What Beer Was Your Point of No Return?

[kman6234]

Three Pines IPA from a local brewpub The Gilded Otter http://www.gildedotter.com. Goes straight from the fermentation tanks to serving vats. It was my first experience with a true craft beer, even though I had had stuff like SNPA prior.

I went to college in Poughkeepsie and use to go to The Gilded Otter from time to time. I don't remember the Three Pines IPA, but I do remember them having some great beers.

As for me, the first beer that opened my eyes was Sam Adams Boston Lager. I had it during the holidays one year when I was home from school. From there I moved on to trying all sorts of new beers

 

[humann_brewing]

Grant's Perfect Porter


It's all in the name

 

[wcarter1227]

Founders Porter, up until I drank that I thought bud light was the "best".

 

[jfr1111]

Guinness lived a very short life in my beer drinking career. At first, back when my favorite beer was Labatt Blue, Guinness was a RARE undertaking, because it was too heavy for me. Then as I became a bit more enlightened, I started to enjoy Guinness. After having Old Rasputin, though, I'm forever ruined to Guinness. I'll still drink one from time to time, but I'd prefer a Murphy's if I'm gonna go that route.

I used to drink Guinness a lot back in the days where I would frequent the faux Irish pubs around town. I now get it a lot less, but there's just something special about a lightly chilled and slowly poured imperial pint on nitro. Most of it is served too fast or too cold, so it feels watery instead of creamy and velvety, altough it's true that compared to other stouts of the same gravity, the taste department can be a little lacking.

 

[Varroa]

Okanagan Springs Pale Ale or Guinness, can't remember which was first but I never looked back after that.

 

[knotquiteawake]

I never drank any BMCs. In college I shared a house with a couple other guys and they only ever bought Sierra Nevada, Fat Tire, or Newcastle. Those were the first beers I ever had and pretty much what I considered "the standard" for a "good" beer was. So I can always go back to my roots in beer drinking and not be disappointed.

 

[sjlammer]

2002 - Saranac 12 Beers of Christmas.

 

[gr8shandini]

I wish I could remember what my "point of no return" was. I went to England just after turning 18 and my first ever beer was whatever I got when I asked for "a pint of bitter" as I was instructed. Imagine my disappointment when I got back to the states and got my hands on some Stroh's expecting it to taste like beer.

 

[hotbrew]

When I was 20, I went to visit my aunt and uncle who lived in Portland Oregon at the time. They introduced me to so many good beers. I hardly remember the whole weekend. Though I specifically remember Delirium Tremens and Tripel Karmeliet. Those crazy Belgians sure know what they're doing.

 

[bduede]

Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout

 

[Bacon]

same brewery, different beer: Maudite

 

[starrfish]

Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout

Yeah that was another for me too. Old Peculier, Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout, And Sam Smith Taddy Porter. All of these where introduced around the same time I first saw someone homebrew. My first question was can I brew something like this? the answer "yes" I was hooked! That being said I'm still trying to get that perfect Old Peculier. I've done a great Oatmeal stout, came up with a nice taddy porter, even did a great milk stout. But now that I can go all grain and I found a black treacle source online, I may be back on the quest for a Old Peculier clone for my tap. Never quite hit it in with extract or partial mash.

 

[RIT_Warrior]

Sam Smith Imperial Stout for me. I was at the liquor store buying a 12 pack of Yuengling (considered by me at the time to be the apex of zymurgy) when the label caught my eye. I decided "what the hell" and plonked down the insane amount of 4 dollars for a single 20oz beer. The rest was history...

 

[chapa]

Actually I think it was Honey Brown, before the Blue Moon Just saw it at the store and it reminded me!

 

[Acoma]

DFH Burton Baton

 

[dinertime]

Sam Adams Octoberfest. Still one of the best Octoberfests made in USA as far as I am concerned.

Had it for first time in 1999. My buddies & I in college used to make a ritual out of getting a case as soon as it was available every fall after that.

 

[Richardtempura]

Rodenbach, La Fin du Monde and La Chouffe.

These were eye openers for me, in the late 90's....

 

[XXXXX]

For me it was La Fin Du Monde. The taste, alcohol burn, uniqueness all contributed to my never going back to a BMC beer. Granted I had imports and micro's before, LFDM opened my eyes.

I was JUST thinking about La Fin du Monde in the shower. Seriously; like 10 minutes ago. No kidding. Eerie.

