Top Beer of 2014

2014 was a notable year for me for many reasons.  One of the reasons for this was that I was able to have what will probably be the best year of beer-related adventures in my life.  In addition to the trips to San Diego and Vermont that I previously wrote about, I made detours on other trips to visit places like 3 Floyds (for the umpteenth time) and Toppling Goliath.  Because of my unprecedented ability to try so many good beers, I thought I would gather together my thoughts on what is likely a one-time post, concerning the very best beer that I had this year.

Upon reviewing everything that was new to me this year, the number 16 seemed like both an appropriate length for the list, as well as a reasonable cut-off between the great and the really great.  Furthermore, to avoid repetition, I'm going to impose a couple of limitations.  First, I am only counting beers that I first consumed during the 2014 calendar year.  This means there won't be any long-time favorites like Sculpin, Founder's Harvest Ale, or Blackheart on the list.  As a result, this becomes more of a year in review than simply a best beers list, which I feel is slightly more interesting.  Second, I will only include one beer per brewery. This will prevent me from rambling on and on about the same breweries, as much as I would love to.  I will make note of all of the beers not on the list from those breweries that received at least four stars from me at the end of each section.

Next to the name of each beer are the main statistics from the new-ish website, Beergraphs. Beergraphs uses user-entered ratings from the popular app Untappd to calculate how many "replacement" beers a beer is worth (that would be the BAR statistic).  They also use the style categorizations to measure beers against like beers (the Style+ statistic measures this around a mean of 100, with higher scores meaning a better beer).  A couple of beers without enough check-ins don't show up on their site, so those are marked as "unlisted."  If you're unsure about their methodology, the bevy of well-known beers atop the leaderboard should give you at least some faith that the rating system is useful.

Runners-up:

To give you a quick idea of how great the beers on this list are, here are the breweries/beers that were considered, but didn't make the cut:

Heady Topper - The Alchemist
Chasin' Freshies and Red Chair NWPA - Deschutes Brewery
I Hardcore You - Mikkeller and Brewdog collaboration
18th Anniversary Ale - Stone Brewing*
8 Bit Pale Ale - Tallgrass Brewing Company
Gose - Lost Nation Brewing
Cluster's Last Stand - Smuttynose Brewing Company
Nugget Nectar - Troegs Brewing Company
Simtra - Knee Deep Brewing Company
Farmer's Reserve Blackberry - Almanac Beer Co.

*Enjoy By is fairly consistent from release to release, so I don't count those as "new" beers.  If I did, they would most certainly be on the list.

There's a lot of great beers on that list, including the highest rated beer in existence, Heady Topper.  I already wrote about this in my New England post, so I won't blather on here (summary: it was good, but didn't wow me like other things from the trip did).  As happy as I would be drinking nothing but these beers, I had 16 others that were slightly more superlative.  These beers come from a remarkable 12 different states, which shows that many different regions have a lot to offer.  While most are of the IPA persuasion, there is still enough variety (both within the category and across categories) to find something uniquely interesting about each one.

#16 - Simcoe Ninja
Pipeworks Brewing Company (IL) - Double IPA - 4.19 BAR - 113 Style+

Pipeworks' sheer audacity makes them one of my most-loved breweries, but one of my favorite things about them is their focus on single-hop beers.  Single-hop ales are both a great introduction to individual hops as well as a good way to focus a beer on one idea.  This still leaves a lot of room for interpretation, as your malt selection and brewing process can lead to wide varieties of beer, so there is still merit to trying these across many different breweries as well.  I've only had two beers from Pipeworks' Ninja series, but they were both fantastic.  As Simcoe is my favorite hop (more on this later), this makes the list over the Citra version of the same beer.

Apologies to: Citra Ninja

#15 - Harvest Ale
Victory Brewing Company (PA) - American Pale Ale - 3.79 BAR - 120 Style+

Weather-wise, fall might be my least favorite season, as the slow march towards winter can sometimes be more painful than the winter itself.  Luckily for me, the blow is softened by the presence of football and wet-hopped beers.  For the uninitiated, wet-hopping commonly refers to beers that have hops added less than 24 hours after harvest (fresh-hopped beer then generally refers to a slightly longer one week window).  Since this typically captures hops as their most pungent and earthy, wet-hopped beers tend to be one-dimensional hop bombs, which I mostly love.  That said, the very best of the category tend to have a balance that make them complete beers.  Victory's Harvest Ale is one such beer, largely because it's maybe the wettest single beer I've ever had.  The grassy and earthy (and even dirt-y) notes of the hops make for a taste that is sharp and yet balanced enough to be easily drinkable.

