What the...? Where are the heifeweizens? How about Flying Dog's In Heat Wheat.

Personally I think Dead Guy Ale's a better brew than Old Crustacean and a better representative of the premium beers that Rogue puts out.

I'd personally like to see Kronenburg 1664 on this list. It's probably the best pilsner I've ever had, despite being made by the French.

Aged Thomas Hardy has a place on this list...Get rid of Bigfoot...

sounds like someone missed the American part.

Some of the list does seem a little incestious though. Id like to see some yards and troegs rather than 3 victory's, and how many IPAs do you really need?

Good call Bob, Dead Guy Ale is where it's at, shame on this review for not having that or Heifweizen. Those two are top notch.

all those beers suck

Yeah clearly these guys favor the dark heavy stuff, I like it all

Bob - why would a french pilsner be on a list of American craft beers?!!

No New Belgian brewery products? Come on! Everyone loves a good Fat Tire or a 1554. Even the Sunshine Wheat is a good beer.

That's a nice list there. I have not heard of some of those, so looks like I have some tasting to do.

I would also add Allagash to the list (http://www.allagash.com/hom...). I'm a big fan of Belgian style ales, and they are one of the few outside of Belgium that seem to have it right.

Ever had SLO Chai Cream Ale? They took two years to formulate it, and soon they'll be 100% organic. It sounds like a strange combintaion but its extremely delicious.

what ever. come to Portland.

What about Abita Amber?

Check out Founders Brewery Grand Rapids MI. Great beers.

The above poster is dead on about In Heat Wheat. Another good wheat beer is Boulevard Brewing Company's wheat.

Another Midwest brewery to check out is Schlafley's. Their pale ale is awesome.

There is a Californian Brewery called Lagunitas that has a killer IPA.

I got to stop...too much thinking of beer.

Try Choc Beer from Oklahoma. It's a recipe developed by Italian immigrants in Krebs, OK with help from the local Choctaw Indians that dates back to the early 1900's. It's only been legal to sell since 1994, although that never stopped them from brewing and selling it before.

It's a wheat beer that is bottle conditioned. Nice thick, malty taste with a clean finish. Great for those hot summer days.

A little heavy on the stouts and ales, what’s with the bias? What about lagers or wheat beers?

Glad to see New Glarus made the list, my favorite brewery of all time. I’ll have to track down that Belgian Red, I suspect it’s seasonal. Thankfully Spotted Cow, Fat Squirrel, and Yokel are always in season.

good selctions...my personal fav's not on the list are New Glaris's Spotted Cow, Stone's Levitation, Lake Front's white beir, Great Lake's Buring River, and Pyramid's apricot

Good call on the Dead Guy Ale - excellent beer

I want to try the Bigfoot Ale and Three Floyds. Look and sound tasty.

Good list but I have only heard of 1/3 of them.

bob,

this list is great *american* craft beers

- luca

"American beer is like making love in a canoe."(1994,Monty Python)

British Real Ale. Where the pint was invented.

jeez bob... did u not see that the week is called 'amercian' craft beer week ??

I'll second the dead guy ale comment

If you're interested in some pretty far out there microbrews, try to find a bottle of Black Rat Beer from Vancouver, BC. Microbrewed in a tiny backalley brewery in the infamous "Downtown Eastside", it is the most incredible of beers. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to get a hold of it, as they brew in batches so small even most of the locals have never heard of it...

How about a few from the Pacific NW
:http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/splash/default.aspx

What, no Anderson Valley beers on the list?!?! Strike the Anchor beers from it and add A.V.'s ESB and Amber beers, not to even mention their awesome Winter Solstice ale.

nice write up! here's to drinking until I can't feel feeling anymore!

Oh and excuse "bob nabobb", it appears he's trying to hold too many names at once! Look! He's dropping almost all of them!

I am kind of partial to "Fat Tire" it's pretty tasty stuff

Northern inspired list. 2!!! beers from Anchor Brewing?? Bleah!!! Try an Abita Amber instead or some Dixie Blackened Voodoo....

Bob did you not see that this is an all american beers list? That is why there is no french beers.

Only one Oregon brewery represented out of 24 american craft beers? Don't get me wrong, I see quite a few breweries in the list with good stuff...but considering the beervana that is Portland, how could there not be more representation?

Hell of a list, I have had 11 of the ones listed

Pluses for Oak Aged Yeti and Stone RIS!

I agree on the lack of hefes, however In-Heat hardly compares to something like Live Oak's hefe. Additionally, 1664? i think not. Also, I think North Coast's Old Rasputin IRS is better than Stone's.

