Craft Beer.........

northGAcock

What is the best Craft Beer you have consumed (not brewed in your own backyard, town or city)? In other words....a destination brew of sorts....For me it was a couple. The Cucumber Ale at the Wicked Weed, and the Shiva IPA India Ale from Asheville Brewing Company (Ashville NC) were two of my favorites.

TnJed

Caldera makes a damn good IPA. 

fishlessman

probably more cause its outside but prelude celebration on the top of sugarloaf while skiing, or a fuggles or bluefin strout after sharkfishing at federal jacks while eating a pile of fried clams on the deck watching the boats come in around the bush estate in kennebunkport. have had better beers but the location just makes it

Eggcelsior

This year's version of the DIPA from Firestone Walker was unbelievable. Goose Island Bourbon County is one of my consistent favorites. Dogfish Head Bitches Brew and Heavy Seas Loose Cannon. Flying Dog Oyster Stout and Raging ****. Allagash and Maine Beer Company would be two destinations I'd like to go to. Technically, Flying Dog is out since they are based in the town I live in. Troeg's has a few in their line-up that I'd go out of my way for.

ChillyWillis

So many amazing ones out there, it's impossible to name just one.... However since I'm sure the IPAs will be well represented in this thread I'll stray a bit from the beaten path. Noyaux by Cascade Barrel House is one of the finest sour ales I've ever come across. All of their beers are very good, however their Noyaux is otherworldly. The barrel House is a "must visit" spot every time we head to Portland OR. 

Greeno55

Both Watermelon and Blueberry Ales from Boston Beer Works just outside Fenway. 

mtasker

Founders KBS, Singing River Porter, Terrapin Rye Cubed, and Yellowhammer Miracle Worker.

FaceDance

Foghorn

I'm a big fan of Belgian beers - specifically some of the Trappist Tripels.  However, based on a recommendation by @fishlessman, when I went to Maine last summer I tried the Allagash Tripel and the Curieux.  I haven't compared them directly to the Belgians in the same setting, but at the time the Allagash Tripel tasted better than Westmalle which has been my favorite for years.  In fact, while I always look forward to visiting my in-laws on Cape Cod every summer, I am particularly looking forward to this trip because I have found that there are two stores near their house that carry Allagash beers.

Foghorn

Greeno55 said:

Both Watermelon and Blueberry Ales from Boston Beer Works just outside Fenway. 

Several members of my family had their Watermelon at their Hingham location on a hot July day one time.  It was without a doubt the most refreshing beverage we have ever consumed...

The following year we did it again on a similarly hot day and for some reason it just tasted like a decent watermelon beer.  There was nothing wrong with it, but it didn't impress us the way it did the year before.  We still haven't figured out if that means they didn't get the brew the same that year - or if just just speaks to the subjectivity of taste...

Either way, @Greeno55 is right.  It is a good brew.

robnybbq

Curieux - Awesome beer.

Chimay Cinq Cents - Very good

Matilda - Goose Island

Anti-Hero IPA (Chicago Area) - Good ipa

SkinnyV

I'm not picky, and I have a bad memory. Lots of good breweries here in Seattle. My favorite beer from the past is Rogue "brutal bitter" out of Portland. Its been a while.

Don_Piero

When I visited St.Petersburg FL, I tried a local IPA Jai Lai, which was not overly bitter and had a good citrus flavor, which would be ideal for the Florida climate. 

Here is a link in the Beer Advocate

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17981/46363/

Smokeysmokerson

Anyone want to trade?  Would love to try some heady topper...

YEMTrey

Ooof.  Too many to name.  I'd have to say that my favorite breweries are:

Lost Abbey/Pizza Port (San Diego)
Jackie O's (Athen's Ohio)
Pipeworks (Chicago)

Port Brewing Hop15 and their Anniversary DIPA are among my favorite's of that style.
Jackie O's can barrel age anything and turn it into liquid awesomeness.
And Pipeworks does interesting beers and nails every one of them.  Great, solid, beers.

tjosborne

BCBS
Odell ipa
FW double jack
Lagunitas little sumpin sumpin

bigalsworth

Paddockwoods specially brewed redhammer ale.  It was aged in an oak rum barrel. Tastyest thing I ever drank.

moo4me

Alpine Beer company outside of San Diego doesn't get near the credit it deserves. Unfortunately now that Green Flash has taken it over the quality has gone downhill tremendously. Best one from Alpine is Bad Boy. But you have to make the trip to the brewery and hope it's on tap. Best IPA's you can get come from Alpine but it has to be the stuff brewed at Alpine, not at Green Flash. 

