So, it's that time of year again, time to reflect and ponder the year behind us and gaze, blurry eyed, at the year ahead. The craft beer scene this year was certainly affected by the pandemic, especially during the lock-down periods so normal service wasn't resumed, but, it was so much better than last year (2020) At least there were a few festivals and events to attend and pubs were open again albeit mostly for garden based entertainment. Lot's of new beers sampled and assessed this year (hurrah!), so many in fact that I decided to expand my usual list of 10 to 20 instead! So, here are beers I ranked 11-20. I shall be sharing the top 10 later in the month; obviously I'm hedging my bets in the vain hope that I might taste something better between now and then, although judging by the high quality of this year's corpus I somehow doubt it..
11. Coolbox from Yonder (Lager - 3.50%) – A Lager! Had this one at the down in deepest Somerset at the Yonder tap room itself (always best to get beer fresh and local!) Anyway, this example really struck a chord. There are lots of good lagers around but seldom do you find something that's different, this was. Lovely background flavour of lemon/citrus to complement the usual biscuit and bready core, very sessionable and (probably) delightful in the warm weather (not that I’d know, as it chucked it down while we were there!)
12. Waltzer from Siren (Imperial Stout - 13.50%) – A special barrel (rum barrels) aged beer from Siren that was part of a circus themed set. A massive beer, dark, thick, unctuous, and full of flavour. Like old engine oil in appearance but coffee, molasses, raisins, chocolate, and cream on the palette, a classic in waiting.
13. Green Path IPA from Burnt Mill (IPA - 6.00%) – A real blast from the past here from Burnt Mill. A classic old style “C Hop” IPA with a clean crisp appearance and noticeable bitterness. Huge grapefruit hit followed by a significant malt character, it’s one of their core beers so worth seeking out.
14. Invoice me for the Microphone from DEYA (IPA - 6.50%) – Classic DEYA here, uber-murk, soft, creamy, and stacked full of flavour. Combination of hops used in this one including Mosaic and Citra so no real surprises but made so well, balanced and drinkable, a real banker and one my Friday Favorites.
15. Nacken 2021 from Siren (Belgian IPA - 6.90%) – Quite an unusual beer this one, probably a Marmite kind of a drink for many. Made with two other breweries (Omnipollo and Casita) Belgian/German yeast makes up a lot of the taste profile, funky but with a ton of American hops that kind of balance things out, I thought it was great.
16. Strangers from Beak (IPA - 5.00%) – Another Beak beauty, hazy IPA loaded up with Mosaic, Sabro and Idaho-7 hops delivering a real pithy punch of pineapple, grape, and grapefruit flavours. Showing real balance and depth this was a beer that really stood out this year.
17. Indecision Time from Burning Sky (IPA - 5.60%) – I don’t know what the guys at Burning Sky do to their beers, but you always get something unusual from them. On paper this is a straightforward IPA made with Nelson hops and a smidgen of Citra and Centennial, but something about it makes everything shine. More of the classic Nelson flavours, grape and citrus plus superb balance and harmony with the other ingredients, the taste of a double but the ABV of a single, good work!
18. Origin Story from Siren (Stout - 10.00%) – I’m not usually a massive dark beer fan but this year I seem to have been enjoying more than my fair share of them! This beauty from Siren contained over 20 specialty malts in a really complex recipe. Dark, smooth, and rich it showed off flavours of caramel, chocolate, coffee, and toffee with a slight sweetness, quite spectacular.
19. Bibble from The Wild Beer Co (Pale Ale - 4.20%) – Apparently (according to the label) “Bibble” is a Somerset word meaning to drink loudly, often and well; you could certainly give it a go with this beer! Classic Mosaic flavours, blueberry, citrus, and pink grapefruit, well balanced and easy going. Worth seeking out as it’s one of their core beers.
20. Tumbler from Dolphin (Fruited Sour - 5.60%) – A late entry (only had this one last weekend) but so good it had to make the list. A sour beer, not usually my first choice but this one was different and so well made. A cherry and pear flavoured saison it was like a beery fruit cordial, so easy to drink and so well balanced, nothing out of place and perfectly complimentary fruit flavours, delicious.
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