Chasing the Top 250! (2025)

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Bhubbard34, Jan 4, 2025.

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  1. cryptichead

    cryptichead Grand Pooh-Bah (4,897) Jul 3, 2014 Illinois
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I am ever so close....to the halfway point...one day, I'll cross it. Same situation with the top styles.
     
    #101 cryptichead, Mar 5, 2025
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  2. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Once upon a time I was interested in pursuing this, back when it was still the top 100. I felt I was pretty well positioned to try them all at one point, given where I lived on the East Coast, having family and friends out West, and having a close friend who was an avid trader (and very generous about sharing some of the whales he was able to obtain). If memory serves, I think at one point I had tried 72 or 73 of the top beers. It was a fun and interesting chase up until that point (outside of Masala mama, I can't recall trying anything that I was surprised was in the top 100). However, at some point I realized it was probably unrealistic to think there would ever be a time I would be able to try them all. For one thing, the top 100 was a constantly moving target. Even more daunting was the rareness factor. Many of the top beers were made in miniscule amounts, and/or were only available to club members. I would have had to spend an inordinate amount of money to obtain them, or try to arrange a trade that was virtually impossible (I wasn't a big enough collector to pull something from Side Project - for example). As I recall, I think the biggest white whales back then were Cantillon Blabaer and Midnight Sun M barleywine. Outside of an act of God, I was dead certain I'd never be able to try either beer (rareness and cost were simply too much of a barrier to overcome).

    That being said, I wish the OP nothing but luck in his pursuit. That would be a considerable accomplishment, if he managed to try them all.
     
    #102 John_M, Mar 6, 2025
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  3. Bhubbard34

    Bhubbard34 Pooh-Bah (2,585) Mar 4, 2016 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Noticed VB Assassin has been recently “retired”

    thoughts?
     
    #103 Bhubbard34, Mar 8, 2025
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  4. Spaten454

    Spaten454 Pooh-Bah (1,636) Aug 23, 2012 Texas
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Cutting Tiles - Galaxy is the best double ipa I've ever had. The honey cuts the bitterness and its perfect.
     
    #104 Spaten454, Mar 10, 2025
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  5. not2quick

    not2quick Grand Pooh-Bah (3,600) Dec 1, 2015 Missouri
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Top 250 is shifting faster than Trump's tariff plans. .
     
    #105 not2quick, Mar 14, 2025
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  6. Bhubbard34

    Bhubbard34 Pooh-Bah (2,585) Mar 4, 2016 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    LOL!

    speaking of #250 that just popped on. Cafe americano. Seems that the entry is for the regular (non-ba) one, yet the picture is a barrel aged bottle. There is a separate entry for barrel aged americano which is retired……thoughts? Anybody know when the last time the brewed either was? It’s been quite some since either have been rated and I’m thinking probably should be retired but wanted others opinion
     
    #106 Bhubbard34, Mar 15, 2025
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  7. not2quick

    not2quick Grand Pooh-Bah (3,600) Dec 1, 2015 Missouri
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Strange. The description does not mention barrel aged, yet the picture is. They haven't made the barrel aged in a while, yet the regular one looks to have been bottle fall last year based on multiple untapped checkins. They don't even have any of the cafe americano variants listed on BA as active. Hmmm

    @FBarber @Roguer @beergoot @John_M
     
    #107 not2quick, Mar 15, 2025
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  8. imtroy703

    imtroy703 Zealot (717) Nov 13, 2009 Virginia
    BA4LYFE Society Trader

    250! is a LOT of beers to chase. /not obvi math joke
     
    #108 imtroy703, Mar 15, 2025
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  9. Bhubbard34

    Bhubbard34 Pooh-Bah (2,585) Mar 4, 2016 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    FYI Trillium “the streets” released today. Currently #254 for anyone looking
     
    #109 Bhubbard34, Mar 17, 2025
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  10. hopley

    hopley Pooh-Bah (2,912) Feb 24, 2010 Massachusetts
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I guess that partially explains why I went from 165 to 171…first time ever on BA one of these changes has ever gone in my favor so I’m gonna have to take it and run…!!
     
    #110 hopley, Mar 18, 2025
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  11. Bhubbard34

    Bhubbard34 Pooh-Bah (2,585) Mar 4, 2016 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Happy to find this somewhat locally today so I didn’t have to chase it down elsewhere!

    [​IMG]
     
    #111 Bhubbard34, Mar 31, 2025
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  12. cryptichead

    cryptichead Grand Pooh-Bah (4,897) Jul 3, 2014 Illinois
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Somehow Hopslam is back in the 250. Not sure if something got retired. Now my grand total is 118 with one more being stored away for a special occasion. This may be my pinnacle.

    I'm also at 60 for the top styles right now.
     
    #112 cryptichead, May 10, 2025
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  13. Bhubbard34

    Bhubbard34 Pooh-Bah (2,585) Mar 4, 2016 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I just noticed Hopslam is back in as well, and you are correct it means something got retired.Anyone know what it was? I wish there was a way to tell what’s been recently retired….
     
    #113 Bhubbard34, May 10, 2025
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  14. cryptichead

    cryptichead Grand Pooh-Bah (4,897) Jul 3, 2014 Illinois
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    In theory, you can copy and paste the 250 table into Excel and then monitor for changes periodically by comparing it to the live list. You'll be able to see the ins and outs.
     
    #114 cryptichead, May 10, 2025
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  15. bret27

    bret27 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,064) Mar 10, 2009 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I’m at 214/250.
    The only ones in the top 100 I’m missing are couple of voodoo stouts.
    The top 100 seems more relevant to me. I’m not in a place in my beer hobby where I’m going to chase BL stouts, Prairie stouts, TH milk stouts, Funky Buddha, & SP sours just to check imaginary boxes.
    It is a bummer VB Assassin dropped off though. I would put that in the top 10 personally.
     
    #115 bret27, May 10, 2025
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  16. Jaycase

    Jaycase Grand Pooh-Bah (3,858) Jan 13, 2007 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Looks like might be Brandy Barrel Aged Dark Lord With Vanilla Beans which was recently retired? You can also likely look at history on web archive too for comparisons (example from March 17)
     
    #116 Jaycase, May 10, 2025
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  17. Bhubbard34

    Bhubbard34 Pooh-Bah (2,585) Mar 4, 2016 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    yea, personally don’t think vb assassin should be “retired” either but unfortunately sometimes things get retired without much “research”
     
    #117 Bhubbard34, May 10, 2025
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  18. Bhubbard34

    Bhubbard34 Pooh-Bah (2,585) Mar 4, 2016 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    This is a good option how do you find the web archives?
     
    #118 Bhubbard34, May 10, 2025
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  19. DaverCS

    DaverCS Savant (1,212) Dec 9, 2014 Arizona

    I’m hoping to head back to NE this fall with a few day stretch in VT and a couple in Boston. Brewery hoping is at the top of the list of to-dos. If TH is over-rated, what other recommendations do you have? I’ll likely still stop, but looking to get a full dose of NE craft beer culture.
     
    #119 DaverCS, May 11, 2025
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  20. Bhubbard34

    Bhubbard34 Pooh-Bah (2,585) Mar 4, 2016 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    From what I can tell, it looks like the change might have been J. Wakefield It was all a dream was retired.
     
    #120 Bhubbard34, May 11, 2025
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