Chat Thread - Official BotRH Beer Club

[Tyler Glembo]

Let's see...Mississippi should be higher just because of Crooked Letter brewery...

 

*continues reading*

[Yates]

So you never made it past Mississippi?

[Tyler Glembo]

Ha.  No, I saw Oregon at #1.  Not really sure how I feel about it.  On one hand, I don't think Oregon has the best craft brews in the nation, even considering Deschutes.  On the other, everybody I know from Oregon is very serious about the beer they brew up there and loves it.

 

I might be biased because I would rank them purely on the top brews from each state, not on the aggregate.  But, thinking about aggregate I might have CO #1, and then I'd pop PA up higher than #8.  Not sure where...

[Drunk Tank]

I have to update this thread with some of the beers I've been drinking.

 

Instead, I'm going to post a link my brother sent me ranking every state in the US.

 

I think #1 is a joke and an incredible slap in the face to numbers 2 and 3 but I'll let you decide.

I'll say Texas is too high on the list. Shiner is good, but what else do we have. When I go to the beer store I have a devil of a time finding anything but brand name stuff. I will admit when I lived in Missouri they were rife with micro brews....I miss that.

 

Budweiser isn't beer enough to put out a fire.

[Yates]

As great as Colorado is, California is the CLEAR #1 choice by a mile. I don't even know how that's a debate. I could name 2 great beers for every one coming out of any other state. And that's just a fact.

 

I have the top 10 like this:

 

1. California - Russian River, AleSmith, Stone, Lost Abbey, Firestone Walker, Bruery, Lagunitas, Anderson Valley, Green Flash, Ballast Point...??? That's an EMBARRASSMENT of riches.

 

[big Gap]

 

2. Colorado - Oskar Blues, New Belgium, Great Divide, Avery, Left Hand, and Boulder Beer all make some great stuff.

 

3. Michigan - Founders, Dark Horse, Jolly Pumpkin, New Holland, B. Nektar...

 

4. Oregon - Full Sail, Widmer, and Rogue are all good but WAY over-hyped. Deschutes is the one true heavyweight.

 

5. Pennsylvania - First of all, Weyerbacher and Troegs are amazing. Yards, Stoudts, Sly Fox, and Victory round out a solid lineup.

 

6. Vermont - Sure. Heady Topper and pretty much anything from Hill Farmstead is overrated. Still, how do you define what it means to be a "cult beer?" Harpoon, Long Trail, and Magic Hat may not be GREAT but they are at least as good as Sam Adams and fairly widely distributed. Lawson's Finest is one brewery only people "in the know" are talking about that needs more play. Their Maple Tripel is like "whoah!"

 

7. Wisconsin - I kind of want to put Wisconsin behind NY but I'm biased. New Glarus and Lake Front are brewing some really great beers. Almost makes up for Leinenkugel and Miller. Almost.

 

8. New York - I'm cheating. I know where all the good beer in NY is that doesn't get distributed and I'm not sharing. Yeah. You guys know about Ommegang. I'm sure you've had some of the mass produced Brooklyn swill - if you weren't lucky enough to trade for Black Ops. It's probable that you've gotten your mitts on a couple cans of Sixpoint. You may have even found your way to some of the Southern Tier Blackwater series beers. You're probably just now getting up to speed on Captain Lawrence. Good for you. Just stay away from my line on Rushing Duck. Please and thank you. All I'm going to say is that I've spent a night in a tent at Hill Farmstead and nothing they made was objectively as delicious as the beers coming out of Chester, NY. Plus, there's this little gypsy brewer that hangs around in NY brewing beer under this label called Evil Twin. That beer is terrible. If you accidentally get any, just box it up and ship it this way for immediate safe disposal.

 

9. Massachusetts - Crap on Sam Adams all you want but give Boston Beer Company their due. They are one of the breweries single handidly responsible for our current craft beer craze. And for that; I am eternally thankful. Still, if you're ever in the Boston area, you'd be hard-pressed to find a bad beer at John Harvards. Pretty Things is putting out some SOLID unique beers and Jack's Abbey is finding their niche mostly in lagers. There also has to be a special shout out to Spencer Brewery - America's first Trappist brewery. That's right, you can get REAL monk beer brewed in the United States!

