Beers that blew you away?

That's such a great part of traveling out of your region beer wise. Not so much the "big boys" that you may come across but the stuff the people who live there probably take for granted a bit. I visited a friend in Illinois a couple years back and had a big grin on my face buying 6 packs of Deschutes Fresh Squeezed at the damn grocery store for $8 all week.

 

It never came here to Central Wisconsin. I was on the lookout. Local store said that the distributor told her they were not getting any. Maybe next year !

 

pliny the elder

 

Most recent would Amalgamator by Beachwood. It was just amazing. Definitely the best "West Coast" IPA in my mind now going forward.

 

Pumpkin
#FatFingerTypist #TinyPhoneKeyboard

 

Prairie Ales Vanilla Noir....only had one but this beer opened my eyes to BA stouts....

 

Stone's Citracado
Lagunitas Hi-Westfield
3 Monts

 

i agree, they had Fresh Squeezed and Surly Furious on draft EVERYWHERE in Minneapolis, including the airport golf bar. beer that is unavailable in my home state is sooooo easy to get there it was amazing to experience

 

Ever?
First Sierra Nevada Pale ale in Dead lot some years ago
First Pliny from one of my first trades
First Heady at the pub
Recently?
Make Believe by Hudson Valley Brewery last month. Expected good but just blew me away.

 

This Sunday Mole Stout blew me away with the highly unique aspects of it.

 

Based upon the OPs approach, I will stick with beers that I didn't expect to be as good as they were, rather than beers that just plain blew me away the first time I had them (but were hyped, expected to be that good, etc)

1. Lagunitas Born Yesterday, and to a lesser extent high westified (because I had higher expectations). This is not a slight to lagunitas. I really like their beer, it's solid, it's priced well-I drink a little sumpin' sumpin' often. But both of these beers were another level in my opinion. Born Yesterday was one of my favorite beers of the year, and high westified is a "poor mans" bourbon county. Amazing price point for the quality
2. Stickee Hands and the marmalade version by Block 15. I just moved to Oregon, and was not familiar with Block 15. I have to say, both of these held their own against the likes of Pliny the elder and King sue. Didn't have quite the same level of balance as the latter two, but both were in the upper echelon of IPAs i have had all year

 

My first WOW was a Pako's IPA from Snake River Brewing, firstly truly hoppy, bitter sob of a beer I ever drank. From the first sip on I have been a bitter hoppy fool. I've only ever had one Pliney and it was brought to me in a backpack to Idaho from California...... And it's still the best beer I ever drank! Will get to California some day and drink some more Plineys as well as some others on my bucket list. The Stone Enjoy By series gets honorable mention as well as Untia Brewings Hop Nosh Tangerine IPA, just an incredible beer at a phenomenal price....

 

TH pineapple milkshake and
Trillium PM dawn.
Both were just so fire.

 

Three for me. 1. Bell's 30th Anniversary Stout. This is probabably my favorite non BA stout. After drinking the first one I cleaned out the local shops. 2. Pliny the Elder. I was able to try this as a bit a a surprise. I knew this was a highly rated beer, but this to me was simply amazing. So well balanced and full mouthfeel. Blown away by the shock of actually drinking it and it living up to the hype. Can't wait to drink it a second time. 3. You can get with that Juice by a local brewery. Picked this up after their 1st anniversary party. It was my introduction to the NE IPA style. Didn't really know what to expect, but this is now one of my favorite beers.

 

Victory At Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter

 

In a year in which I had my first Heady and my first Pliny, the beer that blew me away was born yesterday unfiltered. It was unbelievable. Unfortunately, I had scored an additional 6 pack about 10 weeks after bottling and I was equally surprised at how fast it fell off.

In a separate category, not that expectations are ever low for this brewery for me, but Tired Hands Space Needle exceeded my expectations.

 

PM Dawn & HF S&S #4.

 

The very first time I had Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout and BCBBW.

 

Right? If we're playing the 'ever' game then too many to list, but significant early ones for me were Aass Bock, 1982 as an impulse purchase and Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter in 1985 in a wine appreciation class. Those were quite expensive (and magical) beers at the time, and opened the door that the other imports only managed to show me.

Lately I'm not so much blown away by beers, as I have some that get under my skin and get me to obsess about them. Last spring I loved a Trinity beer (Menacing Kumquat) so much that I must've bought a case one bottle at a time- such an harmonious tapestry of the fruit, brett and citra hops that I couldn't get enough of it. And just today I inquired about pre-ordering a case. Of a Trinity beer ($$$). Man, I keep falling for the gold diggers, don't I?