The 46 Best Beers of 2020 (Gear Patrol)

It'd be kinda fun to peer review these lists with the BA pro (that is all, of us) notes on these lists.

 

I enjoyed reading that list. All of the beverages read real tasty.

By my reckoning 12 of the 46 listed are lagers. Maybe 2021 will be the 'year of the lager'?

Cheers!

 

Now that list provides a great picture of the best that American craft brewing has to offer in 2020. It covers a lot of territory in styles, brewers etc. Great article.

 

Nice quote on my beloved Fox Farm:

“...Fox Farm in Connecticut — one of the best makers of lagers and farmhouse ales in the country...”

 

Good to see Otherlands get a shout out here.

 

So... a pilsner older than Pilsner Urquell?

Well, the addition of lime flavor and rice might be considered "extra" ingredients by some.

Sure, makes sense. After all, there's only about eight thousand breweries in the US and thousands more elsewhere...

Sounds like hell to me.

 

That was actually a really nice list.

 

I’m only half way done reading I’ll finish later but already I really like this and how it is done I love that the beers are mostly traditional styles and not a lot of it is BBA or New England. It’s great to see all the variety

 

I agree , great beers.

 

That's a solid list right there! With a variety of styles.

As much as I like Allagash, Violette was pretty bad and with absolutely zero blueberries. Also, somebody needs to tell Gear Patrol that "cider" is not a beer style.

 

I've had three beers on that list. Sounds about right.

 

Only had 4 from the list, but Highlands makes great beers, don’t sleep on the Black Mocha Stout.

 

I’ll have to try oxbow. We carry a lot from them so I’ll be on that soon

 

Glad they gave Lost Nation in VT props. That brewery is and has always been outstanding but seems to stay under the radar.

 

Maybe discuss them in the New Beer Weekend thread?

Cheers!

P.S. I would recommend Luppolo to you:

Overall:

I think this beer is excellent. It is a tasty German Pilsner which is very hoppy in all three phases (aroma, flavor and bitterness) but there is a noticeable bready Pilsner Malt flavor in the background as well. All of the flavors play very, very well together; like the music of a world class symphony.



https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-weekend-13.648692/#post-7059309

 

Definitely one of the more well rounded lists. If commercial beer trends follow that list and various lager styles, saisons, and mixed fermentation beers can shoulder their way in among the ipas and bug stouts (hell, some more 6ish% stouts are welcome too!) I will be a happy camper

 

Please more like this. I’ve read it a few times now and it really is a good read. I wish I knew of Lime Snaps but I wasn’t drinking at all around that time. You can really feel the appreciation for beer in general and I really like the variety on the list.Ike @JackHorzempa said the lager crowd is growing and I also noticed a lot of saison.

 

Haven't read the link yet, but, good on 'em for choosing 46. Not 50, not 30, 46. Well done.

 

It is nice to see Pilsner get done more. I remember last summer the Italian Pilsner thing. I’ve noticed a ton of Schwartzbier this winter too.

 

And maybe next year(s) we will see more Czech Dark Lagers? On a related note, later today I will be homebrewing a Czech Dark Lager.

Cheers!

 

Been seeing both of these more. I welcome it. I much prefer these styles to...stouts.

 

I love stouts but want to drink multiple which a low abv stout is obviously uncommon so I also welcome the dark lagers

 

Have you an success with a Schwarzbier? Any use of the specific floor malts in your Czech?

only Czech dark I’ve seen is Lev at work

 

I have never made a Schwarzbier. I enjoy drinking these beers from time to time but I do not love this style enough to want to drink through two cases of this sort of beer. I suppose I could make a smaller batch?

It is very challenging to obtain malts from the Czech Republic. I use a variety of Weyermann malts for this batch but none of those are floor malted.

I once made a Bohemian Pilsner using floor malted Pilsner malt from Weyermann, and that batch was good but it had an earthy/husky aspect to it that I was not too thrilled with when using that specific floor malt. I chose to never buy this malt again.