 

10. Ohio? Maybe? Just based on Fat Heads, Great Lakes, and Hoppin' Frog? I don't know. I'd feel terrible leaving out Indiana - even if just for Three Floyds - but I guess Ohio gets the edge?

[Yates]

I'll say Texas is too high on the list. Shiner is good, but what else do we have.

Yeah. I think Texas is too high, too. However, you do have St Arnold and Jester King. St Arnold makes some solid barrel aged beers and Jester King makes some ridiculous sours. Plus, I still have one of the last bottles of the original Black Metal recipe in existence sitting in my beer cave. So that's going to break my heart when I finally open it.

[Tyler Glembo]

As great as Colorado is, California is the CLEAR #1 choice by a mile. I don't even know how that's a debate. I could name 2 great beers for every one coming out of any other state. And that's just a fact.

 

I have the top 10 like this:

 

1. California - Russian River, AleSmith, Stone, Lost Abbey, Firestone Walker, Bruery, Lagunitas, Anderson Valley, Green Flash, Ballast Point...??? That's an EMBARRASSMENT of riches.

 

[big Gap]

 

2. Colorado - Oskar Blues, New Belgium, Great Divide, Avery, Left Hand, and Boulder Beer all make some great stuff.

 

 

 

7. Wisconsin - I kind of want to put Wisconsin behind NY but I'm biased. New Glarus and Lake Front are brewing some really great beers. Almost makes up for Leinenkugel and Miller. Almost.

 

 

 

 

My thoughts...

 

1) I can't put CA over CO for one reason....my lack of experience.  See, I've been to CO many times and gotten to visit the small brewers like Crooked Stave, Copper Kettle, FATE, Twisted Pine, and AC Golden who have 0 distribution but make great, great sour beers (AC's hidden barrel apricot got a 99% on ratebeer). I've been to local tastings in Golden, Boulder, Denver, etc etc.  As for CA?  Yeah, I lived in SanFran for a bit, but I've never really experienced the beer scene there so I don't know it.

 

2) Crap on Leinies all you want, but I enjoy it (and I have a bottle signed by Jake Leinenkugel himself).  The Summer Shandy is a great beer for around the pool and the Honey Weiss is very drinkable.  As for Miller, I can't defend quality here, but I can say the best (most fun) brewery tour I have ever been on was Miller.  Not that I've been on many, but still.  Worst brewery tour I've ever been on?  Steam Whistle brewing up in Toronto.

[Tyler Glembo]

Oh, and why does everybody always shit all over us?  No District of Columbia on the list?  Boo.  If we are only including "states" on the list then Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky shouldn't be listed as they aren't states either.

 

DC has a fast growing list of local breweries and it is only growing.

 

Within the beltway we have: DC Brau, Atlas Brew Works, Bluejacket, Right Proper, Lost Rhino, Jailbreak, Old Ox, Adroit Theory, 3 Stars, Port City, Beltway Brewing, Chocolate City.

 

DC, with all the foreign embassies, has so much diversity.  Because of the diversity, it is a foodies dream, with great restaurants representing cultures from all over the world.  And the beer scene here is quickly growing in diversity, especially if you consider local breweries that aren't DC proper but in the Washington DC Metro area, like Flying Dog in MD and Mad Fox in NoVA. 

[Yates]

I can't put CA over CO for one reason....my lack of experience.

Now granted, I take these results with a grain of salt since the GABF is pretty much a hedonistic taste experience. HOWEVER, the results of the GABF winners year in and year out do speak volumes about the quality of beers being produced in certain states.

 

FIFTY TWO BEERS from California won medals at the GABF in 2013. If you ascribe a value of 3 to first place winners, 2 to 2nd place winners, and 1 to 3rd place winners and add it all up, California scored 101 points.

 

Medal Beer Name Brewery

Gold AleSmith Old Numbskull AleSmith Brewing Co.

