2008: The Year in Beer

Ale Monthly

2009-02-04T09:38:00.000-08:00

That is the list, everyone. More beer reviews and news can be found at Ale Monthly, where I'll be monthly reviewing beers and posting news, events and more.

thanks
Ryan

Top 25 Beers

2009-01-12T14:49:00.001-08:00

Russian River Beatification
Blended Gueze 100% Spontaneously Fermented in very old Oak. Batch #2
Wow. This is as sour and bubbly as they come. Almost no brett flavor, very dry, grapefruit, tart and hints of wood, pear, apple. This is an incredibly one dimensional ale, and I mean that in a very good way! If you like sour, dry and bubbly, this is the way to go.

Green Flash Grand Cru
Belgian Dark Strong Ale. Decadent and rich for a beer on tap, and considering it is a new beer to 2008, pretty amazing at the balance. Cloves, chocolate, smoke and charred wood flavors complement the slightly ester yeast character, with a strong dark fruit, raisin and fig character. Rich, thick, dark and warm. This is what heaven tastes like.

Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA
Really a refreshing, sessionable offering from Firestone Walker that at the same time is over the top in hop aroma and flavor, quite a feat indeed. Light bodied, full aroma of grapefruit and orange, with resinous flavors that are even stronger, lemon,orange and pine, with a lingering but pleasant bitterness. A note of toast and caramel, but the hops dominate this! Great for Speakeasy Big Daddy fans, a light bodied, low ABV and highly hopped IPA.

Deschutes Abyss
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.

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.

Achel Extra Bruin
Wow. Very full, highly carbonated and quite dry in the finish, the esters in this beer dominate the profile: figs, plums, raisins, vanilla, clove, you name it. Lots of chocolate, toffee, tobacco and even slight roast flavors. Only detracts being slightly sweet-syrupy, but this is balanced by the warmth and rather dry finish. Best trappist version of the style I've had, hands down.

Unibroue 16th Anniversary
Wonderfully complex dark strong ale. Raisins, plum and caramel dominate the flavor, with a slight woody hop accent present. Thick, but well carbonated, ale, with a richness throughout that doesn't reach creaminess. Allspice, grapes, , nutmeg, vanilla, cherries. It is hard to describe all the flavors in this beer. Who needs wine.

Jolly Pumpkin Luciernaga
Belgian Pale Ale fermented in Oak (and spiked with Brett?) Complex, well rounded, lightly sour ale. Light and spicy, with notes of coriander, clove, vanilla and some malt depth and complexity, slight toffee. A little musty, and flowery from hops. Has that indescribable "brett" flavor, often called barnyard. A definite farmhouse character to this one.

Malheur Brut Reserve
This may have been the most I paid retail for a beer in 2008 ... was it worth it? A champagne style Saison, brut, bubbly and very dry. Slight earthy,noble hops and biscuit notes in the nose. Biscuit and slight hoppy earthiness up front, then with pear, apple and slight bubblegum esters throughout the middle. The finish ends dry, bitter, and delicious.

Boulevard Saison Brett
A beer more in balance than overpowered by sourness, this Saison has a nice hop and ester spiciness, is slightly creamy, and sour with a bitter finish. Hints of pears, apples, banana, with notes of wheat, grass and a very citrus, noticeably orange, character to it. Very smooth and refreshing.

Russian River Consecration
Pale ale aged in Oak with Pluots. Sour, cherries, figs, raisins, toffee. It has a dry, vinous character, should age superbly, and the barrel character is quite apparent, slight notes of vanilla, oak, earth. Quite acidic and a lingering sour finish. This one sticks with you.

Stone 12th Anniversary
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.

Schnieder Edel-Weisse
This is an organic hefeweizen from Schnieder, and possibly my favorite of their offerings. A rather dry wizen with a hoppier presence than most, and much more restrained phenolic character (clove-bannana). Smells of wheat, toast and slight peppers and bubblegum. The mouthfeel is slightly acidic, dry and tastes of grains, biscuit and grass, with slight clove. Finish is slightly citrus-lemony. Delicious.

Alaskan Smoked Porter 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.

Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza
Golden Strong ale fermented in Oak (and spiked with Brett?) Another spicy, sour and hoppy offering from JP. This offering is quite sour, gold colored and hazy, and has esters to boot: pear, apple, slight banana. Doesn't have the quite the barnyard-farmhouse going, possibly due to other organisms besides Brett? Need to find out more.

Zoetzuur Flemish Reserve
A very sharp, acidic red with a delicious malt backbone. Smells like sour cherries, once again, but has a less musty and muddled aroma, much more tart, and the flavor is cleaner, not musty, but definitely bretty. Hints of oak, raisins, plums and sour fruit. Very dry, almost astringent.

Schwelmer "Bernstien" Vienna
A very alt-like Vienna style lager. Very malty and slightly sweet in the nose, hints of toast and toffee, and slight earthy hops. Light on the palate, biscuits, caramel, chocolate, hazelnuts, with slight esters and a dry, hoppy finish featuring spicy, earthy noble hops.

de Dolle Export Stout
Fruity, rich and slightly sour stout. Nose of chocolate, prunes, toffee, roast and caramel. The mouthfeel is quite full, slightly thick, and carbonation is medium. Additional smoke, coffee, raisin and licorice in the flavor. Ends rather smooth and slightly bitter, but mostly roasty and slightly warm. Not your traditional stout, really more of a farmhouse Belgian Black Ale.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
This is a powerhouse, 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.

Brugge Diamond Kings
Quadrupel barrel aged in french oak and spiked with Brett and pickled plums.
This beer is a powerhouse. Much more malt complexity and even some residual sweetness than most Brett ales. Figs, raisins, cherries, toffee, vanilla, plums, this beer has much more of the barrel flavor to it left than just the beasties. The sourness is gentle, just a slight tartness, mustiness, and funkiness, maybe because it is just such a big beer at 12%.

Kulmbacher Eisbock
Amazingly chocolately smooth Eisbock, apparently the original. Nose of dried fruits, roast, chocolate and slight smoke. The mouthfeel is faintly slick but thick, a slight warming but well blended for a beer of this strength. Dark chocolate, cherries, raisins, figs, molasses, cloves, banana, toffee, caramel. It is all in there. Finish is warm but rather dry.

Allagash Interlude
A dual fermented beer golden strong ale (a farmhouse ale yeast and Brett for the secondary), the beer is taken from the stainless and aged in French Merlot and Sirah barrels, a very bold move. A very tannic, plum like character is added to an otherwise light and refreshing ale. Nose is of oak, red wine, brett, apples, with additional earthy, pear, toast, grape and berries in the flavor. Mouthfeel is medium, with a very tannic and slight acidic and tart aspect. Very unique ale.

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 vinous quality, but is well rounded and smooth around the edges.

St. Bernardus Trippel
Hoppy, sweet and slightly fruity, a delicious Trappist Ale. All is in balance, it is rich, yet dry and lingering in the finish. The hops are prominent up front, yet it is not too bitter in the finish. This beer is a conundrum of sorts, has little complexity in any one aspect, but is an enjoyable ale.

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.

Top 10 American Style Beers

2009-01-12T14:44:00.000-08:00

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.

Top 10 Belgian Beers

2009-01-12T14:43:00.003-08:00

lots of overlap here in the sour ale and dark strong categories once again, but top 10 new-to-me beers from Belgium in 2008.

