Best Micro Brew

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cglkaptc

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What is the best beer you have ever had besides your own?

Mine is Pabst Blue Ribbon. (after all it did win a blue ribbon)

But seriously, mine is Dark Horse Brewery (in Marshall, MI) Crooked Tree IPA. It is delicious.
 
I have a few: Woodstock Brewery Pigs Ear (Woodstock, NH) is a brown ale might be my number 1. Allagash White (Portland, ME) is also very good.
 
I couldn't pick one favorite beer. I probably couldn't even pick a particular favorite for just about any given style, because there are just too many damn good beers out there, and everytime I find a good one, then I run across one I haven't tried yet that is even better.

Some for sure favorites:

Dogfish Head 90min IPA
Alaskan Smoked Porter
Fat Tire
North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
Descheuttes Black Butte Porter
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine
 
Hard to say. I have had so many good ones. One of my favorites is a local micro called O'fallon brewery. They make a great IPA IMO. It is not smack you in the face hoppy, just very well balanced with a very pleasant hop bite.
 
I forgot about Fat Tire, I agree with that vote. That beer makes going out west very enjoyable. Not that it isn't already.
 
Too big a question.

The best microbrewery whose wares I've had the pleasure of sampling is Russian River. Pliny the Elder is the best IPA I've had, and Damnation is a pretty freakin' phenomenal example of a Belgian golden strong ale. Their brett-fermented blonde ale, whose name is escaping me, is another beer in my all-time top 10.
 
cubbies said:
...O'fallon brewery. They make a great IPA IMO. It is not smack you in the face hoppy, just very well balanced with a very pleasant hop bite.
+1 on them and their smoked porter is great, too. I had their IPA last December for the first time, I think based on your recommendation.

Other favorites:

Two Brothers Cane & Ebel and Hop Juice
Goose Island IPA when fresh on tap
Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye
Left Hand Milk Stout
Bell's Two Hearted
Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald
Flossmoor Station (local pub) X-IPA and Pullman Brown
New Glarus Uff-da Bock (when I can get it)
Tyranena Rocky's Revenge (when I can get it)
St. Arnold Christmas Ale (when I can get it)

if I spent more time, I could come up with a lot more!
 
I really like Dragon's Milk by New Holland. I'd say it's my favorite as of right now, but that's likely to change many times
 
I was really impressed with Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale last year. Good stuff.

There's a brewpub/restaurant in Baltimore called Brewer's Art. Their house is a sort of Belgian Strong called Ozzy ale. Fantastic stuff. All of their beers are excellent, but the Ozzy holds a special place in my heart. The food's good, too.
 
I also like Bristols Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout. Best stout I have ever had.

I also like Odells 5 barrel pale ale.

This is just way too broad of a question for people who like beer this much :tank:
 
cglkaptc said:
... mine is Dark Horse Brewery (in Marshall, MI) Crooked Tree IPA. It is delicious.

I absolutely love the Double IPA there. I only wish they served it pint glasses instead of brandy snifters! It's a great way to start off an evening of pumpkin seed cilantro pizza.
 
Dark Horse is my new favorite brewery. I've always loved the Crooked Tree, as it is similar enough to another local brewery's IPA to be my favorite, without the a$$hole owner. Then, two weeks ago, I finally got to try the Double Crooked. It was perfect!! This is what an IPA should be. If your beer has more hops than alcohol, then I like your beer:rockin: . If I don't feel like IPA my backup is Final Absolution from Dragonmead in Warren, MI.
 
Like me some Black Flag Imperial Stout from Beer Valley Brewing my current favorite.

:tank:
 
I'm a big fan of Sierra Nevada beers, especially the ones on tap at their pub here in town. However, I don't think they really qualify as a "micro" brewery per se. At this point, they've become so big they are just shy of a macro brewery...especially since last year they added even more production.

But last year I went to a little place up in McKinleyville, CA called Six Rivers Brewery. Nice little pub overlooking the coast, and inexpensive but good food. But the best part about that place was their Kona Moon Porter. I had to take a big growler to go it was so good. Their other beers were also very good, including a Chili Pepper Ale I fully expected to dislike. I think what I like about them is that their brewing area is just off the main tap room, and they brew it up in pretty small batches. I think these small batches keep the flavor of the beers variable, and I appreciate the variety.

I used to like it more when Sierra Nevada was smaller, and their Pale Ale would taste just a bit different for each batch they made. Their seasonals are still different year to year, but I miss the smaller brewery. That being said, I'm very impressed with SNs consistency and their commitment to responsible brewing. They've done a lot for the community here and are incredibly environmentally friendly. Last year they brought in hydrogen fuel cell generators and a huge array of solar panels to power the whole brewery. It's pretty cool that even as a large company, they are willing to sacrifice some profit for the good of the environment.
 
Somebody listed Bell's and that reminds me, Bell's Hopslam is the bomb. I live like two seconds away, so I can get it on tap. Its only like Feb and Mar beer though I think.
 
Ive always been fond of Goose Island. Not quite as micro as they once were though, but its still my default beer of choice when I'm at a place that has it on tap.
 
TwoHeadsBrewing said:
But last year I went to a little place up in McKinleyville, CA called Six Rivers Brewery. Nice little pub overlooking the coast, and inexpensive but good food. But the best part about that place was their Kona Moon Porter.

Oh, I'd put the Kona Moon Porter on my best of list as well. That beer was the surprise hit of the last beer trip my buddies and I took.