Cheers!

 

I have consumed a handful of craft brewed Czech Dark Lagers but only on draft at the brewery's taproom (see photo of Triple Crossing below). Have you seen any packaged/distributed Czech Dark Lagers?

Cheers!

 

Port City released a Tmavy as part of their Lager Series (think it was an October release). Wheatland Spring has their Later Flowers. Triple Crossing had cans of the above lager you mentioned, though that's sold out for shipping now. Schilling has Modernism. I believe Charles Towne Fermentory has a Tmavy Pivo I've seen distro'd too.

Funny thing is I say this and my LBS doesn't appear to have any at the moment.

 

Thanks for that report. Unfortunately for me none of those beers are available for purchase near me. Maybe someday my local breweries will package Czech Dark Lagers so I can go to my local beer retailers and buy them?

Oh well, in 2+ months I will be drinking my homebrewed batch of so at least I got that going for me.

Cheers!

Tmavý Ležák

 

When beers are described as "packed full of a terrifying amount of black currant, BlackBerry, boysenberry, blueberry and a touch of marshmallow. Deep, sweet, lush, jammy flavor, similar to that of a Pinot noir, followed by the sweetness and creaminess of marshmallow." I just shake my head and poor myself another Weinstephaner Original.

 

I always love looking at those lists, even if I view them as just for fun and nothing definitive. Unfortunately only two of them are available in my area.

 

This may fit within the category of irony?

Workhorse Brewing is located in my hometown and I just received an e-mail from them in which they announced a new brand they just released:

“Black Lager

This mahogany colored lager is built upon the foundation of two German brewing traditions: Pilsner and Dunkel. We've taken a recipe heavily influenced by toasted malts and married it with the spicy and floral hopping of a Pilsner. Extensive lagering yields a beer rich in malt character shored up by pronounced hop flavors and aromas.”

This beer sounds quite intriguing. Maybe I will need to visit the brewery (walking distance from my home) and pick up a four-pack for science!



Cheers!

 

IMO it gives Tired Hands Trendler Schwarzbier a run for its money!

 

Have you had this most recent batch of Black Lager?

Below is how John Palmer described the Schwarzbier beer style (with emphasis in bold by me):

"A clean, slightly roasty, dark lager with a moderately bready malt character, balanced with hop bitterness and restrained hop character."

Workhorse Black Lager is detailed very differently from the above, especially the part of "...shored up by pronounced hop flavors and aromas.”

Cheers!

 

I have not had this batch. My last check-in through Untappd was Apr 9,2020. I noted "a nice roasty smell and taste followed by light malts."

I will definitely be picking up a 4 pack of this!!

Jeremy

 

Yeah, I had draft Black Lager in the past but this recent batch reads very differently from what I drank before.

Brewers (Nate Olewine) and breweries like to 'tweak'. Or as Shane Welch (former owner of Sixpoint Brewing) would characterize it: continuous product improvement.

Cheers!

 

Thanks for the heads up! Hopefully, its still a traditional black lager like back in April. I purchased a crowler (aka draft version) last time so I will need to do the same this time around.

Jeremy

 

I was drinking a Stille Nacht last night and I took my sweet time in a nice wood stove warm room. About halfway through the glass, when the beer was plenty warm and pretty flat, I noticed that it had taken on a bit of a cider quality. It was surprising and pleasant. I can't say that excuses calling a cider the best beer of 2020 but I can say I have a little more understanding of where that person was coming from after last night

 

I've only had the Odell Mountain Standard. It would be interesting if someone sold/shipped the entire set, would be fun to review them all.

 

Glad to see Schwarzbier getting some love, it is one of my favorite styles. I would love to see more breweries give the style a shot for theri fall or winter seasonals.

I have had a lot of luck with my homebrewed Schwarzbier, I try to brew it 2-3 times a year.

 

My favorite beer is the one I'm drinking at the moment.