Orlando Sentinel
“A hundred points on Beer Advocate, what else do you need to know?”
Many beer connoisseurs consider Pliny the Younger to be the best beer in the world, which is made evident by how far some traveled to have a glass at the Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa.
Some were from New York, Mississippi, Alabama and Los Angeles. There were even rumblings that someone from Australia was in line.
Last year, folks from overseas came to have some.
Blowback
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First!
affenhauer on February 4, 2012 at 9:58 PM
Everybody knows that Primo, Pearl, Dixie, Olympia and Rainer all the best in the USA.
RickB on February 4, 2012 at 9:59 PM
Three of my all-time favorite microbrewed beers come from the wine country in Northern California. Looks like Pliny will be on my short list, too.
John the Libertarian on February 4, 2012 at 10:00 PM
Tastes like bacon…?
ExpressoBold on February 4, 2012 at 10:06 PM
Because Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus is just too long for a beer name!
Warner Todd Huston on February 4, 2012 at 10:08 PM
During my freshmen year at Arizona State, back at the height of it’s party school hayday, my roommate and I made the mistake of getting a 12 pack of Olympia. That stuff was so bad that we couldn’t even give it away. Friends would come over after a test and want a beer, we’d offer them one and they pass and go and find an actual beer. We end up dumping the rest out at the end of the semester.
Flange on February 4, 2012 at 10:12 PM
I want that.
Howard Alan Treesong on February 4, 2012 at 10:33 PM
Back in 74, while satationed in Japan, my step-father bought a case of Primo, drank half of one, poured in it out and left the rest in a closet.
RickB on February 4, 2012 at 10:35 PM
I’d have liked to have tasted it, I have no taste in beer (I am in college, after all), and so tasting a beer that is rated as the best would be educational.
vegconservative on February 4, 2012 at 10:38 PM
Yea, that was pretty much what went on with the Olympia, but we were freshmen at ASU, it took more than one for us to learn.
Flange on February 4, 2012 at 10:47 PM
I hope there’ll be an even better Pliny the Elder beer.
Waggoner on February 4, 2012 at 10:53 PM
“F**k Heineken!
Pabst
Blue
Ribbon.”
– Frank from “Blue Velvet”
truth2power on February 4, 2012 at 11:03 PM
‘Hoppy’ is beer snob for ‘skunk water’.
catmman on February 4, 2012 at 11:17 PM
Skunky beer happens because of beer being exposed to too much heat and light. Has nothing to do with hops.
Flange on February 4, 2012 at 11:21 PM
Ohh nooo no no my man.
Nooo noo.
–
Currently the best beer I’ve ever had is North Coast Brewing Company’s “Old Rasputin” Stout.
It is by far the most complex, balanced, and well made beer I have EVER had. Phenomenal.
I’m picky with my craft brews. Had a bunch recently that had waaaayy too much bretanomyces. Sign of poor brewing.
blatantblue on February 5, 2012 at 12:18 AM
But sometimes it’s intentional; mostly to be avoided though.
blatantblue on February 5, 2012 at 12:18 AM
I’ve heard about Pliny. I’ll check it out!
blatantblue on February 5, 2012 at 12:20 AM
Oskar Blues Gubna double IPA. Best micro-brew beer out of a can.
CliffHanger on February 5, 2012 at 12:31 AM
I enjoy sour beers personally. Some Brett beers don’t even that much funky character, like Ommegang’s Aphrodite. I was just enjoying some Rodenbach classic which had lactic and acetic acid producing bacteria in addition to Brett, and it’s definitely among my favorite beers.
kithara86 on February 5, 2012 at 12:36 AM
Yes…which is why cans are becoming popular among microbrews. A couple in Louisiana (Tin Roof in Baton Rouge and NOLA Brewing) sell six pack cans. Another one only sells beer in cans during Mardi Gras because most cities ban glass containers.
Of course beer snobs have ruined just enjoying beer for the fun. Plenty of them complain that beer should never be in cans. Beer snobs are d-bags worse than wine snobs.
