What's your favorite Beer?!

I'd suggest you look at the reviews for it, rather than input from one person. But let it warm a bit - true of any stout.

 

I'll pick my top 5 of all time that come to mind:

Side Project Double Barrel Derivation
Treehouse King JJJuliusss
Goose Island 2014 Proprietors
Hill Farmstead Double Galaxy
Cantillon Lou Pepe Framboise 2011

 

If you like bourbon, you might want to try one of the many bourbon barrel aged stouts (or scotch ales). These are typically not available year-round since they have limited number of bourbon barrels available, but many are available over the winter months. New Holland is distributed in Missouri, so if you want to try a bourbon barrel beer, any of their Dragon's Milk variations are good. Hopefully you are drinking from a glass, not the can or bottle - particularly important for BB beers. Also, as mentioned earlier, stouts should be allowed to warm a bit before drinking.

 

Big Bad Baptist

 

Epic Brewing out of Utah and Denver, you can order it off craft beer kings if there is no distro there

 

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22893/

If you type in any brewery into the search bar at the top of the site, it will bring up that brewery (you may need to click on the brewery on the first beer if there are multiple breweries). Then, if you click on the average tab, you can sort by the highest rated beers for that brewery.

This will go much faster and be more accurate than asking for individual opinions. Just make sure you're on the homepage though because it will search the forums if you are on a forum, such as this page.

 

Cigar City Jai Alai IPA is my favorite year-round beer. Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA or Prairie Pirate Bomb! are my favorite limited releases.

There are a lot of other beers that I think would earn a spot in my favorites if I got a chance to try them.

 

No problem. You're about to have many years of beer exploring. Enjoy!

 

Being in Missouri, you have the opportunity to get some really good brews by St. Louis's 2nd Shift, 4hands and Perennial breweries, along with KC's Boulevard. Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat was my earliest craft beer - it is a delicious witbier, best for hot summers IMO.

I'll echo the posters who suggest the Boulevard Smokestack Series. All good beers, a variety of styles... try Love Child to see if you like sour beers.

2nd Shift makes a lot of fantastic beers; I really like their fruited versions of the Katy wild ale. The base beer (regular Katy) isn't my thing, but the raspberry, plum, blackberry, etc. variants are magical sour beers.

4hands Citywide IPA is a really nice hoppy beer that should be at any Schnuck's in the STL region. Easy to get, very nice example of the style. Also their Single Speed is a very tasty blonde that's easy to come by.

Stone Brewing's lineup is available all over the country; I'd point you at their Russian Imperial Stout and their Enjoy By series of IPAs.

Also Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout.

As to your original question, my favorite beer is either Dinner by Maine Beer Co. or Green by Tree House. Neither is available outside of the brewery (Freeport, Maine and Monson, Massachusetts, respectively). Luckily there is an abundance of amazing beers all over the country, and Missouri has been great for the craft scene.

Oh, my last suggestion in Missouri - there's a brewery called Rock Bridge Brewing in Columbia. Get a can of their Option #2 Milk Stout. It's excellent.

Er... last, last suggestion: if you're in St. Louis, go to the Side Project Cellar and try a bunch of stuff they have on tap. Then, head to the new 2nd Shift tasting room on The Hill, which should be open very, very soon. Then, enjoy a world of beer that will drain your wallet and make your tongue very happy.

 

Try beers from some of the bigger micros. Some of them are Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas, Stone, Dogfish Head, Troegs, etc.

 

Hmmm, I'll bite. I'll throw out some of my favorite's, and some justifications in hope it helps.

1. Boulevard's Imperial Stout x Coffee Ale. Produced in February of 2015 (my birthday month, coincidence?), it was made with locally roasted coffee. Absolutely loved the coffee notes in this one. Unfortunately, they are all old enough at this point that they aren't worth even trading for.

2. Mikkeller's Beer Geek Brunch. First beer that had me saying "damn!". I served it with 4 scrambled eggs, pancakes, and some locally raised and slaughtered bacon. It was fantastic. My bottle was also relevantly new from being imported.

3. Speedway Stout. It's still in production, which is a damn good thing. Absolutely LOVE the coffee notes in this one. I got a bomber in a trade and was a little disheartened to see the bottle date a year prior to my receiving it (coffee notes fade quick), and yet this coffee absolutely blasted coffee notes.

4. La Folie. Is this pretty standard? Sure, but they are easy to get, and tasty. It was my first sour. It is the one sour I always keep in my cellar for special guests (whether it actually develops with age or not, I don't care. I always have one bottle of it though).

5. Founder's Imperial Stout/Oskar Blue's Ten Fidy. I hate to put two beers here, but I love both. Ten Fidy is a little easier to get, and is available year round, which may give it the edge. Both are absolutely delicious, thick, hearty, filling, and almost chewy. When folks describe a "manly dark beer" my mind immediately pops to these two, not Guinness or whatever watery stuff you're drinking. If you like to eat your beer, both FIS and Ten Fidy will prove worthy.

6. Freestate's Old Backus. It's a barleywine that proves easy to drink, filling, and hearty. Not only that, but it's easy to get around me. Bigfoot and others are good, but Old Backus is usually on the shelves for longer, which means if I need a heavy beer in a pinch for an occasion, it's a difficult option to pass up.

7. Lagunitia's Imperial Stout. A brewery that often gets overlooked, at least as far as their regular beers go, and yet this is still one of the better imperial stouts available. Certainly the best available at it's price point. At $4 for a bomber, it's easy to pick-up and share. It also makes a great beer to share with a new beer connoisseur, since it isn't a big investment to get a bomber.

8. Ayinger Celebrator. My go-to for my graduation beer. I find myself eagerly returning to it whenever I visit a German restaurant. Why? Alone, it is good. Paired with a schnitzel, and the whole beer goes up three notches. Plus the name is a great reason to buy it when you finished paying your school for you education.

9. Tank 7. While it carries the name of "saison", it proves a lot smoother, and more refined then most in the category. With a relatively high ABV, and an incredible drink-ability, this is my pick for most dangerous beer. That said, it's also one of my favorites with it's lovely fruity, hearty flavors.

10. Rock Bridge Brewery's Option 2. Imperial Milk Stout with Coffee and Chocolate. What? It's a milk stout, with all the smoothness to accompany that, but with coffee and chocolate. Plenty of complexity, while still remaining smooth. A dangerous combo already, now add in the fact that it's imperial (9.2%) and comes in a 16 oz, it's a dangerous beer, but absolutely delightful.

I hope this helps! Not all my favorites, but I tried to provide a good list for you to work through. If you don't like dark beers, you can just about ignore my whole list. Cheers.

 

Dang, didn't even see he is in Missouri. My understanding is Rock Bridge distributes on the St. Louis and Columbia side (no Kansas City). While I've heard things may be changing in my benefit, for the time being that is one incredibly tasty beer available. +1 to picking up and trying Option 2.

Also, since you're in Missouri. Try 2nd Shift's Liquid Spiritual Delight. It's an absolute delight. It's thick, and filling, while providing an array of tasty stout notes. Even better? They make a coffee one with Blueprint coffee every now and again. It is absolutely delightful.