Top 10 American Style Beers

a very open ended category, this is about beer that don't fit a style per say, and are not trying to do anything distinctly Belgian, German, English, ect. They are about the American Spirit of brewing, pushing boundaries and flavor profiles. These beers go beyond style, and are experiences to be dealt with in their own right.

Alaskan Smoked Porter
Founder of the style, and still pushing the boundaries on extremely smoky yet drinkable ales.
Bottle, 2008. Rich, smoky, robust porter. Nose of wood, earth, smoke, coffee and slight toast. Mouthfeel is slightly acidic, burnt on the toungue. Additional chocolate, espresso, carmel, smokeand slight pepper in the flavor. Finish is lingeringly smoky and bitter.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
The zenith of IBUs, this IPA is continuously hopped for the duration of the boil. Try with Randall the Enamel Animal, a Hopback type of device to run your tap beer through a bed of fresh hops.
Amazingly 2008 was my first endeavor into the world of DFH and their legendary IPA. This is a bomber, with amazing floral, resiny and sweet. The aromatics are perfume like in their pungence, with pine and citrus assaulting the nose. The flavor begins malty-sweet, slight caramel and toast, then switches to lemon, orange, pine and earth. The impression is very mouth filling (at 9%), sweet but not cloying, resiny, and very bitter through the finish.

Deschutes Abyss
If you like Barrels and Strong, Strong Stouts, this is the beer for you.
Wow. I didn't know you could make a beer this intense and delicious. A jet black imperial stout with one third of it barrel aged in french oak and bourbon barrel oak. Chocolate, roast, coffee, licorice, molasses, this is a velvety warm beer to be sipped and cherished. There is no overt bourbon barrel presence, you find more of the trace elements (vanilla, tobacco, toffee, smoke) from it in the highlights. At 11% ABV, its is amazing how good this beer is young.

Stumptown Fossil Fuel
want a 45 million old ale that was brewed last year?
This IPA has a very complex flavor profile. It tastes super grassy and resiny, like fresh hops. Apparently, however, much of the spiciness and "fresh" character comes from a 45 million year old strain of yeast that resembles brewers yeast! An experimental ale brewed by Stumptown after being approached by scientists, it is a zesty, light and refreshing ale. Notes of lemon, grass, grapefruit, and even a touch of clove, with a slightly toasty and caramelly background. Soon into production by Fossil Fuels Brewing Co.

The Bruery Saison Rue
A saison amped up to %8 with Bret and Rye, a real cornacopia of styles and ingredients.
Refreshing, bitter and slightly sour and spicy ale. Nose of spices, coriander, apples, pears, slight sour and farmhouse quality. Medium mouthfeel, large carbonation with a slight lactic quality. Additional wheat, biscut, caramel, rye, pepper and bannana in the flavor. Lengthy, slightly tart and bitter finish.

Rogue Imperial X
Pushing the IPA experience to the extreme.
Jet black ceramic bottle with a swing top, just taking a look at this beer makes you shake. I expected a much sweeter, malt oriented ale, but got a hop bomb with the malts playing much more of a background role. Spicy, slightly noble hoppiness, blended with the citrus and grassiness found in northwest varieties. Slight caramel, toast and biscuit come into play, this is a medium bodied ale with a clean, not to bitter finish and unique blend of hop flavors.

Stone 12th Anniversary Ale
Taking robust, bitter, burnt and roasted flavors to the max.
A very warm ale, with incredibly powerful coffee, roast and chocolate notes. Burnt character, incredibly bitter, with slight toffee, oatmeal, vanilla, molasses and bark-earth. This is a much dryer and bitter beer than their usual imperial stout, and has a greater hop presence and bitterness in the finish.

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
Brown ale brewed to imperial strength and then aged in 10,000 gallon vessels made of Palo Santo wood from Paraguay! Supposedly the largest of such vessels since prohibition.
Needless to say a very warm beer, with hints of chocolate, licorice, molasses, toffee, hazelnut and vanilla. This has big barrel written all over it. Port like, slightly sweet, slightly vinous, with a dry finish.

Bear Republic EZ Ryder
like spicy rye? this one is made with 100%
Spicy, doughy and refreshing all rye beer. I'm guessing they used a special variety of rye that has a much less subdued flavor, because although I expected it to be overpowering, it was quite sessionable. Great hop presence, with citrus and grapefruit, with spicy pepper notes. Medium to light bodied, lightly bitter finish, with biscuit and toast highlights.

Firestone Walker Velvet Mirkin
This is an Oatmeal Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels.
Deep licorice, dried fruit, smoke and chocolate flavors. This whole beer has a slight vinuous quality, but is well rounded and smooth around the edges.