 

[iijakii]

I can't stand La Fin du Monde >_<

Belgian styles are the only beers I do not like I believe.

 

[mharton]

For me it was La Fin Du Monde. The taste, alcohol burn, uniqueness all contributed to my never going back to a BMC beer. Granted I had imports and micro's before, LFDM opened my eyes.

I have to agree!
La Fin Du Monde is my all time favorite drunk.
END OF THE WORLD

 

[bovineblitz]

Sam Adams Octoberfest. Still one of the best Octoberfests made in USA as far as I am concerned.

Had it for first time in 1999. My buddies & I in college used to make a ritual out of getting a case as soon as it was available every fall after that.

According to a lot of competitions, it's one of the best in the world

 

[Hex23]

For me it's probably either Trappist Rochefort 8, or Three Floyds Robert the Bruce. The latter is what really made me want to brew my own.

 

[BrewersKaramazov]

Laurelwood Brewpub's Espresso Stout. I was never a beer guy, literally don't think I had more than a taste in the first forty years of my life. Saw this on the menu and had to try it. The sun broke through the clouds and angels sang. As a matter of fact I like beer...

 

[HDChef]

Mine was Pete's Wicked Ale, before it was mass produced and ruined.

 

[erikhild59]

Gotta say sam adams old school seasonals...winter lager, summer ale, then moved on to SNPA, anchor liberty ale, hoegaarden.Before that it was bmc...hard to believe!

 

[Mike_A]

I think I'd have to refer back to Bosteel's Tripel Karmeliet for the first beer that changed the way I thought beer could and should taste. Still love the hell out of it.

 

[Arneba28]

Guinness was my first non BMC, that got me started and interrested. Amazingly I started drinking it because I was drinking Labatts Blue Lt at breakneck speed and guinness made me slow down a bit. Then I really really started liking guinness..

Then it was all down hill from there.

Weihenstephaner Korbinian and Hefeweiss Beir Changed my life!

Chimay Blue.(This beer has turned 4 of my friends into non BMC people also.)
DFH 120
La Fin Du Monde

 

[Arneba28]

I have to agree!
La Fin Du Monde is my all time favorite drunk.
END OF THE WORLD

I was just talking about this today. LFDM is always a good time. Then again I have never had a bad time with Chimay Blue

 

[Revvy]

It was either Guinness or Double Diamond Burton Ale in 1986, I just turned 21, I had tried a bud as a teenager and spat it out and said I'd never drink beer, except I kept reading about these beers like those two in England, and then discovered them herem and they blew me away... And then Sierra Nevada hit Michigan as well.

Then in 1992 it was beer from the first place to have a microbrewery license in Detroit- Traffic Jam and Snugs, near Wayne State University, and it's got better every year, but as long as I've been legal there's been an alternative to BMC available to me in Michigan, and I've partaken.

 

[1ratdog]

bells double cream stout. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[olsond]

DFH 90 was a big part of my cross over. But I think the true crossover beer was 3 Floyds Gumballhead!

 

[erkwist]

Rogue's Shakespear Stout did it for me

 

[Qhrumphf]

I'd say probably the Rochefort 10.

 

[mikeysab]

All three Chimays

 

[fdexclpl]

My gateway beer was Samuel Adams Boston Lager. It seems that this beer has converted many of us...

... Jimmy quit and Jody did get married

One of my favorite songs!

 

[jborho]

Cant remember the exact brewer, but I remember when I was young and thinking thats stouts where the shiznit. I fell in love with IPA's. Ofallon, Rogue, Sam Adams, any IPA......

 

[McMalty]

Bert Grant's Perfect Porter - wait, you can make beer taste like chocolate?????!!!!!

 

[Mongrel]

I never got into the big three. Living in the Portland area during high school (early 90's) we drank mostly Henry Weinhard's Blue Boar Ale, and had a keg of Widmer Hefeweizen for the pre-college party.

 

[strat_thru_marshall]

two words:

ARROGANT. BASTARD.

We bought it because we thought the name ruled, the gargoyle ruled, and the spiel on the back of the bottle ruled. Little did we know...

 

[JonM]

I found Woodman's grocery store with their incredible beer selection and make-your-own six pack deal. That let me try all sorts of great beers. One day I had a Bell's Third Coast Beer in one of those sixers and I was hooked. Still love that stuff.