Every year the American Homebrewers Association asks it members (beer nerds like me) to send them a list of their 20 favorite beers that are commercially available in the US.

My #1 pick took the top spot for the 2nd year in a row...sorry WNY, it's hard to find anywhere outside of Northern California.

1. Russian River Pliny the Elder*
2. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
3. Stone Arrogant Bastard*
4. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
5. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
6. Stone IPA
T7. Bear Republic Racer 5*
T7. Guinness
T7. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine
T7. Sierra Nevada Celebration
11. Stone Ruination*
T12. North Coast Old Rasputin
T12. Sierra Nevada Torpedo
T12. Rahr Winter Warmer
T12. Rahr Ugly Pug
T12. Rahr Iron Thistle
T17. Oskar Blues Ten Fidy
T17. New Glarus Belgian Red
T17. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
T17. Duvel
T21. Lagunitas IPA
T21. Samuel Adams Boston Lager
T21. Rahr Storm Cloud
T21. Saison Dupont
T25. Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout
T25. Rahr Bucking Bock
T25. Ommegang Three Philosophers*
T28. New Belgium Fat Tire
T28. Alaskan Smoked Porter*
T28. Anchor Steam
T31. Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock*
T31. Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
T31. Rahr Summer
T31. Rahr Red
T31. Rahr Blind Salamander
T31. Rahr Blonde
T31. Rahr Octoberfest
T31. Victory Prima Pils
T31. New Belgium La Folie
T31. Russian River Consecration
T41. Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale
T41. Rahr Buffalo Butt
T41. New Belgium 1554
T41. Orval
T41. Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
T41. Rogue Dead Guy
T41. Unibroue La Fin Du Monde
T41. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
T49. Surly Furious
T49. Dogfish Head Indian Brown
T49. Rahr Whiskey Warmer
T49. Rodenbach Grand Cru*

*Beers I voted for



http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages ... in-america
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/p ... erica-poll

Got any personal favorites that didn't make the list?

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Seems like those are almost all California beers. I smell a fix.

Where is Rahr?

My brother drinks those Dogfish Head IPAs. They're not bad.

Missing:
New Belgium Trippel
Deschutes Obsidian Stout (way better than Black Butte IMO)
Rogue American Amber
Fish Tale Amber

i KNEW bells would be up there, i was just sitting here going "please dont be oberon, please dont be oberon."

lets be honest here, the 2010 edition of oberon blows. good to see bells up there though, number 2. did kalamazoo proud

<sarcasm>AND WHAT? NO MILLER LITE??? BUT THEY GOT THAT NEW VORTEX BOTTLE!!!! </sarcassm>

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Oh, Deschutes Jubelale, maybe my favorite of any of their beers.

Surprised nothing from Bristol made it on there. And why is Arrogant Bastard so high? Man i can't stand that beer...hahaha!

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California has an extremely high concentration of awesome breweries...we even let the trend continue up the coast to Oregon. Aren't we nice?

Rahr is in Ft. Worth Tx.
A bunch of AHA members are grumbling about how many of their beers made the list. It's being speculated they advertised the fact they wanted local AHA members to vote for them.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Way to malty and sweet for me...I'd take an IPA from Lagunitas, Stone, Russian River, New Belgium or Sierra Nevada over Dogfish Head.

It's not that you can't stand the beer, it's that the beer has deemed you unworthy.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Arrogant Bastard is definitely tasty; I'm a fan of Fat Tire, too.

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See I like just about everything from New Belgium except Fat Tire.
Their Mothership wit and new Ranger IPA are awesome.

They use victory/biscuit malt in Fat Tire that has a distinct chocolatly, roasty aftertaste that I don't care for at all.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Ever had Flying Dog's Horn Dog Barley Wine? THAT is some amazing stuff.

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Yeah, last years version. Good stuff but I usually stay away from barleywines...I like to drink more than 1

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Hold my beer and watch this...

I LOVE the ridiculous tone of Arrogant Bastard's marketing. I mean, how could you do it any other way!

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mechaphil

Maybe it's just that I haven't had it in a long time. I lived out in Tacoma Washington for four years and traveled all over hopping through breweries but I just remember not liking that damn Arrogant Bastard. I mean the bottles are cool as hell though. Perhaps I need to go grab some for this weekend and give it another go.

Anyone drink beers from Bristol like Mass Transit Ale; Laughing Lab; Red Rocket; Beehive: Winter Warlock etc? They're here in the Springs. Mass Transit is one of my favs and then another good Colorado beer is Breckenridge's Avalanche Ale...very tasty

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Don't we all...it's just a matter of whether or not you CAN drink more than 1

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I love me a good barleywine but they will kick the shit out of you if you're not careful. Flying Bisons' C-130 Hercules is YUM.

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mechaphil

I had my 21st birthday in Portland at the Rogue Brewery and they had a beer at the time called Total Disorder Porter (not sure if they were serving Ram's beer in house since there are Ram restaurants and breweries all over that area) but that shit was strong as hell. They wouldn't let you have more than one but they made an exception since we were walking and it was my birthday. Ahh Portland you drunk little bitch.

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Never had anything from Bristol...never heard of them actually...I have had a beer called Red Rocket (which kicks ass) made by Bear Republic though.


Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA made the list, but both beers are outstanding.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Bristol has some great beer. I've had a few that are good every once in awhile but their Mass Transit and Laughing Lab are like my version of Bud. Not that they taste like shit, it's just they're what I drink day to day. Henry's is a beer i liked when i was in Washington

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