West Coast beers for an East Coaster

A friend of mine is going to Portland next week and said she'd bring me back some beer from the west coast. What are some good beers gotten on the west coast that can't be gotten on the east coast that I should request?

I have 2 so far on my list...

Alaskan Smoked Porter
Pliny the Elder


What else?

Not sure if you can get this where you are on the East Coast (I can get in MA and NY, but not CT, where I live), but I'm quite fond of Stone Pale Ale. If you've never had it, it's amazingly amazing.

I've also heard that Fat Tire Amber Ale is quite good, though I've never had it because I can't find it anywhere in CT, MA, or NY!

-Steve

Having just returned from Portland myself, I was really fond of Deschutes Brewery's Mirror Pond Pale Ale, and I also enjoyed a MacTarnahan's (I think that's the spelling) Amber Ale. I finally got to have some of the Fat Tire but I wasn't overly impressed and found it to have a bit much chocolate flavor for me. Widmer's Drop Top Ale was a big favorite around Portland if you preferred more of a malty brew to a hoppy one.

+1 on most Stone brews, but I gotta disent on Fat Tire, which is an incredibly overrated, mass-produced, below averags amber.


I'm kind of a hop head, so my answers are all similar:

Anderson Valley - Hop Otten IPA
Lost Coast - Great White (light, spicy summer ale brewed
with Koelsch yeast), and Indica IPA
Ninkasi - Total Domonation IPA
Caldera - Pale (the only Micro I've seen in cans)
Stone - IIpa
Mendecino Brewing Red Nectar Ale

Just a few, there are sooo many good brews here!

FYI - most Stone beers can be had on the east coast.

Anything by Hair of the Dog. Especially the "Adam". Mmmmm!

Wrathbone said:

FYI - most Stone beers can be had on the east coast.

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Except Connecticut. Thankfully, it's a small state, so I can shoot over to NY or MA where I can get it. Wasn't sure about VA.

Sea said:

+1 on most Stone brews, but I gotta disent on Fat Tire, which is an incredibly overrated, mass-produced, below averags amber.


I'm kind of a hop head, so my answers are all similar:

Anderson Valley - Hop Otten IPA
Lost Coast - Great White (light, spicy summer ale brewed
with Koelsch yeast), and Indica IPA
Ninkasi - Total Domonation IPA
Caldera - Pale (the only Micro I've seen in cans)
Stone - IIpa
Mendecino Brewing Red Nectar Ale

Just a few, there are sooo many good brews here!

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Oscar Blues has all their beers in cans. I just started seeing them here in Houston this year. Also try to find some of Russian Rivers barrel aged belgian specialty beers like Temptation, Damnation, and so on.

I'm from Wisconsin and was excited when I found out my sister could get Fat Tire in TX, where she lives. I tried it in a bottle with great expectations and was disappointed. It was ok, but not great. By this time I had my own clone in the primary, and that stuff was *great* (although not quite like New Belgium's brew). I had another clone (much different recipe) that was more like the real thing that was mediocre (although 2 months in the bottle helped a lot). In May, I had it on tap in Houston and it was much better than in the bottle.

Rambling over--Fat Tire is not all it's cracked up to be and not worth dragging through the airport. The one time I was in Portland I spent 36 hours there for work with a bunch of guys who didn't drink :-( so I missed out on all the brewpubs.

Wrathbone said:

FYI - most Stone beers can be had on the east coast.

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Not in North Carolina. The SWMBO lives in San Diego, you can bet I'll be doing the tour when I visit out there:rockin:

Not sure if you have had or can get any of these, but they are ALL worth lugging through an airport:

Green Flash West Coast IPA
Green Flash Imperial IPA
Bison Saison (Reserve if you can get it)
Alesmith Yulesmith
Alesmith Speedway Stout
Alesmith Wee Heavy
Stone 12th Anniversary Stout

gwood said:

Not sure if you have had or can get any of these, but they are ALL worth lugging through an airport:

Green Flash West Coast IPA
Green Flash Imperial IPA
Bison Saison (Reserve if you can get it)
Alesmith Yulesmith
Alesmith Speedway Stout
Alesmith Wee Heavy
Stone 12th Anniversary Stout

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+ 1,000,000 on the green flash IPA. It's incredible! Never had the IIPA though, bet it's good.

The Green Flash IIPA isn't as good as West Coast, but it is stil a great beer.

I dig the West Coast IPA...not to mention that bottles of the Hop Head Red started showing up 'round here and it's another tasty one by Green Flash.

Dunno what you don't have available in VA but most of what has been mentioned in this thread, that I have sampled, are solid bets. I know that some of the brews mentioned are available in MD if not VA.

Bear Republic Red Rocket (which I can now get in NJ, but it's widely available on the west coast).

Go for the Stone Ruination
Try a Bridgeport IPA
Deschutes makes a fine beer - Obsidian Stout
Lagunitas makes fine beers as well.
Kiltlifter from Pike is a good one...

So, how'd the visit go, and what beers did she bring back?

I am quit please with Port brewing's "High Tide" IPA its a seasonal beer they sell in Southern California. I found it at Bevmo or if your ever by Stones brewery in Escondido, its about an exit away. Its Stones old brewery where they first started, its not nearly as nice, but they do make some fine beers.

Did you see you replied to a 2 year old post...

But good info none the less.

Haha I was buzzin hard last night so I didn't catch The year.

carnevoodoo said:

The Green Flash IIPA isn't as good as West Coast, but it is stil a great beer.

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I prefer their IIPA to the west coast but I like maltier IPA's and bigger beers. Like already mentioned get some Russian River stuff. Maybe have her see if she can find any of the Deschutes 750ml bottles like Once a Decade, Abyss, XXI Porter, etc.... Port Brewing, Lost Abbey, North Coast Old Rasputin....


EDIT: LOL at old posts.....