What beers outshine their variants?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Oh_Dark_Star, Sep 20, 2019.

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  1. Oh_Dark_Star

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

    I'm sure this has been a thread before, but not since I've been active in the forums...
    What beers do you enjoy (or used to when they were around) that have variants that cannot touch the original.

    For me, I loved Ballast Point Even Keel for my summer hoppy session, then Mango Even Keel swooped in and replaced it on the shelves. It sold better but I have no idea why. Yuck.

    Most recently I took two days to crack my Deconstructed Bomb! four pack that I'd been coveting during a brief bottle aging period. $40 of let-down there IMO. Would have rather drank four standards over the same period in hindsight. Otherwise BA Bomb is not too bad but the others don't hold a candle.

     
    #1 Oh_Dark_Star, Sep 20, 2019
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  2. AllOfTheCats

    AllOfTheCats Pundit (850) Mar 27, 2018 Wisconsin
    Trader

    Epic Big Bad Baptist
     
    #2 AllOfTheCats, Sep 20, 2019
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  3. NextBestThing

    NextBestThing Pundit (791) Apr 5, 2008 New York

    Victory at Sea
     
    #3 NextBestThing, Sep 20, 2019
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  4. RaulMondesi

    RaulMondesi Grand Pooh-Bah (5,343) Dec 11, 2006 California
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Regular Two Hearted destroys Double.
     
    #4 RaulMondesi, Sep 20, 2019
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  5. Warwick7

    Warwick7 Zealot (505) May 25, 2019 Maryland

    Left Hand Milk Stout
     
    #5 Warwick7, Sep 20, 2019
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  6. dennis3951

    dennis3951 Initiate (0) Mar 6, 2008 New Jersey

    Bourbon County Brand Stout.
     
    #6 dennis3951, Sep 20, 2019
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  7. JamFuel

    JamFuel Grand High Pooh-Bah (9,284) Mar 26, 2009 Sweden
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah

    Free Will Ralphius.
     
    #7 JamFuel, Sep 20, 2019
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  8. Glider

    Glider Savant (1,182) Nov 15, 2004 Massachusetts
    Trader

    You like the regular better than the barrel aged? Seems to be a minority opinion.
     
    #8 Glider, Sep 20, 2019
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  9. alucard6679

    alucard6679 Savant (1,009) Jul 29, 2012 Arizona

    Ballast Point Sculpin
    FW Velvet Merlin (not counting Velvet Merkin, that's a different beast)
    Left Hand Milk Stout (nitro should be a draft thing IMO)
    Stone Smoked Porter (Miss it, and I liked the vanilla version but it wasn't prominent enough to really make too much difference for me)
    Stone original pale ale and original Ruination were better than anything current
    SKA Modus Hoperendi (I liked the Mandarin, bit original was better)
     
    #9 alucard6679, Sep 20, 2019
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  10. Snowcrash000

    Snowcrash000 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,041) Oct 4, 2017 Germany
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Most of them, I'd say.
     
    #10 Snowcrash000, Sep 20, 2019
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  11. ericwo

    ericwo Zealot (624) Aug 21, 2008 Pennsylvania
    Trader

    Deschutes The Abyss
     
    #11 ericwo, Sep 20, 2019
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  12. JimKal

    JimKal Savant (1,213) Jul 31, 2011 North Carolina

    I really enjoyed NB Ranger but have never taken to the replacement Voodoo Ranger. NB recently released a sampler pack with Ranger in it. Still hits the spot for me. I wish they would make it a regular again.
     
    #12 JimKal, Sep 20, 2019
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  13. traction

    traction Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2010 Georgia
    Trader

    I like the original better than the High West version. Personally I don't see the appeal of throwing everything into barrels but that seems to be a minority opinion these days as well.
     
    #13 traction, Sep 20, 2019
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  14. traction

    traction Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2010 Georgia
    Trader

    Have you tried Christmas Bomb or Birthday Bomb? All four of the Deconstructed pack are the four weakest Bomb! variants imo. Some of the other variants are rather good.
     
    #14 traction, Sep 20, 2019
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  15. BruChef

    BruChef Maven (1,277) Nov 8, 2009 New York
    Society

    Could not agree more about Even Keel.
     
    #15 BruChef, Sep 20, 2019
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  16. zid

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

    J.W. Lees Harvest Ale
     
    #16 zid, Sep 20, 2019
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  17. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    Orval and Duvel
     
    #17 drtth, Sep 20, 2019
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  18. eppCOS

    eppCOS Grand Pooh-Bah (4,570) Jun 27, 2015 Colorado
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Weldwerks Juicy Bits (over all other variants)
     
    #18 eppCOS, Sep 20, 2019
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  19. Domingo

    Domingo Grand Pooh-Bah (4,252) Apr 23, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah

    Sculpin and Yeti came to mind immediately. The non-nitro LH Milk Stout from bottles is way better than any of its siblings to me, too.

    I don't necessarily know any examples off the top of my head, but I feel like tossing [random big stout] into a spirits barrel doesn't make it better. Especially if said barrel is rum or if the beer was boozy to begin with. It can, but often the assumption is that it will. I'd say it doesn't more often than it does.
     
    #19 Domingo, Sep 20, 2019
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  20. jmdrpi

    jmdrpi Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,989) Dec 11, 2008 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Agreed here. The original is better than the 4 cask aged variants.
     
    #20 jmdrpi, Sep 20, 2019
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