Top 10 beers of 2009
I know this is kind of a beaten topic on a lot of message boards, but we haven't talked about it on here yet.
2009 was the best year beer-wise that I have had yet. I probably tried between 300-350 new beers this year, bringing my current total up to just north of 1,000 different beers sampled. I got to try several beers I had been dying to try and I also got a local tasting group organized where the four of us in the group do quite a few beer trades so we try lots of new, great stuff. With all that being said, here are the top 10 beers that I tried (for the first time) in 2009. In no particular order.
Russian River Blind Pig
Russian River Pliny the Elder
Ballast Point Sculpin
Rahr and Sons Whiskey Warmer
Deschutes The Abyss
2002 Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek (my top beer of the year)
Bosteels Deus
Dieu Du Ciel Péché Mortel
Founders Breakfast Stout
Alesmith Speedway Stout
If it was a top 12 list the next two would have been Port Old Viscosity and Southern Tier Choklat.
Most CBR listeners will be familiar with all but the Rahr's beer. Rahr's is a local brewery here in Fort Worth that makes decent beers, but usually nothing too special. The Whiskey Warmer is their regular Winter Warmer (a solid B to B+ beer in my opinion) aged in Makers Mark barrels. Something magical then happens and it turns a solid beer into a wow beer. It is tap only and limited to Dallas and Fort Worth but if anyone is ever down here in December, try and find it on tap somewhere. You won't be disappointed. I also tried Dark Lord for the first time this year. It was a 2009 vintage sampled in mid-December. While it was a good beer, it paled in comparison to the other three beers in the tasting: 2009 Abyss, Old Viscosity and Schlafly Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout. I have heard the 2009 was not that great of a year for Dark Lord so I look forward to trying it again.
I was wondering if 2010 could possibly top 2009. Then I went to my first tasting of the new year on January 2 and got to try Rochefort 10 and Westy 12 as my 999th and 1000th beers. The tasting also included Ithaca Brute, an outstanding sour. I would not be shocked if all three of those beers are on my top 10 list of 2010.
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great list. It's hard for
great list. It's hard for me to come up with a top 10 list for a year because it's difficult to remember which beers I had in 2009 and which were before. I'll put some thought into it and see if anything comes out.
Sounds good. I also recently
Sounds good. I also recently tried a bottle of Double D DIPA from Otto's in State College, PA. I thought it was a pretty good beer. I am sure you and Greg already know about Otto's but if you don't, you should try and seek some of their beers out.
My list
Not the most exciting list of beers on the planet, but here's my list, in no particular order:
- Left Hand Milk Stout
- New Glarus Berliner Weiss (Unplugged series)
- Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
- Sprecher Black Bavarian
- Tyranena Paradise By the Dashboard Lights Doubly Blessed Cherry Porter
- Tyranena Devil Over A Barrel Imperial Oatmeal Coffee Porter Aged in Bourbon Barrels
- Bell's Cherry Stout
- Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
- Les Brasseurs de Gayant Amadeus
- Harviestoun Ola Dubh
Can you see a pattern? LOL Of the ten, five are stouts, two are porters and one is a black lager. I guess 2010 was the year of the dark beers for me! The Amadeus is a wonderful, very lemony, northern French witbier that I fell majorly in love with, and the Berliner Weiss was delicious. If I could add one more beer to the list, it'd be New Glarus's Spotted Cow, which is wonderful.
Great list. I recently
Great list. I recently traded for my first Tyranena beer, the Imperial Rye Porter and I look forward to trying it since porters are one of my favorite styles. I also am going to get to try the Bourbon County Stout as well as a boat load of Central Waters and New Glarus beers because a buddy of mine just landed them in a trade. They all sound awesome and I can't wait.
Central Waters
The only Central Waters beer I had on my Wisconsin trip was their Octoberfest and it was so-so. Nothing great, not worth repeating. Hopefully their other beers are better.
:)
We have gotten some amazing American beers available in Denmark through 2009. Lost Abbey/Port, Three Floyds, Jolly Pumpkin, Founders and more.
But my top 2009 beer is De Dolle Brouwers Oerbier Special Reserva.
This is taken from my Ratebeer top list. I may have missed something that scored less but impressed more. Like the strawberry wow beer :)
2. Barrel Aged Numbskull
2. Cuvee de Tomme
4. Three Floyds Behemoth
5. Fantome La Gourmande
6. Rodenbach Alexander
7. Lost Abbey Red Barn
8. Cantillon 50ºN-4ºE
9. Nørrebro Little Korkny Ale Port Barrel Aged
10. Mikkeller Funky (e)star
And a bunch of other Danish beers trying to break into the top 10along with New Belgium Bottleworks #10, Victory Storm King and other funky Belgians...
Special mention to La Chouffe Houblon IPA which I have had before, but had on tap in Brussels. Outstanding.
That is a hell of a
That is a hell of a selection of rare american beer all the way over here. congrats.
Very
I could reply with a "Absolutely, we can't complain"
But more wants more, and we still don't get Cigar City and Russian River -tion beers :)
I had Pliny on two occassions though from friends who had been in California, and it's without a doubt the hoppy beer of the year. Had Racer 5 too at one of those tastings, so I finally know the exact meaning of man candy!
Don't feel bad. We don't get
Don't feel bad. We don't get Cigar City or Russian River in Texas either. Of course we also don't get Lost Abbey/Port, Three Floyds, Jolly Pumpkin, Founders, Bells or a ton of other great breweries because the state has put up so much red tape and made it so hard for breweries to sell their beer here, a lot of the breweries don't even bother. Sucks, but I guess it could be worse so I won't complain too much.