Nominees for Best Craft Beer of 2011
We’re taking nominations for our prestigious Best Craft Beer of 2011 Poll.
Criteria
- Considered a new product to the general public.
- Could have been piloted in test batches in previous years to a very small crowd.
Please feel free to add to the list, argue that a nominee shouldn’t be on the list, or any other valid points. I know we are missing a ton of beers, so please help us fill in the gaps. Poll starts December 18th! PLEASE CHECK BACK OFTEN FOR COMMENTS FROM THE STAFF
| Alaskan Perservance |
| Avery Rumpkin |
| Ballast Point Indra Kunindra |
| Beachwood BBQ and Brewing Thrillseaker IPA |
| Cigar City/Mikkeller Nielsbohrium |
| Deschutes Black Butte XXIII |
| Dogfish Head Faithfull Ale |
| Eagle Rock Yearling Flemmish Red Ale |
| Firestone Walker XV |
| Flying Fish Exit 9 Scarlett Hoppy Ale |
| Full Sail Session Fest |
| Golden Road Burning Bush |
| Grand Teton Wake Up Call Imperial Coffee Porter |
| Great Divide Belgian-style Yeti |
| Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged BORIS Royale |
| Jester King Wytch Maker |
| Kern River 5th Anniversary Double IPA |
| Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale |
| Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro |
| Nebraska Reserve Series Apricot au Poivre Saison |
| New Belgium Lips of Faith Super Cru |
| New Glarus Black Top |
| Oakshire Hellshire II |
| Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA |
| Stone/Troegs/Jason Fields Cherry Chocolate Stout |
| Surly 5 |
| Sweetwater Dank Tank Ghoulash |
| Tallgrass Velvet Rooster |
| The Bruery/Cigar City Marron Acidifie |
| Three Floyds Zombie Dust |
January 16, 2012 @ 10:00 am
My vote is for Ballast Point indra kanindra
January 3, 2012 @ 10:12 am
Boulder and Kyle Hollingsworths HOOPLA!
December 20, 2011 @ 5:01 pm
Surly 5 all the way!
December 20, 2011 @ 12:25 pm
Must mention my 2 favorite new brews of 2011
New Glarus Black Top-best IBA
New Glarus IIPA
December 20, 2011 @ 12:20 pm
Capital Eternal Flame-the apex of this fantastic dopplebock series
Goose Island Big John-made by one of the best stout makers on the planet
Black Husky 12 Dog- Fantastic big beer by littlest brewer in Wisconsin
Surly Smoke-If Todd Haug considers this a favorite-it must be spectacular
New Belgium Le Terroir- not sure this was the first year for it,but I gave it the most innovative beer of the year award
December 20, 2011 @ 12:11 pm
Surly 5
December 20, 2011 @ 11:24 am
Surly 5
December 20, 2011 @ 11:11 am
Surly 5
December 20, 2011 @ 11:07 am
Mark me down for Lagunitas Sucks! Sooo good!
December 20, 2011 @ 11:03 am
Second
Surly 5
Nom:
Surly Tempest
Surly Furious
Granite City Duke of Wellington IPA
December 20, 2011 @ 10:45 am
New Glarus Unplugged Apple Ale (had one limited run this summer and, presumably by popular demand, another for the holidays)
December 20, 2011 @ 10:38 am
SURLY Five
December 18, 2011 @ 3:44 pm
High Water Brewing – No Boundary IPA
High Water Brewing – Hop Riot IPA
High Water Brewing – Retribution Imperial IPA
Firestone-Walker – Velvet MERKIN
Knee Deep Brewing – Hopstar IPA
December 18, 2011 @ 10:17 am
Bitter Monk – Anchorage
Aroma Coma – Drake’s
Baller Stout – Three Floyds
King Henry – Goose Island
Evil Twin – Heretic
Evil Cousin – Heretic
Lagunitas Sucks – Lagunitas
December 18, 2011 @ 10:10 am
Schells stag #4 burton ale was phenomenal!
December 13, 2011 @ 2:20 pm
New noms:
Schneider/Brooklyn Hopfen Weisse
Bruery 4 Calling Birds
Pizza Port Poor Man’s IPA
21st Amendment Hop Crisis
21st Amend./Ninkasi Allies Win The War!
21st Amend. Old Glory
Drake’s Jolly Rodger 2011
New Belgium Kick
Pretty Things Jack D’Or
Firehouse Vesuvius
Sierra Nevada Old Cantankerous
SN/Lost Abbey/Allagash/Avery/DFH Repoterrior
Firestone Walker Solace
Bruery/Lawson’s Acer Quercus
Moonlight Twist of Fate
I second:
Brekle’s Brown
Bitter Monk
Sucks
Green Tea IPA
FW 15
Stone 15th
Zombie Dust
Surly 5
Dubhe
Aroma Coma
December 12, 2011 @ 9:55 am
@Timothy
I, personally, enjoy the creative aspect of the Voodoo Doughnut. I did think, for an ale produced from a grist bill containing that level of smoked malt, that the flavors of bacon and maple were defined and unassuming. I was not offended by the flavor or the finish and think that this one deserves a nomination for the quality of work put into it and the creativity it took to develop the brew.
Cheers.
December 12, 2011 @ 9:34 am
I just had the Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Maple Brown Ale, I enjoyed it but do not think it should be included on the list unless you place an extremely high value on creativity, in that case it should be considered.
December 12, 2011 @ 9:32 am
Also,
There is some ongoing discussion that the DFH Faithfull (corrected from last post) is a relabel of Au Curant…
Does a relabel count as a DQ?
December 12, 2011 @ 9:20 am
-1 to DFH Faithful, remove from list
That is least creative or tasty beer they have delivered in their musician series. Just like Eddie Vedder it earns a solid ‘meh’.
