Top 20 craft beers in 2021 (1-10)

 

Well, here we are again, the best craft beers for me in 2021, this is the top 10 which follows closely on the heels of numbers 11 to 20 here. It's been a great year for interesting beer, lot's of breweries mastered the art of canning and there's been a boom in off sales due to the pandemic and people staying at home. All I can hope is that next year we see the tailing off of the serious versions of Covid and can get back to some sensible levels of social beer gatherings, they're severely missed!

1. Fruit, Car, Sight, Exhibition from Verdant (DIPA - 8.00%) – I’ve had this one before (2018) and loved it. I saw it again by chance this year during lock-down in a local bottle shop and picked up a can. It blew my mind all over again, an even better version. Citra hops for days, hazy, chewy, soft, grapefruit, mango with perfect carbonation and bitterness. A perfect DIPA that competes with the best in the world.

2. Locals from Beak (IPA - 6.00%) – This one crossed my path several times this year and I had it in can and on keg at the Beak brewery down in Lewes. When we visited it was a hot day and the long walk from the station worked up a powerful thirst, had one of these and it was bliss. Stunning use of Nelson hops, white grape, cut grass, smooth, slight bitter finish, a wonderful example of a NZ IPA 

3. Recusant from Burning Sky (IPA - 6.30%) - A wild card this one, in many ways. Not only does it feature an unusual hop (Styrian Goldings) it’s also made with Belgian yeast with additions of Brett bacteria (think horse blanket aromas) – a wonderful beer, shouldn’t work but it does and brilliantly.

4. Wool from Beak (DIPA - 8.00%) – Another stunner from the wonderful Beak but in collaboration with Leeds based Northern Monk (two of my favourite producers) The combination of Citra, Sabro and El Dorado hops give it a rich aroma and flavour of ripe berries and mango all in a hazy, smooth, and fluffy package, excellent work.

5. The Grateful Eight from Siren (DIPA - 8.00%) – This one was a special beer produced for Siren’s eighth birthday party. Kind of in a West coast style so lots of grapefruit and citrus flavours with a solid bitter core, easy drinking, could have sunk loads of these but weighing in at 8% ABV probably wise that we didn’t.

6. Bones of A Sailor from Siren (Imperial Porter - 9.00%) – Another birthday beer from Siren this one was essentially a chocolate porter but amped up in both taste and strength. Lovely chocolate and coffee vibes with a rich and smooth mouthfeel and a really complex malt structure, great stuff.

7. Wild IPA from The Wild Beer Co (IPA (natural ferment) - 5.20%) – Had this one when on holiday in Somerset and I visited their little bottle shop in the sticks on the outskirts of Wells. There was a deal on that day where if you bought more than £20 worth of beer you got a free bottle of Wild IPA (i.e., I hadn’t even chosen it!). Turned out to be my favourite beer of the whole holiday, a wonderful expression of IPA using natural yeasts, quite funky in character with a delicious pink grapefruit vibe, delicious.

8. Lulla from Beak (IPA - 3.50%) – A revelation of a beer, proving that you can make a low ABV sessionable NEIPA that tastes great. Hazy, soft, oodles of tropical fruit flavours and aroma that make you think you’re drinking something from Verdant or DEYA at 6.5%, a triumph of a beer.

9. Falling Upwards from Siren (DIPA - 8.20%) – A big NEIPA from Siren this one. Loaded up with Nelson, Citra and Azacca hops it exudes flavour from the start, a huge nose and an equally unctuous taste and mouthfeel, hazy and soft. Like #5 on this list, it would be tempting to have a few of these but probably best to show restraint!

10. Dark & Perilous Nights from Siren (Imperial Stout - 12.40%) – One of the highest rated Siren beers ever, this one popped up at the Barista event at the brewery this Summer. One last remaining keg of the stuff that was hoovered up in an instant by those in attendance. Luckily, I managed to get a glass before it disappeared. Wow, probably the most viscous beer I’ve ever tried, thick, creamy a pure chocolate fudge of a beer. Flavours of dark sugar, toffee and chocolate in a boozy and soul warming package, one for the Siren history books.