# What To Buy From American Craft Breweries?



## starkesbier (27/7/10)

I am off overseas for a week or so and have the opportunity to bring back some of the following list of beers :icon_drool2: . As I will be limited in the amount I can bring back I need to sort the good from the bad and the ugly. All opinions much appreciated.

*Gordon Biersch*Czech Style PilsnerBlonde BockHefeweizenMarzenFestBierSummerBrau*Ballast Point*Calico Amber AleYellowtail Pale AleBig Eye India Pale AleBlack Marlin PorterWahoo Wheat BeerSculpin India Pale AleVictory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter * **Anderson Valley*Boont Amber AlePoleeko Gold Pale AleHop Ottin IPABarney Flats Oatmeal StoutBoont Extra Special Beer*Southern Tier*422 Pale WheatIndia Pale AlePhin & Matt's Pale AlePorterChoklat Imperial Stout*Stone Brewing*Pale AleIndia Pale AleLevitation AleOaked Arrogant Bastard AleRuination IPA


Cheers
Starkesbier


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## jbowers (27/7/10)

Where abouts are you going?

Of those breweries, ballast point, southern tier and stone are the best.


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## reviled (27/7/10)

Ruination :icon_drool2: Want!!


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## Murcluf (27/7/10)

Russian River Brewing Co has got some beauties I love redemption


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## starkesbier (27/7/10)

jbowers said:


> Where abouts are you going?
> 
> Of those breweries, ballast point, southern tier and stone are the best.




I'm going to the Philippines (a former american colony). Found an importer that will deliver to my hotel room. very nice :icon_cheers:


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## jbowers (27/7/10)

Ah ok, so you are just limited to those. The whole Stone range is exemplary. Ballast point get some good reviews, and of those Southern Tier beers only really Choklat excited me though the IPA is solid too.

Check out Beer Advocate for more reviews!


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## bum (27/7/10)

Anderson Valley is pretty meh. Stone have a couple of amazing beers but none are on that list. Can't speak for most of those Southern Tier beers but the ones that I've had have made me want to try more. Never tried the other two.


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## brettprevans (27/7/10)

Zymology had top USA rated beers in current issue. I'd be looking at those. 
Russian river rocks. Don't forget the Canadian beers also


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## bum (27/7/10)

citymorgue2 said:


> Russian river rocks.


 
Yes. They do in deed rock. As do all of their beers. 







What, this old thing? Oh, it's just all of their beers. They were very nice.


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## jbowers (27/7/10)

bum said:


> Yes. They do in deed rock. As do all of their beers.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Dude, I hate you... :icon_drool2:


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## schooey (27/7/10)

bum said:


> What, this old thing? Oh, it's just all of their beers. They were very nice.



<_<


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## bum (27/7/10)

schooey said:


> <_<


 
Shit. Sorry, Schooey.

[EDIT: typo]


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## schooey (27/7/10)

:lol: ... no need to apologise, bum. I'm only a lot jealous when I look at that pic. One day I'll get back over there


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## Jez (27/7/10)

Russian River beers are awesome.

Pliny is very good, Consecration is better but as for Supplication :icon_drool2: 

Went to Ballast Point too - their Sculpin IPA is great

Stone's Ruination is really good too.

I drowned myself in IPA's when I was over there but it all depends on what style you want.


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## liverpuddles (27/7/10)

i love a taster tray that provides an implement for lines afterwards. beats rolling up a $100 bill.


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## BrenosBrews (27/7/10)

Southern Tier & Anderson Valley are available here imported by Innspire and would/should be available at the better craft beer bottle shops in Brisbane.

Those Stone beers are also here but as "grey market" imports. The Oaked Arrogant Bastard was awful but the other three were still really good, especially the Ruination. As you can see Gordon Biersch focus is on German styles and not exactly very highly rated.

So that leaves Ballast Point. Stock up on Sculpin IPA and Victory At Sea. Then send me a bottle of each


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## bum (27/7/10)

liverpuddles said:


> i love a taster tray that provides an implement for lines afterwards. beats rolling up a $100 bill.


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## dogs01 (28/7/10)

I am staying in an apartment above the Rogue public house just across the bay from the Brewery for 15 nights from the 1st Sep. 
Stroll down the steps at 11.00am and crawl up the steps at 11.00pm. What a way to go.

Just miss the Great American Beer Festival in Denver but will plan my trip next year so I can attend that as well. 
Hope to get a few guys from the Newcastle area and try and do a 14 day tour from Portland Oregon by road to Denver. Heaps of breweries on the way.

