Non-Distributed or Pub Only Releases

All the time. When traveling, all beers not distributed to my state are essentially limited edition, and try as I might I can't bring it all back with me (even when traveling through PDX). On the flip side, Troegs had a Scratch beer that was welcomed to much fanfare and now is released annually, called Impending Descent. I realize this isn't the exact spirit of your question; forgive me.

 

I have many but a few that immediately come to mind:

cabernet barrel-aged G'Knight at Oskar Blues...was amazing and probably what really got me into barrel-aged beers

Santa's Brass at Drake's...a really good english barleywine that I wanted to grab a growler of...got reality-checked though...no growlers for their barrel-aged beers

 

With almost 300 breweries in my state, it happens regularly around here.

 

On a trip I took at the beginning of this year, I ended up in San Francisco, Alameda, and Oakland California. During that trip, I had the Winter IPA and Flagship Pale Ale from Faction Brewing. I have to say, the IPA was good but the Flagship Pale Ale was amazing! It was the best Pale Ale I have ever had, and yet sadly it is not widely distributed. Their brewery is in Alameda, and they distribute to bars nearby, but you cannot get this stuff in cans or bottles to my knowledge.

Who knows though, maybe one day. I can hope at least!

 

In the NW, a lot of breweries/brewpubs don't distribute far, or at all, so there are a ton of beers I wish would come back or be produced more than once in a blue moon. An example best matching your scenario, though, would be Deschutes' pub-only beers. Some are released in bottles at the pub, but Veronica Vega (the kick-ass brewer at the Bend pub) cranks out interesting draft stuff on the regular.

 

FFF Speedball milk stout was one of the best beers I've ever had. A pub only release.

 

Deschutes brewpub in PDX had an experimental batch of a pale ale called Archer. I thought it was absolutely delicious. Never saw it again.

And I just recently visited Wicked Weed. They are known for their sours, but they also have a rotating single-hop series they call "Lupulin Lab". The current one was Galaxy, and it was the best beer I had there. Probably never be brewed again.

 

BA Ten Fidy....just can't beat it....

 

I recently tried a beer from 50 West in Cincinnati called Remus' Revenge Series: Death Valley Shootout, which was a BB RIS with Maple Syrup. It was OUTSTANDING. It was quite limited and to my knowledge was brewery only. I'm hoping that I can find someone who has another bottle, because it rivaled CBS.

 

Had "Irish Breakfast Stout" by Ballast Point at the brewery. Tasted like all the best parts of Guinnness and bacon. There was also Karl Strauss' 26th Anniversary BA Belgian Strong. It was a darker version of Allagash Curieux. Russian River has a ton of great beers that are brewery only. Lagunitas several months ago had a BA coffee stout now known as Scarcity #3. I also had Bear Republic's BA Kolsch and that was pretty decent too.

Heretic has AMAZING beers that are brewery only. Evil Cousin, Evil Twin, Shallow Grave, CHP, and Gramarye are great, but Miscreant, Incubus and BA Incubus are amazing.

 

This is extremely common, and some breweries are even exclusively this way.

Off the top of my head, New Glarus R&D stuff (Wild Peach, VSB, etc.), all Jester King fruited wilds, all specialty Hill Farmstead stuff, everything De Garde makes (I think), everything Side Project, Central Waters anniversary stuff, Darkness, Dark Lord, Hunahpu, KBBS, Mornin' Delight, SR-71, every OEC beer, every specialty from Funk Factory, everything SARA, etc. The list goes on and on. Basically name a highly sought after beer and there's a fair chance it was brewery-only.

 

Some that came to mind...
Great Lakes; BBA Blackout, Big Black Smoke, Buzzcut Nut Brown Ale, Cellar Dweller, Market St. Wheat, Wolfhound Stout

Market Garden; Pearl St. Wheat, St. Emeric's Stout, Wallace Tavern Scotch Ale, Winter Porter

Cellar Rats; Rye Rat BBA, Deathstar BBA Stout, McRatty's Smoked Scottish Ale

BrewKettle, Fathead's, Buckeye & Jackie O's easily come to mind as having plenty of exclusives on hand...

 

Everyone show off your DONGs!

For those not up on their accronyms, DONG = Draft Only, No Growlers

 

Yet one more acronym I need to add to my list. I'm in Ohio and have also had a good majority of BrewKettle, GLBC, Thirsty Dog, and Hoppin Frog DONGs (there I used it). It's a treat to the locals..

 

It's a great way for brewers to draw interest for the tap room. Sucks for those of us who don't visit the taproom, but I sure understand the tactic. Many of those beers would be extremely limited in production if they were distributed, so it's just as well. To OP, I'm sure you're willing to make a return visit, so it's definitely working.

 

Far too many choices for things that are one offs. Pizza Boy does so many great experimental beers that it's hard to pick one.

 

does Bear Republic really import used barrels from Montepulciano? I highly doubt this. Just curious though......I'm sure this is some poetic license.

 

There are a couple local breweries around me that make a lot of beer they only sell in town. One of those breweries doesn't distribute at all (they only sell out of their taproom) and the other bigger brewery that does distribute makes a lot of limited releases/experimental brews that they only sell at their brewtique. There are a lot of hidden gems throughout the beerworld that are harder to find than others.