Gold Kilgore Stout Beachwood BBQ & Brewing

Gold Foam Top Beachwood BBQ & Brewing

Gold Scottish Ale Campbell Brewing Co.

Gold Davy Brown Ale Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. - Buellton

Gold Stagecoach Stout Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. - Buellton

Gold Wookey Jack Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Gold Taproom IPA Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Gold Pivo Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Gold Warmer Hangar 24 Craft Brewery

Gold Red Trolley Ale Karl Strauss Brewing Co.

Gold Ale Epeteios Left Coast Brewing Co.

Gold Bonobos Monkey Paw Brewing Co.

Gold Beer Hunter Pizza Port Ocean Beach

Gold Prohibition Ale Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

Gold Blarney Sisters Dry Irish Stout Third Street Aleworks

Silver MCA 21st Amendment Brewery

Silver AleSmith Decadence 2012 Quadrupel AleSmith Brewing Co.

Silver Udder Love Beachwood BBQ & Brewing

Silver Black Sails Coronado Brewing Company Brewpub

Silver Black Robusto Porter Drake's Brewing Co.

Silver Stearns Stout Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. - Santa Barbara

Silver Oktoberfest Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. - Santa Barbara

Silver Surfliner Lager Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. - Santa Barbara

Silver Union Jack Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Silver Belgo Hoptologist Knee Deep Brewing Co.

Silver Steelhead Extra Pale Ale Mad River Brewing Co.

Silver Old Style Pabst Brewing Co.

Silver Rhino Chaser Pizza Port Ocean Beach

Silver Sanctification Russian River Brewing Co.

Silver Loose Lucy Scotch Ale Seabright Brewery

Silver Barrel-Aged Narwhal Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Silver Rye Smile Triple Rock Brewery

Bronze Gold Country Pilsner Auburn Alehouse

Bronze System of a Stout Beachwood BBQ & Brewing

Bronze Barrel-Aged Full Malted Jacket Beachwood BBQ & Brewing

Bronze Heritage Bear Republic Brewing Co.

Bronze The Twelve - Belgian Quad Black Diamond Brewing Co.

Bronze Potential Blonde Kinetic Brewing Co.

Bronze Torque Kinetic Brewing Co.

Bronze Dragoon's Dry Irish Stout Moylan's Brewing Co.

Bronze Oxymoron Oceanside Ale Works

Bronze Rainier Pabst Brewing Co.

Bronze Special Export Pabst Brewing Co.

Bronze Kung Fu Elvis Pizza Port Ocean Beach

Bronze Oats. Pizza Port Solana Beach

Bronze TAPS Helles TAPS Fish House & Brewery - Brea

Bronze TAPS Schwarzbier TAPS Fish House & Brewery - Corona

Bronze California Ale Telegraph Brewing Co.

Bronze Red Poppy The Lost Abbey

Bronze Bombay Rouge Red IPA Third Street Aleworks

Bronze Red Rock Triple Rock Brewery

 

 

Colorado, by comparison, scored a respectable 94 - which is still far short of 101.

 

Medal Beer Name Brewery

Gold Golden Knot - Chardonnay Blue Moon Brewing Co.

Gold Munich Dunkel Carver Brewing Co.

Gold Big Horn Hefeweizen CB and Potts Restaurant and Brewery - Fort Collins

Gold Bandit Brown City Star Brewing

Gold S.S. Minnow Mild Dry Dock Brewing Co. - South Dock

Gold Wee Heavy Dry Dock Brewing Co. - South Dock

Gold Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout Great Divide Brewing Co.

Gold Fade to Black Volume 1 Left Hand Brewing Co.

Gold Sawtooth Ale Left Hand Brewing Co.

Gold Milk Stout Left Hand Brewing Co.

Gold 5 Barrel Odell Brewing Co.

Gold Peachy Peach Pagosa Brewing & Grill

Gold Keller Pils Prost Brewing Co.

Gold Moonlight Porter Rock Bottom Brewery

Gold Move Back SandLot

Gold Second Hand Smoke SandLot

Gold True Blonde Ale Ska Brewing

Gold Slam Dunkel Steamworks Brewing Co.

