagunitas – Sucks
246. Alpine – Pure Hoppiness
250. Creature Comforts – Tropicalia

 

[SplitIdentity]

I've had 500+ different beers over the last few years. 6 are on the top 250 list? Apparently I need to branch out.

 

[AmesHawk]

I have a feeling I would prefer Elder. TIPA's and even some DIPA's are little overkill for me.

I agree with Al_4_State that Zombie Dust is overated.

I have not had Zombie Dust in probably a little over a year. My last impression of it wasn't that great. Maybe it is nostalgia but I remember the first one I had, it was pretty eye opening for me and made me fall in love with citra. Seems like they tweaked the hop additions and lost a lot of the citra characteristics in the process.

Similar to what happened to PseudoSue when it went down to Florida (in my opinion). Just seemed a little off at first, maybe they were still trying to figure out the system there. I do think they have bumped the quality of Sue back up lately however.