Zymurgy's Top 50 list

This amazing thread has motivated me to submit my 20 favorite beers to the AHA. Never bothered before but this must continue!

 

To play devil's advocate, the poll was titled "The 50 Best Beers in America." The word "best" in that context could be construed to mean just about anything, including influence on overall beer culture. I'm just making an argument for why Sam Adams would be included in such a list.

 

Some people might have conducted their vote based on best representations of certain styles, too. Though honestly, I really do enjoy Noble Pils and I think it's an excellent beer. Unsure if "top 50," but really tough to qualify what that really means.

 

No Hill Farmstead, Alchemist or Lawson's on this list: see Vermont beer isn't that great, stay home!!!

 

Most serious traders would wipe their arse with this list. Complete joke...

 

For your reading pleasure, the same type of thread from 2013. In June of this year there will be another similar thread.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/zymurgys-2013-best-beers-in-america.97278/page-2

 

Exactly right. This is the best 50 beers according to the people who voted. To say that it's "wrong" is pretty laughable. Just because it's not your top beer list (and not you personally, the royal "your" of people commenting) doesn't make it right or wrong.

 

If you look at the first 50 beers on the top 250 on this site, it is heavy on DIPA and Barrel Aged beers. Some sours and quads are in the top 50 here but not many.

 

I would definitely say that there are some winners on here for the West, but come on. No Alpine listed. Id much rather drink their beers than Sierra or Stone.

 

Have you tried Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue? It's a single hopped citra pale ale just like ZD. I did side by side and IMO Pseudo Sue made ZD taste weak. Anyone else done this?

 

I feel like "most" of the beers listed get decent distro, which is good on a list like this as the average person reading it can go find many of the beers. Lets face it the average joe doesn't know about how limited some beers are

 

To me it is very obvious... Home brew forum, these guys homebrew because they can't find good beer near them, just look at what is missing from the list.

 

some of us homebrew because we CAN find good beer, and want to make our own version of it. (often much cheaper and without the 3 bottle limit!) And some of us just like brewing. A lot.

having said that, as someone truly obsessed with homebrewing, commercial beer makes up less than 10% of what I drink, and hype means little to me. It was difficult to think of what my "favorite" beers were, because technically they are all in my homebrew kegs/bottles. No Kolsch available here comes close to my own. I think my imperial stout is better than Founders. No fresher DIPA than the stuff I make myself. They're not all winners but I make what I like and like what I make. My list was full of things like Orval, Sprecher Black Bavarian, Odell IPA, and St Bernardus Witbier. They are my favorites; by definition my list isn't wrong - it's just mine.

cheers--
--Michael

 

After I posted that, I thought I might step on some toes, meant it in jest... Like I hinted at earlier in a post on this thread, there were omissions on some real good regional beers that don't get a wide exposure. I know some home brewers and do enjoy the home brew beers. In fact, you could call Burial Brewing in Asheville as a home brewer but on a slightly and I do mean slightly larger scale (Tis why they're only open 3 days a week, they don't make enough beer to stay open 4 days a week, much less 7).

Prost!

 

You realize, of course, that Alpine is available almost nowhere? I agree that their beers are generally better, but with a few exceptions this is a list of more widely available beers. There's no Hill Farmstead on here either, and no Heady Topper. Again, probably because for most of us these beers are pretty hard to come by.

 

Younger hit spot T48 and Id argue thats way harder to come by.

 

Fat Tire? Really!? The first time I tasted that beer I didn't finish it and had something else. That beer doesn't belong on any top beers list. Also, being from Oregon, I consider Fat Tire above The Abyss as idiocy.

 

I'd bet that was included by several respondents due to its status in the beer community. Whether they had it or not, there was probably a significant portion that felt they "had to" include it.

 

I think you're in the minority on Fat Tire. Perfectly enjoyable amber ale that's also widely available. Also, very difficult to compare it to the Abyss, since they're two completely different styles of beers. Your own bias may be seen as idiocy by some, though to me, it's really just your opinion, which you're completely entitled to (as were the voters for this list).

 

I did say "with a few exceptions," but even if I hadn't I'm not totally sure about that. Back before RR pulled out of Washington, two years in a row I managed to get a glass of PTY by pure chance of happening to stop in a local shop at the right time. There wasn't even a line. A couple years ago I believe it was on tap for the better part of a week at that store. For me it's been one of the easiest "wales" I have encountered.

Now sure you can trade for Alpine bottles pretty easily, but unless you are in SoCal I don't know of any other way you can even get any. Maybe you can buy it online now, not sure.