OUR TOP 15 NEW BEERS
With Goose Island, AZ Wilderness, Prairie
This week, we present the top-rated beers added to the database over the past three months: 2013 Q4, effectively. You can find the lists from (give or take) 2013
Q2 and
Q3 here. We were a touch loose with the dates this past year, but for 2014 we’ve adopted what in commerce is commonly referred to as a “schedule.”
A Cigar City release has held the top spot the past two quarters, passing the torch to a Goose Island Bourbon County Stout treatment. Both Arizona Wilderness and Fresh Pour pick
Prairie place two beers in the Top 15 as well. (Bonus: a hoppy Baltic Porter, from Poland.)
1. Goose Island BCS Proprietor's 2013 Apparently Chicago only. Rye barrels. Toasted coconut. "
InBev!"
2. Prairie Pirate Bomb! The
original + rum barrels. Friday Field Guide spotting
11/01.
3. Firestone Walker 17 Poppin' Bottles pick
#3.
4. Goose Island BCS Backyard Rye Rye barrels and multiple berries. The Impire Strikes Back.
5. Arizona Wilderness Picacho Pecans and vanilla aside, it's nice to see a 6.6% brown crack the Top 5.
6. Evil Twin Bourbon Imperial Biscotti FFG
11/29.
7. Hill Farmstead Civil Disobedience (Release 7) A blend of
Art and unblended lambic.
8. Founders Sweet Repute FFG
01/03.
9. Maine Beer Red Wheelbarrow FFG
11/08.
10. Pinta Imperator Baltycki American-hopped Baltic porter from Wroclaw, Poland.
11. Arizona Wilderness Dos Cabezas Double IPA (The AZ wilderness includes bobcats, black bears, and
peccaries. Experience suggests avoiding all three.)
12. Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged DORIS BORIS finds love? Suggested pairings include
Earl Sweatshirt.
13. Mikkeller Santas Little Helper 2012 (Cognac) Last year's successful
vintage aged in Cognac barrels.
14. Tired Hands Extra Knuckle Mosaic-exclusive IPA. As of today
pouring a double-dry-hopped version.
15. Prairie Artisan Ales Eliza5beth A midwest farmhouse ale, aged on apricots with Brett cultures.
Tallying up results from this and the preceding two quarters: Cigar City, Hill Farmstead, and New Glarus each placed four beers into our Top 15s in 2013. De Molen, Mikkeller, and Prairie follow, registering three apiece. An (admittedly) iffy divining rod, but keep an eye out for these brewers in the upcoming RateBeer Best awards. Hope your 2014's off to a great start.