Dogs


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## Ivan Other One (28/7/10)

liverpuddles said:


> i love a taster tray that provides an implement for lines afterwards. beats rolling up a $100 bill.




That implement looks a lot more sturdier than a rolled up $100 bill would be, just lay it flat on the paper and scribe your pencil along one side and presto; a straight line.


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## JonnyAnchovy (28/7/10)

bum said:


>




you ass. 


I actually just looked at virgin airfares to the US. really.


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## DanRayner (29/7/10)

bum said:


> Yes. They do in deed rock. As do all of their beers.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I see your Russian River beer paddle:






And raise you my hotel room dinner:


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## Curry (31/7/10)

Sorry but whilst we are hijacking the thread I'll go as far as to say that the Russian River stuff is orgasmic! I usually spend half a day driving all over LA to get some Pliny the Elder, usually limited to 1 bottle purchase per shop but the poor Aussie tourist line usually helps get more.

For the OP, I just brought back 10 litres of US craft brews in my suitcase. I declared it and didn't pay duty, but it depends on which Customs Officer you get on the day. Anyways the duty on beer is pretty small, so I wouldn't be worried about going over your duty free limit. The limiting factor is usually weight in the bags, hope you have a hard-case suitcase as I am sure you are aware that you can't carry it on anymore.

+1 for Stone

Also the Gordon Biersch Marzen is a favourite of mine too.


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## reviled (31/7/10)

bum said:


> Stone have a couple of amazing beers but none are on that list.



:blink: wtf?? Ruination is IMO Stones best beer!! And Levitation is truely awesome as well!!


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## bum (31/7/10)

DanRayner said:


> I see your Russian River beer paddle:
> And raise you my hotel room dinner:


 
I see your pitiful selection of beers available in Australia and I raise you the beers I (mostly) drank in my hotel room last visit Stateside:
Acme Pale Ale 
Anchor Porter 
Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA 
Beach Chalet Brewery Lake Merritt IPA 
Beach Chalet Brewery Smoked Ale 
Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye Specialty Ale 
Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA 
Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale 
Bear Republic XP Pale Ale 
Brewdog Tokyo* 
Brouwerij Van Steenberge Gulden Draak 
Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA 
Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale 
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA 
Dogfish Head Aprihop IPA 
Dogfish Head Barton Baton Oak Aged Imperial IPA 
Dogfish Head Midas Touch Handcrafted Ancient Ale 
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron 
Drakes Denogginizer IPA 
Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA 
Green Flash Brewing Co. Barleywine Style Ale 
Green Flash Brewing Co. Le Freak 
Green Flash Brewing Co. Trippel 
Green Flash Brewing Co. West Coast IPA 
Hatachino Nest Red Rice Ale 
Indian Wells Brewing Co. Whole Hog Smoked Porter 
Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball 
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale 
Lagunitas IPA 
Lagunitas Maximus IPA 
Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot 
Mad River Brewing Co. Steelhead DIPA 
New Belgium Fat Tire 
New Belgum Ranger IPA 
Ninkasi Brewing Company Total Domination IPA 
Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA 
Nonge 0, Jolly Pumpkin Jumper, Stone Brewing Special Holiday Ale 
North Coast Brewing Co. Old Rasputin RIS 
Pacific Coast Brewing Co. Blue Whale IPA 
Pacific Coast Brewing Co. Cask Emerald Ale Irish Red 
Pacific Coast Brewing Co. Code Blue Barleywine 
Pacific Coast Brewing Co. Columbus IPA 
Pacific Coast Brewing Co. Emerald Ale Irish Red 
Pacific Coast Brewing Co. Gray Whale Ale 
Pacific Coast Brewing Co. Leviathan Imperial Stout 
Pacific Coast Brewing Co. Luck o the Irish Stout 
Port Brewing Mongo IPA 
Russian River Aud Blonde 
Russian River Blind Pig IPA 
Russian River Consecration 
Russian River Damnation 
Russian River Gaffer Bitter 
Russian River IPA 
Russian River Little White Lie 
Russian River Nobel Experiment 
Russian River OVL Stout 
Russian River Parking Violation Pale Ale 
Russian River Perdition 
Russian River Pliny the Elder 
Russian River Porter 
Russian River Salvation 
Russian River Supplication 
Russian River Temptation 
Samuel Smiths Old Brewery Pale Ale 
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale 
Sierra Nevada Sierra 30th Anniversary Fritz and Kens Ale Stout 
Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale 
Speakeasy Double Daddy IPA 
Stone Imperial Russian Stout 
Stone Old Guardian Barleywine 
Stone Ruination IPA 
Victory Hop Devil IPA 


Curry, next time you go on your Pliny run make sure you find some on tap. A totally different experience. It'll change how you look at beer. 