Gold Elektrick Cukumbahh Trinity Brewing Co.

Silver Featherweight Pale Cannonball Creek Brewing Co.

Silver Battlecat Stout Cannonball Creek Brewing Co.

Silver Colorado Boy Irish Ale Colorado Boy Brewing Co.

Silver Extra Pale Summer Ale Dry Dock Brewing Co. - North Dock

Silver HMS Victory Amber Dry Dock Brewing Co. - North Dock

Silver Hanging Lake Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co.

Silver Czech Pilsner Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant - Rockville, MD

Silver Charlie's Brown New Belgium Brewing Co.

Silver The Hammer Rock Bottom Brewery

Silver Chai Milk Stout Yak & Yeti Restaurant & Brewpub

Bronze IPL AC Golden

Bronze Lilikoi Kepolo Avery Brewing Co.

Bronze Release the Hounds Barley Wine Bull & Bush Brewery

Bronze Mule Kick City Star Brewing

Bronze HopSavant Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

Bronze Enterprise IPA Dry Dock Brewing Co. - North Dock

Bronze Echo Amber Echo Brewing Co.

Bronze The Fearless Youth Grimm Brothers Brewhouse

Bronze Gluten-Free Brown Ale New Planet Beer Co.

Bronze Hammer and Sickle Renegade Brewing Co.

Bronze Longboard Brown Rock Bottom Brewery

Bronze Ragtop Red Rock Bottom Brewery

Bronze Redhawk Ale Rockyard Brewing Co.

Bronze Goat Rancher SandLot

Bronze West Bound Braggot Twisted Pine Brewing Co.

Bronze Oatmeal Stout Upslope Brewing Co.

Bronze Super 77 Wheat Wiley Roots Brewing Co.

 

 

Oregon? Oregon scored 52 using these metrics. Also, I need to take a moment and recognize that I completely forgot about Ninkasi when mentioning Oregon beers. That was a pretty big oversight.

 

Medal Beer Name Brewery

Gold German Sparkle Party Berliner Weiss 10 Barrel Brewing Co.

Gold Shredders Wheat Baker City Brewing Co.

Gold Hand Truck Baker City Brewing Co.

Gold Pallet Jack IPA Barley Brown's Brew Pub

Gold Lovely Bend Brewing Co.

Gold Ching Ching Bend Brewing Co.

Gold Harvester Brewing IPA No. 1 Harvester Brewing

Gold Bohemian Pilsner Ninkasi Brewing Co.

Gold Hellshire III Oakshire Brewing

Gold Cent's and Censability Old Town Brewing Co.

Silver Don Vanuchi "The Killer" Baker City Brewing Co.

Silver Gluten Free Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House

Silver Sage Fight Imperial IPA Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House

Silver Tailgater Kölsch Flat Tail Brewing Co.

Silver Silverspot IPA Pelican Brewing Co.

Silver Myrtle The Commons Brewery

Silver Urban Farmhouse Ale The Commons Brewery

Bronze Fresh Hop Pallet Jack Barley Brown's Brew Pub

Bronze Black Diamond Bend Brewing Co.

Bronze Passionfruit Sour Breakside Brewery - Milwaukie Brewery

Bronze Breakside ESB Breakside Brewery - Pub Brewery

Bronze Little Green Flat Tail Brewing Co.

Bronze Doryman's Dark Ale Pelican Brewing Co.

Bronze Tsunami Stout Pelican Brewing Co.

Bronze Kiwanda Cream Ale Pelican Brewing Co.

 

 

Again, I acknowledge that this is a flawed way of determining the quality of beer coming out of each state. However, it *is* one piece of hard evidence that supports the bigger picture perspective on the beer scene.

[Krakalakachkn]

Gimmeh dat funk metal

[Krakalakachkn]

lol @ full sail + rogue

[Yates]

Gimmeh dat funk metal

If you are ever in the area, shoot me a pm. I will use that as an acceptable excuse to share a beer like that!