I'm almost shocked that they list the Victory St. Boistrious, and not the Hop Devil.

I live about a mile from the brewery, so I'm not complaining about too much Victory, but Hop Devil IMO is their best beer.

Any list of the 24 best craft beers in the states that has less than 10 beers from Oregon on it is obviously bogus. Old Crustacean is a *great* beer, but get serious, ONE beer from Oregon? Get a bottle of Hair of the Dog's Fred, and wash it down with a Terminal Gravity IPA, then try to tell me (if you can still speak) that Arrogant Bastard or *any* Anchor beer still belongs on the list.

Glad to see New Glarus made the list, that brewery is simply phenominal. I would have put one of their other beers on the list like Spotted Cow, Uff-da Bock, or the Yokel. If you guys every make it to Wisconsin you have to try some of their beer. They can't even meet the demand in Wisconsin so they don't sell out of state yet.

I also agree that Anderson Valley should have made the list. That's the best California micro brewery imo. They make many beers that are best-of type.

Nice list, glad to see Dogfish up there.

Obviously, every list is going to miss something, but this is just terrible.

Two beers from Stone, Achor, and Dogfish, but nothing from Lagunitas, New Belgiam, Hales Ales or Bridgeport Brewing?

It's great that you have a "dream case" of beers listed, but if the whole point is "Great American Craft Beers You should Be Drinking", listing **Seasonal** and **Regional** beers is kinda self-defeating, don't you think? Or at the very least, point out which are seasona/regional/not easily found.

Just to add a few items to the list:

1554 - New Belgium Brewing
Terminal Gravity IPA - Terminal Gravity brewing
El Hefe - Hales Ales
Turbodog - Abita Brewing
Adam - Hair of the Dog Brewing
Session lager - Full Sail

I also like the seasonals from Laguinitas (Capucinno Stout) and New Belgium (this summer's seasonal is a nice whitbeer called Mothership)

Only 1 imperial IPA on the list? You are not welcome in Portland Oregon!!!! :)

but seriously, the Rogue Imperial IPA is way better than old Crustacean Barley Wine. Also I can't believe you left Hair of the Dog off the list, they rock the entire industry!

The title was American Beers, if it wasn't then Caffery's and Banana Bread Ale should be on the list...

Good list, but I must take issue with Immort Ale. I had some last summer at the Boston Extreme Beer Fest and a fellow taster and I both agreed: it tastes like band-aids. And not those new fangled ones with pictures on 'em. I'm talking old-school Curad band-aids. Blech.

What, no Boont Amber Ale?

Gotta agree with most of you here....some glaring omissions and too little variety. Fat Tire, Abita Turobodog, Brooklynn Chocolate Stout, to name a few.

I agree fat tire is good. You all have to be a little lenient with this guy. I know which bar he drinks at. You can't get fat tire east of the Mississippi. We both live in Richmond and unless you go east you can't get fat tire. The only beer I felt that he left off the list is scrimshaw. It's an American Pilsner that is one of the most delightful beers I've ever drank. Clean with such little bite towards the end It's a great palate cleanser.

Brilliant list!

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is my favorite beer from the brewery, and my favorite beer in the world.

Thanks for the nod to a great brewer.

No North Coast ?
No Anderson Valley ?

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Stone Pale Ale
Stone IPA
Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale
Deschuttes Mirror Pond Pale Ale

my faves. I'm not an expert but these are what I like. Tecate cans for the beach or boat

No Deschutes Brewery, either Black Butte Porter or Cinder Cone Red Ale? Anchor Steam over Anchor Steam Porter? 4 IPA's?

Why would I want to listen to a person who tells me about a third of the way thru the ratings that "You probably won't like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth."

Here's a real probability...You are the fucking asshole who was always chosen last in middle school B-ball games and now wants to tell me what beer I'm not sophisticated enough to drink.

Blow me!

Thats an odd list, pretty much the only way I can sum it up. There definitely has to be an "american" heifeweizen, let alone a heifeweizen. That can take place of one wwwaaaayyyyy too many barley wine's on this list. Don't get me wrong - but don't get me started for forgetting Anchor's barley wine. And maybe move that Legend Golden IPA for "anything" from Full Sail Brewing.

you need to visit the pnw friend. Portland beers blow away most of those

Where is the Jolly Pumpkin La Roja (not a pumpkin beer), Ten Penny Ale, Avery Maharaja, Oskar Blues? No Southern Teir, mabe we should take some of these repeat brewing companys out, and pay respect to the many quality brewers out there with one beer from their selection.

