Alternatives to Rare Beers

Thousands of other beers.

 

But you don't "use" the baseball cards. I would be amazed if there were actually people that collected beer and didn't drink any of it. I know it happens to an extent, but we all have the same end goal (viz., to drink beer haha).

 

I think something to consider is that rare beers are trying to do something usually not done elsewhere, not just be a limited quantity of the best quality beer for a certain style, hence the appeal and the frenzy. Sure, something local or widely available might share similar qualities, but if you are really determined to find a beer that tastes like a rare one, you will likely end up convincing yourself it does to prove your own point.

*edited for grammar*

 

I've never had Kate, but I absolutely love Peruvian Morning. I definitely wish Central Waters made its way to VA.

On topic though, there are plenty of off-the-shelf beers that I've had which are similar in taste and smell to rarities. While I enjoy the hunt for these otherwise elusive brews, I'd much rather drive a quarter mile down the road and just buy something off the shelf that is nearly identical (and much cheaper).

 

No kidding. Nowhere close. I find the Central Waters to be very bland and uninteresting.

I came here to say that BA Boris is moderately similar to KBS.

 

Ten Fidy anyone? I had my first can last night after finding a place that would sell me a single ($16 for 4 without trying first doesn't sit well with me) and it was glorious. I have no idea how this stuff doesn't just fly off of shelves. So good.

 

sssshhhhhhhhhhh.... let people think it's swill. then the prices will come down and we can buy it on the cheap. i think it's the can that scares people away.

but back to the original post, i've never had DL, but i've heard it's an over the top RIS. i have had avery's mephistopheles and was wondering if anyone else has had both and can compare the two. mephistopheles is a HUGE stout with so many things going on that it blows my mi, and its availability is great next to DL. if they are comparable i don't see why one wouldn't take meph over DL.

 

I didn't think CWBBS tasted at all like BCBS. But now you've got me wanting to try Black Xantus. BCBCS was one of my favorite beers on the year.

 

There's a difference between being a satisfying beer and being the appropriately weighted Indiana Jones Sandbag of Beer. I think there's a good case to be made for pulling it off with IPAs. I think that barrel beers... you're going to get run over by the giant bowling ball or killed by a hundred poison darts. But that's okay. Because once again, everything that was once in your cellar, can now be in mine.

 

There aren’t too many beers out there that don’t have at least something pretty similar floating around for less money or greater availability. They might not be a clone or an equal, but something that gets you almost as happy still seems worth buying to me. There are certainly some exceptions, but they’re few and far between. Barrel aged beers are really the only major category that’s tough to dupe without spending a fair amount of money.

 

It's a bit boozy with not enough roast to balance its intense sweetness for me.

 

In my opinion Lagunitas sucks tasted very similar to Hopslam! Also, Older Viscosity was very similar to KBS but with a better Bourbon presence!

 

What do you mean bro? The topic for this discussion is about what people think about other people's pallates and what other people think about those opinions!! Right?

 

bet you're a yeti fan then. if you haven't tried it get after some.

 

Yeti is a bit hoppy for me, but certainly delicious. I love Old Rasputin and Founders Imperial Stout.

 

lol. that's funny because i think old raspy is too boozy for the ABV compared to ten fidy. but i agree with you on yeti, i expect a certain level of sweetness with a RIS that yeti seems to hide with it's hops.

 

There are, in my American-available list, only three beligan quads to talk about. Rochefort 10, St Bernadus Abt 12, and Westvleteren 12 (recently American-available). In a blind tasting of all three at once, I and another fellow beer geek of mine, following respectivly different sequences, found the following:

Rochefort has the most character, the most powerful dark fruit flavors coming through, and is also the driest. My buddy ranked it first and I second.

St bernardus is the sweetest, and while containing the same basic dark fruit flavors, they are infinitesimally more subtle. My buddy ranks it second and I first.

The Westy, both I and my buddy, blindly, rank last of the three. Last by a hair, but still last. The flavors we both get are matching almost exactly with St Bernardus' but it is lacking that sweetness.

I feel that St. Bernardus has effectively taken a particular beer (westy) they were allowed to brew between 1946 and 1992, duplicated it and made it better. Rochefort, striving to set their own bar for a quad, has made a beer, I feel many could argure, is better and bigger.

In summary, in my opinion, if you wish to suppliment Westy, look no further than St Bernardus Abt. 12. If you wish to find a beer to challenge its thrown, look to Rochfort 10. Both are available and cheaper right here at home.

 

If you think Ruination is close to PtY I don't see much reason to pursue rare or hard to find, highly rated beers. Sure they are from the same family but many whales like Chocolate Rain, Younger, BT, and Rare are stand alones...

 

Drink local IPA/DIPA and chase whales from other continent.

 

That was a total typo on my part. I've never even had PtY. I meant PtE. Sorry for the confusion, my bad. Obviously weird and wrong.