Achel Extra
Belgian Style Dark Strong
Wow. Very full, highly carbonated and quite dry in the finish, the esters in this beer dominate the profile: figs, plums, raisins, vanilla, clove, you name it. Lots of chocolate, toffee, tobacco and even slight roast flavors. Only detracts being slightly sweet-syrupy, but this is balanced by the warmth and rather dry finish. Best Trappist version of the style I've had, hands down

Bink Belgian Blond
Belgian Style Blond Ale
A slightly thicker blond ale with some slight farmhouse characteristics and a very hoppy presence. Nose of citrus, earth and slight pine, with a hint of apple and pear esters, toast and bread. Thick and sweet up front, but the carbonation cuts through some of this. Additional earth, wood and slight lactic character in the flavor. Finishes dry an lingeringly bitter.

de Dolle Export Stout
Belgian Style Black Ale
Fruity, rich and slightly sour stout. Nose of chocolate, prunes, toffee, roast and caramel. The mouthfeel is quite full, slightly thick, and carbonation is medium. Additional smoke, coffee, raisin and licorice in the flavor. Ends rather smooth and slightly bitter, but mostly roasty and slightly warm. Not your traditional stout, really more of a farmhouse Belgian Black Ale.

N'Ice Chouffee Holiday Ale
Belgian Style Holiday-Dark Strong
A bridge between a dark strong and spiced holiday ale. Nose is of anise, clove, chocolate, toffee and plum, raisin and fig esters. Medium to lighter body, slight warmth but no slickness. Additional coffee, dark chocolate and brown sugar notes in the flavor, with a slight citrus and earthiness from the hops. The overall impression isn't too sweet, more rich and complex and warm.

Urthel Parlus Magnificum
Belgian Dubbel-Abbey Ale
Rich, complex and malty ale. Notes of toffee, chocolate, caramel and prunes and figs in the nose. Rich, thick mouthfeel, but not quite bock level. Still attains bock level melanoidian complexity, and has additional notes of raisin, earth and tobacco in the flavor. Finish is sweet, but slight bitterness and has a noble, earthy and piney hop character

Rochefort 8
Belgian Style Dark Strong
Walks the line with a Dark Strong, which most people consider it, this Abbey ale has a subdued aroma, is slightly sweet up front, rich in the middle, and slightly spicy hoppy in the finish. It has complex, aged and balanced flavor, with dried fruits, vanilla, figs, and even, dare I say it, slight cola.

Zoetzurr Flemish Sour
Flanders Red
A very sharp, acidic red with a delicious malt backbone. Smells like sour cherries, once again, but has a less musty and muddled aroma, much more tart, and the flavor is cleaner, not musty, but definitely bretty. Hints of oak, raisins, plums and sour fruit. Very dry, almost astringent.

Monk's Kettle Flemish Sour
aka, Bios Vlaamse Bourgogne. A Flanders Red
Deep, rich malt with sour power. Almost like a sweet tart. Carmel, raisins, cherries, chocolate, oak. Then the sourness kicks in and goes through the finish. Musty, but lacking the horsey Brett Flavor. Richer, fruiter and more luscious than many of its kind.

Rodenbach Grand Cru
A Flanders Red.
Intensely sour ale with a mild malty background. Nose of dark cherries, berries, plums, currants, wood, and earth. Mouthfeel is very puckering and acidic, rather thin. Additional notes of caramel, oak, plums, chocolate. Has a slight vinous quality, and the tartness lasts past the finish. More puckering and refreshing than the Alexander.

McChouffe Brown Ale
An Abbey Ale with a Scotch Ale Influence
Very malty, roasty and nutty. Not as complex and fruity as many Dubbels-Brown ales, but smooth, like a scotch ale with a Belgian interpretation.

Top 10 Neo-Belgian Beers

2009-01-12T14:43:00.001-08:00

an homage to Belgian Style ales made in other areas, notably North America. Much overlap here with the sour beer and dark strong categories.

Russian River Beatification
Blended Gueze 100% Spontaneously Fermented in very old Oak. Batch #2
Wow. This is as sour and bubbly as they come. Almost no brett flavor, very dry, grapefruit, tart and hints of wood, pear, apple. This is an incredibly one dimensional ale, and I mean that in a very good way! If you like sour, dry and bubbly, this is the way to go.

Green Flash Grand Cru
A Belgian Style Dark Strong Ale
Decadent and rich for a beer on tap, and considering it is a new beer to 2008, pretty amazing at the balance. Cloves, chocolate, smoke and charred wood flavors complement the slightly ester yeast character, with a strong dark fruit, raisin and fig character. Rich, thick, dark and warm. This is what heaven tastes like.

Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Oro
Golden Strong ale fermented in Oak (and spiked with Brett?)
Another spicy, sour and hoppy offering from JP. This offering is quite sour, gold colored and hazy, and has esters to boot: pear, apple, slight banana. Doesn't have the quite the barnyard-farmhouse going, possibly due to other organisms besides Brett? Need to find out more.

Boulevard Saison Sour
Saison spiked with Brett
A beer more in balance than overpowered by sourness, this Saison has a nice hop and ester spiciness, is slightly creamy, and sour with a bitter finish. Hints of pears, apples, banana, with notes of wheat, grass and a very citrus, noticeably orange, character to it. Very smooth and refreshing.

Brugge Diamond Kings
Quadrupel barrel aged in french oak and spiked with Brett and pickled plums.
This beer is a powerhouse. Much more malt complexity and even some residual sweetness than most Brett ales. Figs, raisins, cherries, toffee, vanilla, plums, this beer has much more of the barrel flavor to it left than just the beasties. The sourness is gentle, just a slight tartness, mustiness, and funkiness, maybe because it is just such a big beer at 12%.

Jolly Pumpkin Lucinerga
Belgian Pale Ale fermented in Oak (and spiked with Brett?)
Complex, well rounded, lightly sour ale. Light and spicy, with notes of coriander, clove, vanilla and some malt depth and complexity, slight toffee. A little musty, and flowery from hops. Has that indescribable "brett" flavor, often called barnyard. A definite farmhouse character to this one

Russian River Consecration
Pale ale aged in Oak with Pluots.
Sour, cherries, figs, raisins, toffee. It has a dry, vinous character, should age superbly, and the barrel character is quite apparent, slight notes of vanilla, oak, earth. Quite acidic and a lingering sour finish. This one sticks with you.

Port Brewing de Proef Signature Ale 2007
Pale ale spiked with Brett
Pale, refreshing very funky beer. This beer is quite bitter, light on the palatte, and has a grainy undertone. The brett character has nowhere to hide as the malt profile is quite low. The nose and finish are both quite hoppy, grapefruit and orange, but the sour-funkhouse character provides the base for this beer.

Unibroue 16th Anniversary Ale
A Belgian Style Dark Strong Ale
Wonderfully complex dark strong ale. Raisins, plum and caramel dominate the flavor, with a slight woody hop accent present. Thick, but well carbonated, ale, with a richness throughout that doesn't reach creaminess. Allspice, grapes, , nutmeg, vanilla, cherries. It is hard to describe all the flavors in this beer. Who needs wine.

Deschutes, The Dissident
Flanders Style Brown Ale with Cherries aged in Pinot Bottles
Powerful yet smooth sour brown ale. Nose is of dark cherries, raisins, figs, plums, toffee and chocolate. Medium bodied and mouth filling, with a tart and slightly tannic aspect to it. Flavors similar to the nose, but slightly more wood, earth and slight toast and caramel. Not overtly farmhouse or barnyard, the brett flavor is subdued, but the sourness and cherries pervade.

