Favorite Beers of the year

For my final entry of 2010, I thought I'd look back over the year at a few beers that I tried and really enjoyed.  Overall, I reviewed 43 beers this year, not bad considering there are 52 weeks in a year.  However, unless you're like me and keep an excel spreadsheet list of what you've been drinking, it can be pretty hard to keep track of them.  Unfortunately, many of the double porters and imperial stouts I tried were one offs and limited editions at bars and festivals, so I neither smart enough nor sober enough to write down reviews.  But here's a brief stroll my favorites that I was lucky enough to have a bottle of and review this year.

Snake River, Zonker Stout

HUB, Organic IPA

Brasserie d'Orval, Orval

Mikkeller, It's Alive!

Stone/Brew Dog, Bashah

Port Brewing, Hot Rocks Lager

Allagash, 2009 Fluxus

Mikkeller, Nelson-Sauvin Single Hop IPA

Rogue, John John Ale

Sierra Nevada, 30th Anniversary Charlie, Fred, and Ken's Bock

And that's it.  Not a bad list all things considered.  All these beers are four stars and above with the exception of the Fluxus, which I believe I was a little harsh on with three and a half.  The John John should get a special mention just for the creativity of using Gin barrels to age the beer, very unique and a great ale.  Of these, I'd have to say that Mikkeller's Nelson-Sauvin is my pick of the year.  This was just such an awesome beer and worked perfectly with his single hop series.  It's the only beer I gave five stars to all year.

That's it for this year of Brews Clues, hopefully you've enjoyed my thoughts, info, and reviews.  Have a great New Years party, drink lots of good beer, and look for more posts in 2011!

cheers,
Dave

Brasserie d'Orval, Orval

I'm trying this beer as a small thank you to the Beer Wench for taking the time to interview me in her Beer Blogger interview series.  She mentioned this as one of her favorites, so I thought I would give it a try. I'm also trying this because Mikkeller made his It's Alive in tribute to it, thought it would be nice to compare.

As I reiterate most often, I didn't grow up a Belgian guy, and it doesn't get much more Belgian than Trappist Ales.  So I write this with the utmost respect for those whose palates specialize in our Flemmish cousins and with the due consideration that I might not know what I'm talking about.

It pours golden with a ton of head and great lacing.  Smells like orange, corriander, and fresh spices and malts exude from the glass.  There's a lot going on in the taste here.  It's a complex evolution from front to back with a bit of hop presence on both ends.  There's a sort of rugged quality to the taste as it runs through your mouth, like a burned leather – but in a good way, if that's even possible to imagine.  That leather is lain on top of a subtle malt fruitiness that does not get too bright and blends well with the rougher exterior.  Finally, spiced flavors like white pepper and cloves come through the body before a final hop curtain is lightly draped upon the show that is my mouth.

Not the flavors that I've come to love, but a complex mixture of tastes along with a great body and immense drinkability.  In comparison to It's Alive, I'd say I prefer the earthy and hoppy qualities of Mikkeller's version a bit better, but the blend, body and balance on the Orval is unreal.  Probably wouldn't be the first thing I'd order, but would I drink it again? Absolutely.

Orval: ****

Mikkeller It's Alive

Sorry about having two Mikkeller posts in one week.  I haven't had a chance to upload pictures of the other beers I've reviewed yet.

Take It's Alive! from your fridge and instantly feel as though there's cause for celebration.  This beautifully packaged Belgian Wild Ale, looks like something from deep in the wine cellars, complete with silver foil and cork.  

Mikkeller says on his website that this beer is an answer and tribute to the trappist beer Orval, which personally I'm not famillar with, but since writing this have bought and tried, review coming in the next week or two.  The head piles up as you pour a deep golden color into your glass.  Not much lacing or web is left as you dip your head and take in the sweet flowery aroma of this new brew.  

Upon the first sip, you're greeted with apples, and... lavender?  Yes, there's a peculiar, yet enjoyable, but perhaps slightly overused wildflower taste of lavender that dominates the palate.  Mixed in with the pale and cara malts, the lavender provides a trail of wildflowers that would overwhelm if it were not for the hallerteur and styrian golding hops that catch the trail by the tail and bring it back to its earthy origins.  Very drinkable, would certainly be a great way to describe this beer, however, paired with food would be best.  

Here, I enjoyed it with chicken cooked in the mole/chili sauce from my wild boar chili.  A bit too flowery and syrupy at times, the Brettanomyces culture ensures extra conditioning in the bottle – hence the name.  What is most apparent to me from this brew is how much of a craftsman Mikkeller is.  I realize I have said this before, however, this beer has helped me to grasp what it is exactly about his beers that is so good.  He crafts the taste with immaculate precision so that it has a very controlled flavor when you drink it.  The way the hops interact with the malts and yeast is arranged with surgical meticulousness.  While you may not always like the end result, it's quite obvious that you're tasting the flavors in the exact order and amount that Mikkeller intended; in this case, an airy mix of apples and wildflowers that would float into the sky were it not for the earthy hop backend that grounds it. 8% alc.

It's Alive: ***1/2