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| Surly Brewing |
You can get fifty craft beer lovers to rate and rank the same beers and you will get fifty different answers. You can even be anally retentive and follow the BJCP style guidelines to assist you. Even a quick glance at this list shows judging Australia's best craft beer is flawed. Availability and access are just two means in which people judge beers. Still, that's what rating beer is all about; a personal experience that enables one to find what pleasures and sensations you enjoy when drinking a crafty.
So, back to my original question; how do you rank beers? Well, as much as I don't like telling people what beer is "the best" or "bad" I am here writing this blog entry to showcase my recent ten week craft beer experience in the US. I have listed my top twenty (20) craft beers, but it does hold some caveats. Most notably is the fact that this list has been taken from a larger list of two hundred and fifty three (253) different beers I had during those ten weeks. This list of twenty, I felt, had significant characteristics enough within each beer that made them stand out from the crowd.
But how does a beer stand out from the crowd? Tough question. All I can say is that at any given time I'd write a list of beers I thoroughly enjoyed. I then later found beers that 'blew me away' so those beers went ahead of the previous. And so on it went. That list finally concluded in early February, 2013. It is this top twenty list that has proven themselves to be outstanding beers that showcased my experiences and travels while in the US.
So, here they are.....
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| Box of Chocolates |
Simply put: an extraordinarily stunning beer. Ever opened a box of chocolates? Well then you'll know that a deep, rich aroma of chocolate is apparent. This beer's aroma has the same effect. The taste and texture is similar to eating a chocolate with cherry liquor inside. A remarkable and intriguing beer that keeps you wanting more. But not much more. It is, after all, 10% alcohol by volume. I had the pleasure of meeting James Spencer, Steve Wilkes and Andy Sparks at Tanglewood Branch Beer Company in Fayettville, Arkansas. While we all shared stories and drank craft beer, the whole experience made this my number one choice.
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| Cocoa Porter |
#2. BLACK DIAMOND COCOA PORTER (unknown abv)
Brewed in Colorado, this beer had an unbelievable ability to get you addicted very quickly. The cocoa aroma was 'in your face', right through to the last drop. As luck would have it this beer was available (in limited supply) at my local Old Chicago. Its chocolate texture and profile was ever present, with the added bonus of smoothness around the tongue. Drinking this puppy during the cold Minnesotan winter helped me keep warm inside. I recall drinking this keg (almost) dry, twice. It was that good. Boy, do I miss this beer. Sigh.
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| Coconut Chai Stout (third from left) |
This beer is extraordinarily impressive. It's like watching Manny Pacquiao fight. To think that I had a one-off chance to 'rock up' to Rock Bottom Brewery in Minneapolis, Minnesota is a gift in itself. I am so lucky to have had this beer that it ranks as one of my favourites. It is described as an "artisan Sweet Stout" brewed with "coconut milk". It is then spiced with a "top secret" chai tea consisting of "cardamom, ginger root, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and vanilla." The silky smooth taste added with the chai tea aroma and spices gives this beer an 'out-of-this-world' label. I tip my hat off to the head brewer. It's an unforgettable beer that you'd be proud to drink more of.
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| Pumpkin Stout (far left) |
"Spookily smooth and chocolatey". That's the grab from this beer brewed by Elysian Brewing in Seattle. I wrote about my trip (and this beer) here. The head brewer at Elysian deserves a damn medal. An array of craft beers at your fingertips allows the most fussiest of beer junkies a plethora of options. I happen to stumble across this pumpkin stout, and oh my word it was gorgeous. It has an extremely interesting grain bill, with an even more interesting brewing schedule; "pumpkin seeds in the mash", "pumpkin in the mash, kettle and fermenter" with "crushed cinnamon" as a late addition. The combination of sweet and spice reminded me of a superb Asian dish once. An astonishingly bold beer that had me gasping for more.
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| Deschutes Oatmeal Stout |
My first nitro experience in the US. Absolutely breathtaking. Deschutes Brewery in Oregon has simply nailed this beer perfectly. So smooth, so chocolatey, so beautiful. The mouthfeel belies greatness that only seems to come from the Queen of Queens. Add some mild roasty flavour and aroma to it and you have what they call a perfect stout. It wasn't surprising this beer was popular when I had this in Seattle. A rare find nowadays but it made me want to jump with joy and scream from the top of the Space Needle: I love you Deschutes Brewery! Do stouts get any better than this? I doubt it.
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| Honeymoon Suite Honey Ale |
#6. HONEYMOON SUITE HONEY ALE (unknown abv)
Brewed at Pike Brewing over in Seattle, this beer came across as overly sweet at first sip. Fortunately, two more sips made the difference. Such a shame that this was a 'one-off' beer. Well, for me it was a shame. I recall the bartender telling me about this beer, but in my drunken stupor (yes, Pike do brew some fantastic beers) my notes read like a pigeon dipping its feet in ink and stamping randomly on a blank piece of paper. Dark malts show the colour, as you can see, but not the roasted notes. It did have a malt profile that equated itself to some dark crystal grain or caramunich-type grain. Still, a very solid beer that you'd love to share with your partner, indeed, on your honeymoon.