Top 10 German Beers

2009-01-12T14:41:00.002-08:00

best samples of new-to-me beers from Germany in 2008. all time favorites include Schneider Aventinus Wizenbock, Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse, Kotsritzer Schwarzbier, Paulaner Hefe-Weisse.

Kulmbacher Eisbock
Amazingly chocolately smooth Eisbock, apparently the original. Nose of dried fruits, roast, chocolate and slight smoke. The mouthfeel is faintly slick but thick, a slight warming but well blended for a beer of this strength. Dark chocolate, cherries, raisins, figs, molasses, cloves, banana, toffee, caramel. It is all in there. Finish is warm but rather dry.

Schnieder Edel-Weisse
This is an organic hefeweizen from Schnieder, and possibly my favorite of their offerings. A rather dry wizen with a hoppier presence than most, and much more restrained phenolic character (clove-bannana). Smells of wheat, toast and slight peppers and bubblegum. The mouthfeel is slightly acidic, dry and tastes of grains, biscuit and grass, with slight clove. Finish is slightly citrus-lemony. Delicious.

Schwelmer "Bernstien" Vienna
A very alt-like Vienna style lager. Very malty and slightly sweet in the nose, hints of toast and toffee, and slight earthy hops. Light on the palate, biscuits, caramel, chocolate, hazelnuts, with slight esters and a dry, hoppy finish featuring spicy, earthy noble hops.

Schnieder Aventinus Eisbock
Funny enough Schneider takes claim for the Eisbock Story as well as Klumbacher! Rich, warm and sweet with some melanoidian like complexity. Hints of chocolate, toffee, raisin, plums and hints of molasses and licorice. Slightly thick and slick mouthfeel, with hints of clove, peppers, dried fruits and chocolate. Powerful warmth pervades this beer, and it finishes pretty full and sweet.

Krusovice Schwartzbier
Slightly on the dunkel side of a Schwarzbier. Smooth dark lager with some roasty highlights. Notes of chocolate, caramel, toast, earth and bread. Medium mouthfeel, slightly slight, and a clean, slightly sweet finish.

Altenmunster Maibock
A very refreshing helles bock. Grains, wheat, toast in the nose, with some slight apple and pear esters and earthy hops. The taste is similar, quite sweet, and a smooth grainy quality, bread, caramel, with a lightly bitter finish featuring spicy hops. Light, refreshing.

Mahrs Wizenbock
Complex and rich ale. Clove, banana, toffee, earthy, spicy hops in the nose. Mouthfeel is medium to rich, smooth, no warmth, and the flavor brings caramel and more banana. The finish is slightly sweet and hoppy.

Allaguer Brahaus Marzen
Toasty, bisciutty and light ale. Nose of toffee and toast, hints of apples and earth. The mouthfeel is thin and a little slick, notes of caramel, earth, toast, honey, corn. The finish is a little grassy, but like old hops rather than fresh ones. Authentic offering, but could use a flavor boost.

Mahrs Weisse
Delicious, reserved hefewizen. Nose of clove, bubblegum and citrus, with traces of biscuit and wheat. The mouthfeel is very rich and thick, flavors similar to the nose but banana is very dominant. The finish is sweeter than most.

Altenmunster Winterbier
Reserved, rich, almost dunkel like doppelbock. Nose of bread, dates, chocolate, toast and even wine. Medium mouthfeel, would be fuller with more carbonation. Additional notes of licorice, dark chocolate and caramel in the taste. Overall, a balanced but slightly musty doppel.

Top 10 Barrel Aged Beers

2009-01-12T14:41:00.001-08:00

top new-to-me Barrel Aged beers of 2008. sour barrel aged beers found in the sour beer catergory. All time favorites include Allagash Curieux.

Deschutes Abyss
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.

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 vinous quality, but is well rounded and smooth around the edges.

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.

North Coast Bourbon Barrel Reserve Old Stock Ale
Another great cellar find at the North Coast shop, this is a rich Barleywine aged in oak whiskey barrels. Nose of caramel, dried fruits, cherries, with a upfront flavors of caramel, vanilla, and traces of hazelnut, oak earth and dried fruits in the finish. Very warm and rich throughout, but a dry, bitter and roasty finish.

Allagash Odyssey
Only their second attempt in their barrel series, this is another hit. A dark, dunkel like ale with 10% wheat added to the recipe. A portion of this is then aged in medium toast American oak for 6 months minimum before blending. This is a really well balanced, complex, malt influenced ale. There is a slight bitterness and vanilla from the barrel, notes of cherries, toffee, chocolate, coffee, prunes, earth, pine and roast. This beer is warm and finishes rather rich and creamy.

Firestone Walker Abacus
Barleywine aged in 5 different types of oak barrels for 9 months. Should have asked more questions on this one. Really dark, almost port like beer, strong bourbon, caramel, toffee, oak, chocolate and raisin. Really warm, rich, medium mouthfeel, slightly slick, with more dry but slightly hot finish.

Allagash Interlude
This could have easily gone in the sour beer category, or neo-belgian, but placed it here due to the really distinct use and profile of the barrel in this ale. A dual fermented beer golden strong ale (a farmhouse ale yeast and Brett for the secondary), the beer is taken from the stainless and aged in French Merlot and Sirah barrels, a very bold move. A very tannic, plum like character is added to an otherwise light and refreshing ale. Nose is of oak, red wine, brett, apples, with additional earthy, pear, toast, grape and berries in the flavor. Mouthfeel is medium, with a very tannic and slight acidic and tart aspect. Very unique ale.

Firestone Walker Parabola
Imperial Version of their Velvet Mirkin and also an extension of their Quercus Alba Program, so maybe we'll see this soon in bottles. Laid on bourbon barrels for a two year maturation. Very boozy, bourbon quality, this beer is warm and almost more barleywine like. At %14, this is a bomb, and the alcohol overcomes. Notes of chocolate, coffee, but really sweet, caramelly, and estery from the heat. Traces of vanilla, toast and dried fruits underneath all of this somewhere. Lay these in a cellar for a few years.

Green Flash Bourbon Barrel Double Stout
One of my favorite imperial stouts of the year laid on Bourbon Barrels. In the non barrel aged version, the luscious chocolate flavor dominated, but now, there is a much more chewy, earthy, bourbon and vanilla presences. Took a pretty straightforward Imperial and turned it on end. Hints of oat, caramel and toffee notes. There is a more of a warming in this beer, and more complexity and dryness in the finish.

Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Stout
Imperial Stout aged in oak Bourbon Barrels. Dark chocolate and a slight spicy rye and vanilla character dominates this beer. Notes of coffee, roast, caramel, oak, and earth. Quaffable, rich and warm.

Top 10 Sour Beers

2009-01-12T14:39:00.001-08:00

these are my favorite 10 new-to-me sour beer beers of 2008. a collection of traditional Belgian Sour Ales (Lambics, Fruit Lambics, Flanders Red, Flanders Brown) and American Interpretations. all time favorites include Orval, Cantillion Gueze, Cantillion Iris, Boon Framboise, Russian River Temptation, Russian River Supplication.

Russian River Beatification
Blended Gueze 100% Spontaneously Fermented in very old Oak. Batch #2
Wow. This is as sour and bubbly as they come. Almost no brett flavor, very dry, grapefruit, tart and hints of wood, pear, apple. This is an incredibly one dimensional ale, and I mean that in a very good way! If you like sour, dry and bubbly, this is the way to go.