[Krakalakachkn]

Had one once before.  It's awesome.  Prepare yoself.

[Yates]

I received two bottles and opened 1 at a bottle share where someone brought Westy XII and someone else brought Pliny. These were some SERIOUS beer geeks so it was justified.

[Tyler Glembo]

Now granted, I take these results with a grain of salt since the GABF is pretty much a hedonistic taste experience. HOWEVER, the results of the GABF winners year in and year out do speak volumes about the quality of beers being produced in certain states.

FIFTY TWO BEERS from California won medals at the GABF in 2013. If you ascribe a value of 3 to first place winners, 2 to 2nd place winners, and 1 to 3rd place winners and add it all up, California scored 101 points.

 

Colorado, by comparison, scored a respectable 94 - which is still far short of 101.

 

 

Oregon? Oregon scored 52 using these metrics. Also, I need to take a moment and recognize that I completely forgot about Ninkasi when mentioning Oregon beers. That was a pretty big oversight.

 

 

Again, I acknowledge that this is a flawed way of determining the quality of beer coming out of each state. However, it *is* one piece of hard evidence that supports the bigger picture perspective on the beer scene.

 

 

First off, it is factually incorrect to say the that 94 is "still far short of 101".  The difference between 94 and 101 is negligible considering the next closest finisher had half the number of points, the average score for a state was 9.96 (using your metric) and the standard deviation was 20.2.  Both CA and CO are between 4-5 standard deviations above average, and the difference between their scores is less than half a std dev.  Statistically, the difference between their scores is not significant (loosely using the term).

 

Second, CO had more Gold's than CA.  So...umm...technical term here, neener neener?  XD

 

So, if you want to rank CA ahead of CO, I won't argue.  As I said, I rank CO ahead mostly based on my own experience/inexperience and were my experience different I might do the opposite.  However, it is not statistically correct to say "it isn't even close" based on using something like the beer rankings from GABF as a metric.

[Tyler Glembo]

I received two bottles and opened 1 at a bottle share where someone brought Westy XII and someone else brought Pliny. These were some SERIOUS beer geeks so it was justified.

 

I'm so jealous right now and wish I lived closer.

[Yates]

So, if you want to rank CA ahead of CO, I won't argue.

I feel like this is a 1st World problem. Which ridiculously good craft beer state is better than the other ridiculously good craft beer state is a really nice problem to have. I guess I gave more weight to California because ultimately Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger are two of the most sought after brews in the world and they are both brewed in the same brewery. Plus, Stone is a craft beer stalwart [even though I'm not personally a fan] that has massive distribution. PLUS, I have a special place in my heart for AleSmith [speedway Stout is one of the best RIS's around for cheap] and Firestone Walker who is almost solely responsible for the Black IPA fad thanks to Wooky Jack.

 

And, crap, I forgot North Coast! Old Rasputen? Man... I have ONE bottle of their barrel aged XV.

 

Off the top of my head? Yeti is the only beer I can think of that I flip over. I actually have a 4 year old chocolate oak aged Yeti waiting for the birth of my daughter. Don't get me wrong. Ten Fidy is easily the best stout you'll find in a can and I quite enjoy the Lips of Faith series. I guess maybe I need to find some Crooked Stave? I'm not sure if I've had anything from them...

[Tyler Glembo]

[Tyler Glembo]

Also, YES to both Pliny's.  Just...YES.

[Tyler Glembo]

Maybe we should argue over who should be last?  Trolololol  XD

[Yates]

BEER PRON!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Krakalakachkn]

I'm jealous of your access to Firestone Walker.

 

I remember my surprise when I found Wookie Jack for $4.50 at a liquor store in Colorado.

 

 

$4.50!

[Krakalakachkn]

 

 

[Yates]

I remember my surprise when I found Wookie Jack for $4.50 at a liquor store in Colorado.

That's the thing. Their beers are great AND inexpensive! I think Wooky Jack regularly sells for $5 or $6 for a bomber. I can get a 6 pack of Union Jack for $8.

[Krakalakachkn]

h8u