The Top 10 Beers of 2016

It's time for the 3rd installment of the Top 10 Beers list and 2016 was a pretty darn good year (pardon my French).

Admittedly, I did not review as many beers as I wanted, but I guess my resolution for 2017 would be to buckle down and produce more content. In spite of that, I still have put together a top-notch Top 10 and have had fun going back and reminiscing about so many good beers.

As with the years past, I did set some parameters for compiling this list...

• The beer had to be reviewed on the blog in 2016. If I had it at a bar, a bottle share, fest, etc, then it doesn't qualify.
• No re-reviews. I typically don't re-review beers, but sometimes an occasion calls for it. So sorry, Trillium Headroom, you do not qualify for the list.
• Multiple beers from one brewery are allowed. Frankly, if the brewery makes that many good beers (in my opinion) then I'm not going to fault them for it.

 As with last year, I will do Class-B categories before counting down the 10 best of the year. Thank you for your continued support and I hope to entertain you more in 2017.

Let's Go!

Most Disappointing Beers of 2016

Like last year, the following entries weren't necessarily bad, but to me, they fell below my expectations. We won't get into a philosophical argument over whether or not I (or anyone else) am entitled to expect nothing less than a great beer, but we all have those moments where you buy a beer and say "Oh, this sounds good", but then it doesn't knock your socks off. Again, not bad, but not what I personally expected.

3. Other Half 2nd Anniversary IPA

Other Half Brewing and I don't have a solid relationship. I have found almost all of their offerings to be middle-of-the-road, but I have remained hopeful. When I landed a can of their 2nd Anniversary IPA way back in February, I was hoping this would be the one to change my mind, but it didn't.

Like most of the others I have tried, this had a strong West Coast taste that leaned heavily on spicy, onion hops. The East Coast has built a reputation for hazy, juice bombs, but Other Half doesn't follow that lead. Granted, there's nothing wrong with trying to pay homage to classic West coast IPA's, but OH doesn't seem to please either side of the country.


2. Kern River Citra

 I got serious about craft beer about five years ago and one of the most sought-after DIPA's on the planet was Kern River Citra. I may be remembering this incorrectly, but back then (2012), this was a Top 10 beer on Beer Advocate (if not that, then a Top 20). Today the rating still holds steady thanks to years of high scores, but in a world today where everyone is producing hazy juice nukes, this West Coast offering doesn't stand out.

Those classic garlic and onion notes dominate throughout. I think with this all Citra DIPA, I was expecting pure juice, but this stayed true to its roots, which caught me off guard. It wasn't a bad beer, but its reputation preceded itself.

1. Lawson's Finest Liquids Double Sunshine

Now here's one I did not like (but not enough to get on the "Worst of" list).

I had this beer for the first time years and years ago and loved it...LOVED it. It was years ahead of a lot of the current Massachusetts breweries that have defined the typical "New England IPA". When I got my latest bottle this year, I was severely let down.

Gone were the tropical fruits and instead they were replaced with an odd assortment of butterscotch and burnt popcorn to go with dirty, grassy hops. The bottle I got was only a couple of weeks old, so freshness was not the issue. I don't know if the recipe had changed or something, but this was not the beer I once loved. It cost an arm and a leg to trade for, but I think I would have given them my other appendages (including "Death Proof") to take it back.

The Worst Beers of 2016

I've said it before, but I usually don't go out of my way to purposely review "bad" beers. I buy what I want and hope for the best with each beer review. Sadly, not everything goes as planned.

3. Ballast Point Pineapple Sculpin

I love me the standard Sculpin (though I've never reviewed it). The variations out there on the market are all okay for the most part. I enjoy the Grapefruit Sculpin, and the Habanero, while not my ideal flavor, was okay. Pineapple on the other hand was a different story.

As opposed to the others, this one tasted particularly artificial. More reminiscent of a pineapple shandy with a metallic aftertaste, Pineapple Sculpin was easily the least favorite of the series.



2. Samuel Adams Nitro White Ale

Earlier this year, Sam Adams released a series of Nitro beers. I reviewed all three and found their Coffee Stout to be a decent offering, but the other two were nearly undrinkable.