Jolly Pumpkin Luciernaga
Belgian Pale Ale fermented in Oak (and spiked with Brett?)
Complex, well rounded, lightly sour ale. Light and spicy, with notes of coriander, clove, vanilla and some malt depth and complexity, slight toffee. A little musty, and flowery from hops. Has that indescribable "brett" flavor, often called barnyard. A definite farmhouse character to this one.

Boulevard Saison Brett
Saison spiked with Brett
A beer more in balance than overpowered by sourness, this Saison has a nice hop and ester spiciness, is slightly creamy, and sour with a bitter finish. Hints of pears, apples, banana, with notes of wheat, grass and a very citrus, noticeably orange, character to it. Very smooth and refreshing.

Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza
Golden Strong ale fermented in Oak (and spiked with Brett?)
Another spicy, sour and hoppy offering from JP. This offering is quite sour, gold colored and hazy, and has esters to boot: pear, apple, slight banana. Doesn't have the quite the barnyard-farmhouse going, possibly due to other organisms besides Brett? Need to find out more.

Russian River Consecration
Pale ale aged in Oak with Pluots.
Sour, cherries, figs, raisins, toffee. It has a dry, vinous character, should age superbly, and the barrel character is quite apparent, slight notes of vanilla, oak, earth. Quite acidic and a lingering sour finish. This one sticks with you.

Zoetzuur Flemish Reserve
Flanders Red
A very sharp, acidic red with a delicious malt backbone. Smells like sour cherries, once again, but has a less musty and muddled aroma, much more tart, and the flavor is cleaner, not musty, but definitely bretty. Hints of oak, raisins, plums and sour fruit. Very dry, almost astringent.

Port Brewing -de Proef Signature 2007
Pale ale spiked with Brett
Pale, refreshing very funky beer. This beer is quite bitter, light on the palatte, and has a grainy undertone. The brett character has nowhere to hide as the malt profile is quite low. The nose and finish are both quite hoppy, grapefruit and orange, but the sour-funkhouse character provides the base for this beer.

Brugge Diamond Kings
Quadrupel barrel aged in french oak and spiked with Brett and pickled plums.
This beer is a powerhouse. Much more malt complexity and even some residual sweetness than most Brett ales. Figs, raisins, cherries, toffee, vanilla, plums, this beer has much more of the barrel flavor to it left than just the beasties. The sourness is gentle, just a slight tartness, mustiness, and funkiness, maybe because it is just such a big beer at 12%.

Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour
aka, Bios Vlaamse Bourgogne. A Flanders Red
Deep, rich malt with sour power. Almost like a sweet tart. Carmel, raisins, cherries, chocolate, oak. Then the sourness kicks in and goes through the finish. Musty, but lacking the horsey Brett Flavor. Richer, fruiter and more luscious than many of its kind.

Allgash -de Proef Les Deux Brasseurs
Belgian Golden Strong ale spiked with Brett from each Brewery.
Tart at the start, sweet and slightly malty-grainy in the middle, quite acidic, with a very hoppy finish. Notes of wheat, grass, orange, grapefruit, pear, apple, cider and slight funk.

Top 10 IPAs and Imperials

2009-01-12T14:38:00.001-08:00

my most researched category of the year, these are the top 10 IPA's and Imperial (or double) IPA's new to me in 2008. all time favorites include Speakeasy Big Daddy, Bear Republic Racer 5 , Russian River Pliny the Elder, and Lagunitas IPA.

Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA
Really a refreshing, sessionable offering from Firestone Walker that at the same time is over the top in hop aroma and flavor, quite a feat indeed. Light bodied, full aroma of grapefruit and orange, with resinous flavors that are even stronger, lemon,orange and pine, with a lingering but pleasant bitterness. A note of toast and caramel, but the hops dominate this! Great for Speakeasy Big Daddy fans, a light bodied, low ABV and highly hopped IPA.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
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.

Rogue Imperial IPA (XS)
Whew, another bomber. 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.

Port Brewing Wipeout IPA
Grass, pine and citrus come into balance in this lighter bodied IPA. Toast and biscuit notes come through, but the fresh, resiny hop notes dominate. The finish is pretty bitter, but not distracting.

Bear Republic Apex
A fresh hopheads wet dream, with the powerful resin flavor, overt grassiness and citrus-earthy varieties showcased. Medium bodied, slightly warm and a little slick, the flavors start with caramel and toast in the background, and switch to grapefruit, orange, pine and slight tangerine.

Stumptown Fossil Fuel XP
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.

Bear Republic Rebellion
A light, crisp and slightly grainy IPA, with a floral and very citrus character. Orange, piney and lemon zest in the nose, medium bodied, with a slight spicy undertone and biscuit, toast and almond notes in the background.

Three Floyds Dreadnaught IPA
Grass, pine and citrus. Caramel, toast, toffee. These are all present in massive quantities, with a slight pear ester undertone and slight warmth. Medium bodied, and mouth filling.

Sierra Nevada Chico Estate
Very resinous, medium bodied, almost slick IPA. This is a wet-hopped beer, and has the piney, woody and orangey flavors that go with it. Rather sweet malt profile, caramel, slight apples from the esters, and a considerably sugary finish to go with the bitterness.

Widmer Halo IPA
Really rich, sweet ale that has a solid hop backbone. The smooth caramel, toffee and toast are balanced with piney, floral hops. No residual sweetness, clean, dry, with slightly apple esters from the yeast, has a medium to full body and a lingering bitter finish.

Top 10 Porters and Imperials

2009-01-12T14:37:00.002-08:00

favorite new Porters and Imperial Porters from 2008. nothing really blew me away this year, the top 3 being the most notable, but it was one of my most researched categories. all time favorite include Anchor Porter, Black Butter Porter, Black Prince Porter, Sierra Nevada Porter and Boulevard Bully Porter. smoked porters not included.

Deschutes Black Butte XX
A really rich imperial porter. Bomber of coffee and very bitter chocolate, A very slight vanilla and bourbon flavors peek through due to the barrel aging. Overall, the bitterness and warmth are in good balance, and this beer is pretty straightforward overall.

Baltika Porter (6)
Very smooth Baltic style Porter. Chocolate notes blend well with coffee and toffee. A medium bodied ale with a sweet finish, and has traces of dark fruit and bannana esters. Much less burnt and robust flavors than its American counterparts.

Meantime London Porter
The overt maltiness of this approaches and old ale or barleywine, but it is still a rounded rich and creamy brown porter. Seems well aged, with a slightly musty character. Caramel and coffee are the most prominent flavors, with dried fruit and a slight roast coming through.

Redhook Blackhook Porter
A really roasty and drinkable porter, with a great hoppy bitterness in the finish. Coffee, toffee, toast, almonds and slight spicy esters blend well behind the roasty and slightly sweet chocolate profile.

Left Hand BlackJack Porter
A more complex porter, blending disparte flavors into one. Dark chocolate, molasses, toffe and licorice mix with spicy, earthy and slightly citrusy hops and light peppery esters.

Speakeasy Hunters Point Porter
A very malty porter. Chocolate and roasty tones come through a solid base of caramel and bitterness. A very nice nuttiness can be found in the background, with dried fruits from the yeast esters.

Kona Pipeline Porter
A really creamy and smooth porter with an almost lactic quality to it. The primary flavor is coffee, with slight chocolate and roast. The finish is neither sweet nor bitter, almost like an iced coffee. Incredibly drinkable and unique ale.