Lay-Z on February 5, 2012 at 12:42 AM
I was intrigued until the article said “hoppy”. I don’t go for hoppy beers. Then it said, “triple IPA”. I really don’t like IPA’s. I’ve tried a few over my twenty years of drinking beer. Bitter, hoppy beer is just swill to me.
I seem to continually come back to brown ales and similar sorts. Dundee (I like the Honey Brown Lager), Newcastle, Bass among a lot of others.
There’s a local microbrew called O’Fallon that’s got a fall pumpkin brew that I find to be the best, bar-none outside of a home-brew.
Two of the worst beers I’ve had were out of Louisiana. Dixie, and one far, far worse. Lagniappe. A buddy had gotten hold of a case or two of it, tried one and gave it to another friend. That friend tried it and couldn’t stomach it so he gave it to me. I tried one, and couldn’t stomach it so we gave it to our drunk, alcoholic friend. Even he passed it up. If two beer snobs, a regular drinker and a drunk all pass up the same beer, it’s pure swill.
Logus on February 5, 2012 at 12:44 AM
I’m not that bad. I just find that if a beer like Budweiser smells about the same fresh from the can or bottle as a barroom bathroom does minus the stale cigarette butts and smoke, then it’s probably not that good.
And with all of the really big beer companies becoming part of mega-conglomerates, I tend not to buy them just as a matter of principle… of course realizing the probability that eventually I’m probably buying beer sold and owned by some conglomerate.
Being in St. Louis though, I’ve tried to steer away from all Bud products, especially once InBev bought them. I’d rather buy OFallon, Boulevard or Schlafly.
Logus on February 5, 2012 at 12:50 AM
Dixie is being brewed by a contract brewer in Wisconsin. It hasn’t been the same in years. The original brewery on Tulane Ave was going to be torn down to make way for a new VA hospital but it still stands. It looks like its going to fall down one day.
Lay-Z on February 5, 2012 at 12:53 AM
Sierra Nevada is another favorite brewing company of mine.
Lagunitas has been doing well too, recently.
blatantblue on February 5, 2012 at 12:55 AM
A lot of my friends and I had gotten into home-brewing back when it was just getting popular. Only one of them turned into a real beer snob. All the rest of us have no problem drinking Coors in a can. I personally perfer anything in a glass bottle, sodas too, but I’ll drink from a can. The thing about snobs, I suspect most of the creators of microbrews are beer snobs and my beer snob friend is the best brewer of my friends. Snobs don’t usually bother me, I find it kind of amusing, and I think they are the ones that are the engine driving the growth of microbrews.
Flange on February 5, 2012 at 1:06 AM
My gripe with beer snobs is my experience are the ones who want to make beer culture as pretentious as wine is. Beer is a social beverage, a beverage for the every man.
Some take it to a new level by turning their nose up at microbrews that become very successful and grow to become nationally known. They are the hipsters of beer drinkers.
I don’t think all microbrewers are snobs, some just love the beverage and the craft in making it. I love beer. I travel a lot for my job and try to get my hands on what’s local, yet I’ll kick back a few Miller Lites at a ball game. When I played softball on weekends, you’d probably get your ass kicked for bringing a Belgian sour, even if it were in a can.
Lay-Z on February 5, 2012 at 1:20 AM
IDK. Long Island has exploded with breweries in the last few years. I don’t see much in the way of snobbery.
I work in the wine industry, and the micro brew stuff going on is definitely different in disposition.
blatantblue on February 5, 2012 at 1:22 AM
I’ll be honest, though. I don’t like poorly crafted beer, and I hate poorly made wine.
By that I mean, wine and beer that lack character, complexity, and balance.
Tried a new brewery about an hour west from me last night. Really subpar. The beer was thin, not very flavorful, and seriously out of balance.
Call it snobby, but those things are important!
blatantblue on February 5, 2012 at 1:27 AM
I think of wanting good wine or beer like good food.
If you have a favorite joint for a GREAT burger, you like it because it is well made.
The burger is cooked to your liking. The cheese is melted. The bun is toasted if you want, or it isn’t stale.
