The greatest beer of all time...

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Actually when I was a teenager, I asked my dad, "What is the best beer you've ever had?"

He said, "When I was playing Semi-Pro Hockey they had a cooler of beer in the locker room that was sitting in ice water. After the game, I grabbed one and drank it. That was the best beer I've ever had."

"What brand was it?" I asked.

"I have no idea." he replied.

Thanks for the memory O.P.
 
I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but the great IPA's are in Cali. Hands down.:D:mug:

So god damn true. And living in San Diego, I'll say that we have the best IPAs in the world. Sure, there are great ones outside of here, but to thrive in this city, you better make one hell of an IPA.

With the exception of Russian River, nothing comes even close to this town.
 
When I was down in Cali I tried a bunch of different beers down there. All the IPAs I tried tasted like the APAs up here. :D
 
When I was down in Cali I tried a bunch of different beers down there. All the IPAs I tried tasted like the APAs up here. :D

I love how the PNW people always seem to think they have the edge on everyone. World Beer Cup results might be an indication of something...
 
I reviewed Longhammer on my website a few years ago before I had a taste for IPA's (or craft beers in general). I said it was pretty much average all around and I still feel that way. As far as IPA's go, I'm partial to Victory's Hop Devil myself.

But as far as best beer of all time in taste and price, that's a tough one. My favorite overall (in availability and flavor) is Duvel, but that's not exactly priced cheap either.
 
Especially non anheuser busch beers. ;)

I believe that AB only owns a small portion of RedHook, and RedHook only made the transaction to gain access to the huge AB distribution network. Goose Island did the same a couple years ago.
 
My favorite are Shorts Huma Lumpa Licious Bells two hearted. Although I have tried many I still have more to try.
 
Best beer of all time???? Obviously by this thread's proof, it is a total judgement call. However, I really like Pete's Wicked Ale! For an IPA though, I'd probably go with Flying Dog or DFH 60. Just my 2 cents!
 
I have to agree that Bell's Two-hearted is at least one of the best. The other is Hopslam. I'm new to the whole scene and never realized how much hops can flavor beer in so many different ways. I previously thought hops=bitter. A two-hearted clone with Amarillo has been waiting for me after work the last week or so; it's the greatest at the moment.
 
So god damn true. And living in San Diego, I'll say that we have the best IPAs in the world. Sure, there are great ones outside of here, but to thrive in this city, you better make one hell of an IPA.

I disagree. Most of the west-coast IPAs are too afraid to experiment with hops; they all go heavy on American citrus/pine flavored hops, and it's unusual to see much range outside of that. So the main variation is how much More! and Bigger! they can cram in, rather than trying the plethora of hops that give beer its variety. It's bizarre because there are some great breweries that are certainly pushing the envelope in a ton of ways (e.g. Russian River, Lost Abbey). Russian River's crafted some really good IPAs, but surprisingly (given their absolute willingness to try everything) even those are pretty standard "generic American" hops and ingredients.

There are certainly exceptions, but it's pretty shocking visiting the west coast and having the majority of IPAs unwilling to venture outside of a very narrow band.

Almost everywhere else in the country and world is more inventive and has a broader range with their IPAs.

Meantime IPA, Three Floyds Blackheart, Allagash Hugh Malone, Brasserie d'Achouffe Houblon Chouffe IPA, Berkshire's Lost Sailor--all great IPAs that don't live in the C-hop cage. Goose Island mixes a healthy does of Fuggles and Styrians in with the Centennials and whatnot. Brooklyn Brewery, Shipyard, hell almost every midwest and east coast brewery has more diversity in their IPAs.
 
Yeah, WC breweries tend to stick with the classic American IPA style.

Flavor: Hop flavor is medium to high, and should reflect an American hop character with citrusy, floral, resinous, piney or fruity aspects.
 
Yeah, WC breweries tend to stick with the classic American IPA style.

Exactly. It seems like they're straightjacketed by a very narrow conception of what an IPA can be ("IPA" shouldn't be limited to "classic American IPA"; British IPAs, Belgian IPAs, and all kinds of crossover IPAs are just as legit).

There are obviously some great, great WC IPAs, but it just seems like you don't get quite as much variety as most of the world gets (even the major Belgian breweries out there don't seem to do as many Belgian IPAs as the east coast does, though I could be wrong).
 
Well, they tend to use the hops that grow in our back yard. To sit at the base of the Cascade Mountains and enjoy a Fuggle hopped IPA is just out of place IMO.

How many British ales are made with Willamette hops?
 
Well, they tend to use the hops that grow in our back yard. To sit at the base of the Cascade Mountains and enjoy a Fuggle hopped IPA is just out of place IMO.

How many British ales are made with Willamette hops?
Cascade hops are extremely popular in England.
 
Dunno, but I think Blind Pig Brewery in Champaign has one of the best oatmeal stouts I've had, for sure.
 
Sweetwater has a Dank Tank that they make a Barleywine in. it was called Donkey Punch Barley Wine, it was damn good and got a rating too. had a couple of bottles but hard to find.
 