Great Divide St. Bridgets Porter
One of the more American robust hoppy porters of the year. Chocolate and earthy pine balance to this one, with notes of toffee, vanilla and citrus. Finishes bitter and is very mouthfilling. Flavorful yet drinkable ale.

Roots Coconut Porter
Mild chocolatey porter with some creamy, bitter and roasty characteristics. The coconut is very light, almost adds more mouthfeel, and has a slightly lactic and nutty-toasty character.

McMenamins Black Rabbit Porter
A nutty, carmelly and creamy porter, with hints of coffee and chocolate. Much more a brown porter, with slightly spicy-ester aspects. Smooth, creamy and rather balanced.

Top 10 Stouts and Imperials

2009-01-12T14:37:00.001-08:00

my favorites new Stouts and Imperial Stouts from 2008. lots of great ones, and lots of barrel aged ones out there this year, which I've kept in here and may show up in the barrel aged categories. all time favorites include North Coast's Old Rasputin, Mirror Pond's Obsidian, Samuel Smith's Oatmeat Stout, Murphy's Irish Stout and Guiness.

Deschutes Abyss
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.

Green Flash Double Stout
Really well rounded Imperial Stout. Luscious chocolate flavor dominates, along with oat, caramel and toffee notes. There is a slight warming in the beer, but the finish isn't too bitter, and rather sweet, for this strong of a stout.

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.

Young's Oatmeal Stout
This is a thick, chewy oatmeal stout. A very roasty ale, with slight caramel, chocolate and toffee highlights. Very well rounded, lowly carbonated and hopped lightly, the oats really thicken this beer and add a hint of flavor to the palate.

Stone 12th Anniversary
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.

Stone Russian Imperial Stout
A huge, thick, robust stout. Intense burnt, dark fruits, cacao, vanilla, toffee, chocolate and toffee. The flavors don't have anywhere to hide, this is a really warm ale that hits you in the face with flavor and doesn't let up.

Moylan's Irish Dry Stout
A very well balanced dry stout. Very roasty up front, chewy, coffee highlights with a slightly hoppy and bitter finish. Notes of chocolate, molasses, toast and coffee throughout, a delicious, sessionable stout. Great for a winter day at the local pub.

Magnolia Oyster Stout
There is a really rich flavor profile to this beer. It is well balanced between all the components, yet has a smokiness the permeates and cuts through the roasty flavors. It begins with chocolate, toffee and a slight yeastiness, and ends somewhat dry, smoky and slightly bitter. This goes really well with food, flavorful meats, and I would assume, oysters.

Lucky Labrador Black Lab Stout
A thick, roasty, robust and quite drinkable ale. Very flavorful, chocolate, dried fruits, caramel and a light nutty quality. It could be a bit thicker and less sweet, but it is still quite creamy due to the nitro tap.

Schells Stout
This is a British Style Sweet stout. A very rich ale, it has sweet chocolate, medium toffee and caramel and light espresso notes. A creamy, roasty and lightly bitter finish gives this stout a nice edge.

Top 5 Pale Ales

2009-01-12T14:36:00.004-08:00

my favorites new Pale Ales from 2008. I had 4 out of 5 of these at the breweries, which attests to the advantage of drinking this beer locally and fresh. my all time favorites include Bridgeport IPA, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Anchor Liberty, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Full Sail Pale Ale,

Deschutes Green Lakes Pale Ale
Another organic beer that tops my lists this year. A nice, medium to light bodied fruity ale, with notes of toffee, caramel and biscuit throughout. The hop presence is light but clear, piney, and definitely more in the flavor than the aroma. Slightly dry and bitter finish.

Seabright Pelican Pale Ale
Light and crisp, with toasty highlights and hop depth, including piney and citrus overtones. Excellent session beer that has a distinct west coast profile without the "bigness" (aka, alcohol content), and very fresh and bright, a nice complement to my meal.

Great Divide Denver Pale Ale
This is a malt forward, more English style pale with an assertive hop presence. A very pine like resin flavor seems to dominate through the aroma, but biscuit, caramel and slight toffee flavors fight through upon tasting. Sight fruity, plum like esters finish complement throughout. Clean, creamy finish with light citrus hops, fresh and on site.

McMenamins Hammerhead
Tried at the Hawthorne, Portland.
Hoppy zestiness dominates this beer up front, a certain profile for Cascade. Citrus and caramel overtones are complemented throughout, with slight tangerine, grapefruit orange and even lemon in the nose , while biscuit and toffee serve as the backbone. A great fresh beer in a one of a kind setting.

Bridgeport Haymaker Extra Pale Ale
Considering I think of Bridgeport IPA as really more of a Pale Ale by today's aggressive standards, their pale ale was a pleasant surprise, almost a very hoppy small beer, or an American version of a bitter. This sample was tried on site, and was very biscuitty, toasty and slightly carmelly overall. A slightly grassy, lemony hop presence ran throughout. The overall impression is a crisp, dry grainy, and slightly hoppy beer. This is the lawnmower beer for hopheads.

Top 5 Witbiers

2009-01-12T14:36:00.003-08:00

my favorites new Witbiers, also know as white beers, from 2008. non sours (or Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca would have topped this). all time favorites include Allgash White and Hoegaarden. I embarassingly have no Belgium one on here this year.

Trinity Witbier
Nice yeasty ale. Slightly lactic and sour, with spicy orange and coriander apparent. Fresh, slightly sweet, but a dry finish. Pleasant appearance (cloudly, off white) and aroma (spices, cardboard and tart). Just like I would expect while in Belgium, bravo.

Brugges White
One of the funkier-farmhouse wits of the year. A general lactic tang surrounds this beer throughout, with very lemony, grassy and wheaty flavors coming through. Slight citrus and floral, not refreshing, per se, but definitely interesting and authentic.

Unibroue Ephemere, Apple
This is a unique, refreshing ale that verges on and apple cider. Incredibly refreshing and drinkable, it has a nose of cider and the taste of green apples, but in all other aspects, it is a witbeer: hazy, large head, zesty and orange flavors, and a bready, wheaty backbone.

New Belgium Mothership Wit
I generally don't enjoy organic ales at all. I don't think the organics have caught up yet in terms of quality, or quality control, especially the malts. But a witbier as an organic? Why not. Most of the character from this ale come from the fermentation and spices. A refreshing, hazy and zesty ale, most of the flavor notes are played down, and the wheat flavor mostly comes through, surprisingly enough.

21st Amendment 8th Anniversary
This is a witbier made with an American wheat ale influence. A medium bodied, full flavored ale with wheat and toast-biscuit in the foreground, and coriander and orange peel in the finish.

Top 5 Trippels-Goldens

2009-01-12T14:36:00.001-08:00

my favorites new Trippels and Golden Strongs from 2008. all time favorites include Westmalle Trippel, Allagash Trippel, Trippel Karmeliet, Delerium Tremens, Duvel

Witches Brew
A well rounded ale, almost more like a golden strong than trippel in that it is less sweet than most. Grainy, biscutty backbone with the estery notes subdued, mostly being apples and pears. Great noble-spicy hop presence, and due to the carbonation quite dry and refreshing, with low to no warmth.

St. Bernardus Trippel
Hoppy, sweet and slightly fruity, a delicious Trappist Ale. All is in balance, it is rich, yet dry and lingering in the finish. The hops are prominent up front, yet it is not too bitter in the finish. This beer is a conundrum of sorts, has little complexity in any one aspect, but is an enjoyable ale.

