Top 10 Beer list: As of February 2012

When people first find out that I am a home brewer, I am often met with either an awkward look  (thanks in part to the recent buffalo wild wing's commercial) or sense of excitement.  I almost always admit that I still but beer at the liquor store as I typically only have one or two home brews available at a time.  This almost always is followed by the question, "What are your favorite beers?"

While the answer to this question often changes with the season, there are a select few beers that will almost always be found sitting on a shelf in my refrigerator.  Here are my current top 10 beers:

#10 Odell Brewing - Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout (Link)
     Great beer for cold winter days.  At 8.5% ABV, its a good thing this beer fills you up quickly. I recommend serving this to your wife or girlfriend (just saying) along with having one yourself.

#9 Paulaner -  Oktoberfest-Märzen (Link)
     I am personally a big fan of Oktoberfest beer.  This one is available year-round and never ceases to fulfill my needs. It has all the spice you expect from an Oktoberfest and goes down easy.

#8 Fort Collins Brewery - Chocolate Stout (Link)
     I discovered this beer last summer in Fort Collins (go figure) visiting with some of our favorite people (one of them happens to be a great photographer).  This is about as tasty a stout as you could ask for.  As with most stouts, I really prefer this in cold weather and have had a lot recently.

#7 Avery Brewing -  The Reverend (Link)
     One of the most complex beers I have ever experienced, the Reverend keeps me coming back for more.  It isn't cheap, but at 10% ABV, you really don't need more than one.  If you are looking for a really unique drinking experience, I would recommend giving this a go.

#6 New Belgium Brewery - Sunshine Wheat (Link)
     Most beer lovers think I'm crazy for liking this beer, but I just don't see how you can go wrong with it.  On a hot summer day, there is really nothing like a Sunshine Wheat.  Its a light, easy drinking beer with enough flavor to keep you interested.  Few beers actually quench my thirst; Sunshine Wheat delivers.

#5 Crazy Mountain Brewery - Cara de Luna (Link)

     Cara de Luna is a Black German Pale Ale.  I actually didn't believe that was a real thing when I first read it on the menu at Lucky Pie, but I found enough Google hits that I let it go.  After all, they can't put anything on the internet unless its true, right? This is probably the smoothest dark colored beer I have ever tasted.  Every time I get my hands on it, it turns out to be a great experience. Now if I could only get the local stores to carry it...

#4 New Belgium Brewery - 1554 (Link)
     How can you not love a beer whose recipe dates back (in part) to 1554?  This used to be #1 on my top 10 list (in my head) until I began to really enjoy hoppy beers.  One of the most unique beer drinking experiences you can have is the following:  Inhale, take a swig of 1554, then exhale through your nose.  I'm not kidding.

#3 Southern Sun/Mountain Sun  - Coconut Cream Stout
     Unfortunately, this beer is not available (to my knowledge) outside of Stout Month (February) and not outside of the Southern Sun/Mountain Sun brew pubs in Boulder, CO (Link).  If you do get a chance to experience it though, I promise you will not be disappointed.   This stout is as creamy as you could hope for, and has just the slightest hint of sweetness.  It is probably #3 right now because it is February and I've been enjoying it regularly.

#2 Odell Brewing  - Mountain Standard (60 IBU) (Link)
     Just writing about this beer puts a smile on my face.  For many years, I was really only into 'malty' beers (as little hops as possible).  Don't get me wrong, I always loved the smell of hops; I just didn't like them punching me in the face when I drank my beer.  That all changed when I first tried Mountain Standard.  A buddy of mine constantly reminds me that the IBU on this isn't as high as the 120+ IBU tongue numbing beers he enjoys, but it has all the bitterness you look for in an IPA.  I don't see this in the local liquor store nearly enough, but I do purchase it every chance I get. If I could shake the hand of the guy (or girl) that came up with this one, I would.

#1 Rogue Brewery  - Chocolate Stout (69 IBU) (Link)
     For as many good things as I had to say about Odell's Mountain Standard, I have even more to say about Rogue's Chocolate Stout.  This beer looks simply beautiful in a glass and has the taste of everything I love about beer.  When I first bought this beer, I was just trying out a variety of chocolate stouts.  It turned out to have all the flavor you expect from a chocolate stout and then surprised me with a fantastic hoppiness.  I have been drinking this beer every other night for the past few months and have no plans on stopping.

Just a few bonus mentions:

The beer I am most interested in trying is the Russian River Pliny the Younger.
The beer I must mention in the name of honor is Yuengling Lager (Link).  I don't know how I would have survived college without it.