And I hate you. My customs officer made me surrender shit. Wasn't even given the option of paying duty. 

Reviled, that beer is rough as guts.


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## Steve (31/7/10)

bum said:


> I see your pitiful selection of beers available in Australia and I raise you the beers I (mostly) drank in my hotel room last visit Stateside:
> Acme Pale Ale
> Anchor Porter
> Anderson Valley Hop Ottin’ IPA
> ...




ahhh.... but if whilst at work Dan turned his head 360 degrees (like that possessed girl on Ammitville) he could see probably most of those on his shelves and could crack one any time he chooses.

Edit: I have nothing for the OP. Thats the go these days isnt it?


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## bum (31/7/10)

I'd be pretty surprised if that were true if he's bragging about those three pictured.

Having said that I am endlessly jealous that he works somewhere that that could even be suggested.


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## Curry (1/8/10)

bum said:


> Curry, next time you go on your Pliny run make sure you find some on tap. A totally different experience. It'll change how you look at beer.
> 
> And I hate you. My customs officer made me surrender shit. Wasn't even given the option of paying duty.



Couldn't agree more mate, had a huge session on the Elder on tap last month. Fantastic stuff. This is a link to my local next to the hotel I stay in LA, great beer list:

Crow Bar

That seems weird about the customs officer. I travel for a living and I am through Aussie Customs once or twice a week, my understanding is you can bring anything you want in regardless of duty free limits as long as it is not illegal or of a quantity large enough to be deemed for commercial sale. In other words don't have more than a few bottle of each beer. If you do exceed your limit, say 2.25lts of alcohol then you have pay duty on the whole amount you are bringing in not just the part in excess of 2.25. If that happened again mate I would ask to see a supervisor.

Cheers

Curry

P.S. Awesome beer list mate.


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## pbrosnan (1/8/10)

Lots of useful info for the OP here. Jesus, the waste of bandwidth ...


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## Hutch (24/6/12)

Just got back from a few days work in CA, where I found this lil' number...




Stone Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA.
10.8%, double the hops :icon_drool2: and chilling in the fridge right now !!!!!


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## lukiferj (28/6/12)

Just about anything Stone makes is great - Pale Ale, Arrogant Bastard Ale (I thought the oaked was still pretty good). Other breweries to check out.

Anchor Steam Brewery (San Francisco) - Liberty Ale, Anchor Steam beer, any other seasonals they have
Brooklyn Brewery (NY) - If you can find Brooklyn Blast anywhere have a crack, other wise Lager, East India Pale Ale. 
Dogfish Head (Upstate NY) - 90 Minute IPA, 60 Minute IPA. I thought their Brown Ale was terrible.
Ballast Point - Sculpin is amazing. Big Eye IPA great but available at Dan Murphys at the moment.
Rogue - Haven't had a bad beer from these guys.
Sierra Nevada - Celebration Ale
Victory - Hope Devil IPA


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## spog (28/6/12)

the list of beers would be endless but what you would be allowed to get back into oz is small,my advise ,while over there is to drink like a fish,bring back what you can,enjoy your good fortune .......and i think we all hate you... :icon_cheers: ........cheers.....spog.....te name='starkesbier' date='Jul 27 2010, 02:16 PM' post='660368']
I am off overseas for a week or so and have the opportunity to bring back some of the following list of beers :icon_drool2: . As I will be limited in the amount I can bring back I need to sort the good from the bad and the ugly. All opinions much appreciated.

*Gordon Biersch*Czech Style PilsnerBlonde BockHefeweizenMarzenFestBierSummerBrau*Ballast Point*Calico Amber AleYellowtail Pale AleBig Eye India Pale AleBlack Marlin PorterWahoo Wheat BeerSculpin India Pale AleVictory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter * **Anderson Valley*Boont Amber AlePoleeko Gold Pale AleHop Ottin' IPABarney Flats Oatmeal StoutBoont Extra Special Beer*Southern Tier*422 Pale WheatIndia Pale AlePhin & Matt's Pale AlePorterChoklat Imperial Stout*Stone Brewing*Pale AleIndia Pale AleLevitation AleOaked Arrogant Bastard AleRuination IPA


Cheers
Starkesbier
[/quote]


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