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| Surly Furious |
Surly Furious is one of my all-time favourites. The hop schedule on this is insane. Only the bravest of the brave hop-heads like this beer, and I love it. Surly Brewing over Minnesota brew this beast to perfection. It holds its own alongside the infamous Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, California. I've had many an IPA over the years, but this certainly is in my top five. The balance between malt and hop is uncanny, leaving you with a sensation of pure bliss. Every time I visit the US I am obliged to drink a few of these. It never ceases to amaze me how great this beer is. In the IPA world, this is certainly one of the best out there. I miss drinking it already. Sigh.
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| Double Down IPA (second from right) |
"Double your pleasure. Double your fun" is a great grab from another beer at Rock Bottom Brewery over in Minneapolis. I had two great beers from the tasters I received, thanks to our friendly and knowledgeable bartender. This beer is for those hop-heads that love their IPA beers. In fact, Rock Bottom add "a tone of hops at five different times from beginning of the boil to the hops in the serving vessel right now." I guess you can't get more hops than that. Oh, wait...you probably can. Nonetheless, this is amazingly good and at 8.5% alcohol by volume it kicks harder than an angry mule during the mating season.
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| Kilt Lifter |
Pike Brewing have done it again with the magnificent Scotch Ale Kilt Lifter.The impression I got from this was malty and smokey. Looking at their recipe suggests I am spot on. This ruby coloured beer delivers quality, and every taste oozes goodness. Yes, my time over at Pike Brewing was fabulous and my association with Pike will be forever engraved in my memory. What made this beer was the Peat malt. It lends itself just a touch so you're aware of its existence. Combine that with the type of malted grains such as Munich and Crystal and it becomes a sensational drop. The only problem is I'm back home in Sydney and not able to get my hands on it to revisit the wonderful experience I had.
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| Hale's Cream Ale |
A beer on nitro is something to behold. Honestly, it's an experience worth having. A beer that I mentioned earlier (Ochoco Oatmeal Stout) was my first "nitro" experience in the US. However, a night on the town in Seattle gave me an opportunity to try Hale's Cream Ale. I freely admit that, on the night, this was by far the sexiest and tastiest beer. It was so silky smooth and creamy it was like eating marshmallows that were made out of beer. I was quite astonished that something so pale could be this good. I would have to say that this was one of the best pale ales I had ever tasted. And that's saying something.
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| Surly Smoke Lager |
This seasonal beer is from Surly Brewing. Another great addition to their already brilliant lineup. I'll fess up right now; I'm a huge fan of Surly. I have their gear, their coasters, their clothing. I even have their emblem tattooed on my arm. Yep, I'm that big a fan. So it was with excitement that I had the opportunity to try this seasonal. I was gobsmacked. This unbelievable beer has the taste of smoked malt, is oak-aged in a barrel and has "notes of raisins, plums, figs and licorice." It is an extraordinarily smooth beer for its style, yet it pushes the boundaries of what smoke lager is all about. It is a whopper at 8.3% so go easy on it. If you don't, you'll be the one who is 'smoked'.
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| Moo Joo Oatmeal Stout |
You see the head on this baby? Wow! Brau Brothers Brewing have done a tremendous job at kicking ass with this milk stout. This beer seems to melt in your mouth with its smooth milk texture, surrounded by a "chocolate punch". It's creamy, silky and has an abundance of flavour. I'm generally not a fan of "milk stout" beers, but if they brew 'em like this then I'm sold. I am so glad I had this on tap at Old Chicago. It was one of those beers I could easily fall back on if I wasn't in the mood to try different things. It had class, it had style. Like a an E-type Jaguar, this oozes sophistication. If only we had a similar beer on tap here in Australia? If we did, you'd probably see me at the pub where it was being poured.
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| Surly Abrasive |
#13. SURLY ABRASIVE (8.8% abv)
So, another beer from Surly that made my list. Surprised? You shouldn't be. Nor am I. I'd safely say that Surly are the best brewery in Minnesota. Sure, a biased opinion but their range and quality is pretty damn good. Go check 'em out for yourself and gather your own opinion if you don't believe me. The Abrasive is yet another seasonal and I was (again) fortunate enough to try this beer. For a Double IPA it really does kick butt. At 8.8% alcohol by volume it is certainly not for the fainthearted. The punch this beer provides with both Warrior and Citra hops is amazing. I was just so thankful that when I drank this I was sitting down at (my second) home in Minnesota. The floral aroma from the Citra and the bitterness from the Warrior stands out like dogs balls. And to think I actually have one of these cans in my fridge right now at (my first) home in Sydney. I love its kick and bite, but be careful because it's one for the hop-heads.
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| Espresso Stout |
Two Beers Brewing Company has come up with an espresso beer that has got some balls. This beer was drunk at the same location I had the Hale's Cream Ale. I was really spoiled for choice. Its roasty and chocolatey notes with a strong malt backbone makes this beer quite unique. Sure, there are plenty of brews that could be similar and haven't tasted yet. Having said that, there were quite a few I had tried and didn't even come close to this stellar stout. I vividly recall when drinking this beer (pity I can't say the same about what bar it was in Seattle) that it'd make my beer list. It managed to sneak in due to its overall character and flavour. At a fairly modest 5.6% alcohol by volume it is one you can keep coming back to without fear. Certainly a top drop in my books.