The Nitro White, while bad, still had touches of familiar macro brews like Miller Lite, which still helped the beer maintain some form of drinkability. This one at least started off with subtle (VERY subtle) orange and lemon, but they still disappeared in a flash. This was basically Nitro Same Summer, and that's not something I'd dive back into.


1. Samuel Adams Nitro IPA

As opposed to it's Nitro White brother, the Nitro IPA had no redeeming qualities.

I think a forest fire had burned inside the can because the taste was heavy on roasted everything. Caramelized malts, wet tree bark, metal, and dirty dishwater were the best adjectives I could bestow upon this.

Leave it to Sam Adam to try and get in on a trend and just produce something most people don't want to drink.

Honorable Mentions

Compiling these lists is never easy and some unfortunate (but deserving) souls must be left behind. So, here are a few that JUST missed the cut for the Top 10 list.

3. Trillium Double Dry Hopped Scaled

Trillium seems to be a sure bet to produce a fantastic IPA and this was no different.

A one-two punch of El Dorado (a personal favorite) and Citra hops made for an explosion of peaches, oranges, sherbet, and even some dank hops. Trillium likes to put out DDH versions of all their IPA's and it wouldn't suck if they brewed this one more often.

2. Monkish Relax Your Mind

If you're heavy into the craft beer world, then you know Monkish has become as sought-after as Tree House beers. I was lucky enough to get a variety of Monkish beers in a trade, and they did not let me down.

Relax Your Mind was a near perfect combo of both juice and hop nuke with tropical goodness and hop flavors joining forces to combat evil. The creamy mouthfeel and familiar milkshake appearance were all gravy on this mound of mashed potatoes. I really hope I get to try more Monkish beers in 2017.


1. Bissell Brothers Swish

Much like the previously mentioned Relax Your Mind, BB Swish was another sublime combo of dankness and tropical fruits.

Swish is hard to come by in trade. As a MA resident, anything I usually have to trade is something that people from Maine buying the Swish have already had. So, I personally had to make the trip up North to wait in line and get this. It was actually a nice time talking beer with the other people and in the end I got a world class DIPA.

So, does that mean that personal touch elevated this above the Monkish beer? Maybe so, but those intangibles are what push it over the edge.

Now for the big show...

No, not that one!

As you read over the Top 10 list, you may find that they aren't necessarily ranked by overall rating. Beer A might be rated lower than Beer B, but Beer A is ranked higher on the list. When I went back and looked through all of my reviews, I had to not only take into account rating, but also whether or not the beer was memorable. Scrolling through page after page, some beers had me going "Oh, that one was good" and other outbursts of joy. So while some beers may have scored higher at the time, the lasting impression they left on me was also a huge factor. But hey, they were all great and that's why we're here.

Now here is what we've all been waiting for...The Top 10 Best Beers of 2016. Thank you for visiting the blog, the Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter, and Untappd and showing your support (FYI...please like and share all of these!). Here's to a 2017 full of great beer. Cheers!

10. Small Town Not Your Father's Root Beer (10.7%)

Ok, Ok, Ok, OKAY!!!! I can hear all of you screaming at your computer screens right now. What would a good list be without a little controversy? Yes, I get it. It's not technically a beer, but you need to hear me out.

While NYFRB isn't a beer in  your typical sense and might as well be lumped in with your Smirnoff Ice and Twisted Tea, the fact is I can't deny how delicious this really is.

I've ranted about this before, but in short, everyone loved NYFRB before it hit nation-wide distribution. Only when you were able to find it at every store that sold PBR, people revolted. Well, motherf***ers, I don't care because the 10.7% bigger brother is an accomplishment. With such a high gravity beverage being able to make the alcohol smell and taste and tasting exactly like god damn root beer, this was as pleasant to drink as it was impressively made. You can lie to yourself when you say you don't like the series, but I know the truth.

9. Cigar City Hunahpu

It seems like everyone is getting on this Mexican Hot Chocolate or Mole craze. Chances are, even the casual consumer has come across a stout on their local shelves that was brewed with chili peppers, cinnamon, vanilla, and cacao. Hunahpu was one of the first and it has not gone out of style just yet.

