Obscure countries with hidden gem/must try beers?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Beer_Stan, Jul 23, 2019.

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  1. Beer_Stan

    Beer_Stan Initiate (0) Mar 15, 2014 California
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    To all you traveling types on BA, what were some of the most obscure locations where you found great beer? What were the beers you found and did having that experience change how you saw the country or culture?
    To all the non travelers, what are some beers you've heard of from other countries that aren't already well known for brewing that you'd like to try?

    I once had an IPA from Greece that makes it out here sporadically from Crazy Donkey Brewing and it was so good that I kinda want to go see what the beer scene is like there.
     
    #1 Beer_Stan, Jul 23, 2019
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  2. BeastOfTheNortheast

    BeastOfTheNortheast Pooh-Bah (2,153) Dec 26, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    My profile pic is of an English Bitter called Wonky Donkey that I had while on vacation in Guernsey. It's brewed by White Rock Brewery, which is located in Guernsey. Really enjoyed it.
     
    #2 BeastOfTheNortheast, Jul 23, 2019
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  3. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,132) Feb 15, 2010 New York
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    My spider sense is tingling.
     
    #3 zid, Jul 23, 2019
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  4. BeastOfTheNortheast

    BeastOfTheNortheast Pooh-Bah (2,153) Dec 26, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I was thinking someone would notice this lol.
     
    #4 BeastOfTheNortheast, Jul 23, 2019
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  5. Beer_Stan

    Beer_Stan Initiate (0) Mar 15, 2014 California
    Trader

    #5 Beer_Stan, Jul 23, 2019
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  6. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,132) Feb 15, 2010 New York
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    The best hidden gem I've found was Denmark's Demented Donkey Dunkel. This can't all be a coincidence.
    :wink:
     
    #6 zid, Jul 23, 2019
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  7. JayORear

    JayORear Grand Pooh-Bah (3,058) Feb 22, 2012 California
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    When I was in Iceland last year, nearly all of the local beer was uniformly bad. However, the Mikkeller Bar in Reykjavik was one of the best beer bars I’ve ever been to, featuring incredible European and U.S. beers, including a five-year BA Darkness vertical. I went every day, sometimes twice a day, for a week.
     
    #7 JayORear, Jul 23, 2019
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  8. KarlHungus

    KarlHungus Grand Pooh-Bah (3,315) Feb 19, 2005 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah

    I'm going to add that Sparkle Donkey is a serviceable tequila. Perhaps, some brewery can age a beer in one of its old barrels.
     
    #8 KarlHungus, Jul 24, 2019
  9. lester619

    lester619 Initiate (0) Apr 17, 2009 Wisconsin

    That's where that smoked whale balls beer comes from right? Maybe it was donkey balls, I can't remember.
     
    #9 lester619, Jul 24, 2019
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  10. Oh_Dark_Star

    Oh_Dark_Star Pooh-Bah (2,386) Mar 4, 2015 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Well my travels have been mostly Central and South America with little to report. I've run into few craft brewers in Mexico, Ecuador, or Peru, and they had a long way to go IMO.

    However I did procure a beer from an up an coming brewery that I found incredibly better than the praise, and that was Cherry Bänger from Põhjala Brewery, Estonia.

    If I ever head that way, I will consider them as part of the adventure.
    My review here: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/37027/387451/?ba=Oh_Dark_Star#review

     
    #10 Oh_Dark_Star, Jul 24, 2019
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  11. Beer_Stan

    Beer_Stan Initiate (0) Mar 15, 2014 California
    Trader

    Pohjala is one of my favorites, they currently have distro in Southern California and i love everything I've had so far.
     
    #11 Beer_Stan, Jul 24, 2019
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  12. meefmoff

    meefmoff Pooh-Bah (1,922) Jul 6, 2014 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Should we sit down before we hear what things cost there? :grimacing::sunglasses:
     
    #12 meefmoff, Jul 24, 2019
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  13. meefmoff

    meefmoff Pooh-Bah (1,922) Jul 6, 2014 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    The Azores has only a couple places that make local beer across all the islands. Most of what you find there is AAL styled beers (one of them being pretty damn good) but there is one "craft" brewery*: Korisca.

    We didn't make it to the brewery but we had both the porter and stout in bottles and both were quite good. They were especially good at $2 Euros a bottle! The IPA was okay but nothing to write home about.



    * we were there over a year ago, so it may no longer be the only one.
     
    #13 meefmoff, Jul 24, 2019
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  14. hopsputin

    hopsputin Grand Pooh-Bah (4,403) Apr 1, 2012 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah

    Before I finished reading your post I immediately thought of Crazy Donkey. White Donkey was pretty good too! Volkan (I think was the brewery) had a pretty tasty Hefe as well.
     
    #14 hopsputin, Jul 24, 2019
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  15. TrojanRB

    TrojanRB Grand Pooh-Bah (3,779) Jul 27, 2013 Texas
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Ha, when I read the thread title I thought of Crazy Donkey as well....what are the chances you’d mention it in the post!

    Small world. I enjoyed many bottles in Santorini.
     
    #15 TrojanRB, Jul 24, 2019
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  16. TrojanRB

    TrojanRB Grand Pooh-Bah (3,779) Jul 27, 2013 Texas
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    As long as it’s not called donkey show....
     
    #16 TrojanRB, Jul 24, 2019
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  17. Oh_Dark_Star

    Oh_Dark_Star Pooh-Bah (2,386) Mar 4, 2015 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Is that right?!

    Well maybe we can discuss what I'm getting up here that you can't get as easily for a future trade? I'd love to try more of theirs!
     
    #17 Oh_Dark_Star, Jul 24, 2019
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  18. Beer_Stan

    Beer_Stan Initiate (0) Mar 15, 2014 California
    Trader

    I'm down for that.
     
    #18 Beer_Stan, Jul 24, 2019
  19. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,966) Mar 12, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    #19 unlikelyspiderperson, Jul 24, 2019
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  20. rgordon

    rgordon Pooh-Bah (2,701) Apr 26, 2012 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    There's a country over there east of Ireland that has a beer named Tanglefoot. The Badger Brewery and I love it.
     
    #20 rgordon, Jul 24, 2019
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