Best beer to ever appear at the LCBO

spinrsx · Post by **spinrsx** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 8:17 pm

I haven't been into craft as long as some of you.. curious as to what the best beer (in your opinions) to ever be at the lcbo was? Assume westy 12.. were there others? Has anything like bourbon county stout etc been there?

any beers that you wish you would have bought more of when you had the chance?

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 8:45 pm

In terms of rarity factor alone: Armand & Tommy.

spinrsx · Post by **spinrsx** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 8:48 pm

yes, I really wish I bought more of this when I had the chance. I had 4 cases in front of me.

TheSevenDuffs wrote:In terms of rarity factor alone: Armand & Tommy.

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:07 pm

spinrsx wrote:yes, I really wish I bought more of this when I had the chance. I had 4 cases in front of me.

You and me both.

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:27 pm

"Best" is a relative term, obviously - but for me, Rodenbach Grand Cru is still a highlight, and one that I'd love to see back more regularly. General list would be amazing, but even once a year would be nice.

Kekumba · Post by **Kekumba** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:44 pm

Oh A&T...

Don't even remind me how I should have bought more of that when I had the chance. Forget the fact that literally everyone wants it and it trades highly, I just want to drink it again, but I only have one bottle left! $22.80 a bottle...damn, that was a steal.

Craig · Post by **Craig** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:26 pm

Yeah, Armand et Tomme. Westy 12 was fun too, but I wouldn't hesitate to swap some of the Westys in my cellar for more 3Fs. At the time I thought I was splurging by getting 6, now I wish I'd gotten 24.

It's all subjective, of course. Maybe it makes more sense to break it down by style? The best off the top of my head:

Quad: Westy 12, Rochefort 10
IPA: Great Lakes Lake Effect, Green Flash (there was that one shipment of GF that was fresh, I swear.)
Stout: Great Lakes 25th Anniversary, Founders Breakfast
Porter: Founders, LTM Baltic Porter, Deschuttes, Midtfyns X porter (I liked this one a lot more than most seemed to)
Barley Wine/Old Ale: Kuhnhenn 4d, The St. Ambroise gift pack with a 3-year vertical was pretty cool
Saison: Dupont, Sofie
Sour: A&T, Cuvee des Jacobins

I'm relatively new to the high-end beer game. I'm interested in seeing what some people who have been at it longer than I have to say.

groulxsome · Post by **groulxsome** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:38 pm

squeaky wrote:The St. Ambroise gift pack with a 3-year vertical was pretty cool

Fun fact! There are still some left! While they are currently not listed on the LCBO you can find stock here: http://drinkvine.com/drinkdetail.php?pr ... 7&type=ont Lots around Toronto still! Might have to buy some more...

Frere Ambroise · Post by **Frere Ambroise** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:59 pm

Fun fact! There are still some left!

Psssstttt!! I was down at Queen's Quay last week - they moved about a dozen just inside the doors on the left hand side as you enter (gift area).

The Vintage Vertical 3pack there has been reduced to $12. That's $4/bottle -- a total steal. Other stores still have it at $14.95.

I will probably be moving some stock to other parts of the province within the next couple of weeks -- just to spread it around. I suggest you grab them at that price ASAP.

Cheers,
Barry

iguenard · Post by **iguenard** » Tue Apr 29, 2014 7:02 am

Armand & Tomme, otherwise Victory Storm King, Backwoods Bastard, and Brookly BCS. Oh yeah and Rochefort 10, or the St-Berny's Gift Packs were awesome too.

TheBeeraholic · Post by **TheBeeraholic** » Tue Apr 29, 2014 7:32 am

Like everyone else; A&T was a real score, I too wish I had bought more both to drink and for the trade vaule.

I dont recall what year or season.. Four or five at most but we had Thomas Hardy's. I was very much a rookie when I had it and someday would like to revist.

icemachine · Post by **icemachine** » Tue Apr 29, 2014 10:22 am

Best that I can remember, in terms of enjoyment & value

Utopias
3F A&T
Westvleteren
Orval
Thomas Hardy's
Samuel Smith Imperial Stout
St. Bernardus Gift pack (2006 I think, was a hell of a deal and I had no idea at the time)

Wheatsheaf · Post by **Wheatsheaf** » Tue Apr 29, 2014 1:44 pm

That's easy: Schultheiss Berliner Weisse. Almost never exported--and hard to find even in Berlin, apparently--it somehow showed up at the LCBO around 15 years ago. Still one of the best, most memorable beers I've ever had, a 5/5. The classic Berliner Weisse. RIP.

El Pinguino · Post by **El Pinguino** » Thu May 01, 2014 9:54 pm

TheSevenDuffs wrote:In terms of rarity factor alone: Armand & Tommy.

These vanished quick if I recall? I think I was on a trip out to NS, NB, PEI and they were gone by the time I returned....

Kekumba · Post by **Kekumba** » Fri May 02, 2014 2:48 pm

Flew off the shelves once people figured out what stores had it. Also the quickest I've ever seen a listing be taken down from the LCBO site. I'm gonna guess they took a lot of calls regarding it...

And to think, dumb ass Americans on BA still think it's on our shelves...