I used to never like the style, but this vintage was delicious in all aspects. Hot chocolate, fudge, cinnamon, and a lot of chili flavor (without the heat) all blended perfectly to add a kick in the pants to an already superb imperial stout.

It's hyped for a reason. If only I could get my hands on the barrel aged variants.

8. Carton Regular Coffee

I'll be the first to admit that I am in no way, shape, or form an expert on beer. When it comes to Cream Ales, I am even more clueless as it is not a particular type of beer that I have regularly had in my fridge. When it comes to the Cream Ales, Carton Brewing seems to have dialed it in and Regular Coffee is easily the best I've had of the style.

While not only a great coffee beer, this also had unexpected notes of vanilla, cream, and chocolate to make for a complex offering from a style not known for its world class library. At an unbelievable 12%, this is dangerously drinkable and it's really just a fun beer to experience.

7. Trillium Double Dry Hopped Congress Street

Congress St is already a Galaxy hop overload and one my favorite Trillium IPA's. The DDH version is beloved by fans and tends to sell out quickly. So quickly in fact that the most recent release last month saw Trillium put a limit on 4-packs just to make sure they could spread it around and frankly, I can see the hype.

I keep saying that I prefer my IPA's to have a balance between the tropical juices and dank hops. Some of the other beers mentioned had that great combo, but DDH did it slightly better with the marriage of pure hop juice and wave after wave of peaches, lemons, apricots, and grapefruit. It truly is one of the best uses of Galaxy hops that I have ever experienced.

6. Barrel House Z Sunny & 79 (Tequila Barrel Aged)

Pilsner? Barely knew her!

Still here? Thank you.

Have I ever reviewed a pilsner before this? I'm too lazy to check, but my gut feeling is a big, fat no. BHZ is a new brewery to Massachusetts and they barrel age everything. A truly unique operation, but I don't think I could have expected to be blown away by their very first offering.

A pilsner aged in tequila barrels? Yes, it works, and does so masterfully. The crisp pilsner base followed by some awesome lime, salt, and oak from the barrel, but without any heat, made for a truly memorable beer. I actually pounded two full crowlers in one night it was so good. I paid for it the next morning at work, but it was worth it.

5. Stone Enjoy By Unfiltered 2/14/16

I think I say this every year, but I'm not a big fan of Stone IPA's. Their generic West Coast style has been a constant in their hoppy beers and I didn't think I'd see them attempt to change. Now with the "New England IPA" taking the country by storm, even Stone had to give it a shot by releasing an unfiltered version of their Enjoy By series. Again, I was not a big fan of that series and couldn't expect leaving the beer unfiltered to have that big of an effect. I was pleasantly disappointed.

Tangerines and peaches swimming in pure hop juice made for an orgasm in a glass (which I'll never try again). Some nice dank qualities and incredible drinkability for a near Triple IPA, and this was easily my favorite IPA made by Stone.

4. Alchemist Heady Topper

As I said in my review: What else needs to be said about Heady Topper?

A can full of hop juice, pine needles, grapefruit, and it's all encased in this wonderful bitter, dank quality. So many IPA's try to be either juice bombs or hop bombs, but Heady is an example of perfectly balancing out the two worlds. It's influence on the beer scene is undeniable and it still holds up to every new brewery that tries to imitate it.




3. Fremont Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star

Easily the best BA Imperial Stout I had in 2016, Fremont BA Dark Star had everything you know and love about the style, but was also ahead of the competition.

Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, oak, vanilla, marshmallow, creme brulee, and the list goes on and on. Barrel complexity plus all of the dessert-like flavors made for a massive sipper that was a pleasure to imbibe on for hours and hours.

I recently reviewed the coffee version, but the straight BA Dark Star wins out big time and does so without needing any further flavors.


2. Tree House Very Hazy

I celebrated my birthday in 2016 with a trip to Tree House Brewing. Standing outside in line in the cold, February winter, I think the world imploded into itself when the employees announced that Very Hazy would be on the menu. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time to enjoy what is considered one of the best beers on the planet.

