A Hop-head's top 10

Hi my name is Steve, and I am addicted to hops. I was thinking this morning about beer, something that comes to mind often, and was trying to come up with an unequivocal favorite beer. It's tough, because there are so many different styles, not to mention that style preferences change with time/mood. But as I banged around a few beers in my head, hops were definitely a common thread, despite the fact that I consider myself an afficianado of all beer styles. Hops have become the American Way in beer, and I am a "victim" of this circumstance, and proud to be an American. The main criterion for this list was pretty simple...the beers that I'd want in my fridge when I get home from work today.


#10 Sierra Nevada Pale- The old standby, and one of the original American pale ales. Popular for a reason.

#9 Tupper's Hop Pocket-One of the most over-the-top hoppy beers I've ever had, but they figured out how to pull it off.

#8 Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale- A newcomer to my palate, and mellow compared to it's list-mates. This beer is just SO damn drinkable. Truly appreciated after about beer #6.The "session" beer of my list.

#7 Rogue Shakespeare Stout- I remember the first description I heard of this beer: "Taste Supernova"

#6 Legend Brown Ale- The flagship beer of my hometown Richmond, VA brewery, it is a great,great brown ale. The best I've had anywhere.

#5 Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA- DFH is known for their innovation, and they're really on to something with this "continuously hopped" thing.

#4 Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale- I am not worthy, but I try.

#3 Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale- Used to be Santa that got me excited for the holidays, and now it is this beer.

#2 Three Floyds Alpha King- The tastiest, most well balanced beer I have ever tasted. great malt flavor, great hop flavor.

#1 Bell's 2 Hearted Ale- This is a strong IPA, and to me, it's just about the perfect tasting beer. There's just enough sweetness(don't get me wrong this is a bitter beer) to enhance the explosive hops' citrusy character, creating a "hop candy" effect, and an addictive candy it is.


This thread kicks off what I hope will be a series of beer discussions of different styles and my personal notes and favorites.

Welcome

Welcome to me, that is, into the blog game. And I suppose to both of you that will be reading this. This space will be devoted to life's essentials: Beer (brewing and drinking) , gambling, sports, tailgating, screwing around at work, and whatever else seems like a great idea at the time.