Got my first Double Arrogant last night (thanks to the heads up from this forum) and it was fantastic. 10.5% and just absolutely delicious. If you're in the SD area, you really should try to find some of this stuff.

Stone just started shipping to NC this fall - I'm not sure which side of the border you're on, but it's possible they aren't shipping to SC yet.

Yeah Stone has been upping their distribution, so if it's not in your area yet, it should eventually get there. I have a friend down in Memphis, TN, which is pretty much miserable in regards to beer, and even he can get Stone stuff now. Just keep on the look out.

There is another option if you really want to get their stuff. Liquid Solutions carry all of Stone's stuff. I have ordered beer from them before, and they have been great at helping me try beers that just don't show up around here. Excellent service and they tend to ship things out fast. The bad news is shipping is pretty high if you use them, which is why I only use them for really special things.

If we didn't get the Double AB's in my area, I would have used them to get a case. I just wish they would arrive here in NJ already, was hoping to enjoy the first night of WotLK with a special beer for the event!

Arrogant Bastard is right at my threshold for hoppiness (actually had one this weekend since I was at Bevmo and didn't feel like drinking the beer I had at home with pork ribs for dinner). Though I'd probably try it, a Double Arrogant sounds like too much hoppy goodness for my palate.

I'll put in a vote for Spaten and Spaten Oktoberfest. There's a wonderful bar called Steinkeller in Oxford Ohio that serves these.

If you ever visit the Sud-Tirol region in Italy (which is a lovely area for any sort of beer anyway) try to pick up a pack of Forst. They produce some very good quality Pilsener in their little factory in Palmero.

The local ale house had Stone steal-the-glass last night. They had A.B., Oak-aged A.B., Double Bastard, and Ruination. I'm pretty convinced Ruination isn't as good as it used to be, but the Double Bastard is great, much better than A.B. It should be widely available now, I'd recommend grabbing one if you haven't.

Well, the winter seasonals are already rolling out, even though it's several weeks from Thanksgiving. I am really enjoying getting to try something besides Sam Adams and Harpoon's offerings this year, because I really dislike both. They taste like someone dumped their entire spice rack into the fermenter, too overpowering for my tastes.

As if I hadn't already blathered about New Belgium enough in this thread, I recently had their winter seasonal for the first time (called Two Below) and it was surprisingly good. It's not your standard "cinnamon and nutmeg" winter beer, just a very well crafted ale. Pretty full-bodied and malty, but they also apparently dry-hop the heck out of it, which lends a really nice hop aroma without adding bitterness. Well worth trying if you usually dread the winter beers like I do.

For the more available brews, I do like the Sam Adams, but I'm less thrilled about the Harpoon. I like the Full Moon more than I expected, and Sierra Nevada probably comes out on top.

Funny thing about the Winter seasonals, there tend to be a huge variety of styles, so you can usually find something to your liking. Brooklyn makes a good, and extremely potent, Imperial Chocolate Stout. Nice thing about it is you can get it in a six pack.

Been looking for a Double Bock, as they usually appear around now too. Nothing yet. I did grab a six pack of Tröegs' Mad Elf to try. I may try some tomorrow, but that is one beer I want to take easy, it's pretty strong.

I think you're going to have to be more specific of what you're looking for, as many of your criteria are relative to what you're used to. For example, I love big hoppy beers, and dark stouts, and basically anything that's just overloaded with flavor. So I'd put Sierra Nevada's pale ale as an example of a light, strongly hopped beer that's not just a mouthful of hops. For my buddies that drink Lite beers though, Sierra Nevada is overpoweringly strong and something only to be drank in extreme moderation.

I would probably suggest something in the Pale Ale category though. My experience with Pales though has been that they're all over the map as far as taste goes. I grew up on the SNPA, so that was my baseline, and I can't say I've ever had anything like that. Most are a fair bit less hoppy and more quaffable which is what it sounds like you're going for. As always, I'd recommend just hitting up a local beer store and trying out something that's regional. These tend to be fresher( and therefore usually tastier ), and you're supporting the local economy which is always good.