Taking the original Haze and cranking everything up 12 notches, Very Hazy is essentially a glass of orange juice and sherbet with a perfect bitter hop finish and no resinous aftertaste. Everything from the look, aroma, and taste was almost worthy of perfection. I'm not one to buy into hype, but one sip in and I understood why it had the reputation it did.

1. Castle Island Swipe Ripe

You can call it a homer pick all you want, but to that I will kindly say "Merry Christmas to all and to all shut the f**k up".

Beer trends come and go and 2016 saw an emergence of IPA's aged on or brewed with fruit. Seriously, I don't think a week goes by where you won't see a brewery's Facebook post that says something along the lines of: "Brewed with Galaxy, Citra (etc)...and a heapin' shitload of peaches, mangoes, apricots, etc etc etc" Instead of letting the hops do their work, we are seeing so many IPA's infused with tropical or stone fruits. A lot of the time the beer ends up more of a shandy than an IPA, but holy crap, when a beer comes along that uses the fruit to enhance rather than overpower, then you have found a gem. Swipe Ripe did it the best in 2016, and may stand alone for the foreseeable future.

One of my biggest factors in a great beer is: Would I buy it again? In this case, I bought my 4-pack, destroyed it, and went back to the brewery on three different occasions to get more. The sheer amount of apricots in this can was ludicrous, but not to be outdone, the overload of juicy and dank hops just added to the complexity. Swipe Ripe was part of Castle Island's rotating Imperial IPA series which produced so many complex DIPA's, but swipe Ripe was the clear winner for me not just for Castle Island beers, but for the best beer of 2016.

See you next time. Thank you for your support.

Memory Lane

2014 Top 10
2015 Top 10

Fremont Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star - Coffee Edition (2016 Vintage)

The Stats
Style: Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 14.5%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.51/5
- RateBeer: 4.04/5

It's time for a variation on the previously reviewed Fremont Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star with the coffee edition. These Dark Star stouts have garnered acclaim in recent years with their Fall releases lighting up message boards across the galaxy. As you may have read, I loved, LOVED BA Dark Star, and who doesn't love a good coffee stout? So, needless to say, I have some high hopes for this one.

Pours pitch black with a slightly darker than khaki head, almost mocha-colored.

Bourbon is most noticeable on the aroma. As opposed to the standard BA Dark Star, the notes of chocolate, char, tobacco, and wood are a bit more subtle. As the for the coffee addition, the only coffee I get is from the natural coffee aroma you get with any big stout.

Like the nose, the bourbon is the first in line on the taste. It has a sugary, sticky sweetness to it with no alcohol flavor. Some sticky molasses and dark fruits are a welcome addition as plums, raisins, and figs come to the party. An overall oak and sawdust taste encompasses everything and gives this more of an Old Ale experience than anything else. A decent amount of char and a lot of roast bring you back to the Imperial Stout territory. Again, it must be said, but the coffee is seriously lacking for me. As previously mentioned, this does have the familiar roasted qualities associated with the style, but I was expecting a big, back-handed pimp slap of coffee. Instead, I think my daddy is going to make me shake down and hustle some more johns in the hopes of getting some freeze-dried Taster's Choice because I am not getting the serious gourmet shit in this bottle.

Mouthfeel on the other hand is perfect. It is soft, full, and coats everything in sight. It's a big boy beer at 14.5%, but it is easy to sit back and sip on this one for hours.

Like it's brother, Coffee Dark Star has all the ingredients to make a superb BA Imperial Stout. It kinda sucks that I have to deduct points due to the lack of the promised showcased ingredient, but so is life. If you're expecting, say, a Bourbon County Coffee, then  I say you should pump the brakes on those expectations. The coffee was almost so subtle that it was practically non-existent, but this is still  a top-notch BA stout regardless of the lack of coffee.

Rating
8.4/10

Fremont Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star (2016 Vintage)

The Stats
Style: Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 14.5%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.54/5 (Top 250: #133)
- RateBeer: 4.05/5

"This year's release is a blend of 18, 12, and 8-month bourbon barrel aged KDS Dark Star in 12-year old Kentucky Bourbon barrels. The roasted and chocolate malts complement the smooth oats to bring you a stout delight wrapped in gentle embrace of Bourbon Barrel aged warmth. A touch of sweetness dances in balance with the hops to finish with a wave and then she’s gone."

