Inspired by Ron’s list, here’s a few beers I’m wishing for.

#5
Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale
by Stone
I was going to make sure that all of the beers on my list were different than Ron’s, but I hadn’t heard of this one before I saw it on his list. Now I want it. I’ve been accused of being arrogant. Am I arrogant enough?

#4
Real cask ale
by anybody

Real ale is a natural product brewed using traditional ingredients and left to mature in the cask from which it is served in the pub through a process called secondary fermentation. It is this process which makes real ale unique amongst beers and develops the wonderful tastes and aromas which processed beers can never provide.

Cask-conditioned ale on a hand-pull is about as rare around here as hen’s teeth. No, I really want to go to the U.K. and have some of the good stuff. At least, before it disappears from there, too. Thank goodness for CAMRA.

#3
Westvleteren
by The Monks of the Abbey of Saint Sixtus

“No question, it is the holy grail of beers,” says Remi Johnson, manager of the Publick House, a Boston bar that has Westvleteren on its menu but rarely in stock.

Three styles, brewed by the monks of the Abbey of Saint Sixtus in the Belgian municipality of Westvleteren. They brew simply to help pay for their way of life, and have resisted efforts to increase production or license the beer to a larger brewer. They do not advertise, label the beer, or sell it anywhere except from their front gate. It is so rare and prices are so high in grey market reselling, they ask that people buying their beer–and they can only get two cases a month–to promise not to resell it. Trappist Command: Thou Shalt Not Buy Too Much of Our Beer (Wall Street Journal)

#2
Samichlaus
by Schloss Eggenberg

“Samichlaus” beer is brewed once a year, in each case on December 6th, and stored and matured afterwards for over 10 months before it is bottled. “Samichlaus” beer can mature for many years in the bottle; older vintages obtain a complexity and receive their creamy warm aftertaste.

December 6 is Saint Nicholas’ Eve. Samichlaus means “Santa Claus” in the Swiss-German dialect of Zurich, where it was first made and is one of the world’s strongest beers at 14% ABV. It was originally brewed by Hürlimann Brewery, but production was stopped in 1986 after the brewery was purchased by a subsidiary of Carlsberg. In 2006, the Schloss Eggenberg brewery in Austria brought it back to much rejoicing.

#1
Utopias
by Samuel Adams

With an alcohol content of 27% by volume, its complexity and sweet, malty flavor is reminiscent of a deep, rich vintage Port, fine Cognac or aged sherry while being surprisingly light on the palate.

$100 for a 24 ounce bottle. Illegal in 12 states. Bottled in a miniature copper brew kettle. What’s not to love?

These are all so rare, so expensive, or so far away that I may never get a chance to experience them. That’s why they call it a wishlist, after all.

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