US beer selection in NZ - advice needed
OK, FINALLY somebody has imported some US beer into NZ beyond the Sierra Nevada and Anchor stuff which is all we usually get.
I'd really appreciate the advice of you guys here as to which beers I should definitely order now, and which to put on the backburner. Keep in mind these have travelled a long way, so recommendations should take robustness into account.
Here's the list
http://www.beerstore.co.nz/search.lasso?&Country=United%20States&skip=0
I could trawl through ratebeer and beeradvocate, but I trust you lot more.
Any and all advice is welcomed. Love you long time! ;)
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Impatience is NOT a virtue
I know, I suck for not being able to wait, but I was worried stock would be limited, and the Kiwi craftbeer community is going crazy over this.
Here's what I got. Any advice welcomed, and laughing at me is also encouraged.
1 Firestone Double Barrel Ale - (330ml Bottle x 1)
1 Firestone Union Jack IPA - (330ml Bottle x 1)
1 New Belgium Fat Tire - (330ml Bottle x 1)
1 New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale - (330ml Bottle x 1)
1 Blind Pig IPA - (500ml Bottle x 1)
1 Damnation - (750ml Bottle x 1)
1 Pliny The Elder - (500ml Bottle x 1)
1 Rogue Dead Guy Ale - (650ml Bottle x 1)
1 Alaskan IPA - (330ml Bottle x 1)
1 AleSmith IPA - (650ml Bottle x 1)
1 AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer) IPA - (650ml Bottle x 1)
$150ish NZD for what you guys can probably pick up for a few bucks. I REGRET NOTHING! ;)
You forgot to get the Cave
You forgot to get the Cave Creek Chili Beer, Bud Light and Miller Chill!
I think you will be happy with those purchases. I can only get the Rogue here in Pittsburgh, you dirty bastard!
True
Yeah, but you do get listener beer from all over the place! ;) Also, who knows how this stuff has travelled. Hot shipping containers anyone? :) Still worth a crack I reckon.
Oh, and I've actually had the Cave Creek Chilli Beer before. Oh dear.
Impatience...
Hey, I live in Cincinnati and I can't get any of those except Alesmith and Rogue, Damnit. Pliny is my favorite IPA, no its Blind Pig, no the Younger, Vinnie you bastard, go east man, Ohio drinks the crap out of craft beer.
Fat Tire is kind of generic now, but it was the first craft beer I every had, hand labeled back in 92-93 in Vail (thank you compaq computer) and it just changed my life. Miller lite sucks? I never knew. It was labeled as an "Import" and all the green bottled molson's and O'Keefe's XXX were my import palate, and I just thought import was supposed to taste like skunk. Christian Moorlein and Hudy were the local cincy beers in the 80's and there were just not good, although new CM is quite good.
Since then I've been lucky enough to travel to every continent and most islands in between, and drink beer. In ANZ my fave was the Red Oak Brewery in Sydney, although cooper's pale ale was pretty good, especially on drought in Darling Harbor, although all the servers were american? Go figure.
Rick
Red Oak
Yeah, I hear Red Oak are pretty tasty. Aussie doesn't really export much to NZ, even though it's just "over the ditch". They get plenty of our beer. Weird. We just get Coopers and Little Creatures. They are decent, especially Coopers Extra Stout.
I'm just finishing drinking the last of that order - Damnation from Russian River. It's been a great haul. Not a bad beer amongst them, though a couple of "meh" ones. New Belgium was the biggest disappointment, though I did enjoy Fat Tire. Not a wow beer, but very tasty.
My favourites had to be Pliny the Elder, Blind Pig, Alesmith IPA, Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA, and Alaskan Amber. Damnation is an excellent beer, but it tastes like any given nice Belgian strong golden ale. That's meant as a complement, but nothing makes it "USA" to me. :)
Anyway, it's solidified my desire to visit the USA. Just not sure when. Anybody want to swap for three weeks or so? Housesit for me in NZ, and I'll crash your place! ;)
Yep
I can only get the Rogue and New Belgium here in Texas. I wish we could get the rest of those here in Texas. I have heard Alaska is on the way in 2010 but haven't heard any rumors about the other beers on the list.
US beer selection in NZ advice
My two cents..
Rolling Rock, Bud Lime, and Cave Creek Chili Beer...all good to clean your toilet with.
For drinking:
Anchor Porter is great example of the style. Try that. Compare it to Sierra Nevada Porter and see who wins. Along those lines the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is one of the granddaddy's of craft beer so you have to sample that if you've never had it. (Lost some of it's luster for me, but still a classic.)
Rogue Dead Guy is awesome. Any of the Rogue's really.. the Hazel Nut is one of my current favorite sippers. Their Chocolate and Shakespeare Stous are also very good.
I'm jealous that YOU have Pliny the Elder. I live on the East Coast of the US and it isn't in my area yet. That's probably the best of the bunch in my opinion.
Cheers!
-BW
p.s. drink a Dux de Lux for me. Visited NZ a few years back and was impressed by the beers at their brew pub.
Thanks
I avoided the Anchor and SN beers, since we get those here fairly regularly. They're nice. Don't worry, I didn't require a toilet cleaning!
I *loved* Rogue Dead Guy Ale. It's in Michael Jackson's top 500, so being a bit of a trainspotter/ticker type, I had to get it. It did not disappoint. Malt heavy beers often tend to get overlooked in favour of that hop blast we all know and love, but DGA was just perfect.
I also rated the Alesmith beers pretty highly. I was drinking the Summer Yule IPA in video chat with SickPuppy and co. Fun times! He was pissed off because he couldn't get it! :)
Pliny was just amazing. A tear welled up in my eye. That kind of beer. I was also really happy with Blind Pig IPA, and the Firestone Walker beers, particularly the Union Jack IPA. Beautiful stuff. You guys are lucky to have easy access to hops with that citrus character. We can't get Columbus/Tomahawk or Centennial here for love nor money right now.
Damnation from Russian River was a little disappointing, but I think I was just spoiled. It tasted like a decent Belgian golden strong ale. I guess I was expecting something more "American", but it was faithful to the Belgian style.
The Dux is in that other Island! We do get their beers up here though. I just had a Nor'Wester the other night and it was great, so yes, I'll happily have another for you. Next time you're here, come visit. It's always fun to drink beer with travellers!