Esquire: Ten Great Beers Forgotten

Is it any worse than any new barrel aged sour? Bullfrog, JK, Sara, Lost Abbey, Casey, and Side Project all cost just as much or more oz per oz and I'd rather have Don Chien than many of those (2nd batch JK, Casey FSs, any 15 Grrrz, or LA shelf). De Garde is still pretty cheap (ironic in this conversation since Bon Chien is a Biere de Garde)

 

Good list, but I feel like some of these that all newbies to craft should be exposed to. Weihenstephaner Hefe? Aventinus? These would among the first of the style I would try to introduce to someone learning about craft beer.

Rodenbach is amazing, had a glass of that with lunch watching the Jays game earlier. Tried Double Jack, thought it was good but would want to try a fresher bottle. Van De Kaizer is awesome, I always make sure to pick up a couple bottles every winter. I'd disagree with Lion Stout, since I didn't think it was that good, and beers like Peche Mortel need no further introduction.

 

Double Jack does drop off quickly; it doesn't become bad, just loses most of the 'magic'. It's outstanding under 6 weeks, though. Don't pass it by if you see it that fresh.

Personally, I'd trade every imperial stout in the world for more of the foreign export style like Lion stout (well...every imperial except for Samual Smith's ). Everything seems to work better for me at that gravity, especially the fruity notes from the yeast not being overwhelmed by the roast or residual malt.

 

Lion Stout all day. Well, maybe for a couple hours, at least.

 

Bon Chien is fantastic, but at $25 a bottle, not something I pony up for more than once every few years. Local shop has 06, 07, 08, 09, and 11 on the shelf.

 

I sell several of these beers and

All of those beers see distribution in Kentucky except 8 and 9.

 

Damn, I would buy all of those in a heartbeat, but I agree not cheap though, very high quality stuff.

 

Peche mortel sits on shelves at my local bottle shop. More for me...

 

Let's be honest with ourselves: the reason most of these beers are overlooked today is because there are so many amazing options now, and yes, a fair amount of them are better. I like Lion Stout. Good beer. But I would be lying to myself for nostalgia's sake if I said there weren't at least ten stouts at my local bottle shop right now that are better. This isn't a knock on any of these, it's just evolution.

Except Weihenstephaner Hefe. That beer is still my shit.

 

Thanks for the heads up on Double Jack, I know for a fact that my beer wasn't anywhere near six weeks old. I will try to procure another bottle or four that are fresher to capture that magic.

As for stouts, I mostly agree, I find myself enjoying the medium ABV and gravity levels more and more as I get more into craft beer. The bigger imperial stouts can be great, outside of a couple, in terms of pure enjoyment I would rather take a different stout. With Lion Stout, I don't know, it just didn't pop for me. It's one of my biggest negative rDevs.

 

I love me some Peche. I keep that stocked in my basement on a regular basis. Just checked and I have 19 bottles. That and the Firestone Double Jack are regulars for me.

 

Yeah, I didn't know. I have never shopped for beer in KY. I assumed it based on the first guy saying he'd never heard of them. Sorry.

 

This is one stupid and uninformed article. Most of the beers on the list are well known and widely consumed by anyone who gives a damn about good beer. Sheesh.

 

The list is the complete opposite of the title!

 

Double Jack, Peche Mortel, Curieux? What a bs list..

 

Based on this article I bought a Peche Mortel. It was really tasty. A little sweet up front but fades into rich coffee flavor, coffee aftertaste. It was under $6/bottle. Based on the name and label I probably wouldn't have given it a second look otherwise.

Also I had only heard of 3 on this list.

 

LOL, I wasn't criticizing you at all, just informing.

 

Some of the comments in here make me feel like I'd have a hard time getting along with some of you... BA, isn't the center of the universe nor is any of us part of a global committee who decides what's good, accessible and what people should already know and appreciate. These beers are often overlooked by the general population, not necessarily to those of us who choose to partake in beer discussion on a daily basis...

/rant

 

Where in PA do you live that you don't have access to it?

 

Half these beers I just picked up last Friday.