If the burger is cooked properly, but the cheese is still thick and not melted properly, but the bun is good, the beer is “out of balance.”
Everything’s gotta be there
blatantblue on February 5, 2012 at 1:35 AM
Lay-Z, that’s what I find so funny about the snobs. Anyone who takes something so serious sets themselves up for a lot disappointment and it doesn’t damper my evening. Watching a grown man sulk about beer selection is funny to me. And I didn’t mean all microbrewers are snobs, but that drive for a better brew does lend itself toward snobbery.
Flange on February 5, 2012 at 1:43 AM
I’ll do an extra drive for a better beer because I like nice flavor.
People will drive a longer distance quite often to a better institution because they know the food is better there. It’s a similar concept.
blatantblue on February 5, 2012 at 1:48 AM
Blatantblue, there’s nothing wrong with liking something that you like. I think where the snobbery turns people off is the condescending or preaching attitude some have. We don’t have to have the same tastes, if you like something better made than what I happen to be consuming, that’s cool. But looking down on me for my decision won’t endear you to me, or make me think higher of you. I don’t think you’re doing that, that’s just an example.
Flange on February 5, 2012 at 1:50 AM
And I meant drive as in motivation, not the willingness to drive farther.
Flange on February 5, 2012 at 1:52 AM
Word I’m with you
I will say this though…
I have turned a lot of my friends on to good wine and good beer.
Don’t get me wrong, I know when to turn my palate off.
Tonight I got a 7 dollar bottle of primitivo. It wasn’t that great, but you know what, after a long day at work, my buddy and I just wanted a lil hooch. So I turned the palate off and enjoyed. I go to my friends homes and many of them only keep coors in stock. It’s not my fave, but I’ll turn the palate off and get some enjoyment out of it.
I think many people don’t appreciate a good wine or beer, but conversely, too many people don’t know how to turn their snobbery off, and just enjoy.
blatantblue on February 5, 2012 at 1:53 AM
Sorry! Near 2 am here
Reading comp is falling
blatantblue on February 5, 2012 at 1:57 AM
It sounds like we’re pretty much on the same page. Cheers!
Flange on February 5, 2012 at 1:58 AM
Worth a special trip in Air Force One.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on February 5, 2012 at 7:34 AM
For those of you in the mid-Atlantic region, try Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA, brewed in Delaware. Very hoppy, but great flavors.
Trafalgar on February 5, 2012 at 8:52 AM
Although I prefer stouts (e.g. Stone Russian Imperial stout is very good) for those of you who like a ‘hoppy’ beer Hopslam from Bell’s in Kalamazoo MI is one of the best out there.
Bunsin2 on February 5, 2012 at 9:09 AM
I’m not much of a connoisseur; I try a lot of micro-brews but I always go back to Fat Tire amber ale for home consumption. I see a few new suggestions here to try.
Thanks, one and all.
mad scientist on February 5, 2012 at 9:17 AM
IPA is my favorite. Bell’s is a good brew, haven’t tried the Hopslam, but their Two Hearted is nice. Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo is a nice and consistent IPA and at 7.2 it is nice and effecty.
Mimzey on February 5, 2012 at 9:24 AM
I was interested until I read that it is an India Pale, one of my least favorites.
Best tasting beer I had recently was a Dundee English Style Ale. It has been a very mild winter here, and I went fishing at a pond where the ice is already melted around the shoreline. Nothing is better than fresh bluegills that come out of cold water, fileted and fried up right out of the pond. Might have had something to do with how good that English Style tasted, but it was good. Dundee makes a couple of really good beers, so if you can get a craft-pak (12 beers, four varieties) give it a try.
novaculus on February 5, 2012 at 10:19 AM
You gotta check out Old Rasputin stout.
You will cry
blatantblue on February 5, 2012 at 10:45 AM
Blatantblue, thanks for the tip. I do like me a good stout, but I try to avoid California products when possible. California and I don’t get along. I think I’m still banned from Chico.
Flange on February 5, 2012 at 11:01 AM
Ok go east coast and try Southern Tier Brewing Co
blatantblue on February 5, 2012 at 11:28 AM