2009 may have sucked for a lot of people and a lot of reasons, but it was another good year for beer. Really though, how could beer have a bad year? It's beer after all. No negative sides to it, right?
Anyways, here's my Top 5 Beers of the Year list. Some are brand new, newly imported, or just new to me. What they all have in common is that they're freakin' delicious.
Cantillon Lou Pepe - Gueuze
Brasserie Cantillon
Gueuze | 5.00% ABV
A / 4.45
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5
Label reads 2006 (year brewed), corks says bottled in 2008. Aside from dates, the bottle is entirely in French and Dutch as it was brought back from the Netherlands.
I'd been having a fair number of amazing oude gueuzes lately, and this hits all the marks, but goes just a little deeper. Yes, there's the sharp lemon-lime juice sour/acidic tang that pulls at the back of your jaw. There's the toasted oak, but also with a hint of ash and pepper. And then I also taste a not inappropriately cheesey funk like you'd get from a nice, fatty blue cheese. What else? Mmmmm, there's a light fresh garden herb and celery note, dry white grape, and wheat cracker. God damn this beer is amazing.
Achel Trappist Extra
Brouwerij der St. Benedictusabdij de Achelse
Belgian Strong Dark Ale | 9.50% ABV
A / 4.35
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 5
Split a bottle at Tap and Table in Emmaus, PA after it recently became more widely available in the states. Why, why, why does this beer have to cost nearly $29? It's easily the best the legal (not Westvleteren) Trappist beer I've had. Damn. The flavor is soft and malt-heavy with an earthy background. The barley brings a complex mix of typical but delicious candy flavors: figs, toffee, caramel, and cocoa. They're subtle flavors that develop as you sip though, not like some big beer that knocks your palate out. This is an experience, not just a drink. Find this beer.
Sculpin India Pale Ale
Ballast Point Brewing Company
American IPA | 7.00% ABV
A / 4.35
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5
Shared a bomber at Tap and Table in Emmaus, PA for $14. Totally worth it. This is easily one of the best IPA's I've had in sometime. Reminds me in terms of quality of the pint of Town Hall Masala Mama I had last week. The hops jump out of the glass once the beer is poured - I love when that happens. The hops are a mix of spicy citrus that are juicy, but dry and drinkable. There are also tasty notes of apricot, white grape, and orange peel.The aftertaste just doesn't go away. I had to go out of my way to find an even bigger beer to follow this up, otherwise this beer would have still been hanging on my palate.
Beer Geek Brunch Weasel
Mikkeller
American Double / Imperial Stout | 10.90% ABV
Notes: Imperial oatmeal stout brewed with coffee. Ingredients: Water, malts, hops, yeast and Vietnamese ca phe chon coffee.
A / 4.3
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5
Found a bottle hiding on one of the bottom shelves at Abe's Cold Beer for $11.25. I'm not usually impressed with big stouts, but this beer was fantastic. My first issue with imperial stouts is drinkability, but I split the bottle with a friend and could have easily split a second or drank it myself. My other typical concern with the style is that they all have the same heavy roast and cocoa flavors without much deviation. This beer started with a very unique, earthy coffee flavor that rolled off into chocolate liquor, cherries, and then a punch of citrus finishing hops. There was an incredibly long aftertaste that wouldn't seem to quit, though when it finally did, I wished I had more beer.
Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Hefeweizen | 4.80% ABV
A- / 4.2
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5
Picked up a case from Shangy's in Emmaus for about $28. Man, this beer is for real. Pours a hazy light amber with a tall white head a good lacing. The aroma is a spicy mix of vanilla, banana bread, and clove. The flavor follows that up with a dry, mineral undertone with sweet cracked wheat malts, banana, and a touch of white pepper. Very tasty and very drinkable. It reminds me of a cross between Paulaner and Schnieder. Heck of a beer from the folks in Chico.