Pours dark as night with just a hint of dark brown/ruby red on the edges and it produced less than a finger of almond-colored head.

Sweet, sticky bourbon up front on the aroma followed by dark chocolate, coffee, char, tobacco, and wood. I get some nutty qualities too and I'm getting a good dose of dark fruits and cherry. There's an overall heat to the aroma from the alcohol, but it doesn't sting the nostrils. Digging even deeper I pick up vailla and caramel. Very complex.

First and foremost, this is a big motherfu**in' beer. Now that we have that obvious factoid out of the way, we can see that the bourbon is flavorful, sticky, sweet, and just takes over the beer from start to finish. Everything from the aroma is well-represented here on the taste with the dark fruits and cherry hitting me first. The wood and char from the barrels is also pretty damn big. Unexpectedly (but more than welcome) a nice pop of hop bitterness is greeting me at the door and asking me to come inside for milk and cookies...

VOICE IN MY HEAD: Pete, come back, you're going off the rails, buddy...

...Where am I? Oh, right, back to business. The complexities of this start to come out as it warms as the milk chocolate, dark chocolate, coffee, and roasted malts keep getting bigger and bigger with each sip. It's crazy, but I get a dessert-like vanilla/creme brulee/marshmallow flavor to this. Maybe it's the vanilla plus the char that's making that happen, but man is it great. The heat from the alcohol is here, but it would be silly not expect something like that from a 14.5% barrel-aged stout. In this case, I'll allow it (thank you, Mills Lane) since the boozy taste adds even more complexity.

Mouthfeel is thick and full. It has a great fluffy character (think 3 Musketeers Bar) to the body. As I said, the alcohol brings some heat and warming with each sip, but it's not an issue at all.

Everything I heard about this beer and Fremont Brewing's barrel program has lived up to the hype. BA Dark Star is a world-class stout. A few years ago this may not have gotten the attention it deserved, but as years go by, more and more people are getting their hands on it and it is getting recognized in the craft beer community. Compared to so many world-renowned BA stouts, this one is up there and surpassing a lot of them. It deserves to be mentioned with the likes of Goose Island Bourbon County, Firestone Walker Parabola, and so many others. Truly among the best of the best. Seven thumbs up!

Rating
9.6/10

Fremont Brewing Bourbon Barrel Aged Abominable Ale with Coffee and Cinnamon

The Stats
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 11.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.5/5
- RateBeer: 4.11/5

Fremont's Abombinable Ale is a classic winter warmer which was thrown into bourbon barrels in 2014. Some slight variations were also produced, and today's example of that is a BA edition with Cinnamon and Coffee.

Well, somebody drop the balloons because this is officially the darkest American Strong Ale or Winter Warmer that I have ever seen. It is pitch black like a stout with two fingers of a tan/light brown head.

The aroma owes a lot more to the English Barleywine than anything else. Massive dark fruits, fruitcake, caramel, and toffee burst out of the glass. After that it's sweet, sticky bourbon, cherry, wood, vanilla, and a dash of cinnamon. A slight alcohol sting is there too.

Again, very English Barleywine-like with its abundance of toffee, caramel, and dark fruits. If this was classified as part of that style, then this would immediately be among the best of its kind. Ridiculous amounts of black cherries are popping off as the beer warms along with cinnamon and spices (almost rum-like) that weren't as bold on the aroma. Definitely some big vanilla, slight cocoa, charred oak, and sweet bourbon. While slightly roasty, there's no real pop of coffee.

Mouth feel is thick and full. While sweet thanks to the bourbon, this is not cloying. The 11.00% creates warming in the chest, but there is no alcohol taste at all.

This Fremont offering was like an English Barleywine with spices thrown in. A lot of Winter Warmers I've had were heavy on the spices and cinnamon, but this beer not only had those characteristics, but also had intense dark fruits, caramel, and toffee to add layers of complexity. Throwing this into a bourbon barrel just added to the multitude of flavors and (unfortunately) may have even mellowed out some of the intensity. My biggest gripe is that I picked up little-to-no coffee. Other than that the beer is as good as advertised.

Rating
8.9/10