Other excellent ones would be of course Heady Topper, Pliny, and King Sue.

Agree @Smokeysmokerson would love to do some trades if anyone interested in something from Southern California. I'd trade for any highly regarded east coast stuff such as Alchemist, Lawsons Finest Liquids, or Hill Farmstead. 

gdenby

We don't travel a lot, but live close enough to go to Three Floyd's, and Bell's a few times a year. Both have specials on tap unavailable in stores. Both have good food. I'd say Floyd's kitchen is worth the trip even w/o the beer.

I'd love to visit Dogfishhead, and Stone's, but I doubt I will have the chance.

chadpsualum

This is so tough because there are so many different types of (good) beer and so many (good) breweries making them.  I am part of a group of 48 guys who, 6 times a year, put together a list of 48 different craft brews that we'd like to try with each time being focused on a different style (Porter/Stout, IPA, Summer/Shandy, Pumpkin/Oktoberfests, etc...).  One of the guys takes the list to his buddy who owns a distributor (we live in PA) and he orders them all.  Then we mix/match and get 2 cases of all different bottles.  It's a great way to sample.  I then log everything into an app called Uptappd so I know what I have had and what I thought of it.

With that said, the Heady Topper (listed above), Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout and Southern Tier's Warlock are some of my fav's.

dmirish1

Hey @FaceDance how did you come by Heady Topper? It doesn't get too far outside of Vermont. If you haven't tried the iPhone app UnTappd, it's worth looking into. It's free and you can keep track of all yours beers and how you rate them. With the huge boom of craft brews over the past ten years or so, it's a great app to keep them all sorted.

Chubbs

gdenby said:

We don't travel a lot, but live close enough to Bell's a few times a year. 

Lucky dog. Bells is my favorite brewery by far. 

FaceDance

dmirish1 said:

Hey @FaceDance how did you come by Heady Topper? It doesn't get too far outside of Vermont. If you haven't tried the iPhone app UnTappd, it's worth looking into. It's free and you can keep track of all yours beers and how you rate them. With the huge boom of craft brews over the past ten years or so, it's a great app to keep them all sorted.

I friend of mine who has family up in the Boston area had a case shipped down.  He was nice enough to give me a four pack.  I'm really digging the sour beers right now.  Other favorites include Cigar City Jai Alai, Bells Two Hearted, Dale's Pale Ale, Funky Buddha Hop Gun, and Bud Light aluminum bottles if I know I'm putting in an overtime shift.

Acn

FaceDance said:

  Other favorites include Cigar City Jai Alai, Bells Two Hearted, Dale's Pale Ale, Funky Buddha Hop Gun, and Bud Light aluminum bottles if I know I'm putting in an overtime shift.

I feel like I'm on Sesame Street - one of these things is not like the others...

fishlessman

Foghorn said:

I'm a big fan of Belgian beers - specifically some of the Trappist Tripels.  However, based on a recommendation by @fishlessman, when I went to Maine last summer I tried the Allagash Tripel and the Curieux.  I haven't compared them directly to the Belgians in the same setting, but at the time the Allagash Tripel tasted better than Westmalle which has been my favorite for years.  In fact, while I always look forward to visiting my in-laws on Cape Cod every summer, I am particularly looking forward to this trip because I have found that there are two stores near their house that carry Allagash beers.

those two from allagash are the best beers ive ever had off the shelf, ive had beers once at a fest with the owner and his private collection of beers is even better, some day you might see 40 dollar allegash beers on the shelf

gdenby

Chubbs said:

gdenby said:

We don't travel a lot, but live close enough to Bell's a few times a year. 

Lucky dog. Bells is my favorite brewery by far. 

Bell's was the first craft brew I heard about in my vicinity. In the early days, there was no bottling, but if you brought you own milk jug to the Eccentric Cafe, they would fill it like a growler. It was a couple of years before we visited. The Cafe was definitely eccentric. The operation has grown steadily, and the Cafe is more substantial. Lots of fine woodwork, fewer of the odds and ends decorating the walls. But it is still the only place to get Bell's special brews. I read a few years ago that Mr. Bell still dons his monk's robes on Eccentric day to brew the special for that year.

HoosierDaddy

I don't know much about craft beers, but I do have some Zombie Dust in the fridge!