BA Top Beers from a German (or Germanophile) perspective

I've had the Goose Bourbon County Brand and the Founders Breakfast Stout (the original, not all of the "aged" renditions) and found them to be very good to style. Also had the Bell's Hopslam on tap in the past and found it smoother than I expected, and I've never considered Two-Hearted to be an IPA so much as an APA (at least to my palate), but yeah -- from our viewpoints it would be nice to know there was more appreciation for subtlety and refinement.

 

I like most of them, although there are definitely a few overrated ones. Of the barrel aged beers, I think the ones from Firestone Walker (Parabola, Sucaba) are the best. I think their process of blending tends to make them a bit more polished. The "normal" Founders Breakfast Stout is wonderful stuff - maybe my favorite of the bunch. The Pliny beers are good, although I think my IPA palate has shifted enough that I'm not sure they're the best hoppy beers to me anymore. I'd probably take Hopslam over either of them.
While they're growing more similar, I'd say the Beers of Fame list is a little more representative of my own tastes.

 

“I've been told that I have 'exceptional tastes,' but I'm not at all being flippant when I say that I would not consider a single one of them world-class …”

Hmmm, perhaps I will have to re-think my opinion on the matter of 'exceptional tastes’!?!

I have had both Heady Topper and KBS in the past. IMHO, Heady Topper is an excellent beer and for my palate the equal to Pliny the Elder.

I am not a big fan of beers that are brewed with coffee. I don’t really care for Founders Breakfast Stout; that beer is a too acrid for my tastes. I do prefer the Kentucky Breakfast Stout more; the barrel aging seems to soften and sweeten the beer more (as compared to the Breakfast Stout). I would classify KBS as being good/very good with emphasis on the caveat that I am not a big fan of beers brewed with coffee.

I have also had Canadian Breakfast Stout and I thought that beer was good/very good (again the caveat that I am not a coffee beer guy).

Prost!

P.S. It will be interesting to see if the German BAs comment on this thread.

 

I never had any of those beers nor would I care to go out of my way to try them. I'm not interested in extreme beer, I'd much rather have a good (session I guess you'd call it) beer that I can drink 6 or 9 of and not have a hangover.

 

Ditto. So for me, unless I travel to the USA to live for awhile, this topic is moot. I'd love to take a month off just to drink beer in the US, and I'd love to drink all those top 20, etc. Just not reality, though, so I have nothing to say really. I'll be in Philly and NYC in June this year and will do my best to hunt down good American craft brew.

 

Note that my RDev on Bourbon County is -13.9 - and I liked the beer -- just don't believe it's something to jump up and down about at all times.

Don't you believe that Jackson's definition of "World Class" is a beer that defines/defined the style? If that's the case, maybe I ought to have rated the BC a little higher... as I did Pilsner Urquell.

 

“If I ever make it to Philly, I'm heading straight for Sly Fox and that Rauchbier.”

The Sly Fox Rauchbier has got to be good, my wife orders 2-3 of these when we go to the brewpub and I take one sip and I make a face.

My wife and I are polar opposites on Belgian Abbey Ales. She will sometimes take a sip of a Belgian Ale that I ordered prior to me tasting it and she will say something like: you gonna love this beer, it tastes like toilet water. She will then sometimes editorialize with a follow up of: why do you drink that stuff!?!

Prost!

 

Of the top 20, I've only ever had Pliny the Elder, Westvleteren 12, and Rochefort 10. I'm not really qualified to say what deserves to be (or not be) on that list, but for whatever it's worth I think Pliny deserves the acclaim. I'm probably in the same boat as Boddhitree and Stahlsturm - it's not even worth thinking about while here in Germany so I don't let it bother me.