The greatest beers in the world...

A few months ago, Ann picked up a book for me at the used book store: The 50 Greatest Beers in the World by Stuart Kallen. It was published in 1997. Here are his top 20 beers (BeerAdvocate score in parenthesis):

1. Delerium Tremens (88)
   
2. Kulmbacher Reichelbraü Eisbock (89)
   
3. Rogue Shakespeare Stout (91)
   
4. Duvel (91)
   
5. Caledonian Golden Pale (83)
   
6. Chapeau Gueuze Lambic (not enough reviews, but so far, not good)
   
7. Sam Smith Taddy Porter (88)
   
8. Aventinus (91)
   
9. Lindemans Kriek (87)
10. Murphy's Irish Stout (85)
11. Chimay Cinq Cents (88)
    
12. Grant's Scottish Ale (retired)
13. Corsendonk Monk's Pale Ale (86)
14. Erdinger Pinkantus Weizenbock (86)
15. Guinness Stout (83)
16. Orval (89)
17. Sam Smith Imperial Stout (91)
18. Saison Dupont (90)
19. Pinkus Ur-Pils Organic (85)
20. Grant's Imperial Stout (retired)

Overall it is a decent list - you can't go wrong with any of those beers, although that gueuze seems a little suspect. Having Murphy's and Guinness is probably unnecessary, as well as having Duvel and Delirium Tremens. There are better tripels than the Chimay, too, and Corsendonk is good but not great. I haven't had the Kulmbacher or the Erdinger, but I am sure that they are good, although the Aventinus Eisbock is pretty amazing, and it would be tough in my book for any Eisbock to beat it. Give me Cantillon Kriek over Lindemans Kriek any day; I guess there is a place for the Lindemans, but it wouldn't be in my top 20. Here is a quick list of my top 10 beers that I have rated on BeerAdvocate: Bigfoot, Celebration, Stone Imperial Stout, Leifman's Goudenband, Westvleteren 12, Rochefort 6, Trois Pistoles, Allagash Interlude, La Terrible, McNeills Imperial Stout. Of course, if I were writing a book, I would probably include a bigger variety of styles in my top ten, and I probably wouldn't include beers that one can only buy at the brewery (i.e. Westvleteren 12). All in all, the book is pretty interesting from a historical point of view.