Dec 29, 2010

Best Beers of 2010

In addition to the Year in Review I posted earlier, the below list is a little compilation (in no particular order) of some of my favorite brews from the past 12 months. Those beers marked with an “*” were complimentary samples received from the brewery or PR company.

Terrapin Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout
This turned out to be one of the best Oatmeal Stouts I’ve had in some time. It was a pleasant surprise from this brewery that I associate more with IPAs than the dark goodness found in this bottle.

Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo
This special little brew from Samuel Smith’s has got to be one of the more underrated brews I had this year. It was one of the best oak-aged beers I’ve ever had.

BrewDog Paradox Islay (Batch 009)
This was one of those beers that started out as a stout, but went a completely different direction than I was expecting. Definitely an acquired taste, but delicious nonetheless.

Avery Mephistopheles’ Stout
Weighing in at just over 16% ABV, not only was this the biggest beer I had all year, but damn near the meanest. Loved it!

Karl Strauss 21st Anniversary Ale*
The crew at Karl Strauss impress me more and more the longer I work with them. This is a uniquely wonderful brew to say the least.

Left Hand Brewing Fade to Black
Not only is this a tasty brew, but the label artwork is killer!

He’Brew Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.*
So glad I finally got a chance to sample this wonderful beer. Loaded with hops and malt, it also ages quite well.

Bells Batch 9000
Here’s another brew that rocks not only fresh, but with a little time under it’s belt. I have one bottle left that I hope makes it into the new year.

Nectar Ales Black Xantus
The coffee beans used in this brew’s making really makes it a stand-out imperial stout. I’m itching to get into the other bottle I have in the basement.

The Bruery Mischief
The label reads “Hoppy Belgian-Style Golden Strong Ale” — that’s got to be the biggest understatement of the year. This Belgian brew is loaded with hops!

Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout
It took me forever to finally get some of this beer, and I bought all the shop had. It was expensive but worth it as this brew is easily in my top 5 favorite brews of all time.

Uerige Doppelsticke
Cool bottle. Even cooler beer. Sweet malty goodness!

Brooklyn Sorachi Ace
In loosely compiling this list in my head this (and the Founders KBS) were the first two beers to come to mind. Looking back on it, this brew should have gotten a 5 out of 5. It’s a wonderful brew.

Sierra Nevada Jack and Ken’s Ale
Of the three anniversary beers I’ve had in this four beer run, this black barleywine was easily the best of the bunch.

Iron Hill Winter Wheat Wine-Oh!*
I just recently enjoyed this beer, and it is without a doubt, one of the best wheat wines I’ve ever had. I want more.

De Dolle Bos Keun
What a beer, what a beer… what a beer! I need to find more of this one next year.

Ommegang Adoration Ale
A nice change of pace for a seasonal brew. Strong, Belgian and with just the right amount of spice.

It was a struggle to whittle the whole year of beer down to just these brews. I can’t wait to see how several of them turn out after some time in the basement. Here’s to 2011 being just as tasty.

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