I didn't like the chili pepper ale, though. :)
 
Rhoobarb said:
+1 on them and their smoked porter is great, too. I had their IPA last December for the first time, I think based on your recommendation.

Other favorites:

Two Brothers Cane & Ebel and Hop Juice
Goose Island IPA when fresh on tap
Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye
Left Hand Milk Stout
Bell's Two Hearted
Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald
Flossmoor Station (local pub) X-IPA and Pullman Brown
New Glarus Uff-da Bock (when I can get it)
Tyranena Rocky's Revenge (when I can get it)
St. Arnold Christmas Ale (when I can get it)

if I spent more time, I could come up with a lot more!

+1 ont he Flossmoor Station Pullman Nut Brown.
Damn I would like to get my hands on a clone recipe of that stuff.
 
cuinrearview said:
Dark Horse is my new favorite brewery. I've always loved the Crooked Tree, as it is similar enough to another local brewery's IPA to be my favorite, without the a$$hole owner. Then, two weeks ago, I finally got to try the Double Crooked. It was perfect!! This is what an IPA should be. If your beer has more hops than alcohol, then I like your beer:rockin: . If I don't feel like IPA my backup is Final Absolution from Dragonmead in Warren, MI.

Two weeks ago? That's when I tried it. There was one other customer there who ordered one... we both had to wait for like ten or fifteen minutes.

I want to brew it real bad but hops are scarce round here. Six different kinds of rhizomes on order, though. This fall it will be Double IPA time.
 
The best beer I've ever had is the one I am drinking right now!.......but really.....it would have to be between:

Fat Tire Ale
Moose Drool
Highland Oatmeal Porter
Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout (Do you see a pattern here?)
 
Some favorites of mine are

New Belgium 1554 and 2 Below
Odell's IPA, 5 barrel pale ale
Coopersmith's Double IPA, Albert Damn Bitter

But there really are too many excellent micro brews to choose from
 
Not sure if these are micro enough, but:

Mendocino Brewing Company White Hawk IPA
Victory Prima Pils

For brew pub stuff, I love the Jake's Ale at Jake's, 23rd and 7th ave, NYC.
 
Brown ale- Iron horse

Amber ale- Mac and Jacks

Pale ale- Deschutes mirror pond

IPA- Boundary Bay

Oktoberfest- Widmer Okto

Porter- Bridgeport

Stout- Rogue chocolate

Winter- Widmer snow plow
 
cronxitawney said:
I like me some DFH 60 & 90
The 120 tastes like sweet ****e though.

Agreed, my favorite beer on this planet is the 90 IPA. In a close second is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Nothing bad can be said about those two IMO.
 
Local Bristol's Beehive Honey Wheat and Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout. Regional (still local for me) Breckenridge's Oatmeal Stout and Trademark Pale Ale.
 
a bunch of brew compounds of the Mc Menamin bros. who make some damn fine ales. Portland and Seattle area. Fun places to go and stay a weekend , too. They are online and if anyone wants a fun Drink and Dine night or two out, I'd check them out. If nothing else, their web site is fun to check out and scope out their properties and little mini bars and such.

Prost!:mug:
 
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Celebration Ale & Bigfoot are all excellent. I also really like the Brooklyn Lager when served just above freezing.
 
Russian River, solid. Lagunitas, solid. The Frank Zappa ales are very nice.

But for my money, Deschutes Brewery across the board. Not the production stuff(which is great), but the small run stuff on tap out here in Oregon is silly good.
 
:mug: Yeah, here in good old OREGON we have a lot of great micro-breweries to choose, like a kid in a candy shop! I have not had any brew from Deshutes that was not VERY good, Rogue, the same. McMenimans has a lot of different places they brew, so some are better than others. All in all I can't decide which is actually best besides the next one I'm in pursuit of!!!!:mug: :D :tank:
 
Anything from Deschutes(sp) out of Oregon

Amen!

my brothers, a couple friends and i went on an oregon microbrew tour for our friends bachelor party. gotta say deschutes was the best overall. their quadruple bourbon beer, cant remember exact name, was absolutely awesome. they wouldn't let us buy a growler due to the high AC:mad: mirror pond is hands down my favorite beer. the other breweries we hit were widmer bros., pyramind, (both of which have awesome hefe's), bridgeport, and then fearless brewery in estacada. awesome place. we even squeezed in a rafting trip! :rockin:


Not sure if these are micro enough, but:

Mendocino Brewing Company White Hawk IPA
Victory Prima Pils

For brew pub stuff, I love the Jake's Ale at Jake's, 23rd and 7th ave, NYC.

i am originally from ukiah where the mendocino brewing company is. blue heron and red tail ale are pretty tasty as well.
 
Russian River, solid. Lagunitas, solid. The Frank Zappa ales are very nice.

But for my money, Deschutes Brewery across the board. Not the production stuff(which is great), but the small run stuff on tap out here in Oregon is silly good.

Yes, you suck for living in Portland, surrounded by all that great beer, I have 1, count that one place I can go and buy Jubelale and it is ridiculously expensive too.

Russian River is the shiznit too!
 
I also love Bristol's Winter Warlock. I have a ton of their pint glasses from when I lived in Colorado Springs. Downtown Colorado Springs had a restaurant called Il Vicino that made a Scotch Ale that was amazing (anyone know if the place is still around?).

DFH's 60 & 90 are great (I think I actually prefer the 60) and Founder's Red Rye Ale
 
I'm a huge fan of Stone Arrogant Bastard, Troegs Mad Elf, almost anything from Unibrou, Founders Breakfast Stout and Victory Storm King.
 
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