Flagship Beers

Assuming it's an American Brewery, I'd like to see well-executed flagship beers that are:

Pilsener: Czech or German, executing a good pils with little to hide behind shows grassroots execution.

American Pale Ale: Show me a little malt backbone then whatever amazing hop flavors you can balance it to.

American Brown Ale: One of my favorite styles with a quite a few duds out there, show me a malt-balanced brown ale with some of those great American hop notes hidden in it that's a complete beer all the way across the palate.

RIS: Big, roasty, hoppy and boozy. Bring it.

 

I personally would want at the very least a Pale Ale, an IPA, an Amber, and an Imperial Stout.

 

If they have the ability to lager, then a crisp lager would be a great first choice.

If not...

1) American Pale Ale. 5-6%

2) Stout. Make a good base that can handle additions of coffee, chocolate, etc. as needed. 6-7%

3) Session Ale. 4-5%, nice and malty, and something you can drink a ton of on a hot day.

4) IPA, India Red Ale, etc. Something hopped well. 6.5-7.5%.

 

1. A true to style Pilsner or Kolsch.

2. An American Pale Ale or IPA.

3. A medium gravity Stout or Porter with English ale yeast.

4. A British Pale Ale. This would be my personal pick but because of similarity to #2 I might go with a Dubbel

 

My homebrewery flagships are...
-Session IPA: around 5%, juicy/citrus/tropical in aroma and flavor, easy to drink, IBUs around 50-60
-IPA: 6-7% or so, dank citrus with more bitterness than the session, IBUs around 60-70
-DIPA: between 8-9%, dank citrus with balanced bitterness and a little more malt forward, hides the booze well and hits your head quickly, IBUs around 75-100
-Brett Saison: around 6-7%, traditional saison with hints of Brett tropicalness and usually dry hopped to give almost the same nose as the session, but with Brett
-Brett or Wild yeast IIPA: Between 9 and 11%, again juicy/citrus/tropical but with a little zing and funk from the yeast...I like to do this one as a Cascadian Dark Ale with some rye pretty often as well, IBUs around 75-100
-Sour/Berliner Weisse: around 5%, very tart but sessionable on a hot day, sometimes aged on fruit or dry hopped

Sorry, that's 6 not 4. Can you tell I get a lot of inspiration from Wicked Weed?!

I brew dark seasonals in the winter months as well, but I have no desire for a RIS or Imperial Porter unless its cold out, so I wouldn't keep that on year round as a flagship.

 

1. Munich Dunkel
2. APA
3. Belgian Pale Ale
4. Classic American Pilsner (@JackHorzempa, you make them sound so good!)

 

1) Sahti - Not enough breweries attempt this style.

2) Gose - Not enough breweries get this one right...

3) Something Belgium-y - Saison / Farmhouse Ale, Dubbel, Tripel, Quad or Flanders Oud Bruin

4) Something British - English Barleywine or Old Ale

I don't run with the heard...

 

IPA - anywhere from 5-7%
Saison - 4-6%
Imperial Stout - 8%+
Hoppy Sour - 4-5%

 

So an American Brewery...

IIPA
Hazy IIPA
Imperial Stout
Barrel-Aged Anything

But what I would like to see...

Moderately Hoppy Pilsner
IIPA
Imperial Stout
Hefeweizen

 

APA
IPA
Hefe
Lager

 

Honeslty, I think you are in the minority with the Brown Ale. I'm totally not a fan, but I think I'm not alone here.

My choices:

APA
IPA
Lager
Saison

 

Barrel Aged Stout
DIPA
Session
Lager

 

This is my first choice and I don't care if they call it an Amber, Dunkel, ESB or whatever.

 

I woudln't stick to a style specifically, I would leave yourself open to change things around.

Light - Amber, Pils, etc.
Malt - ESB, 80 Schilling,
Hops - Pale Ale, IPA, IIPA
Dark - Brown Ale, Stout, Porter

Something for everyone!

 

Pilsner or Helles Lager
IPA
Stout
Hefeweizen

 

I suppose that few useful caveats are in order first.
We'll say for the sake of argument that this hypothetical brewery is based in the U.S. & that they've already gone through the requisite growing pains of 'getting the kinks worked out' that all new breweries encounter. OK, now then:

- I feel that an IPA is requisite these days, I'd prefer something in the 6-7% ABV range with a nod to pinier hops.

- A Stout is probably almost as requisite; I'd like to see one around 8%, non-BA, fairly viscous & preferably featuring chocolate malt (rather than chocolate or something as an adjunct).

To round things out, I'd like to see two different types of Lagers:

- I'm thinking a traditional German Pils, anywhere in the 4.5 - 5.5% range. Hopefully with a nice, subtle sweetness imparted by the malt.

- I'd like the other Lager to be an abundantly-hopped IPL somewhere in the 6% range, that still maintains an inviting drinkability.

 

Pivo, Easy Jack, Union Jack, Velvet Merlin

 

Far too little breweries do Brown or Vienna. I can name two off the top of my head with Dogfish head indian brown. And Brooklyn Lager and brown. But i dont get Brooklyn brown around here so i can get one of each if im looking but id like to see others but some out.

 

My first thought to @Kadonny was that I would be ok with a brewery doing a Brown Ale as a flagship, but @FBGordon mentioned specifically an American Brown Ale, of which, imo, good examples of are lacking. This is a style that really does better with UK ale yeast and hops.

@Squire123 I would not be happy if I ordered an Amber, Dunkel, or ESB and got an American Brown. Maybe if I ordered an Amber, maybe, but the color and roast level would still likely be off from expectation. I would be p!ssed if I ordered a Dunkel or ESB and got an American Brown, as those styles certainly have expectations not in line with American Brown