Dream Six Pack for a Desert Island

[el_caro]

At the end of April my wife and I are going to be doing an extended driving holiday through 23 states of central and western USA. During our travels I want to buy and put together some six packs of legendary US brewed beers as gifts for a few friends both in the US and Australia. I have got a few little brewery tours programmed into our itinerary already(Microsoft Streets and Trips) but if anyone can recommend some stand out brewery tours please do. If they are near the route I will plug them in.

If you had to select 6 US brewed beers only(not homebrew) that you consider your favorites (not Bud etc), what would they be?

John
Adelaide Australia

 

[509inc]

Rogue Dead Guy Ale
Big Sky Moose Drool
Bells Two Hearted Ale
COOP DNR
COOP Grand Sport Porter
Full Sail IPA

 

[mikeho]

Founders Breakfast Stout
Dogfish Head 90 minute
Green Flash West Coast IPA
Stone Arrogant Bastard (but it's a 22 oz, won't fit in a 6-pack holder, so maybe Ruination)
Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale
Troeg's Nugget Nectar

 

[two_hearted]

Bells - Two hearted
Founders - Breakfast Stout
Southern Tier - Unearthly
Stone - Sublimely Self-Righteous
Southern Tier - Choklat
Macs - Sassy Red

 

[Tinga]

Bell's - two hearted
Sierra Nevada's - Torpedo Extra IPA
New Belgium's - Tripel
Surly's - Furious IPA
Summit's - Unchained #4 (limited release probably not available anymore)
Rush River - Small axe golden ale

 

[jbrookeiv]

This list should help you out.

http://beeradvocate.com/lists/top-us

 

[NorCalAngler]

SN Torpedo
SN Summerfest
SN Bigfoot
Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard
Avery Mephistopheles
North Coast Pranqster

 

[thisgoestoeleven]

DFH 90 Minute IPA
Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale
Stiegl Weissengold
Beamish Red Ale (no longer in production, but I don't care)
C.H. Evans Kickass Brown Ale
Middle Ages Duke of Winship Porter

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

http://travel.jdfp.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/leo_beer_girls_calendar2010_4.jpg

 

[el_caro]

Fantastic lists guys and thanks for the links - not sure the wife would approve of me loading up on that 6 pack Gila

Little bit worried about the high ABVs on some of the top beers on the list. I am usually Mr 5% and I think Pliny the Younger might deliver a knockout blow in the second round.

 

[el_caro]

Well I have been in the US now for 6 weeks visiting brew pubs and breweries and to date I think my top 2 beers would be Copperhook (Red Hook) and Dead Guy (Rogue). Finding it a bit hard to adjust to the heavily hopped ales and some of the fruity and spicy concoctions. But I have to say it has been a wonderful insight so far and will miss all the variety when I return to Australia.

Best little after brewery tour(5.00pm on a Friday) experience was at New Belgium(Fort Collins).
Great little tour at Red Hook(Seattle).
Most informative was at Summit Brewery (St.Paul)

 

[FatherJack]

Dream Six Pack:

Keg of SN Pale Ale
Keg of Magic Hat Circus Boy
Keg of Shipyard IPA
Keg of Saranac Lake Brown Ale
Keg of Samuel Adams Revolutionary Rye Ale
Keg of Blue Moon

(Hey, you didn't say how big the containers could be in the six pack...)