Every beer I've reviewed that received an A+ (according to BeerAdvocate ratings, of course.)
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout - Maybe I'm just remembering this one overly fondly, but it was my into to bourbon-barrel aged beers, and was fresh on tap at the Goose Island brewpub in Wrigleyville. They bottle it as well, but unfortunately it's currently unavailable in Louisiana. Since my trip they have also released vanilla and coffee flavors, as well as the 'Rare' version which was aged in Pappy Van Winkle barrels.
Chimay Grand Reserve - Among the widely available Trappist Belgian ales, this one is my favorite. They only do three beers, of which the 'Grand Reserve' or 'Blue Label' is the strongest and most rich. It might not be the absolute best Trappist ale (Westvleteren 12 would like to make that claim) but it can be picked up at any grocery store in Baton Rouge, so it'll do.
Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale - This one is now considered to be a 'Cascadian Dark Ale' or 'Black IPA' which is a relatively new variation on the IPA style as a whole. It's darker and maltier than a typical IPA but also just as bold (if not more so) on the hop profile. This one was about as coniferous of a beer as I've ever tried, and I loved every drop.
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout - One of the finer examples of a straight-up imperial stout I've ever tried and definitely the best I've reviewed. Too bad it's not in Louisiana, but next time any of you are at Spec's over in Texas, pick up a few for me!
Hitachino Nest White Ale - A Japanese take on a simple Belgian style... perfectly harmonious with each other. This is the lightest beer on my A+ list, but it still packs some incredible flavor. The Japanese spices compliment the Belgian style ale and yeast beautifully.
Chimay Premiere - Chimay's version of the dubbel, a lower-alcohol malty Belgian ale with minimal hop presence and lots of spice. Typically I prefer the tripels, quads, and strong ales to the dubbels, but this one is top notch. Look for it with the red labels.
Mikkeller All Others Pale - A fantastic pale ale from the Danish "gypsy brewers" Mikkeller. This one features a potpourri of malt and hop flavors and is the first beer from my "365 in 2011" to receive an A+ and make this page!
Uinta Cockeyed Cooper Barleywine - Uinta is a relatively old microbrewery out of Salt Lake City, Utah. This bourbon-barrel aged barleywine is a near perfect blend of hops, malts, and delicious bourbon flavors. Unfortunately it's not available in Baton Rouge as of now, so if you see one out in your travels, grab one for you and one for me!
Unibroue La Terrible - Unibroue, located up in French-speaking Canada, is one of the finest makers of Belgian ales outside of Belgium itself. They have a full lineup of all different styles and this one, one of their Strong Dark Ales, is my favorite. This one shouldn't be too hard to find in the better beer stores around Baton Rouge.
La Trappe Quadrupel - Another Trappist ale, from La Trappe (Koningshoeven) which is actually located in the Netherlands as opposed to Belgium. They are reasonably priced when they can be found in the Baton Rouge market, and will not disappoint.
Weihenstephaner Korbinian - This is a relatively new one to me, but I found bottles cheap at Calandro's and was blown away. Weihenstephan is the oldest brewery in the world, first officially obtaining license in 1040. Yeah... they'll be celebrating their 1000th anniversary in our lifetimes. I might need to go to that party! As for the Korbinian, this is a rich delicious doppelbock, check it out if you get the chance.
Westmalle Trappist Tripel - Another Trappist ale, turns out I'm a fan of them. This tripel is going to be lighter in color than the dubbels or quads, with a little more hops and still typical Belgian spices. This is one of the best, and should be available around town.
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock - One of the quintessential German doppelbocks. Look for the bottles with the goat medallion around the neck, pop one open, and enjoy.
Great Divide Hercules Douple IPA - "Hoppy as fuck" is how I initially described this one, so if you aren't into hops, stay away. If you are, grab this one when you can, grab another for me, and enjoy a fantastic hop bomb of an IPA.
Great Divide Oak-Aged Yeti Imperial Stout - This means I need to make another trip to Houston to pick up some more Great Divide. Obviously this is the oak barrel aged version of the Yeti imperial stout above. Typically I find that barrel aging makes beers better, but in this case, not quite. It's still delicious, still rated it as an A+, but hey, sometimes you don't NEED to mess with a good thing.
Unibroue Don De Dieu - Another Canadian Belgian-style ale, but this one is a Strong Pale Ale as opposed to the La Terrible which was a dark ale. Clocking in at 9% abv, it's actually on the lower end of this list, but still a fantastic malty hoppy mix of deliciousness.
There you go... if you want my recommendations on what to try that will blow you away, start with these.