Stone 888 Vertical Epic
A slightly thin but well balanced trippel, grainy background with notes of banana, pear, and bright citrus from the three varieties of American citrus-hops (Antheum, Amarillio and Summit I'm told). This is a quite quaffable beer, despite its high ABV at almost 9%. Spicy, hoppy and fruity, with a bitter finish.

Urthel Hibernus Quentum Trippel
An incredibly ester laden trippel. Strong pear and apple and slight clove flavors, with bready, biscuitty overtones and strong hop flavors at each end. Sweet and strong, very much how a trippel should be.

Fantome La Dalmatienne
Technically a saison, this beer seems to share more characteristics with a trippel to me, with its very sweet and fruity extremities. Thus I've placed it as one. Granted, an amber trippel at that. Very spicy sweet, with notes of orange, and a slightly lactic/barnyard and dusty character. Very mouth filling, with low hop character and bitterness.

Top 5 Saisons

2009-01-12T14:35:00.000-08:00

my favorites new ones from 2008, not including Sour Saisons.
all time favorites include Saison DuPont, Dupont's Foret, Ommengang's Hennepin and the Lagunitas Farmhouse.

Malheur Brut Reserve
This may have been the most I paid retail for a beer in 2008 ... was it worth it? A champagne style Saison, brut, bubbly and very dry. Slight earthy,noble hops and biscuit notes in the nose. Biscuit and slight hoppy earthiness up front, then with pear, apple and slight bubblegum esters throughout the middle. The finish ends dry, bitter, and delicious.

Goose Island Saison
A very bitter and fruity Saison. Spicy, earthy noble hops up front, with pepper and pear-apple flavors throughout the middle. Bitter, but not a super dry finish, slightly creamy and spicy.

Trinity Farm House
Rich, dark, limited edition Saison, slightly maltier than others with a lactic and creamy edge to the style, very farmhouse. Still, a peppery, hoppy and bubbly ale with nice complex notes of dried fruits, tobacco and caramel. Nice interpretation, since I generally prefer the hazy gold versions.

Boulevard Saison
Refreshing and zesty Saison. Quite hoppy and more American interpretation, lacking lots of the peppery and farmhouse aspects, rather focusing on the fruity pear-apple esters and lemony-citrus aspects. Light graininess and grassiness throughout, with a slight bitterness at the finish. Very enjoyable.

North Coast Jubilee
This was the Whole Foods 25th Anniversary I bought at their store over two years later. Although this technically isn't a new beer, since I tried it then, it has improved so vastly with age that I had to place it in here. This straw colored Saison has wonderful apple, pear and citrus flavors, and is slightly sweet but effervescent, so well balanced.
Unfortunately it has been replaced by a much less drinkable and balanced beer in their lineup, Le Merle. Perhaps I should cellar a bottle of le Merle for a year or two, but I've generally thought a Saison is truly an ale meant to be consumed fresh? Maybe not.

Top 5 Abbey Ales-Dubbels

2009-01-12T14:34:00.000-08:00

my favorite Dark Belgian Abbey beers and Dubbels of 2008 - excluding Dark Strong ales. all time favorites include Westvleteren 8, Achel Bruin, Chimay Red and St. Bernardus Prior 8,

Bornem Dubbel
Plums, Figs and Raisins up front. Large off-white head. Belgian Lace. Toffee and biscuit notes deeper into the tasting. Smooth, no warming, and a nice yeasty, estery overtone. Classic Dubbel.

Lost and Found Abbey Ale
Complex, toasted malts with once again, dried fruits throughout and a low hop presence. The raisin flavor shone through in this one due to the addition of a raisin puree. I'm not sure whether the Belgians would be delighted or disgusted, but in any case, a great beer, maybe even one to cellar for a year to see where it ends up.

McChouffe Brown Ale
Very malty, roasty and nutty. Not as complex and fruity as many Dubbels-Brown ales, but smooth, like a scotch ale with a Belgian interpretation.

Urthel Parlus Magnificum
Rich, complex and malty ale. Notes of toffee, chocolate, caramel and prunes and figs in the nose. Rich, thick mouthfeel, but not quite bock level. Still attains bock level melanoidian complexity, and has additional notes of raisin, earth and tobacco in the flavor. Finish is sweet, but slight bitterness and has a noble, earthy and piney hop character

Rochefort 8
Walks the line with a Dark Strong, which most people consider it, this Abbey ale has a subdued aroma, is slightly sweet up front, rich in the middle, and slightly spicy hoppy in the finish. It has complex, aged and balanced flavor, with dried fruits, vanilla, figs, and even, dare I say it, slight cola.

Most Unique New Beer Styles of 2008

2009-01-09T14:09:00.000-08:00

Gose
Gose is an ale the orginates from Leipzig, Germany. It is very similar to a Berliner Wiesse. except that it sometime in the late 1800 it began gaining its lactic sourness from lactic acid rather than spontaneous fermentation and bacteria. It is also very similar to a Witbier. Currently 3 German Breweries produce it.
The Gose I had came from Herkimer Brewpub of Minneapolis, which focuses on German style lagers. I had the Gose Speziell Wizen. It is brewed with 50% wheat malt and is spiced with coriander and orange peel (Witbier.) It is then spiked with lactobacillius and salt (Berliner Wiesse, well at least the LactoB)
The sample I had at GABF came very ill advised. Surprisingly, many of the booths without representatives present came with servers knocking the beers they were serving, which I thought was awful. Granted, this beer is not for everyone, but after getting a small sample for starters, I asked for more. It was deliciously sour, and feety like a farmhouse ale, with nice spiciness and lactic tang in the finish. Sounds like a homebrew experiment ready to happen.

Stone Beer
This beer Boscos brews at its Memphis and Nashville locations. Its origins can be traced to the Rauchenfels brewery in Neustadt, Germany, which is also featured in Michael Jackson's the Beer Hunter series. Known as a stone beer, or stien bier, large stones are heated over a beechwood fire and lowered into the into the wort during the brewing process, where the steam and sizzling caramelizes and slightly burns the sugars present in the wort.
Boscos Famous Flaming Stone Beer uses pieces of pink Colorado granite are heated to 700 degrees in Boscos wood fired oven. It is a light, creamy and softly caramelized beer.

Milk Stout
Also known as a Sweet Stout, this is a stout containing Lactose, which is generally unfermentable by ale yeasts, and adds a lot of residual sweetness to an otherwise dry beer style. This beer was supposed to be very nutritious, and even was recommended to nursing mothers in the late 19th century.
The milk stout I had this year came from Three Floyds Brewing Co. from Hammond, Indiana. The Moloko Plus, as it is called, was very rich. It is very sweet up front, like milk chocolate, with caramel, cocoa and vanilla in the finish. It is jet black, and the texture is very silky, like velvet.

Eisbock
The Eisbock beer style was discovered by pure accident. Its origins date to 1890 Klumbach, Germany where the casks holding just finished Doppelbock bier froze over night. Upon removing ice from the partially frozen barrels, a new, fortified bock beer was discovered. Ranging from 9 to 14 percent ABV, this is a strong, warm and rich bock. Pretty brilliant accident, but not one for the light of heart.
I tried several Eisbocks this year, the best being Aventinus. , which was much warmer and sweeter than their delicious Wizenbock. I also tried Klumbacher , a smoother but less complex and flavorful version, and one by Lodi Brewing Company., which was very light, sweet, warm and much more toasty and caramelly.