I've tried eight and regularly drink six of the above beers. I'd like to try more. I think Anchor Steam deserves recognition due to its pioneering place in US craft beer history, but it's pretty tame stuff by today's standards. The Liberty Ale is very good, but I'd rather have a SN Celebration Ale, instead. I finally was able to try both DogFish Head 60 and 90. Yawn. DFH90 is only marginally maltier than Drake's Brewing regular IPA (my alltime fave IPA) and doesn't have the hops to balance it, despite all that 90 mins of hops addition hype. Neither come close to Pliny the Elder for shear hoppiness. Even Breckenridge's Small Batch 471 smokes 'em both. The Foot is unchallenged, but it's nice to know I'm not alone in my appreciation of Ol' Crusty. Good stuff. Ommegang? Ohmigod! I'll be looking for some of that Cuvée de Tomme. Sounds very intriguing. I wouldn't move to the next barstool for a Flat Tire, but New Belgium deserves major kudos for its awesome 1554 Black Ale, one of the finest beers in the US. I also agree with Scott McH's choice of North Coast's Old Raspustion over Stone's IRS. Overall and judging by the selection of the one's I know, I have to assume most of the other choices are also very good beers and I'll be keeping an eye out for 'em when I move from CA to CO.

Hop Henge (Deschutes Brewery) is a heavily hopped IPA style beer that will make hop lovers very happy. Just opening the bottle fills the immediate area with the scent of hops and every sip resonates. One of the nicest hoppy beers I've ever tasted.

I don't believe they were asked to list anything but their favorite American craft beers. Ask 2 more experts and get 24 new beers. Hooray for Three Floyds, and Dogfish Head. My list would include Stouts and Porters from Bell's and Founder's.

Dreadnaught-Three Floyds
Darklord-Three Floyds
Behemoth-Three Floyds
Founder's Kentucky Breakfast
Two Hearted Ale-Bell's
Midas Touch-Dogfish Head
Monster Ale-Brooklyn Brewery
East India Pale Ale-Brooklyn Brewery
Lagunitas
Cattail Ale-Lakefront Brewery
LaCrosse Lager

man, i live in Oregon. that's one of the most pretentious reviews ("full of dark dried fruit"? are you serious?) i've ever read.

seriously. dial it back a few hundred degrees. relax. i make beer and i'm not that serious about trying to imitate wine steward adjectives.

No Colorado?

Avery Brewing Company and many more great ones.

Bob, you like the Kronenburg 1664 so much? go to Paris, there they sell it at McDonalds.

Why the hate towards Portland beers? There's lots of 'em that should be on this list.

Breckenridge 471...best beer ever

You can get an Anchor beer anywhere (even at MLB games), I don't know if that qualifies as a small independent brewery anymore.

Decent List, but if you are going to put Michigan beers on it where is Bell's Oberon?

JoePaw, you are a moron. He took that quote from the BEER, he didn't make it up.

Seriously lacking Oregon beers. Arrogant Bastard does not belong on that list.

Nice to see so many here in the comments giving Oregon -- and Portland, most specifically -- the deserved props. Thanks, everybody! Come by and see us (and experience the glory of Beervana) any time! We don't need a silly list to know we have some of the best beer in the world. Cheers!

Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

Singed Portland, Oregon

PS. So many shit top 10 lists on the internet these days. HOW PLAYED OUT.

Joe Paw
While the list may be unjust with several glaring omissions. "You will probably not like it ...." comes off the bottle of Arrogant Bastard. Quite funny stuff

How has Aventinus not made this list?? Can someone please fix that? Mardesous 10 and ORVAL either???? Who is not drinking these beers?

just realized it was an American beer list. oops

Great list, also agree with positive comments on Abita (purple haze is the only fruit bear I go back for), Dead Guy Ale, Choc Beer and Sierra Nevada. I also like James Page wild rice beer. And for those on a budget, Berghoff Pale Ale. (my regular beer).

thanks for not putting the most disgusting tasting beers in the world on this list....Hefe-Weizens....I just wanna know who the guy was that brewed this first and said "Hey! thats pretty good!" I doubt anyone in the world drinks as many beers as I do and Hefe-Weizens are plain GROSS!!!! if you like that beer, lemme sell you some shit on a shingle...you'll love that! blech! still wanting to puke at the thought of one.....
p.s. Yes, Bell's Oberon needs to be on the list over that dortmunder crap too!