I've just learned that regional styles shouldn't dominate their own region, but I'll be damned if Green Flash IIPA isn't best of show for me.:tank:

It edges out Calico Amber - another San Diego beer. I may have to move. The weather is better in San Diego too:mug:
 
I can't say they're the greatest beers in the world, but 10 of my favorites are:

Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale
St Bernardus Abt 12
Anchor Steam Ale
Bell's Two-Hearted Ale
Orval
Meantime IPA
Allagash Confluence
Dogfish Head Immort Ale (only when aged a couple of years)
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
Hitachino Nest White Ale
 
some of my faves

New Glarus Crack'd Wheat
Bell's Two Hearted Ale
Flying Dog In the Heat Wheat
DFH Red & White
Bell's Expedition Stout
Tyranena Rocky's Revenge
 
Remember the OP stated best when you include the COST. Their ESB is my go to beer at my local bar however if I'm picking up something for around the house or to take to a get together I reach for either the Kona Fire Rock APA or the Longboard Lager, for the $$$ in So Cal at $8 a 6er it's hard to beat.
 
if it is based on the price, I would say anything pyramid, at least when I could get 12 packs of a lot of their beers for $5.99 at the grocery outlet, yes you read that correctly :)
 
When I buy beer to drink, cost is only a factor inasmuch as I will buy things I think are worth buying, and I won't buy things that I think are gross. So a bottle of Consecration at 22 dollars is a better deal than an 18 pack of anything Pyramid or Coors or Redhook in my mind.
 
I thought Longhammer was great, until I poured it into a glass and drank it from there. Not the same taste as from the bottle, and a bit disappointing. I have however greatly enjoyed quite a bit of Longhammer, and brewed a clone of it at one point that turned out well. These days, for the price vs quality debate, I'm buying Full Sail Amber Ale.

http://www.fullsailbrewing.com/beers/amber.cfm
 
Yeah, WC breweries tend to stick with the classic American IPA style.

Flavor: Hop flavor is medium to high, and should reflect an American hop character with citrusy, floral, resinous, piney or fruity aspects.

You're right. Beers like cali-belgique and sublimely self-righteous from Stone, New English IPA, and many more have no variance whatsoever. There are plenty of experimental IPAs out here. Two points. One, yes, the West Coast style IPA is big on the West Coast hop flavors. So what? They're awesome. Second, there's not a single beer mentioned above that we can't just get here. We have good distribution and a healthy list of stock that more than fills out the line of beer if that's what you prefer. And three, when you're talking about variance and you compare one city to Delaware AND Belgium, you're talking about one place vs. the entire world.

I still maintain that the best IPAs are made in this area. And if you think Duet and Sculpin and West Coast and Stone and Alesmith IPAs are all the same, you're crazy. There are so many interpretations to the style in that list, and I'm glad that they're all different enough to make me happy. Sure, they're all dry, hop forward IPAs, but that's what sells in the local market. And these beers are all highly regarded as being some of the best, variations be damned.
 
If we're talking about price point, I vote for Goose Island IPA. Nice English IPA with some earthy and American citrus hops and it's about the same cost as premium macros. It's distributed widely enough that you can get it on draft at most music festivals, concerts, etc, here in Chicago.

Very underrated IPA, IMO.
 
I don't think the IPAs on the East Coast are any more variable than the West Coast. I think the West Coast IPAs that get distributed widely often fit a stereotype but if you spend some time in California there is some variety. The midwest probably has the best variety in IPAs because we are influenced by both.

Rogue over the years has basically made several dozen different IPAs, many of them of varying degrees of darkness and they have used lots of different hops (eg, all crystal in Brutal Bitter). I think just Rogue can claim a wider range of IPAs than most states on the East Coast.
 
Not sure about greatest beer of all time, but Adnams innovation beer is the best "discovered" beer I had in the last 12 months
 
Long Hammer catches a lot of flack, but try this...forget the IPA label. Think of it as a nice pale ale with 1-2% extra alcohol. The IBUs are only in the 30s after all - fine for a pale ale. I prefer that over the numerous mediocre IPAs that pack 60+ IBUs. Long Hammer is light bodied and not too sweet or malty. Very smooth. It even has a nice little citrusy hop aroma out of a bottle. And at 6.5%, it does not skimp on the alcohol if that is what you are after. I generally am not a Redhook fan because there are so many better beers here in the PNW, but Long Hammer is just fine when you want a bomber of pale ale from the corner store.

But the greatest...Pliny the Elder is probably my best beer experience. Consecration is a close second though!
 
Long Hammer catches a lot of flack, but try this...forget the IPA label. Think of it as a nice pale ale with 1-2% extra alcohol. The IBUs are only in the 30s after all - fine for a pale ale. I prefer that over the numerous mediocre IPAs that pack 60+ IBUs. Long Hammer is light bodied and not too sweet or malty. Very smooth. It even has a nice little citrusy hop aroma out of a bottle. And at 6.5%, it does not skimp on the alcohol if that is what you are after. I generally am not a Redhook fan because there are so many better beers here in the PNW, but Long Hammer is just fine when you want a bomber of pale ale from the corner store.

That's probably the best write up I've seen on Longhammer. I love it personally, but it is what it is - basically an Imperial Pale Ale. The dryness helps you think the IBUs are higher than they are.
 
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