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| Oatmeal Stout |
Right about now I've run out of superlatives. What can I say about the Summit Oatmeal Stout by Summit Brewing? Another Minnesotan brewery has made the list. Surprise, surprise. But I guess it's yet another example of a fantastic beer that, when brewed very well, can make your knees buckle with overwhelming joy. In all honesty, trying so many stouts in the US was an absolute delight. Some stood out, others didn't. Like most silky smooth stouts it doesn't surprise me that this still makes me blush every time I think about it. I always wonder some time when people say they don't like "dark beers". Boy, try this one and it will change your mind about dark beer forever.
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| Single-Wide IPA |
This beer shocked me. It was a shock similar to what you get from a pip-squeak little kid at High school that you wouldn't expect to throw a punch. Although the punch didn't cause an issue, you're still surprised it happened. The Single-Wide IPA is that beer. Direct from Boulevard Brewing Company it did shock me. Why? Well, this beer was bought in the middle of Arkansas, redneck country. I decided to pick this up, despite the fact that I had already tried loads of other IPA's on the market. With "six varieties of hops" in the brew this beer does actually pack a punch, well and truly above its weight. I guess pip-squeak kids can be troublesome? It's very drinkable and easily downed. Such a shame I can't get my hands on it here in Sydney? Mind you, I haven't bothered checking.
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| Werewolf Blood-Red Ale |
I drank this beer with the faded memory of the movie An American Werewolf in London. A silver bullet, lots of blood and a scary monster was probably my most vivid thoughts, but I really shouldn't have been scared by this beer. Good friends of mine (Kevin and Vickie) in Arkansas gave me this very rare opportunity to drink this special beer. There was something about this beer I just couldn't quite put my finger on. It had low levels of malt but was very smooth, slightly sweet - and by some weird association I could've sworn I tasted blood. It's a very drinkable beer and it seemed like a beer that sat between 4% and 5% alcohol by volume, somewhat of a session beer. Although technically not a 'craft beer' per say, there was this je ne sais quoi quality about it. It was different, it was nice. It just seemed to fit in with all that was happening at the time.
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| Never Summer Ale |
"Colorado's first microbrewery." Some statement. Boulder Beer have got some great brews, and on this trip I had the opportunity to try their Never Summer Ale. Truth be told, I don't remember a great deal now about this beer. Old Chicago does that to you when you're there drinking lots of beer. Nonetheless, it did make the list. What I do know though is drinking this puppy kept me warm. Very warm. It had a ruby-like dark malt profile that balanced nicely with the hops. If it warmed up the people of Colorado then it could warm up the people of Minnesota, even if one of them was from a rather warm Sydney, Australia. This is one beer I certainly miss on a cold winter's day.
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| Snowdrift Vanilla Porter |
In the woods of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin the brand of Leinenkugel is legendary. Unfortunately, Leinie's Snowdrift Vanilla Porter has to be one of the strangest craft beer experiences I've had in a while (even though Leinies aren't technically a craft brewery). Why? Well, I actually first tried this beer in a bottle. It sucked. Badly. On tap, however, it rocked. Maybe I got an old batch in the bottle? Who knows? Had I of not had this on tap then it wouldn't have got a mention. Nonetheless, it become a favourite of mine when I couldn't get any other beer that I liked. It became a part of me. Having this beer on tap saved me on many occasions, and with every pint of it I kept on coming back for more. Vanilla notes with chocolate and coffee overtones allowed this beer to sneak in past the post.
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| Summit Winter Ale |
Yet another seasonal beer, this time from our friends from Summit. This tasted as if the head brewer had a little bit of everything in the spice rack and whacked it all in the brew pot. It's got a lot of spice, enough malt character and caramel/coffee notes to second guess yourself as to what the ingredients are. It made the list due to its subtle yet distinctive flavours and the ability to warm you up fast on a cold Minnesotan day. I guess I should be somewhat thankful as I was in Minnesota during the winter anyway, so lucky me gets to try another seasonal beer that made me smile. What more can you ask for?
So, that's it. My top twenty list from the 2012-2013 trip to the US. There were quite a few beers that made my 'honorable mentions' category, but that list will become available shortly. Do you agree with the list? Maybe you disagree?
I guess that's the point I'm trying to make. There is no right or wrong answer. It's my list, and I'm happy with it. Drinking craft beer is a personal experience, even somewhat of a spiritual journey.....in a craft beer kind of way. The best way to experience craft beer is to be with friends who enjoy doing what you do and drinking what you drink.
....and you should see the next blog. The beers that missed out!
dannbrew@gmail.com
* = Note that I technically cheated here. Both the Surly Furious and Summit Oatmeal Stout were beers I also tried back in 2010. However, they were so good that I had to add them to the list. It's amazing what revisiting a beer does to your senses.....and to your memory.
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