The view from my favorite table at Schlenkerla. Used to be a chapel for the Dominican monks back in the 14th century. Now Rauchbier is served by gravity from the wooden barrel where the altar used to be. Is that what you mean by "religious experience?"
I agree with hoponius being a religious drinking experience and will add kiwi rising. Also for the sake of tolerance, lost abbey in particular witch's wit!
Jeez, man- you have a favorite table and everything? Do they shout your name like 'Norm' when you walk in? I gotta say, though, that if I were there it would be hard for me to leave...
For me it was probably when I had my first Rochefort 10. Had never had anything like it before and it completely blew me away.
Odell's Myrcenary set the standard for hoppy beers...it's incredible. 50/50 Eclipse PvW and GI Rare are two of the best stouts in existence.
Hated IPAs until I have Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere a few years back. Started an infatuation with fresh/wet hopped IPAs and now I can barely drink anything but hoppy beer.
I wouldn't call it a religious experience, but Boulevard's "Sixth Glass" quad was what turned me onto trying craft beers. Founders Breakfast is the best beer I've ever had, and that was a religious experience.
Walking into the Cantillon brewery last September, I was smacked in the face with an intense, all-enveloping and unmistakable loon funkiness. Could've convinced me there and then that I'd been hit by a truck on 56 rue Gheude as I crossed the street to get there.
Years ago when I first started getting into craft, I enjoyed stouts (never had an RIS) when I was given a Stone IRS that had been properly cellared for a year. Blew my mind. Never knew beer could be like that. That moment changed me forever.
Sculpin, Boy King, BCBS, Raspberry Tart/Belgian Red, Arrogant Bastard, an '07 Double Bastard I had a few months back, first batch of terrapin hopzilla and I'm sure a few others
I love ALL Cantillon, but still, to this day, nothing beats Lou Pepe Gueuze with 3-4 years on it. It is THE most INSANELY good beer I've ever had. Fresh LP taste the same as classic gueuze, but with several years in the cellar, its a completely different animal.
I first had Sculpin and I was blown away by the aroma. I couldn't explain it and just sat there reveling in the smell. Still chasing that IPA aroma...
Pliny The Elder on draft at RR FW Parabola - I had to sit down after my first sip and nearly shed a tear when my glass was empty Alpine Nelson - Nectar of the gods
For me, I'd have to go with the first time I had Arrogant Bastard. I got a bottle just because it looked cool, and I thought the back was hilarious. I took that first sip, and realized for the first time that beer could truly be a form of art. Then of course a couple weeks later I had Double Bastard, and the bar was raised yet again. From there I couldn't look back, even if I wanted to.
recently....Arrogant Bastard...just a perfectly delicious beer..being mostly an IPA DIPA kinda guy...this beer made me want to seek out more like it. Up there with Flower Power and Ruination as my current fav's
It was the first time i had a craft beer. I was at an outdoor string cheese incident concert in late spring of 2004, i was 19. A girl i had just met in the crowd handed me a Racer 5, it was fucking amazing. One of the best beers i have ever had due to location, timing and people around me. I havent looked back since, truly a religious experience...
have had several mind blowing, joyous experiences. Never religious, that ivolves god in this order: Roch10 PtY Citra Adam and Fred from the Wood Black Tuesday
After the 3 hour drive up to Hill Farmstead, getting my first taste of Abner while waiting in line. Couldn't stop grinning.
Goose Island Imperial IPA, which is long since retired. One of the first DIPAs I ever had and a near-religious experience at the time. . . .
I've had a lot of fantastic beers in my time - Dark Lord and Gumballhead at DLD, Kate the Great, Utopias, Abyss, etc, etc. But nothing has the kind of religious experience I had seeing Roger Waters performing Dark Side of the Moon live.
Founders KBS on tap (2012) rocked my world. Bolt Cutter as well. Goose Island Madame Rose brought me into the church of sour. Hopslam (first time I had it was this year) is amazing.
So should I send this thread on to the local police station? Stone IRS must really be something if it made you temporarily stop drinking and driving....
Palo Santo. I poured a glass in high hopes because, well it's expensive, I love DFH, and brown ales got me into this cult in the first place. I thought ok, this is pretty damn good but not epic. I was playing poker and not paying attention. Once the beer warmed up, I took a sip and looked down at it and went, "WoW." All I had to do was give it some attention and warm it up some. The rest of the 8 oz. were pure bliss. I talked about that beer everyday for a week. Another night my friend and I split some bottles we were saving. Sucaba, BCBCS, Burton Baton, Palo Santo. This time the BCBCS was absolutely outstanding. And then it was time for the Burton and Palo. I have had Burton before and it wasn't memorable. This time though, Palo wasn't the one that made me see the light, it was the Burton. Holy heaven was it good with 8 months on it. That beer paired with watching Umphreys McGee webcast their 15th anniversary show gave me such a hightened sense of enlightenment. These beers are always changing as time goes on and when you happen to open it at its maximum potential, you are greatly rewarded with a beer that you'll always remember and remember that moment in time.
A wrathful and spite filled Ghod visited upon my unsuspecting tongue the essence of cold Ho Jo pancakes smothered in bacon grease and Beelzebub Jamima syrup and lit with the fires of Hades. Damn you Rogue and your Voodoo Abomination! I will never stray from the righteous path again (until the next time)
Heady topper did it for me. Up to that point hoppy beers never really did it for me. Heady changed everything.
