Pliny the Elder wins 4th year in a row!
There is this poll that runs every year thanks to the homebrew publication Zymurgy Magazine regarding what their readers think is the best beer in the U.S. Well its been ten years and running, and it looks like Russian River's Pliny the Elder Double IPA out of California is reigning supreme for the fourth year in a row! I got my hands on some Pliny thanks to man J.D., the beer pimp of Eli Cannon's Tap Room in Connecticut and a fellow Sierra Nevada Beer Camper who hooked me up with a bottle last weekend when we were in Chico. (Thanks homey!)
Honestly, I am not mad at what the 16,445 pollsters picked, but I know of some gangster breweries out there that should certainly get a nod in the future, including Utah's Epic and Uinta, Ithaca, Three Floyds, Brooklyn, and of course, some Georgia guys who are kickin' tail like SweetWater and Terrapin when it comes to multi-state access. Of course, it's all about distribution and exposure, but hey, I'm just sayin'. Anyway, one thing is for certain: America has a ton of hop heads because the first 19 flex some serious muscle in the IBU department. I damn sure am one of 'em!
So congrats to this Top 50 list. I will have to admit that I have had every single one of them and truth be told, none of them suck. Seriously. My challenge is for you to try 'em all as well. To show love to those who got snubbed, feel free to add to this list in the comment section and/or on my twitter handle (www.twitter.com/alesharpton). I will certainly chime in and post what you guys think deserves justice in a week or so. Sound cool? Let's do it!
1. Russian River Pliny the Elder
2. Bell's Two Hearted Ale
3. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
4. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
5. Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale
6. Bell's Hopslam
7. Sierra Nevada Celebration
8. Stone Ruination IPA
9. Sierra Nevada Torpedo
10. North Coast Old Rasputin
11. Firestone Walker Union Jack
12. Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye
13. Bear Republic Racer 5
14. Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale
15. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
16. Firestone Walker Double Jack
T17. Ballast Point Sculpin IPA
T17. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
19. Stone IPA
20. New Belgium Fat Tire
21. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
22. Avery Maharaja
23. Founders Breakfast Stout
24. Left Hand Milk Stout
T25. Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA
T25. New Belgium Ranger
T25. Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale
28. Deschutes The Abyss
29. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
30. Surly Furious
T31. Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin
T31. Rogue Dead Guy
T31. Samuel Adams Boston Lager
34. Troegs Nugget Nectar
T35. Lagunitas IPA
T35. New Belgium La Folie
T37. Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
T37. Founders KBS
T37. Russian River Blind Pig IPA
41. Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale
42. Victory Prima Pils
43. Great Divide Yeti
T44. Alaskan Smoked Porter
T44. Anchor Steam
T44. Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
T44. Samuel Adams Noble Pils
T48. Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
T48. Oskar Blues Ten Fidy
T48. Russian River Pliny the Younger
