It seems like every two years I make this list of "best beers" of the past year. I had a lot of reall fuckng good beers last year, but I refused to make a best of list. Mainly, because it takes a long time to filter through checkins that I've rated high (going back on some of them, I probably over rated a few) and then all the ones I never rated, that I wish I had more of right this second. After a freezing cold 2 hour wait in line for this can of Funk Haze (003) that will get me through this list, and a short trip to Double Decker Records where I lucked out and picked up Degenerics - Generica which will be a nice start to this list, I feel I am ready. Here goes nothing!
Twin Elephant Brewing - Shimmy Ye / Lil Shimmy Ye
A boss at work told my wife that we should check this brewery out months ago. I've wanted to go, and unfortunately never got around to it until a little over a month ago. All it took was a few sips of these beers to win me over. While big Shimmy has the body and abv I'd prefer, the Lil Shimmy Ye completely stole my heart. A cloudy double dry hopped pale ale. If I could drink this regularly, I'd be a very happy human. Unfortunately, I kicked the last keg of it last week. Here's to hoping it comes back soon... and AHEM, more cans please!
Sole Artisan Ales - Citra Nerd / Pineapple Smoosh
I ordered my initial Citra Nerd on a whim, not knowing much about breweries from PA aside form what we've had in our distribution here in NJ. One sniff of that pint glass and I was HOOKED. Such a perfect balance of floral/citrus aromas, perfectly balanced bitterness with citrus. Totally (and dangerously) easy drinking and absolutely delicious. Another beer that I ended up kicking the keg of (at the bar).
Pineapple Smoosh gets a mention, mainly because I only had the one sip while standing in line today at Funk, but HOLY SHIT, it's a delicious pineapple juice bomb. WISH I had more of that. Hell, even a single can. Moral of the story here, is this brewery is JUST getting started and already has blown up. Here's hoping to get to try more of their stuff!
Trillium - DDH Fort Point Pale Ale
Over the last year/year and a half, I've been spoiled with SEVERAL Trillium cans, and even been able to score some on tap at Torst. Although, they've honestly all been out of this world good, this one sticks out the most. Nice balance of juicyness and hops, with slight bitterness. AKA, perfectly crushable.
Other Half - DDH All Citra Everything / Like Whoa / Mylar Bags / Topical Depression
I'm very grateful for having friends that actually enjoy standing in line for a beer. Thanks to them (and an accidental arrival at a full tap takeover at Ambulance Brew House) I got to try these (as well as a ton of others). These guys know what they're doing with hops. Every other beer style, not so much, but when you're pulling off this quality for ipa's and dipa's, you've already got your guaranteed crowd.
Magnify - Maine Event / Peak of Ripeness
The Magnify hate needs to just stop. They're making some damn good pale ales and ipa's, and don't deserve the rage train that follows them. Maine Event, which I was able to get on tap at a takeover nearby, is one of the best juicy ipa's i've had this year. Peak of ripeness, which I was expecting to be a juice bomb, surprised me with a nice amount of balance.
Bonn Place - Pop's Pers-INAMON Sour / I Ain't Afraid of No Gose
Popped into this brewery and was quite wowed by the gose. Went to pay my tab, and it ends up the brewer/owner was my old bartender from Pony Bar in Hell's Kitchen! Went back a few months later and again, more excellent beer was available, including this tart Persi-namon sour, which was basically like eating a nice tart apple pie, in liquid form! Looking forward to more quality beer from Sam and his wife at Bonn!
Two Rivers - Mammy Morgan's Key Lime Brett IPA
I'm a sucker for Brett saisons and ipa's as it is. These guys came up with this key lime brett concoction and it is one of the best showcases of the way Brett can accent a beer (for the better). Aside from this beer being excellent, the rest of the beer at the brewery is pretty damn good as well, and they offer crowlers! Oh, and the food is pretty damn good too!
Conclave Brewing - Gravitational Waves / Mexican Morning
The hype is real, Gravitational Waves was fucking SOLID. I got a sample and growler to go, which didn't last the night. Mexican Morning is what sold me on this place though, because I'm a sucker for spiced stouts. Think sessionable Mexican Cake.
Stillwater - SuperHop
These guys are great at making sours and saisons, but I was very skeptical to pick this beer up. I got a 4pk after Vic talked it up a bunch and was not let down. VERY similar to Sole's Citra Nerd as far as drinkability/aromas but missing something. However, the fact that I don't have to go all the way into PA and HOPE that some bar out there has Sole on tap, and can just walk into a liquor store fridge and grab a 4pk of this makes up for whatever it is (body, I believe) that this beer is missing in comparison.
Carton - EGOIPA / To Wong Brew / Cosmonaut / Cafe y Churro
Appealing to just about every mass out there, Carton does it again. EGOIPA which is the heavier version of IDIPA, a dank but crushable IPA. To Wong Brew was this year's Swayze Day beer, which was an awesome sour porter (though, they had an alternate version at the brewery too, which I didn't find as tasty as the one they ended up canning). Cosmonaut made it to cans, and I finally got to try it! Neapolitan space ice cream in an imperial stout! And last, but not least.. Cafe Y Churro! A cinnamon adventure version of Regular coffee. Did I mention I LOVE cinnamon?
