Those of you who are wine nerds may have noticed that Wine Enthusiast, one of the leading publications on wine, included something a little different in their latest issue. Out of character, but a natural progression, they put together a Top 25 list of 2009 for – you-would-have-guessed-had-I-not-already-put-it-in-the-title – beer.
I’ve got a new personal forecast for where the craft beer industry in this country is going, and here it is:
Craft beer is approximately 5-8 years behind wine.
Allow me to explain – remember when you or your parents’ choice of wine revolved around whether you were drinking ‘red’ or ‘white?’ Well, maybe not you, but certainly the general public. And in this business, the general public keep booze makers in business. Fast forward to just a few years ago, when people suddenly started caring not only about where the wine is from, but when it was produced, by whom, and what sort of food it pairs well with…
Craft beer is getting there. The evidence is all around – look at the new crop of local beer festivals, for instance. And Wine Enthusiast publishing this list is another one of those little signs that makes things a bit more exciting for all of us.
To be fair, I’ve got a little beef with the way the list was composed, but they’re wine people, so I’ll not digress.
Notables:
2. Maudite Belgian Strong Ale – Unibroue (94 pts)
Another top-notch beer from the folks at Unibroue, who are known for their masterfully crafted Belgian-style brews. Deep caramel brown in color with a good amount of off-white colored head. Forward yeasty aromas on the nose are backed by notes of cinnamon, clove and toasted brioche drizzled in buttery caramel sauce. The spice follows through to the palate and marries with notes of dried black fruits, brown sugar and toasted wood. Lots of personal- ity, depth of flavors and beautiful integration, with a roasty but remarkably clean finish.
3. Orchard White – The Bruery
Pours a hazy lemon color with a good 3–4 fingers worth of cloudy, frothy head. Intense nose of floral and spice elements: wild flowers, grapeseed oil, laven- der and coriander. Flavors of citrus and honey- dew are followed by notes of cardamom, lemon zest, lavender and lilac. Integrated and balanced with hints of cinnamon and light nuttiness on the finish. A complex and delicious beer, but the
potent florals make it a love-it or hate-it style.
4. Maharaja IPA – Avery Brewing Co (93 pts)
Golden amber in color with superb lacing. Intense nose of citrus oil and roasted green apple with accents of nectarine pit and sweet pine. Lush and creamy in the mouth, loaded with hoppy flavors of citrus rind and lime oil backed by toasted malt sweetness. Alcohol is in balance, and all of the components perfectly integrated thanks to the unex- pected caramelized malt presence that subsides the sometimes overly bitter hop character of a DIPA. Ending with a long, lingering finish, this is an intense, robust, and masterfully crafted full-flavored beer that doesn’t go over the top. Try with sweet-smoked or hickory-barbecue
chicken.
6. Trappistes Rochefort 8 – Brasserie de Rochefort (94 pts)
Almost opaque dark brown in color with a substantial tan colored head. Cinnamon, dark dried fruits, caramel squares and malty sweetness dance around the moderately intense nose. The mouth is big and very concentrated with medium- high carbonation and flavors of granulated brown sugar, molasses, baked apples and caramelized figs. Very filling with a lot of complexity; the more it warms, the more depth of flavors it shows. A beautiful example of the style: fantastically
balanced, decadent and sure to age gracefully.
10. Russian River Beatification – Russian River Brewing Co. (93 pts)
Batch 003. This is for the true sour beer fan. It’s light lemon in color and pours with a thick head. Sour citrus dominates the nose with hints of lemon- grass, basil, white cranberry and Granny Smith apple. The mouth is light in body but intense in flavor, loaded with lemon drop, horse blanket, tart gooseberry, hay and a kiss of toast. The car- bonation is delicate and refined, a result of the secondary fermentation in bottle. Pair with rich dishes that need a zesty complement, like fried
soft-shell crabs.
15. Stone Vertical Epic 09.09.09 – Stone Brewing Co. (92 pts)
A dark, almost black color with a medium coffee- colored head and aromas of cocoa, weak coffee, vanilla, star anise, cream soda and soft hints of bubblegum sweetness. The mouth is lightweight but incredibly intense and robust with loads of nutty malts, roasted cocoa nibs, root beer and car- damom along with a good amount of hop bitter- ness. The very long finish is pure burnt espresso, citrus rind and extremely dark bittersweet choco- late; hedonistic and indulgent with fantastic aging
potential.
A quick note – Wine Enthusiast indicates Stone Brewing Co is from Colorado. They are actually from San Diego.
18. Samuel Adams Boston Lager – Boston Beer Co. (91 pts)
Pours a golden amber color with a substantial eggshell head that leaves behind decent lacing after fading. Moderate aromas of grassy, floral hop esters accented by notes of caramel malt; overall, fresh, somewhat sweet and very inviting. More resiny hop oil characteristics appear on the palate, accented by pine and roasted malt. Closes on a dry and mildly bitter hop loaded finish.
20. Sierra Nevada Summerfest – Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (91 pts)
Pours a clear golden color with a thick white head that quickly dissipates. The aromas are moderate and amaz- ingly crisp with notes of subtly spicy fresh hops. The palate echoes the nose, with clean notes of lemon essence and hop florals backed by hints of honey-dripped malt. Moderate and delicately bittered finish, this balanced and refreshing lager is a perfect brew to complement virtually any summer activity or eats, particularly chicken wings
and baby back ribs.
23. Dogfish Head Festina Pêche – Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Inc. (90 pts)
An unbelievably refreshing Berliner Weisse-style beer fermented with fresh peaches, this tart expression is somewhat difficult to come by with only a handful of producers still making the style. Beautiful aromas and flavors of fresh peaches, sour Granny Smith and hints of resiny oil promise pure refreshment. The vibrant acidity and effervescence only further compliment the palate, resulting in a wonderfully crisp and enlightening drinking experience.
As you can see, an interesting, but not exhaustive list. For the rest, go here:
Wine Enthusiast Top 25 Beers
Beer is moving up in the world, my friends. Cheers.
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