First beer to blow your mind.

The first beer to blow me away was probably Samuel Smith's Nut Brown back in the 1980's. Since then I have been blown away by many other beers like Kate the Great Imperial Stout, New England Stout Trooper, Innis & Gunn Oak-Aged, and Aecht Schlenkeria Rauchbier

 

trois pistoles

 

Robert the Bruce, on tab.

 

AleSmith IPA, when I was 18. It was the hoppiest and strongest beer I'd ever had, and the first that I sought out based on online ratings. I never looked back.

 

Founders Breakfast Stout. Got this a few weeks after I turned 21. I had already dabbled in craft beers prior, but this was one of the first imperial stouts I had, and it sent me on a stout bender. I think the next 30 or so beers I drank were all Imperial stouts. Still probably my favorite style, all thanks to Founders.

 

Maredsous 8, on draught, at the Galaxy Hut in Arlington, 2008. Immediately followed by a Maredsous 10, also on draught. Double whammy.

 

Old Rasputin made me realize beer is good. FFF Dreadnaught made me love beer.

 

I have two at different phases of my craft beer life.

1. Free State Brewing Co.'s Copperhead in Lawrence, KS. I went to KU and this was the first beer that didn't "taste like beer". In other words, it didn't taste like the Bud and PBR I'd been drinking for years

2. Since then I drank the Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada lines (et al). Then I had a Rochefort 10 and it blew my friggin' mind, man.

 

That is perfect! I love it.

Mine is PtE. I literally yelled YES after swallowing my first sip. It is still my favorite. It might be the cliche answer, but cliches start for a reason.

 

Tyranena's Devil over a Barrel, an imperial coffee oatmeal porter aged in bourbon barrels. I'd been a craft drinker for a few years, but this one turned me into a full out nut. I took my first sip and I was amazed at how complex, balanced and delicious it was. God, what a great beer.

 

I'm still picking up pieces of my skull from the first time I tried abacus.

 

Ruination
Chimay blue
Red leffe

All blew my mind in the formative years of my craft drinking

 

Ditto, exactly. I loved it so much that I made a BA account and reviewed it as soon as I had a drink. It's a compelling beer, you might say.

 

Didn't read through the whole thread, but I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one who says Old Rasputin.

 

Samuel Adams Boston Lager; the year was 1991. It was the first time I realized that there was a world of beer beyond Bud and Coors Light. I was still in college and none of my fraternity brothers or other college friends knew what I was ordering.

 

Was said before, but ruination for sure

 

The very first that made me stop in my tracks to say "well damn that's delicious"?

It was when I was first getting into craft..and it was Delirium Tremens.

 

Founder's Devil Dancer on tap at the distributor - wasn't the first beer to get me into real beer, mind you, but when I sipped that little Dixie cup sampler, I was hooked. I could not get the taste out of my mind until I went back the next day and bought a growler. I then obsessed over the beer until the next summer when it came around again in 4-packs.

 

I had my first §ucaba last night and I think I almost shit my pants...

 

Avery Maharaja. So much grapefruit. Totally blew my head widen open.