Five Great Anerican Beers?

Ok, my buddy who is spending this month in Japan and should be writing up a short report in the next few weeks for me (hint, hint there Reed) sent me this link:

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/04/five-great-american-beers.html#comments

A pretty good article but I thought I would include my thoughts from my e-mail response to him...


You are going to hat me because I've had 4 of those. World Wide Stout is incredible, just flat out amazing. One of the best 2 or 3 beers I've ever had. Too bad we can't get it here in Georgia. Have to see if we can find it up in Michigan for Joey's wedding. The Weyerbacher is ok, I prefer Dogfish Heads punkin better. They messed up the description of the Terrapin Gamma Ray, it is not a wheat beer but a wheatwine, totally different. Also too bad that you can't buy the stuff anymore since it was a limited release. I have one bottle left but know where I can get a few more, I'll pick you up one. Again they screw up on the Oskar Ten Fidy, it is not draft only, I bought a 6 pack last week. Ten FIDY is the darkest stout/porter I've ever had. Pours like motor oil but is pretty tasty. Can't get the last one here in the ATL.

This article is why I like yet loathe Paste at the same time. Decent articles but no research is ever put into them. Just seems the writers are kind of hacks half the time but they do write about interesting subjects. Also, if he wanted to pick the 5 great American beers he has to include something from California. As far as I am concerned the best thing California (damn, every time I write that word I get the scene from the wizard stuck in my head where the little kid says "California", anyway back to the rant) has ever done was to kick start the craft/extreme beer movement in the US. Sure Sam Adams did it on the east coast and Dogfish Head does some nice things these days but some of the stuff that the brewerys in CA and the northwest do are amazing. They pretty much invented the Double and Triple IPA style, the Russian Imperial Stout, Coffe Stout, Vanilla Porter, American Pale Ale (Not that Budweiser American ale shit), XPA and rejuvenated the barleywine stlye all pretty much on there own. Anyway that is just my 8 cents.


Concerning the New Job? Yeah it was April 1st, I wish I had a brewery job to brag about. Other news on the kegerator front, I think I finally got it balanced and pouring right. Installed a new regulator and new beer line and got the first clear and non-foamy pour off my HopNog keg, damn that is some good beer. I need to get back to the homebrew store to get a few more kits. If they have another HopNog kit I'll pick that up along with a stout or porter and a hefe. That is it for now, Happy Drinking!