Angry Chair Brewing - Fionn Porter Hazelnut Coffee
LIQUID FUCKING NUTELLA. This beer was absolutely fantastic.
Westbrook - Mexican Cake
This has become a birthday tradition, and this year I didn't have to leave the state or trade to acquire it! Cheers to 12% distributing in NJ!
Tree House - Doppelganger / Green / Alter Ego
This is a brewery i LOVE to hate. Tree House in a nutshell is THE brewery where you WILL drive 3+ hours to stand in a line where you have absolutely no idea what beers they'll have canned that day, how many you will get, IF you even get any. But you take that ride anyway, and you deal with that fucking line because the beer is THAT good. By far, the best "hoppy" beers I've had.
Tired Hands - Only Void (Single Origin Ethiopian Coffee)
This beer was ridiculous. Carbonated coffee, oh.. wait there was alcohol in it?? You can't even taste it! Quality coffee in a quality beer. Tired Hands is that brewery people WANT to hate on, but it's absolutely impossible (in my eyes). I've had maybe 20-30 beers of theirs in the last few years, and all absolutely different styles. No matter what I've had, it's always been top notch. Sour saisons and hazy ipa's are obviously their strong point, but I do believe that this was the best thing they released last year.. that I was able to get my hands on at least (cough cough, milkshakes cough).
Hermit Thrush - Gin Barrel Saison
Hi, we went to Vermont. This was absolutely a wonderful beer. Sour saison aged on Gin. It just doesn't get better than this.
Burlington Beer Company - Chunky / It's Complicated Being a Wizard
My personal favorite brewery in VT, which I unfortunately didn't make in time to visit (next time!). For all the bottle releases, they include the full recipe on the label, which is just AWESOME for homebrewers. Chunky is an imperial peanut butter porter, but doesn't taste overly sweet or fake. It's fucking wonderful. I have no idea what is in Wizard, but i tasted gin/juniper berries... it was an awesome experience!
RAR Brewing - 1st Meal
I absolutely know nothing at all about this brewery or beer. It was given to me in a sample cup at work, and was by far the most outstanding sample I have had working there (and we've had plenty of whalez, bro). All I can remember was lots of coffee, maple, awesomeness. And wanting more. And I still want more.
Hill Farmstead - Society & Solitude 6
I feel like these guys are the originators of the hazy IPA style, but I'll shut my fucking mouth before I start getting threats from neckbeards. Another pretentious as fuck brewery you were born to hate, but then you drink their beer and you realize you're a fucking idiot. After all, do we not go to breweries to consume/acquire beers? ANYWAY, I brought home (and drank there) a bunch of stuff, and this one stood out as the best. A beautiful DIPA in every aspect.
Fiddlehead - Second Fiddle
My favorite DIPA from VT used to be Sip of Sunshine, until I had this. Quite different in flavor, but after tasting it, I almost feel it's not worth wasting my time trying to hunt down a 4pk of sip, when I can just go to Fiddlehead and walk out with a case of this deliciousness.
Zero Gravity - Bernie Weisse (Woodruff Syrup)
Hands down, the best berliner I have had, period. Not just last year, but ever. They had a few different syrups at the brewery. I had all of them, and though the blueberry one was real nice, this woodruff syrup gave it an awesome apple pie flavor that I will never get out of my head. Also, BERNIE MOTHERFUCKING SANDERS.
Long Trail - Space Juice
Welcome to VT, let's pull over at a frozen lake, I gotta piss. I mean... I may as well crack open my first beer here, even if it is a LONG TRAIL shelf turd... WAIT WHAT???? WHAT IS THIS??? An amazing DIPA, total sleeper, totally crushable for the abv as well. Super stoked to see it in NJ here and there. If you come across these cans - do not pass it up.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
De Dolle Brouwers - Evil Arabier
WHAT THE FUCK. This beer was all over the fucking place. Plastic, aspirin, fruity, herbal, super fucking weird. I dig it. A lot.
Evil Twin - Molotov Cocktail Heavy
Ugh. Who's idea was it to keg this fucking thing? I really enjoyed it in the bomber. It was the perfect... eh well even then, maybe a little too much.. portion. A few months later, I played my last show at some bar in Brooklyn that had this on tap. I used up my drink tickets, and then bought a bunch more glasses of this. Needless to say, it ended up being one of the worst fucking nights. But hey, at least it's a delicious blackout!
Funk Brewing - Haze
I feel biased including this, but honestly this beer is great. I don't remember if the first batch came out this year or last, but it was excellent, as was the second. I feel like the beer has gotten even hazier in color on this third batch, and has some of those nice peach over tones that you get from tree house stuff like alter ego. I guess it was worth waiting for this one :)
Well, it was hard narrowing it down, but there it is. My list for 2016. Tomorrow's NYE, and I'm sure I'll have more to add because I have a few special things saved.. but you won't be seeing about them here. Feel free to follow me on untappd @facundocnb to see what I end up drinking!
