Tuesday, September 04, 2007

THE HEDONIST BEER JIVE 25 – revised 9/4/07

The finest beers in the world, all in one ranked, ordered place for your shopping list:

1. MOYLAN’SHopsickle (Double IPA)
2. ANDERSON VALLEYBoont Amber (American Amber/Red Ale)
3. BRASSERIE DE ROCHEFORTTrappistes Rochefort 8 (Belgian Strong Dark Ale)
4. THREE FLOYDS - Alpha King (American Pale Ale)
5. AVERY BREWINGThe Reverend (Quadrupel)
6. MOONLIGHTReality Czeck (Czech Pilsner)
7. STONE BREWINGIPA (IPA)
8. MOONLIGHT2006 Toast Malt Liquor (American Amber/Red Lager)
9. HACKER-PSCHORRDunkel Weiss (Dunkel Weizen)
10. LOST ABBEY - Devotion Ale (Belgian-Style Blonde)
11. RUSSIAN RIVERDamnation (Belgian-Style Strong Golden Ale)
12. BEAR REPUBLIC - Racer 5 (IPA)
13. DARK HORSE - Tres Blueberry Stout (American Stout)
14. MARIN BREWING - Tripel Dipsea (Tripel)
15. MOYLAN’SIPA (IPA)
16. LANGUNITASFreak Out! (IPA)
17. RUSSIAN RIVERRejection (Belgian Black Ale)
18. FIRESTONE WALKER10 (Barleywine)
19. DRAKE’SDenogginizer (Double IPA)
20. DESCHUTES2006 Jubel Ale (Winter Warmer)
21. LOST ABBEYAvant Garde (Biere De Garde)
22. NORTH COASTOld Stock 2004 (Old Ale)
23. PORT BREWINGHop Suey (Double IPA)
24. RUSSIAN RIVER - O.V.L. Stout (American Stout)
25. FIRESTONE WALKER - Pale Ale (American Pale Ale)

5 comments:

Stephen Lacey said...

Jay, I don't think you have enough American beers in that list. ;-)

Matt Walker (mwsf) said...

It's hard to take seriously any "Top 25" list that ranks Boont Amber number two!

And while I echo your love for Russian River, Damnation, Rejection, and OVL Stout are not their best beers. Beatification, Supplication, Temptation, Depuration, Toronado's 20th, Compunction, Redemption, Sanctification, either of the Pliny's, and Blind Pig IPA are all better than any of those three!

I'm glad you write your blog and I think you're an excellent writer but man, I really disagree with your beer reviews.

Jay H. said...

Matt, sounds like you're a sour beer/big beer partisan, and are too manly for a wuss beer like Boont Amber. Hey, that's cool. I've reviewed most of the RR beers you mention and for the most part have loved them; the whole "ranking" thing is 100% subjective and is totally my thing. You're free to disagree. Just don't knock the Boont when you're in MY house.

Mattias said...

Jay, I really like your list, except the Boont Amber almost at the top, :). Must be something special with you and your Boont:s!

And what can you do with tryi to list beers from all over the world when you create your own world list, when the US ones simply are the best! Anyway, as long as you like brews with distinctive flavours and hops, US is number one, probably not most balanced in the world but they taste something and they taste lot of everything.

There are so many good beer around the world, but when you do your own list you always have to calculate on the fact what you can actually get hold of at your local store and your favorite pub and what you have recently tested.

My current top 10 list looks like below;

1. Russian River Pliny The Elder
2. N�rke Kaggen! Stormaktsporter
3. Russian River Blind Pig IPA
4. Bell's Two Hearted Ale
5. Cantillon Kriek 100% Lambic
6. Stone IPA
7. Weyerbacher Hops Infusion
8. Bell's HopSlam
9. Drie Fonteinen Kriek
10. The Tap Leatherlips IPA

A bit different than yours, but this basically is based on what you can drink locally here in Sweden. And it changes almost every month!.

URL to my full list; http://mattias-beer-experience.blogspot.com/2007/07/mattias-beer-experience-to-25-beers.html

Anonymous said...

Man, I respect your reviews and love your blog, but am dumbfounded that Pliny the Elder doesn't make the list but Lagunitas Freakout, which is glorified homebrew swill with a Frank Zappa label slapped on it does. Go figure. Well, in no particular order, except fohttp://www.toronado.com/r Pliny at the top, I'd include iin my list: Plinty the Elder, Stone Ruination, Stone 10th Anniversary IPA, Moylan's Double IPA (waaaay better than the Hopsikle), Racer 5, Three Floyds Alpha King, Three Floyds X Anniversary (lucked into this purely due to a well-timed visit to Chicago, would love to get more), Port Hop 15, Green Flash West Coast IPA,Green Flash Imperial IPA, Russian River Blind Pig IPA, Port Swami IPA, Port Old Viscosity, Alesmith IPA, Alesmith Yulesmith, Avery 14th Anniversary, Port 547 Haight. Russian River Damnation, Port Wipeout, Houblon Chouffe, Duchesse de Bourgnone, Drake's Rodger's Last Stand, Moonlight Bombay By Boat IPA, Stone Imperial Russian Stout, Stone Arrogant Bastard, Marin Brewing White Knuckle Double IPA, Stone IPA, Deschutes Black Butte Porter, Lagunutas Freak Out, and for old times sake Guiness Stout. Crap, that's way more than 30. Don't drink and comment. And I have underrepresented the nation of Belgium, whose populace can not only brew amazing beers, but are also good at clapping (according to my namesake, at the recent Wilco show at the Greek).]

Major honorable mention to the version of Moylan's White Christmas from about five years ago. This beer used to be one of my absolute favorites in the days before Pliny, but then Moylan's switched from a hoppy brew to a spiced Belgian style, which is okay but not nearly as good. Kinda like getting socks for Christmas...