As 2010 comes to a close, it’s become obvious that craft beer for me is more than just the occasional tasty beverage. Over the past year, I have:
- Started my own beer chronicle in Picasa.
- Taken beer tasting classes. (and met Peter from BetterBeerBlog, a great guy and BJCP beer judge).
- Created a Twitter list of as many U.S.-based craft breweries as I can find.
- Brewed my first two batches of home brew.
- Learned a ton about beer in general.
Needless to say, I felt compelled to share a few of my favorite beers from the past year. Note: these aren’t necessarily new beers in general, just new beers to me. I think it makes most sense to break them down into category; it’s only fair to the beer, after all.
I.P.A.
If I had to pick a favorite style of beer, this would be it. My top three favorites from 2010:
- Ninkasi Total Domination
- Ballast Point Sculpin
- Stone Emperial 14
It was tough to pick just three. I think I’ll need to write up a complete ranking of my favorite IPAs at some point.
Belgian
I hadn’t really tried many Belgian beers until this past year. I really have been missing out. Luckily, I’ve discovered this huge, tasty world of beer and I ain’t turnin’ back. It’s also fair to say that there are many different kinds of Belgian beer and it would only be right to have a top three inside of each kind, but that will also have to be a different post for a different day.
- St. Feuillien Saison
- Rochefort 10
- Chimay Red
Belgian (U.S. brewed)
- North Coast Brewing Le Merle
- Goose Island Matilda
- The Lost Abbey Judgement Day
Winter/Seasonal
- Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin
- St. Martin Cuvee De Noel
- Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale
I’m looking forward to what 2011 brings to the world of craft beer.