With the exception of two weekends (Ian’s bachelor party & Ian’s wedding), I was sober throughout the last four months of 2012. I’ve never done that before. Well, not intentionally, anyway. As a craft beer drinker (I wouldn’t call myself a connoisseur, but then again that’s not really for me to decide…my knowledge might dwarf some and pale compared to many), it’s my goal to consume as much as possible from a wide variety of breweries and styles. My goal has always been to try five new beers each month. I think that’s somewhat reasonable for a normal drinker (read: someone who isn’t an alcoholic). So that would mean between January 1st, 2013 and today, I should have tried somewhere between 25 and 30 beers to stay on that pace. I’ve more than doubled that, consuming (to my knowledge Untappd does not work unless I manually input the beer I’m drinking, and since I’m known to blackout and continue drinking, countless beers go un-noted).
70 unique beers in just over four months. I’d say I’m on a pretty good clip right now. Ironically, I use that Untappd app to both log and rate all the beers I drink, and yet I never seem to use it when I’m standing in a store trying to figure out which beers to buy. I spent $50 on beer to drink during my days off and 3 out of the 4 it turns out I’ve already tried at some point. So basically I’m hemorrhaging money drinking repeat beers.
I don’t know where any of this is going. The point is, we’re nearly halfway through 2013. It’s high-time I share with you some of the best brews I’ve put back so far this year. Be sure to let me know what you’ve been drinking so I can keep an eye out next time I’m at the store or the local pub.
The Ten Best Beers I’ve Consumed In 2013 (So Far…)
Honorable Mention:
Widmer Brothers Reserve Barrel Aged Brrrbon ’12 – “Hidden in the beautiful dark amber color are aromas of vanilla and caramel that compliment perfectly the presence of bourbon. Soft oak flavors transition into a sweet yet slightly dry finish. After aging the ale for four months, the malt and hop complexity of Brrr has melded harmoniously with the bourbon barrels and become a truly one of a kind beer.”
10. Ommegang Iron Throne – At first I was going to call this a sentimental choice, but then I looked on Rate Beer and saw that the average score was a 95 out of 100, meaning it’s actually a really highly-rated ale! “Collaboration with HBO for the Game of Thrones series. Blonde ale with malty sweetness and a touch of fruity spiciness, Noble Hops aromas and notes of citrus. Suitable to serve to kings, or pretenders to the iron throne. Pour slowly so as to not disturb the yeast sediment, but with enough vigor to create a luxurious head and release the rich bouquet.”
09. Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro – “Dark & delicious, America’s great milk stout will change your perception about what a stout can be. Pouring hard out of the bottle, Milk Stout Nitro cascades beautifully, building a tight, thick head like hard whipped cream. The aroma is of brown sugar and vanilla cream, with hints of roasted coffee. The pillowy head coats your upper lip and its creaminess entices your pallet. Initial roasty, mocha flavors rise up, with slight hop & roast bitterness in the finish. The rest is pure bliss of milk chocolate fullness.”
08. Pizza Port (San Clemente) Red Leader – “Pours a clear copper with a foamy khaki head that settles fades to nothing. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, caramel, citrus zest, and alcohol. Taste is much the same with a herbal hop flavor on the finish. There is a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and nicely balanced.”
07. Cismontane Deciduous IPA – “To be deciduous is to shed your leaves at maturity. This is strictly a seasonal process something that is natural. A process that is tied to the change in seasons when light rains begin to fall and the leaves turn to red. We brewed this beer to reflect that amber color of the leaf that is halfway though the trip. Giving way to something lighter and bright to reflect the first few rains of the fall. The brilliant hop character is like dried fruits, ripe with pineapple and apricot that are something you might enjoy at a holiday gathering. This beer is brewed for fall sessions with family and friends.”
06. Deschutes Brewing/Hair Of The Dog Collage Conflux No. 1 – “Deschutes Brewery and Hair of the Dog Brewing join forces to weave The Dissident and The Stoic and Fred and Adam into an artistic collage of cask-aging alchemy. Damn. Beer is fun! Conflux No. 1 – Collage is the second release in the Deschutes Conflux Series. These beers were brewed in March of 2010. One hundred percent of these beers spent two years aging in a variety of oak barrels: Rye Whiskey, Cognac, Sherry, Pinot Noir, Bourbon, used American Oak, new American Oak and new Oregon Oak. Less than 200 barrels of this intelligent blend was produced.”
05. El Segundo Standard Crude – “An American Imperial Stout… since, why should the Russians get all the recognition! All malted barley with just a sprinkling of oats for texture. This beer is roasty throughout with many deep undertones of blackberry, cassis, tobacco, and leather. The layers of malt reveal themselves one by one as the beer changes in the glass. Take your time with this one. Enjoy now, or lay it down in your cellar for a few hours.”
04. Heretic Shallow Grave Porter – “Shallow Grave Porter is dark as night, perfect for a cool evening out in the woods. This a big, dark ale with a complex and rich chocolate and caramel malt character followed by a touch of warmth and light malt sweetness, leaving you ready for more after each shovelful. You will love this so much you won’t have time to dig a six-footer, so make it a Shallow Grave. We’re sure you’ll dig it.”
03. Mikkeller Milk Stout – “Ingredienser: Vand, malt, havre. laktose, humle og gær.” Hahaha. Just kidding. The real commercial description reads, “The milk stout or sweet stout by many is a beer of its own, for one it contains lactose, a sugar derived from milk, and a non fermentable sugar by yeast that gives it its sweet flavor and body. Mikkeller is known for crazy beer and over the top art work for their labels, what could Mikel have done to this style that would make you want to go buy it? A must try beer.”
02. Cismontane Blacks Dawn – “A heavy strong stout brewed with coffee, brown sugar and oats. With its powerful quality and morning ingredients it seems parallel to a solid dawn session at Blacks. An inside connection to boutique roasted fare trade beans we were granted the opportunity to make this exceptional brew.”
01. Russian River Pliny The Younger (duh) – “Pliny the Younger was Pliny the Elder’s nephew, in the case of this beer, the “Younger” is a triple IPA. Pliny the Younger is hopped three times more than our standard IPA, and is dry hopped four different times. Pliny the Younger, the man, was Pliny the Elder’s nephew and adopted son. They lived nearly 2,000 years ago! Pliny the Elder is our Double IPA, so we felt it was fitting to name our Triple IPA after his son. It is almost a true Triple IPA with triple the amount of hops as a regular I.P.A. That said, it is extremely difficult, time and space consuming, and very expensive to make. And that is why we don’t make it more often! This beer is very full-bodied with tons of hop character in the nose and throughout. It is also deceptively well-balanced and smooth.”
Dirty Three – Obvious Is Obvious [MP3]