+1 to Great Divide’s Belgian Yeti
Nominations:
Rogue Voodoo Doughnut
Brewer’s Alley Nut Brown Ale aged on Zeke’s Coffee Roundhouse Roast
Sixpoint Autobahn
Sixpoint Diesel
DuClaw Devine Retribution
December 12, 2011 @ 8:31 am
Rahr Snowmageddon
December 12, 2011 @ 8:19 am
Rahr & Sons – Bourbon Barrel Aged Winter Warmer
December 12, 2011 @ 8:16 am
Anchor Brekle’s Brown
Sierra Nevada Estate Ale
Moylan’s Orange and Black
The rest I see listed are predictable and amateur. And can Beer Junkie read?
December 12, 2011 @ 8:15 am
Schooners 2010 Scotch Whiskey Barrel Old Woody Grand Cru Barleywine (2011 release)
December 12, 2011 @ 8:13 am
Weyerbacher Rapture
Victory Headwaters
Victory Village
December 12, 2011 @ 8:06 am
I’d like to throw another vote out there for New Belgium’s Le Terroir. It was by far my favorite “new” beer.
December 7, 2011 @ 9:10 am
Sorry, these won’t be added….
Odell Deconstruction – Came out fall ’10
Alpine Nelson – Came out a few years ago
All of these are great but veterans…
North Coast Old Rasputin
North Coast Le Merle Saison
North Coast Brother Thelonious
Anderson Valley Summer Solstice
Anderson Valley Imperial IPA
Anderson Valley Brother Davids Double
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
Traquair 2020
Lost Abbey Angel’s Share
Rochefort 10
St. Bernardus Christmas
December 1, 2011 @ 9:03 am
Highland Gaelic Ale, Asheville NC
December 1, 2011 @ 8:13 am
North Coast Old Rasputin
North Coast Le Merle Saison
North Coast Brother Thelonious
Uinta Tilted Smile
Uinta Labyrinth
Uinta Dubhe
Anderson Valley Summer Solstice
Anderson Valley Imperial IPA
Anderson Valley Brother Davids Double
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
Traquair 2020
Lost Abbey Angel’s Share
Rochefort 10
St. Bernardus Christmas
November 30, 2011 @ 9:52 am
North Coast Old Stock Cellar Reserve Bourbon-Barrel was released this year since the much smaller 2005 edition and was put in distribution for the first time. In my opinion … hands-down the best beer of 2011.
November 30, 2011 @ 6:22 am
+1 to…
Alpine Nelson
Kern River Citra
Bruery Batch 300
November 30, 2011 @ 6:20 am
+1 to Alpine Nelson, Kern River Citra, and Bruery Batch 300
November 30, 2011 @ 5:01 am
Troegs/Fat Heads Brewing – Fat Scratch IPA
November 29, 2011 @ 8:58 pm
I second the Bitter Monk as well, forgot about that one!
November 29, 2011 @ 8:57 pm
While I have had many of those and agree, I think the following should be included on the list, as it seems “availability” is not a qualifying factor. (My additions only include special releases, new beers to this year or beers which have a vintage….)
– O’Dell Deconstruction
– Boulevard Collaboration #2 (White IPA collaboration w/Deschutes)
– Mikkeller Nelson Sauvin Brut
– New Belgium Le Terroir
– I second the Lagunitas Sucks!
– Firestone Walker Abacus 2011
– Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout
November 29, 2011 @ 6:31 pm
5 Rabbit – Vida y Muerte Ale & 5 Lizard
November 29, 2011 @ 5:55 pm
I nominate white Rajah from the Brew Kettle in Strongsville, Ohio
November 29, 2011 @ 5:46 pm
Drake’s Aroma Coma
November 29, 2011 @ 3:50 pm
new belgium clutch
November 29, 2011 @ 2:19 pm
Aaargh, thanks. Wasn’t sure but thought I’d nominate/remind about how fab they are 🙂
November 29, 2011 @ 2:07 pm
Judi, both are amazing beers, but have been around for more than this year in bottle.
November 29, 2011 @ 2:03 pm
Alpine Nelson
Kern River Citra
November 29, 2011 @ 2:02 pm
Also add – Crabtree Brewing (CO) – Berliner Weisse Ale
November 29, 2011 @ 1:57 pm
Karl Strauss Two Tortugas
I feel like Abacus is on the fence. It’s like CBS, it’s been out for years, and just hit the bottle this year. Thoughts?
Mephaddict hasn’t hit bottles and has been around for years.
I need to check on Myrcenary.
Friek is definitely from last year, so that’s out.
November 29, 2011 @ 1:36 pm
Drakes Aroma Coma
November 29, 2011 @ 12:25 pm
Heretic Brewing: Evil Twin and Evil Cousin
Firestone Walker: Abacus
November 29, 2011 @ 12:24 pm
Jester King Black Metal isnt on that list…
November 29, 2011 @ 11:57 am
Odell Myrcenary
Odell Friek
Four Peaks Siruis
November 29, 2011 @ 11:53 am
Rockyard Brewing Company (Castle Rock, CO) – Buddha Nuvo
November 29, 2011 @ 11:47 am
Odell Brewing Myrcenary Double IPA – yum!
November 29, 2011 @ 11:45 am
3 Floyds – Baller Stout
The Bruery – Batch 300, Sour in the Rye
Stone – Green Tea IPA
FW – Abacus
Avery- Mephaddict
Drake’s- Aroma Coma
November 29, 2011 @ 11:33 am
My suggestions to add to the nominees:
The Bruery – The Wanderer
Anchorage Brewing – Bitter Monk