Your Favorite Beer from 2017

So happy to see Jackie O's mentioned so frequently on this page. Unfortunately, where I live we don't get much in the way of their darker most loved beers. But everything I've had from them has been absolutely mindblowing.

Top 5
1. Jackie O's Elle
2. Jackie O's Pockets of Sunshine
3. Equilibrium Incandenza
4. Hardywood Bourbon Barrel GBS
5. Manor Hill Grisette

 

A 2001 JW Lees Harvest Ale purchased this year from the cellar at Torst. One of the most memorable beverages I have ever had.

 

Top 10 favorite personal first-timers (no particular order):

Cantillon Zwanze 2017
Cantillon Lou Pepe Framboise
Cantillon Fou Foune
3F Hommage
Lost Abbey Duck Duck Gueuze
Fonta Flora Rhythm Rug
De Garde Nectarine Premiere
Casey CFP Shiro Plum
Toppling Goliath DDH Pseudosue
Maine Beer Dinner

 

As of right now, Affogato

 

If you happen to be north of Boston up the north shore etc I could tell u most places that get it. Outside of there I'm outta my comfort zone

 

Suarez Family Palatine Pils. Damn near perfect pilsner! Honorable mention to Forest & Main Snuggle Hitch, a dark mild. These were also probably the two best places I went to this year.

 

So far it's been Columbus Yakima Fresh IPA, but talk to me on Thursday because I'm getting my CBS that day

 

carpe is released every February, if you're willing to wait until April I'd recommend trading for el jefe as well, it's a ba Mexican stout that is also really good.

 

Favorite: Marshmallow Handjee '17
Runner up: Henna b1: Double Rainbow

 

Old Nation Boss Tweed and M43 were so good for me. Made going to the inlaws in Michigan worth the drive

 

Okay so I had CBS this afternoon. These are my top 10 that I've had this year for the first time:

1.Columbus Brewing Yakima Fresh IPA
2.Founders CBS
3.Columbus Brewing Bodhi Double IPA
4.Bell's Black Note Stout
5.Jackie O's Bourbon Barrel Coffee Oil of Aphrodite
6.Deschutes The Abyss Brandy
7.Troegs Nimble Giant Double IPA
8.Revolution Brewing Citra Hero IPA
9.Fat Head's IBUsive
10.Stone Enjoy By Unfiltered (7-4 and 12-25)

Yakima Fresh is the best beer that I've ever tried in my life. Founders CBS was really good and lived up to the hype, but Yakima Fresh was just astonishing to the point that I'm going to pinpoint exactly when it comes out next year and buy at least five 4 packs of it ASAP on a random October day.

 

Definitely Boss Tweed.

 

I live about 30 minutes from Athens and Jackie O's is a fantastic brewery. They are a bit on the expensive side bottle wise, but I always get their new release stouts as much as I can afford to. You'd be shocked at how easy Oro Negro is to obtain in their immediate distro area lol.

 

Transient Artisan Ales
The Juice is Loose

 

Zombie Dust
MBC MO
Odell Rupture

 

Choose! <Jeopardy decision jingle here>

 

It's been a tasty year for sure seeing as I hadn't rated any beer above 4.70 until this year, and I placed 6 above that line in 2017 (still nothing above a 4.80 though).

Those beers:
- Doubleganger
- Abraxas
- Heady Topper
- Vanilla Bean Abraxas
- Fuzzy
- Two Claw Rye IPA

Mocha Merlin is my MVP of 2017, although there is still a little over three weeks to vie for that title. Still, I've never bought a beer in the quantities I buy Mocha Merlin. It's super tasty and appropriate no matter what our Midwest weather is doing. It's light enough that I've been able to hook beer drinkers who hate stouts on it, and yet sturdy and hearty enough that I could have one and be content.

 

Hill Farmstead Earl. Such an incredibly well done oatmeal stout.