From Beer & Brewing: Editors’ Choice - Not Ranked “Despite the challenges this year posed, we were able to taste thousands of beers over the past 12 months. Here are the very best of this unique (and unrepeatable) year” Toppling Goliath Assassin Dovetail Helles Springdale Kölsch Money Yazoo Brett Saison pFriem Czech Dark Lager Firestone Walker Nitro Merlin Milk Stout Hop Butcher For The World Run to Daylight Grains of Wrath Crypt Keeper American Solera Coolship RoadTrip Brick West Get Right Gose Side Project Beer : Barrel : Time The Veil Vein Wayfinder Relapse IPA Untitled Art Cherry Sour À la Mode New Anthem Clapback Reuben’s Brews Three Ryes Men Omnipollo Bianca Blueberry Maple Chocolate Peanut Butter Pancake Lassi Gose Wolf’s Ridge Double Chocolate Rum Barrel Dire Wolf Von Ebert Alma All Together & Black is Beautiful --- Readers’ Choice - Ranked “We polled thousands of our magazine and newsletter subscribers and asked you for everything from your favorite beers and favorite breweries to what hops you love to brew with. The results of that poll are presented here under the headers labeled “Readers’ Choice”…2019 rank is listed in parentheses” Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (2) Bell’s Brewery Two Hearted IPA (1) Russian River Pliny the Elder IIPA (3) Guinness Extra Stout (11) Allagash White (8) Brasserie Dupont Saison Dupont (6) Founders All Day IPA (10) Cigar City Jai Alai IPA (14) Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing (4) Founders Breakfast Stout (9) Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (5) Pilsner Urquell (41) Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout (7) Samuel Adams Boston Lager (12) Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue (13) New Belgium Voodoo Ranger (40) The Alchemist Heady Topper IPA (17) WeldWerks Juicy Bits IPA (18) Three Floyds Zombie Dust Pale Ale (19) Firestone Walker Pivo Pils (31) Sierra Nevada Torpedo (43) Tree House Julius IPA (21) Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA (new) New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale (37) Toppling Goliath King Sue (23) Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale (new) Stone IPA (33) Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout (29) Brasserie d’Orval Orval (20) Yuengling Traditional Lager (30) Lawson’s Finest Sip of Sunshine IPA (32) Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale (22) Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier (47) The Alchemist Focal Banger (34) North Coast Old Rasputin Stout (16) Samuel Adams Octoberfest (new) Deschutes Black Butte Porter (25) Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA (48) Half Acre Daisy Cutter (new) Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA (38) Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (36) Russian River Blind Pig (28) Sierra Nevada Celebration (15) Bell’s Brewery Hopslam (new) Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA (27) Fat Head’s Head Hunter (new) Fremont Lush (new) Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout (50) Bierstadt Lagerhaus Slow Pour Pils (new) Old Nation M-43 IPA (46)
I will admit my first reaction on reading this thread’s title was: Oh boy, another list. But I gotta admit I really enjoyed this list? Below is an extract for Dovetail Helles: “Its light doughy malt gives it a richness that belies its 4.4 percent ABV—though it finishes dry enough—while the Saphir-led lemon-lime-floral notes and subtle minerality add interest. It’s closer to kellerbier than what most American beer enthusiasts know as helles, and it brings us closer to sitting under the Franconian chestnuts with a hefty krug in our hands more than any American-brewed lager we’ve yet found.” Now, that is a beer I really would enjoy drinking! I actually salivated as I read that description. I suppose they branded this beer as being a Helles since not many folks know what a Franconian Kellerbier is? Cheers!
Good to see Dovetail Brewery getting some national looks. I feel they are a bit underrated in the Chicago area. Helles is a consistent, high quality easy drinking beer. I have enjoyed many of them over the past few years. It is just extremely well made and approachable at the same time. There seasonal beers are great as well. Kolsch & Maibock especially.
Quick perusal... @scream is likely the driving force for one of the beers to a higher spot in the list, methinks Funny to see DFH 60 Minute and Dale’s Pale Ale as “new”
Readers poll seems to be mostly about familiarity. And fact Pilsner Urquell seemed to have one of the biggest jumps from 2019 plays into the “lagers are hip” movement. I’m really lost though in DFH 60min, Dales Pale Ale and New Belgium Voodoo Ranger IPas moving so far far up in 2020. Any theories on those 3 beers?
The FW Nitro Merlin Milk Stout is the only one of the Editors' Choice beers I've seen on a shelf. Can't argue much about the reader's choice list, but what demographics would vote Yuengling Lager as #30 for two years in a row?
Since I am personally not a big fan of the Traditional Lager (but I am a fan of Lord Chesterfield, Golden Pilsner and the new beer of Hershey's Chocolate Porter) I 'get' what you are saying here but... There are folks who enjoy drinking beers that are 'less complicated'. A beer that is similar to Traditional Lager that I enjoy drinking is Genny Bock. That beer is also a 'less complicated' beer but it brings a smile to my face (I doubt that I would rate Genny Bock as #30 for my list though). So...? Cheers!
I understand what you're saying, it just strikes me as an odd #30 for subscribers to something called Craft Beer & Brewing. I guess if you're looking for a readily available, less complicated “craft” lager it'll be Yuengling or Sam Adams
And I went back to the OP to see if Sam Adams Boston Lager was on the list and it wasn't. Based upon posts I have read on BA it just seems popular to either ignore or dis Sam Adams beers. Since I am also not a big fan of SABL I suppose I am 'part of the problem' here as well? I wonder if the 'new and improved' SABL ever gets widely distributed if things will change here? Cheers! Cheers!
The editors' list is one of the more interesting "best of" lists I've seen in a while. Cheers to that
Well, that is embarrassing I missed that. Number 14 is pretty high on that list; higher than I would have expected needless to say. Maybe it is a good thing that beer consumers are drinking non-fancy lager beers? Perhaps a potential sign that beers like Pilsners could become more popular over the next few years? Reading stuff that is posted on BA is quite different from your 'average' beer consumer and likely leads me to have a biased perspective about the craft beer scene at large. Cheers! P.S. Earlier today I picked up a bottle of 3 Founeinen Oude Geuze for the upcoming online tasting thread. This beer is very different from SABL or Yuengling Traditional Lager.
