Thursday, November 13, 2008

Favorite Beers

People often ask me to name my favorite beer. One correct answer is “the one in my hand.” Another correct answer is that the best beer depends upon the setting and menu. With these qualifications, I list below 10 beers (with tasting notes) that I highly recommend.Warning: I like beers with BIG flavors and enjoy the tartness, acidity, and funkiness associated with spontaneous fermentation and Brettanomyces.

My top 10 list.

Bell's Expedition Stout. Imperial Stout. Yummy - THICK, dark malt, dark fruit, charcoal, burnt chocolate, and a little alcohol burn. The perfect stout? Black as old motor oil and twice as thick. Reviewers at BeerAdvocate rated it as one of the top 100 beers on the planet on 29 December 2005 and 10 March 2007.



Cantillon Gueuze. Gueuze. Tart and funky.








Cantillon Vigneronne. Fruit Lambic. A slightly tamer (?) version of Girardin Gueuze.







Girardin Gueuze 1882 Black Label. Gueuze. Lemon, vinegar, and apple cider. Each sip causes salivation. Sour and tart but doesn't take away your breath. Sort of a fizzy lemon cider. Reviewers at BeerAdvocate rated it as one of the top 100 beers on the planet on 10 March 2007 and 25 November 2008.



Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout.
Imperia
l Stout. Chocolate filled the air upon pour. Chocolate taste, followed by more chocolate. As the beer warmed the taste when from sweet to bittersweet chocolate and a bitter piney hop finish emerged. Went gr8 w/ fudge brownie and French vanilla ice cream. Reviewers at BeerAdvocate rated it as one of the top 100 beers on the planet on 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, and 25 November 2008.


J.W. Lees Harvest Ale aged in calvados barrels. English Barley Wine. Sticky sweet, peach and prunes, burnt caramel, w/ alcohol burn at end. Reviewers at BeerAdvocate rated Harvest Ale (no calvados) as one of the top 100 beers on the planet on 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, and 25 November 2008.



Russian River Sanctification. American Wild Ale. Very nice. Lemony, sour, funky Belgian Pale Ale. I could not get the taste out of my mind. Wow. A sour pale ale? Different and refreshing and gueze-like.



Smuttynose “Finest Kind” IPA. American India Pale Ale. Do you like hops? My favorite IPA. Nice mix of floral, bitter, and piney hops. Long bitter finish. Lots of hops but not harsh. Reviewers at BeerAdvocate rated it as one of the top 100 beers on the planet on 29 December 2005.


Southampton Saison Deluxe. Saison. Tingly effervescence, tangy spiciness, citrus flavor, balanced dryness with a touch of sour. Massive head. Lovely straw-orange color. Taste is light and dry, with citrus, lemon rind, apple, complex spiciness, and a touch of funk. Eminently quaffable, quenching, and cleansing. Reviewers at BeerAdvocate rated it as one of the top 100 beers on the planet on 10 March 2007.

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier. Hefeweizen. Light yet flavorful. The PERFECT summer beer? Refreshing and flavorful. Terrific with lemon-pepper fish. Cloves and banana from the oldest brewery in the world. A light and tasty complement to a summertime dinner al fresco. Reviewers at BeerAdvocate rated it as one of the top 100 beers on the planet on 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, and 25 November 2008.

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