*While we're at it, here's a list of my favorite fresh/wet hopped beers from the most recent season:

#1. Founders Harvest Ale (wet)
#2. Victory Harvest Ale (wet)
#3. Fat Heads Hop Stalker (fresh)
#4. Deschutes Chasin' Freshies (fresh)
#5. Actual Wet-Hopped Elektron (wet)
#6. Deschutes Hop Truck (wet)
#7. Sixpoint Sensi Harvest (wet)
#8. Sierra Nevada Celebration (fresh)
#9. Sierra Nevada Harvest Wet Hop IPA (wet)
#10: 3 Floyd's Broodoo (wet)

#14 - Permanent Funeral
3 Floyd's Brewing Company (IN) - Double IPA - 9.99 BAR - 122 Style+

One of the fun parts of following a brewery over the years is seeing how it evolves and changes with the times.  3 Floyd's has always been one of the very best is the industry, so change wasn't necessarily needed, but they've still continued to push themselves in new and interesting directions.  As the tendency of American IPAs has trended towards beers with more variety of fruit characteristics in the hop profile, so too has 3 Floyd's worked to make such beers (see the "apologies to" section for other examples).  Permanent Funeral is their most notable beer of its kind, with a beautifully clean taste that hides the high alcohol content well.  I don't think the beer tops some of my favorites from them, such as Gumballhead or Dreadnaught, but it's still a welcome addition to what might very well be the best beer lineup in the country.

Apologies to: Yum Yum, Space Station Middle Finger, and of course the other dozen of their beers I've had before 2014

#13 - Hi-Res
Sixpoint Brewery (NY) - Double (Triple, actually) IPA - 5.52 BAR - 112 Style+

While the last entry signifies the trend towards fruitier IPAs, this one displays another major trend: Making huger than ever, unapologetic, high-gravity beers.  What is sometimes problematic with this is that beers that turn everything up to eleven aren't always the best, as they may sacrifice nuance and creativity for the purpose of spectacle.  The hit or miss nature of the offerings at the local high-gravity beer event I attended back in January can attest directly to this.  That said, when a truly great brewery decides to make an extreme beer, they usually do a good job.  Since Sixpoint is one of my favorite breweries in existence, it only makes sense that Hi-Res was an awesome beer.  Taking all of the deliciousness of Resin and multiplying it by two made for one of my favorite beverages of the year.

Apologies to: Spice of Life - Sorachi Ace, Sensi Harvest

#12 - Wisconsin Belgian Red
New Glarus Brewing Company (WI) - Fruit Beer - 9.88 BAR - 141 Style+

As you might already know, I lived in Wisconsin for four years after college.  While I was never then quite the beer nerd I am now, the wide variety of brews available in the state helped to shape my love of beer in its infancy.  During my time there, I most certainly imbibed many different offerings from New Glarus, the state's most famous microbrewery.  Strangely enough though, I never had any of their most famous line of fruit/sour beers.  Since I made a couple trips to/through Madison this year, I ended up buying several of these.  All of them were fantastic, with a consistently sweet body matching up perfectly with the tartness of the fruit.  As the base of Wisconsin Belgian Red was all cherries, and therefore the most sour, this one just beats out the rest in my eyes.  I highly recommend trying all of them if you get a chance, as they are all wonderful.

Apologies to: Serendipity, Raspberry Tart

#11 - Pliny the Elder
Russian River Brewing Company (CA) - Double IPA - 16.7 BAR - 127 Style+

The term "West Coast IPA" has probably become overly ubiquitous in recent years.  I say "overly" because few beers that carry that moniker can live up to the example set by the platonic ideal of the category, Pliny the Elder.  I don't really have much to say about Pliny that hasn't already been said.  It's an awesome beer, and anyone who visits California (or Philly) should seek it out.











#10 - Lunch
Maine Beer Company (ME) - American IPA - 11.21 BAR - 130 Style+

Upon sampling a large selection of Maine Beer Company's offerings, I see the brewery as primarily two things.  First, they are one of the most consistently awesome breweries in existence.  While their IPAs may be somewhat more famous than the rest of their lineup, every single one of their beers is distinctive and good.  Second, they appear to have a tendency to make beer that is more subtle and understated than the hop-bombs and barrel aged beers that so many prominent craft brewers are known for.  Those two characteristics are on full display with Lunch.  Lunch has a nose full of juicy hops that rivals all the best beers in its complexity.  However, it also dials it back a touch so that the full body of the beer comes into play.  All of this makes for a beer that isn't quite as viscerally exciting as something like a Zombie Dust, but I think that's exactly the point.  By balancing everything out, Maine Beer Company is able to create beers with a timeless quality that can still excite the well-traveled drinker.

