Heady Topper has ruined everything by being so amazing

I've been on a week long road trip out to Maine from Iowa. So I stopped by Waterbury, VT and picked up some Heady Topper. This beer is so good that every beer I have tasted since is meaningless. I've reached the holy grail at such a young age. So anyone who has downed this sweet nectar of the gods what is my next step to find a beer to live up to the level of Heady Topper? And yes, I've had Pliny.

Try switching to malt forward beers or sours or something not dominated by hop profile. It's a good beer but there's so much more out there.

shoreman said:

Try switching to malt forward beers or sours or something not dominated by hop profile. It's a good beer but there's so much more out there.

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I've never had a sour but its on my list. Any suggestions?

UNIbrewster said:

I've never had a sour but its on my list. Any suggestions?

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When you get to Maine see if you can try some Allagash beers. I know they have some sour beers but try any of their beers.

Enjoy.

If your young how would you know if you have experienced the holy grail? Someone else told you it was the best and it most likely affected your perception. I love beer, but it's just a beer. Leave that worship/ white whale crap to the wine drinkers. If you can't, keep searching for your own holy grail.

shoreman said:

When you get to Maine see if you can try some Allagash beers. I know they have some sour beers but try any of their beers.

Enjoy.

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I'm not a huge fan of sours but I really enjoyed Resurgam. I prefer tartness over funk so I think that's why I liked it. Maine Beer Company also puts out some great stuff.

If you're ever back in VT Hill Farmstead is worth seeking out. I've only tried a handful of their beers but they're all ones I would gladly have again.

UNIbrewster said:

And yes, I've had Pliny.

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Pliny the Younger?

The are so many beers to taste out there, I guarantee you'll find something else. Especially since your tastes (at least mine have) change over time.

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If you find yourself in the area again, try to pop over to Warren, VT (about 15-20 min from Waterbury) and hit the Warren Store for some Lawson's Finest Liquids Double Sunshine IPA. It's a little maltier than Heady, but very tasty on its own.

Heady is good for sure, but I don't consider it the holy grail. I even enjoy some of my own homebrewed IPA's just as much. I also like Surly Abrasive just about as much as Heady.

Since you like Heady so much, you could harvest some Conan and try making a few of your own IPA's with it. You'd be surprised how easy it is to make a great IPA/IIPA with that yeast.

I agree with trying some other styles. I know sours are super trendy right now. I'm not a huge fan myself, but I dabble. What I really tend to like is anything barrel aged with high ABV. Especially with dark, roasted malts..