100% Rye Beer
Granted, I've tried dozens of rye beers before. The use of rye in beer can be traced back to Regensburg, Germany, where a version of a Dunkelwizen was brewed with rye instead due to the lack of wheat in the area. Today, whether it be a traditional Roggenbier, a RyePA, or a Saison with Rye, its use is prevalent, and it adds a unique spicy character to beer.
100% rye beer? I didn't even know this was possible. I thought it was similar to wheat and other adjuncts, which lack the proper chemical makeup (in particular, the diastatic power ) to convert the starches to sugars. Well, not the case. But I could still see brewing with 100% rye to be a unique challenge. Most recipes I've seen go as high as 50-60%, but that's about it. The stuff is without hulls and has a high beta-glucan content, which makes for a long, complicated and sticky sparge.
Amazingly, there were a couple of 100% rye beers this year. Bear Republic's EZ Ryder stands out as the most drinkable, a 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.

Top 10 Breweries 2008

2009-01-06T16:58:00.000-08:00

These are my favorite 10 breweries from 2008 based on the new-to-me criteria, roughly in order:

Jolly Pumpkin Brewing
I originally had thought this brewery must be from Belgium after being introduced to two of their beers at a few local venues (CityBeer and La Trappe). Much to my amazement, they are actually a small artisianal brewery from Michigan with a full booth at GABF. They were serving five different Belgian style ales out of 750mL champagne corked bottles, most of them a variation of Flanders Style Barrel Aged Sour Ales. The Luciernaga (winner GABF Gold for the Saison category) and Calabaza Oro (2 GABF medals in previous years) were my favorite, both complex, refreshing and sour, but I also had the Oro de Clabaza, La Roja, the Maracaibo and the Bam Biere, all were delightful. We went back for seconds the first night of GABF, but by the time we returned on the third afternoon for some more, they were all out. Looking forward to getting my hands on the Perseguidor next year, a sour blend from select barrels served in only 12oz bottles.

Green Flash Brewing
Another new-to-me brewery for 2008, I first found Green Flash of San Diego in my local BevMo in February. I began with what I could find at the time, a delicious Trippel, a West Coast IPA and a Double Stout, which was one of my favorite Stouts for the year. While I enjoyed these findings, I wasn't really aware of their range until experiencing Le Freak and Barrel Aged Stout at GABF and then their Grand Cru, a dark strong, at the Pacific Coast Brewing Co annual holiday beer tasting, which was another of my favorites for the year. Bravo.

Firestone Walker Brewing
I won't lie: I've never had a taste for Firestone Walker's beers before this year. However, with their release of Union Jack IPA this year (GABF gold medal winner for American IPA this year, and also my personal favorite) and some much more unique barrel aged products I had at their Brewery Night at the Toronado earlier this year, they top my list as most improved. I particularly loved their Parabola (Imperial Barrel Aged Stout), Saucer Full of Secrets (High Gravity Belgian Barrel Aged Ale) and Velvet Mirkin (Barrel Aged Oatmeal Stout), the latter which I'm seeing more and more in local bars. Let hope they get more of these beers out of the labs and tasting festivals and out onto the shelves!

Port Brewing-Lost Abbey
As far as Southern California beers go in San Francisco, until a year or two ago as far as I can tell , Stone has pretty much had a corner on the market. With the advent of wonderful beer stores CityBeer and Healthy Spirits, though, gems like Port Brewing and their Lost Abbey Brand have found their way into the city. Although a few of their beers I had at GABF may have been a bit rich for my palate (Serpents Stout, Ten Commandments), they have a consistent lineup of great Belgian Ales. My favorites included Judgement Day, Lost and Found Abbey Ale, and the Red Barn Ale.

Russian River
I won't be shy: Russian River is my favorite brewery. In the world. Vinnie, their Brewer, is a wizard.
It falls so far down on the list this year because of the limited new offerings with which to acquaint myself. The year started strong with Beatification, a wonderful 100% spontaneously fermented Gueze style ale. A trip to the Brewery in the spring allowed me to experience Compunction, an sour-barrel aged ale brewed with pluots, and Rejection, a Belgian Black ale, both on tap, the latter of which I took a growler of for home. Both were good, but La Fleurette was little flat, not as sour and complex as their other barrel aged sour ales, and Rejection a little understated. In the summer, they had a Toronado Russian River night where I sampled La Fleurette, a joint venture with and Italian brewery and featuring rose petals, but I couldn't get past the floral, peppery character. Then at GABF came Consecration : A dark Belgian ale aged in American oak Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels, with Brett, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus (AKA, a wild yeast strain and two bacterias) and currants. Fantastic, rich, sour ale.
Good news: Consecration is in production, we should see it in 375 ml bottles this spring!

Deschutes
I love Deschutes. I've been drinking their beers every since I moved to San Francisco 7 years ago. Mirror Pond isn't my favorite, but is solid Pale Ale. Black Butte is my favorite Porter right behind Anchor. Obsidian is a slightly bitter but solid and roasty Stout. The problem is, I hadn't had or even heard of anything new from them in years (well, there was the Bond Street series, which I had no idea was them until just now though I have never been a huge fan.)
Enter the Reserve Series: the Abyss Imperial Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout, the Dissident, a Flanders Red Style ale (and a 2008 GABF Gold Medal Winner) and Black Butte XX, an Imperial Porter. These heavy hitters were very poplar
at GABF, and had some of the longest lines there.

Bear Republic
I've always thought of Bear Republic as a sort of a one-trick pony. Racer 5? Yeah, that beer is awesome. Best IPA out there. A night sessioning Racer 5, yes, that is a bad idea, but I won't say I haven't done it or won't again.
Don't get me wrong, Hop Rod Rye and Big Bear Stout are both enjoyable, but not outstanding, a little to middle of the road for their respective styles. I really didn't expect them to do anything more with IPAs or hops for that matter until I saw their booth at GABF, where they were serving about 8 beers, 6 of them never before witnessed by myself. I tried four: the Rebellion, the Apex, the EZ Ryder, and the Crazy Ivan. The Crazy Ivan, a Belgian Abbey-Dark Strong, was a little too sweet, thin and bitter at the finish. The EZ Ryder was pretty great, a 100% Rye Beer, which in itself is amazing, but didn't quite stand up to the first 100% Rye I had the night before. The true cheers go to the Rebellion and the Apex, both IPAs. The Rebellion is an in your face hop bomb, and all Simcoe, and much thinner and even dare say enjoyable-drinkable than Racer 5. The Apex was a Double IPA, and a fresh hopheads wet dream, with the powerful resin flavor, overt grassiness and citrus-earthy varieties showcased. Please bottle these two limited edition ales ASAP!

Allagash
New Years Resolution for 2009? Have more Allagash beers. I had plenty of opportunities, especially at CityBeer, to sample more of their offerings in 2008, but at $16-$30 a bottle, I was, well, a little reserved on putting that much up front. Their Classics Series I love, mostly the White, Trippel and Grand Cru, and they are very affordable at $6-$9 a bottle. Curieux, their Trippel aged in Jim Beam Barrels, is amazing in its complexity, and is possibly my favorite American barrel aged beer. I had a chance to sample four of their ales this year, and still I want more. It started with the Odyssey, a barrel aged then blended wheat beer. At GABF, I had the chance to sample their Interlude, a french oak (including merlot and syrah) barrel aged ale with Brett, and their Black Ale, a more stout like version of the style that leans toward the silky chocolate. At La Trappe I had the chance to try Les Deux Brasseurs, a collaboration between de Proef Brewing, which is a sour ale much along the lines of Orval (the orginal sour ale from my opinon).