Apologies to: Zoe (the toughest exclusion, as this dark, hoppy amber is truly unique), Mo, Mean Old Tom, Another One, Peeper

#9 - What is Enlightenment?
Hill Farmstead Brewery (VT) - American Pale Ale - 7.25 BAR - 133 Style+

When given the relevant information before tasting a beer (ingredients, brewer, rating), I can generally make a pretty good guess as to what the beer will taste like.  Certain hops will deliver certain flavors, while style descriptions and other ingredients can suggest other things.  All that said, I'm not sure that anything could have prepared me for the overwhelming citrus punch featured by What is Enlightenment.  Sure, the beer features Citra hops, but I've never tasted anything with as much orange flavor that didn't actually have orange in it.  As you would expect from a Hill Farmstead brew, there is enough balance to ensure that this isn't just beer-flavored orange juice.  Due to time constraints, I didn't get a chance to actually visit the brewery during my time in Vermont, but this beer and the stunning pale ale Edward make me doubly excited to go there next time.

Apologies to: Edward

#8 pseudo Sue
Toppling Goliath Brewing (IA) - American Pale Ale - 12.83 BAR - 140 Style+

Few hops, if any, are as currently popular as Citra.  Its dynamic and citrusy flavor make it a perfect poster child for modern brewing.  While some beers (looking at you, Zombie Dust) show off the edgier characteristics of the hop, pseudo Sue goes in the opposite direction with a much gentler beer.  I am not normally a huge fan of beers that tend towards a full focus on the fruitier side of hops, but pseudo Sue is just so good at what it does that I couldn't help but love it.  Toppling Goliath seems to do just about everything well, but their most famous beer is their most famous for a reason.

Apologies to: ZeeLander

#7 Hopslam Ale
Bell's Brewery, Inc. (MI) - Double IPA - 14.42 BAR - 123 Style+

I could talk at length about how this is the most hyped beer on the list, but the mere fact that there was a local controversy called hopslamgate sums that up well enough.  In spite of all that hype, I had never actually had Hopslam before 2014's version.  While the internet tells me that past versions were a little more extreme with the hops, I didn't mind the supposedly more balanced offering that I had this year.  The hops (featuring a dry-hopping with Simcoe) sit nicely at the back of the mouth, while the notes of sweetness from the honey sit nicely at the top of the flavor profile.  I don't think Hopslam is quite as awesome as the beers at the top of the list, but it is worth pressuring your wife to go to the nearby grocery store to get a six pack because you're out of town even though she already changed into her pajamas and doesn't want to go.*

*True story

#6 Fortunate Islands
Modern Times Beer (CA) - American Pale Wheat Ale - 5.89 BAR - 124 Style+

3 Floyds' Gumballhead is generally regarded as the pre-eminent "hoppy wheat" beer with its combination of Amarillo hops and subtle wheat body.  It is one of my favorite beers in existence, and I am not alone in that opinion, as it currently resides in the very last spot on the first page of the Beergraphs leaderboard.  I've tasted a lot of new entrants into this realm over the past couple of years, and very few have come even close to matching the awesomeness of Gumballhead.

Enter Modern Times, a brewery that's only been around for a little over a year.  While everything they make is good, their entry in the hoppy wheat category is the standout for me, as it is arguably better than Gumballhead.*  Instead of all Amarillo hops, Modern Times blends Amarillo and Citra for a slightly sharper nose (don't worry though, this isn't another Citra bomb).  Additionally, the wheat takes a bit more of the center stage than it does in Gumballhead.  I can understand the argument that this is a negative for Fortunate Islands, as subtlety is often underrated.  That said, every component of this beer is so delicious that that feels like a silly complaint to me.  Fortunate Islands may never have the reach or the popularity of its predecessor, but it's every bit as deserving of praise as the best beer of its kind.

Apologies to: Black House, Blazing World

*The natural comparison to a different style of beer would be Pliny the Elder as the established categorical winner, and Enjoy By being the upstart challenger. 

