Best Non-American Beer Ever?

Goddam gorgeous. l wish it was here.

 

toss up between pilsner urquell and orval. schlenkerla fastenbier right up there too. even j.w. lees harvest.

i mean, can you go wrong with those 4? i know i'd be happy hitting a rotation of those for a long time.

edit:

man, throw saison dupont dry hopping as my number 5 and oof. that was a "daydream about it" beer.

fantome saison at its best is hard to beat. and obviously the belgian quads, cantillon, drie fonteinen, etc etc.

 

Rochefort 8
Weihenstephaner

 

Cuvee Delphine or Lou Pepe Kriek for me.

 

To-Ol Ov-Ral

 

agreed

 

What do you mean by "wish it was here" ? Diageo Guinness USA has been importing Guinness Foreign Extra Stout into the US since Fall, 2010.

 

Barrel Aged Hel and Verdoemenis is pretty legit too. Menno Olivier Knows his way around a Barrel.

 

Peche Mortel...love it!

 

Belgium for Trappist/Abbey ales.

Cheers!

 

Heller Trum and Weihenstephaner.

 

No single beer could fulfill that criterion, but these would make my short list:

Thomas Hardy's Ale (yes, even the O'Hanlon's version)
Fuller's Vintage Ale
Westy 12 (I won't blame anyone who claims Westy 8, though)
St. Bernardus Abt. 12
Schneider Weisse (Tap 6) Aventinus
Baladin Xyauyu (any of them)
Struisse Black Albert

Granted, these are huge beers that may not be representative of the countries from which they come. But, they are very special beers for sure.

 

Unibroue. As close as Canada is, and as many times as I've been there, still international!

 

"I wish it was here" could mean a lot of things. I didn't say it wasn't here. I'm well aware that it has been here for a while and have had it and loved it. What I mean by "I wish it was here" is "I wish it was here". I haven't seen it in my parts for two years. And what l mean by "I haven't seen it in my parts for two years" is "I haven't seen it in my parts for two years"? Clear enough for ya'?

 

Funny thing about Orval. Back in 1980 the local liquor supermarket liquor store in Rutherford, NJ was definitely before it's time by having a great imported beer section (I would pay to see what was actually there). Tried Orval it in 1980 and hated it, a couple of months ago I brought it again to give it another chance and hated it again- and I tried to like it. You can like it though.

 

But what do l know? As you know, I've also been known to "run in the wrong circles" for drinking Newcastle...

 

FWIW I not seen here either(in at least a year), I used to ask for the 4 packs all the time. One of few things I look for besides Orval, rochefort and similar.

 

Only non American beer even cracks my best of list is Samichclaus ... and there's not one I drink on a regular basis.

 

Same as I always say best beer ever period bar none is (drum roll)
ORVAL

ok contest over. we can go home now.

 

St. B. #12 tastes like it was tailor made for me. Buuut...as much as I wouldn't give Guinness the time of day in the US, the pints I had poured for me in Clarkes Pub in Corandulla, just outside of Galway, Ireland, are not only the best pints of Guinness I've ever had, but some of the best beers too.