De Proef is a brewery in Belgium that make such greats as Zoetzurr and Flemish Primitive. They make Dozens of very hard to find, mostly sour barrel aged, beers, the best list which I can find here. (2010 resolution: have more De Proef Beers, even if that means going to the brewery). For the past two years, they have been collaborating with American brewers on an ale: Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing for their Signature ale in 2007, and Jason Perkins of Allgash in 2008. This year promises to be John Mallet of Bells. 2010, Vinnie of Russian River? Anyone?

Sorry for the departure, De Proef would have been on this list if I had more. I finished the Allgash roundup this year on New Years Eve with the Four Malt, a rich abbey style ale fermented four times. It was a very enjoyable, malty and rich ale, a great way to end the year.

Brugge
Another artisianal brewery in the Upper Midwest specializing in Belgian Ales? Impossible, right?
Well, although they only had four offerings at the GABF, all bottle conditioned in 750mL champagne style bottles, they were delicious. They keep the offerings simple and straightforward, just like their product design and packaging (which gets my nod for best of 2008): A Black, a White, the Trippel de Rippel and the Diamond Kings. My favorites were the Black, a dry, rich, estery black ale, and the Diamond Kings, an dry and sour blond ale, and the most direct reference in their lineup I to Brugge itself (or Bruges, how we English speakers refer to it). The trippel was complex and fruity, and the wit had a dry, slightly farmhouse-feety character. Needless to say, I came back for samples the whole festival, as they somehow managed to fly under the radar. Now, if we could some how just figure out how to get their beer out of Indiana and to the West Coast.

Boulevard
My history with Boulevard goes way back, and was one of the original craft beers I began drinking in college at the University of Kansas, right after finding the new world of beer at Free State Brewing Co. They had three flagship beers at the time: their Pale Ale, Unfiltered Wheat and Bully Porter. Their Pale was good, a little on the malty English side (I knew little else then, alas). Their wheat was their most popular, a quaffable session beer with nice grainy overtones. Their Bully Porter, however, has always been their best offering in my opinion, as it opened my eyes to the world of dark beers beyond Guinness. A dark beer that could be robust, bitter, chocolatey, and warm. It obtained pseudo-mystical qualities in my mind. What did they put in this?
Much to my chagrin, there was no Bully Porter at the festival. It had been three years since I'd last had one, and I although I was quite upset, I wasn't going to let this get me down. They had Bob's 47, an Octoberfest, the Dingle Wide IPA, and two, count them, two Saisons, one fermented with Brett. The Saison was on the blond, dry and fruity end of the spectrum, and the Saison-Brett had a wonderful dynamic of sweet and sour that made me come back for more and more. Most of these are part of their recent Smokestack Series, bottle conditioned (often limited edition ales) that also includes trippel, quadrpel, and a Bourbon Barrel Quadrupel, a blended barrel aged quadrupel with cherries, a limited edition beer which I would love to get my hands on before they run out. Anyone?

2008 Beers: Hard Statistics

2009-01-06T14:03:00.000-08:00

Thats just it ... the facts and nothing else. Whether it was Denver, Portland or San Francisco,
this is a summary of what (and sometimes of where) I consumed in regards to beer last year. A beer per day was the goal ... and I think that goal was met, by maybe 114 or so.

2008: Beer Stats

Total Different Beers: 545

New Beers for the Year: 480

Different Styles: 85

Different Countries: 12

Different States: 29

Different Breweries: 226

Most frequent 5 Beers:
Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA
Speakeasy Big Daddy IPA
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Anchor Steam Beer
Saison DuPont

Most frequent 10 Styles in Order:
American IPA (46)
Porter (27)
Pale Ale (24)
Stout (21)
Belgium Dark Strong (21)
Wit (21)
Specialty Sour (19)
Trippel (19)
Saison (18)
American Amber (18)

Most frequent 5 Countries in Order:
USA
Belgium
Germany
England
Canada

Most frequent 5 States in Order:
California
Oregon
Colorado
Missouri
Indiana

Most frequent 10 Breweries in Order (ok, well 14 since there was a tie):
Russian River, Santa Rosa, Ca (12)
Port Brewing/Lost Abbey, San Marcos, Ca (11)
Deschutes, Bend, Or (9)
21st Amendment, San Francisco, Ca (8)
Bridgeport, Portland, Or (8)
Anchor Brewing, San Francisco, Ca (7)
Bear Republic, Healdsburg, Ca (6),
Mash Tun, Portland, Or (6)
McMenamins, Portland, Or (6)
Unibroue, Quebec, Canada (6)
Firestone Walker, Paso Robles, Ca(6),
Trailhead, St. Charles, Mo (6),
Magnolia, San Francisco, Ca (6)
Luck Lab, Porland, Or (6)

Most Beers in a Day: 64 Day 1, GABF

% of New Beers at GABF: 23%

% of New Beers Drank in Bay Area: 64%

Conversely, % of New Beer out of Town: 36%

% of Beers Homebrewed: 12%

I hope this gives you a sense of from where the notes and "Top___ Beer" lists to follow are coming . I plan on posting a list or two per week, with tasting notes and backgrounds, on all of the top beers, with the entire list (an excel spreadsheet, to be exact) at the end, a month or two down the road. Note that the homebrewed beers will be excluded for the most part, since these are not commercially available ... I will however feature a few, including some of the KnockShock examples, near the end since some of the best beers I've had this year have been while judging homebrew competitions, and I'll try to give the actual brewers a shoutout as realistically as possible.

Yes, I know, the 64 beers in one day sounds TREMENDOUS. Unfathomable. Note the samples at GABF (the Great American Beer Festival, held every Autumn in lovely Denver Colorado) are only 1 oz. Well, sometimes you'll get a 1.5 oz pour ... but still, thats still an average of about 1-1/2 12 oz beers per hour of the 5 hour night.

Much thanks to the Great American Beer Fest crew who was there with me through the night. Especially to Greg (center photo below), who came up with the idea and was my partner in crime and homebrewing companion through the whole thing... and certainly drank more beers than I ... and kept me to using the tasting note log as much as possible and filling in some blanks ... oh, and he also did 50 bars in 50 weeks last year, see the blog link below. Also thanks to Brian (center right) , who has an excellent new book, Red White and Brew (read on the way to the festival, wonderful and exciting) and an accomplished beer blog, although our tastes may differ from time to time (his barrel beer preference vs. my sour ale preference, to be exact). Please check out his links below!

left to right, the GABF crew: mary, josh, greg, brian and kim

http://www.beerodyssey.com/RWB/Welcome.html
http://beerodyssey.blogspot.com/

http://layshock.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html

One may question whether or not I would have made the 366 without GABF? Well, that would have placed me just at 369 Beers. I would not have made it overall, though. Not without my trips outside the Bay Area, venturing into new beer havens. I wouldn't have found the variety necessary to complete my list. And I certainly wouldn't have made it without the patience of my girlfriend Julia ,who dealt with me imbibing and transcribing all of this over the year past.

2008: The Year in Beer:

2009-01-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

The premise was simple: A new beer for every day in 2008. A beer never before tasted.

It doesn't have to be an entire beer, an ounce or two will suffice.

It being a leap year, that adds up to 366 new beers.

This blog is a living memory of those beers, and the notes taken upon tasting.