#5 Sim City
Zero Gravity Brewing (VT) - American IPA - Unlisted

I talk a lot about the hops in the beers I drink.  This is as it should be as the hops are probably the most important and distinct ingredient in the majority of pale ales.  That said, it's important to remember that the best beers will not just have a delicious hop nose, but will be able to use that nose to complement the malt and yeast and create a deliciously complete beer.  Zero Gravity's Sim City is one that excels at this, balancing strong showings from both the hops and malt to make a great, balanced beer.  Part of this is due to its 100% Simcoe hop profile.  Simcoe is a hop that is both strong (meaning it won't get lost in the shuffle), but also uses it's balance of bitterness and sweetness to "play nice" with the malt profile.  Because of Simcoe's awesomeness, I generally regard it as my favorite hop.  As Sim City is probably the best single-hop Simcoe beer I have had, this slides nicely into my top five of the year.

#4 Abrasive Ale
Surly Brewing Company (MN) - Double IPA - 12.33 BAR - 124 Style+

With distribution expansion to Chicago, plus an assist from a couple of friends who used to call Minneapolis home, it was a banner year for me to sample the best Surly has to offer.  While everything I had was great, nothing came close to their most famous beer, Abrasive Ale.  Abrasive somehow uses ingredients that can at times be too sweet (oatmeal) and too bitter (Citra hops) and turns that into an insanely floral nose that is truly unlike anything I've had before.  Abrasive also maintains the balance between maximizing flavor and minimizing booziness that only the best beers manage to perfect. 

Apologies to: Pentagram, Furious, Hell, Bitter Brewer

#3 Nelson
Alpine Beer Company (CA) - American IPA - 12.93 BAR - 135 Style+

A lot of the beers that appear near the top of most "best beer" lists fit nicely into a category.  While a beer like Pliny the Elder may be the best of its kind, you can compare and contrast it with a lot of similar beers that came before and after.  That is not the case with Nelson.  While there are certainly a lot of beers with Nelson Sauvignon hops, and probably even more pale ales made with rye, I'm not sure I've ever encountered one that features both.  Even if I have tasted this other beer, I doubt that it incorporated these ingredients into a complex yet friendly beer anywhere near as well as this one.  Alpine does pretty much every kind of pale ale well, but with Nelson, they have a flagship beer that is as unique as it is delicious.  With the prolific Green Flash acquiring Alpine recently, I'm hoping I can have Nelson in my life regularly in the near future.

Apologies to: Hoppy Birthday*, Duet, Bad Boy

*This was probably the toughest exclusion, as the beer it most resembles on this list is in the top spot.  Nelson is just too awesome not to put ahead of it, though.

#2 Hop Juju
Fat Head's Brewery (OH) - Double IPA - 8.62 BAR - 121 Style+

The truly remarkable thing about hops is the variety of flavors they can impart in beer.  The taste of pine, grass, flowers, and every kind of fruit imaginable show up regularly in all different kinds of ales.  Great beers are able to focus on one of these ideas and master it.  The very best beers (like Hop Juju) however, have almost all of these flavors.  Part of this is due to the very nature of hops; like ingredients in dishes, different flavors can be emphasized when prepared a certain way or mixed with certain other ingredients.  It's quite possible to have a beer with a single hop variety that gives you complexity on its own.  That is not the case with Hop Juju. The insane pine nose likely comes from one of the traditional "C" hops (most likely Chinook), while the fruitier mid-to-after taste is probably a result of the Simcoe and Citra.  In the end, this amazing beer hits as many different notes as any beer I've ever had, and ends up in my all-time top five as a result.

Apologies to: Hop Stalker, Sunshine Daydream 

#1 Sip of Sunshine
Lawson's Finest Liquids (VT) - Double IPA - 8.29 BAR - 121 Style+

A lot of the beers I included in this list featured a wide array of superior characteristics.  Others still tended towards the sweeter side of the APA/IPA spectrum (yes, they were mostly pale ales...that's just what I drink/seek out most often).  Sip of Sunshine is not like those beers.

Sure, there are some nice fruity notes at the front of Sip, and it's overall a well-balanced beer, but it's at the top of this list for one main reason: The beautiful, un-relenting bitterness.  Hop-heads talk so much about the flavors of fruit, pine, and grass they get from beers (for good reason), that the way bitterness works to counter the relative sweetness of the malt is often glossed over.  Because of this, I love beers that are unabashed in their pursuit of reminding everyone why IPAs are IPAs.  Sip of Sunshine is my new personal flag-bearer in that department (don't worry Ruination, I haven't forgotten about you), as its taste remains fiercely on the tongue for minutes after each sip, never losing the precise flavor of the hop profile.  I wasn't able to get my hands on the more famous Double Sunshine or any of Lawson's other brews, but it's almost better that way, as Sip is pretty much perfect.  While I can't see anything topping it for a while to come, I'll continue to welcome the best efforts of the world's best brewers as I move into 2015.

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