Beer Epiphany Moments

Yea, I have heard all his stories; not sure what to believe. One this I know is that Amarillo IPA was the best beer they have done, by far. Bling Bling is not even close.

 

The following are my "game changers".

Nugget Nectar
KBS
Abrasive
Consecration
Choklat
Petrus Aged Pale

 

Just tried DeuS this weekend. Amazing!!

Anyone else?

 

Heady Topper, Rose de Gambrinus, and everything De Dolle comes to mind.

Oh and Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier too. Sounds weird, but I had it for the first time at a beer garden some years back and its been my go-to stein filler ever since.

 

Harpoon IPA - first time i knew what hops could actually do.
Guinness - took me a while but this was my entry into dark beers
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - gateway beer for me. realized there were other choices at a bar besides budweiser.

Within the last few years, I've been blown away by the usual suspects (Heady, FBS,). The first time I ever tried Northern and Southern Hemisphere, I realized there were certain brews that had to be sought out.

 

Firestone Walker Abacus
Firestone Walker Parabola
Hoppin' Frog Naked Evil
The Bruery Fruet
North Coast Old Stock Ale
Avery Rumpkin
Avery Mephistopheles
Avery Samaels
Avery The Beast
BCBS
FIS
Les Trois Mousquetaires Porter Baltique
Great Divide Yeti
Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti
Great Divide Old Ruffian
Great Divide BA Old Ruffian
Dark Horse Plead the 5th
Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree
Port Brewing Older Viscosity
Lost Abbey Deliverance
Lost Abbey The Angel's Share
Stone Ruination
Stone 10th Anniversary Ruination
Weyerbacher Insanity

 

First Hopslam I ever had, can't remember the year (08 maybe?).
Perseguidor 3. Didn't realize how complex beer can be. Ditto for Bourbon Barrel 4D.

 

Probably back in 2008 when I first got into lambic and realized that it was superior to American sours in just about every way. I knew it wouldn't be long before others realized the same thing so I stockpiled Cantillon and 3F like crazy.

 

First time I had Kiwi Rising. Gave me hope for local, hoppy goodness.

 

I've had three major epiphanies, and many minors in my craft beer adventure. Young's double chocolate stout pulled me into this hobby, and later on Pliny the Younger finally showed me how good IPAs could be, but in between the most important, and greatest epiphany happened. I was introduced to the world of sours and wild ales, a world from which I never shall return.

Thanks Surly Five.

 

When I realized that PTE is an apocalyptic hop beer, not like Julius Caesar, even though its taste may be light years behind it.

 

What’s your epiphany beer style? Mine is Old Ale. My first beer in this style (that I can recall) is from one of my favorite breweries, Founders. But Curmudgeon was definitely not my favorite beer from Founders. Who knows why I didn’t care for it that much, but for a while, I considered this style to just not be my cup of beer. But . . . the last two, The Bruery Bois and Harviestoun Ola Dubh 21, were amazing. I want more. Maybe it’s not fair to compare these, but it’s a new love for me. What about you, BA's?

 

Ruination made me come to the light as far as IPAs are concerned. Didn't get it before the hops sledgehammer whacked me upside the head.

 

I bought a bottle of La Folie over a year ago as my first sour.

My wallet STILL hasn't recovered from that epiphany.

 

I had two:

My first was about 3 or 4 years ago. I had Tripel Karmeliet and was told it was "the best beer in the world" by a tip-seeking waiter. I believed him and I loved it. The ceiling was set for some time as I explored quads and tripels.

My second and most important was right after I returned from a year in Europe, ready to kick the wine habit. My friend gave me a large pour of Sucaba and Hopslam and I had my head blown off. Now, beer is all I do.

 

Anchor Steam. There was simply no other beer like it at the time. Then Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. A hop addiction that has lasted since my first taste

 

Old ales was my first beer epiphany too. Old Suffolk was the one in particular. I loved that toffee, biscuity flavor. It's still one of my all time favorites.

 

Sam Adams Boston Lager it opened my eyes and i still enjoy this beer 2day

 

Maybe not an epiphany but certainly enough to remind myself that there is more than a hoppier beer then the one I just had is Flanders Ale. I think I was lucky to have Cuvée Des Jacobins Rouge which was pretty amazing.

 

I've been ephanied by beer since 1956, when I had my first bock, brewed locally just outside of Munich. In modern times, tho, I'd have to say Fuller's 1845 showed me what a truly great English ale can be all about.