What beer/s exceeded your expectations 100%?

10 Barrel Cucumber Crush Sour was a beer I went into with modest expectations (hadn't heard a single thing about it), and honestly it's a perfect poolside beer. Insanely crushable and tasty, would recommend!

 

Bell's Kalamazoo Stout uses "brewer's licorice"... and it's a delightful beer.

(What the heck man... I'm substantiating a factoid for you? And is that a typo (IIFC / IIRC)? Damn. Is the world gonna end tomorrow too? )

 

Ah, I get lazy sometimes. (Plus, I often continue to add info during my 15 "edit" period and often feel rush to get it all in before the site calls "TIME GENTLEMEN" on me.) Thanks for the back-up, tho'!

No, no - that's just a new acronym, for "If I'm F*uckin' Correct" !

 

"Often?" It's gotten to the point where I won't quote your posts until 15 minutes have elapsed.

Ha. I don't think you're getting enough sleep lately.

 

Yeah, I do think that's bad form on my part to "Edit" after someone's quoted me and I don't do it when I notice it, but if it's happening at the same time, it's usually too late to un/re-edit or delete...

That is true (check the times on some of my morning posts) but just wait and get back to me in ~25 years when your brain and your eyes are the same age as mine are now.

(I hope I'm around to read it Or maybe someone will be around to read it and explain it to me...Say, when do you expect to retire? Feel free to raid my cellar, too - the doctors say "No more intravenous beer!".)

 

Nope, never tried it. Wasn't much into beer when I was 9.

I see a $4 40oz bottle from a brand owned by Pabst, and you can imagine my expectations going in. I found it to be much better than my expectations, and much better than any other beer I've had out of a 40 (that wasn't a craft brewery's packaging stunt.)

 

I was super impressed by Modern Times’ Fruitlands: Rosé Edition. Can’t say I ever gave the style a truly fair shot, but I had never had a gose I liked before that one. Suffice to say that “salty and sour with added fruit” is pretty far from the descriptions of my favorite beers. I only bought it because my wife and mom were relatively interested in trying it, so I thought we could handle a single 16 oz can between the three of us. We did handle it, only we had trouble deciding who got the largest pour.

I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised. Modern Times hasn’t let me down yet.

 

Not a totally off the chart ingredient but Angry Chair BA El Cucuy has peppers in it and it was a great beer. I've tried a few variations of beer with peppers and either it's non existent or too much. This was a perfect addition.

 

Hopslam, given the use of honey, surprised!
Waldo's given its size, really surprised!
Gentle Gentle, a cherry sour at Half Acre - mouth agape
OB's latest, Can-O-Bliss, expected to hate it. NOPE.

 

Angry Chair Rainbow Sherbert. While I knew they make good beers, this one was absolutely outstanding. Would love to have a pipeline to this.

 

I would have to say Mother of all Storms and Father of all Tsunamis from Pelican in Pacific City Or. Been there a few times but the last was probably 5-6 yrs ago. Beer was always OK, but the venue and view are fabulous. At that point there was no barrel program that I was aware of. These 2 beers which I have acquired in the last few months are miles ahead of what I was used to from them - 1st class all the way !

 

Ayinger Bavarian pils. Went into it expecting just another pils. Nope, not just another pils.

 

For some beers that sit on the shelf:

Bell's - Lager of the Lakes
Epic - Big Bad Baptist
Hoegaarden
Leffe - Blond
Gulden Draak

just to name a few...

Of course these beers aren't hyped up or too highly rated so it won't help people buy them much. I was thoroughly surprised at how much I liked these beers though, maybe less so Big Bad Baptist but that's one of my favorite stouts to sit on a shelf. I'm sure there are more good beers I can think of but that's my small list for now.

 

Sly Fox Oktoberfest
Cubano Style Espresso Maduro Brown
Straffe Hendrik Xmas Blend
Bornem Dubbel
Genessee Reisky Spies Barrel Aged Olde Ale