Jeff's Beers of the Year Previous | Next

I’m a lucky guy. In my various positions as author of the Good Bottled Beer Guide, resident taster for All About Beer magazine and Chairman of the Judges for the International Beer Challenge (among numerous judging duties), hundreds of excellent beers pass my way every year.



In no particular order, here is my pick of the best ones I’ve been fortunate to try in the last year.



Moor Revival, 4%

At just 4% ABV, this is a real belter of a golden ale, packing tons of juicy hop flavour in the American style, but without ever sacrificing drinkability. Oranges, grapefruit and lime layer the palate, contrasted by a clean bitterness that builds in the zesty finish. With its 660-ml bottle, this Somerset beer delivers in quantity as well as quality.



Sierra Nevada Hoptimum, 10.4%

This amber-coloured ale is a big flavour bomb, packed with sticky, sappy hops and floral tropical fruit notes – suggestions of mango and canned peaches in the aroma; zesty grapefruit and more tropical fruit in the taste. Fresh hops dominate from the first sniff and leave a long, tangy, intense finish.



Fuller’s Past Masters Double Stout, 7.4%

The second in the series of historic re-creations from the Fuller’s archives, this is a big, nourishing stout with a taste that falls on the sweet side. A gentle warmth and slightly tart, vinous flavours of liquorice and coffee are enhanced by a luxurious, smooth and airy texture.



Nebraska Apricot au Poivre Saison, 6.8%

Beautifully presented in a 750-ml Champagne bottle, this American beer is a stunning Belgian-inspired, golden ale subtly flavoured with apricot and pepper, and aged in Chardonnay casks. It’s tasty but refined -– quenching, spicy and very refreshing. A real class act.



Windsor & Eton Republika, 4.8%

I’ve spent a lot of time in Germany and other lager-led countries this year but I’ve still not found a better example of the pilsner style than this one from Berkshire. Six weeks’ lagering ensures a clean, smooth beer that is both bold and crisp, with generous sweetness from the malt and plenty of bitter herb, lemon and lime notes from the Saaz hops.



Marble Special, 10.7%

Okay, I’ve cheated with this one a little. This is the 2009 version that had been ageing gracefully in my beer store until I opened it this year, but what a beer! The taste is mostly sweet but never cloying, loaded with red berry and tropical fruit flavours, with notes of caramel and treacle behind. But that’s just scratching the surface of what is a big, complex but oh-so-drinkable barley wine.



Coast Boy King, 9.7%

A double IPA from South Carolina, chunky, potent and, as you would expect, brim-full of hop flavours, with tangy, sappy resins and juicy orange notes leaping out of the glass. What makes it supremely suppable, however, is the harmony introduced by the substantial malt base, so that the hops (six varieties in all) are never too strident or sit out there on their own.



Kernel Export Stout (1890 London), 7.8%

What a year it’s been for Evin O’Riordan and his little team at Kernel, perhaps topped by the supreme champion title for this beer at the International Beer Challenge. This is a big, rich stout, as you’d expect from the strength, with complex and satisfying dark malt flavours – coffee, raisin, smoke and leather – but it slips down ever so easily.



Bristol Beer Factory Southville Hop, 6.5%

Another tribute to the US craft brewing revolution, this beer won the Tucker’s Maltings/SIBA bottled beer competition I help judge every year. In a field of strong contenders, Bristol’s IPA, infused with the citrus and tropical fruit notes of American hops, really stood out. A great beer from another brewery that has enjoyed a very successful year.



Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red, 9%

Sour red ales have been fighting hop bombs for attention in the American craft beer scene. With wider sales for Belgian originals such as Rodenbach and Duchesse de Bourgogne, the style is gaining exposure elsewhere in the world, too. Sam Adams’ take on the idea is typically easy to drink but nonetheless hits the spot with its refreshing, tart fruit flavours and rich, winey character.



At just 4% ABV, this is a real belter of a golden ale, packing tons of juicy hop flavour in the American style, but without ever sacrificing drinkability. Oranges, grapefruit and lime layer the palate, contrasted by a clean bitterness that builds in the zesty finish. With its 660-ml bottle, this Somerset beer delivers in quantity as well as quality.This amber-coloured ale is a big flavour bomb, packed with sticky, sappy hops and floral tropical fruit notes – suggestions of mango and canned peaches in the aroma; zesty grapefruit and more tropical fruit in the taste. Fresh hops dominate from the first sniff and leave a long, tangy, intense finish.The second in the series of historic re-creations from the Fuller’s archives, this is a big, nourishing stout with a taste that falls on the sweet side. A gentle warmth and slightly tart, vinous flavours of liquorice and coffee are enhanced by a luxurious, smooth and airy texture.Beautifully presented in a 750-ml Champagne bottle, this American beer is a stunning Belgian-inspired, golden ale subtly flavoured with apricot and pepper, and aged in Chardonnay casks. It’s tasty but refined -– quenching, spicy and very refreshing. A real class act.I’ve spent a lot of time in Germany and other lager-led countries this year but I’ve still not found a better example of the pilsner style than this one from Berkshire. Six weeks’ lagering ensures a clean, smooth beer that is both bold and crisp, with generous sweetness from the malt and plenty of bitter herb, lemon and lime notes from the Saaz hops.Okay, I’ve cheated with this one a little. This is the 2009 version that had been ageing gracefully in my beer store until I opened it this year, but what a beer! The taste is mostly sweet but never cloying, loaded with red berry and tropical fruit flavours, with notes of caramel and treacle behind. But that’s just scratching the surface of what is a big, complex but oh-so-drinkable barley wine.A double IPA from South Carolina, chunky, potent and, as you would expect, brim-full of hop flavours, with tangy, sappy resins and juicy orange notes leaping out of the glass. What makes it supremely suppable, however, is the harmony introduced by the substantial malt base, so that the hops (six varieties in all) are never too strident or sit out there on their own.What a year it’s been for Evin O’Riordan and his little team at Kernel, perhaps topped by the supreme champion title for this beer at the International Beer Challenge. This is a big, rich stout, as you’d expect from the strength, with complex and satisfying dark malt flavours – coffee, raisin, smoke and leather – but it slips down ever so easily.Another tribute to the US craft brewing revolution, this beer won the Tucker’s Maltings/SIBA bottled beer competition I help judge every year. In a field of strong contenders, Bristol’s IPA, infused with the citrus and tropical fruit notes of American hops, really stood out. A great beer from another brewery that has enjoyed a very successful year.Sour red ales have been fighting hop bombs for attention in the American craft beer scene. With wider sales for Belgian originals such as Rodenbach and Duchesse de Bourgogne, the style is gaining exposure elsewhere in the world, too. Sam Adams’ take on the idea is typically easy to drink but nonetheless hits the spot with its refreshing, tart fruit flavours and rich, winey character.



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