Which brewery is leading in 2013?

Prairie Artisan Ales in OK is making some noise.

 

Leading what?

 

I have been extemely impressed with the Alamac Farm to Barrel series. While their Table Beers are just okay IMO, they have been knocking it out of the park with this latest batch. Mighty fine beers.

 

There! FTFY!
I find it highly entertaining that of the first four breweries mentioned three don't distribute outside the state they are in. The power of homerism on BA is underappreciated. Better yet, these Homers not only state their preferences unequivocally, but feel compelled to knock down the competition. HT and CCB are particularly notorious in that department. I can sort of understand people boosting Toppling Goliath as they are clearly local and in the middle of nowhere and need all the publicity they can get. And they get highly offended when they get called on homerism. OK, pardon me for ending this post prematurely--got to go catch myself a three-eyed fish.

 

If I were voting, I'd vote Avery on Tweak alone. Add to that this years Uncle Jacob's and Mephistopheles (base for Tweak) and it's hard to beat. However, two of those are fest-and-brewery specials and the third is national, but kind hard to get (not to mention $11-15 price tag for a 12-oz bottle). Besides, I'm not voting, just snarking. So there... YMMV

 

Take your pick: Best state for beer, if you could only drink one beer for the rest of your life..., if you had to only buy from one brewery for the rest of your life..., which breweries can you say have no bad beers, ... I can keep going, but all the cringing as I type makes it hard to see what I'm typing...

 

New in 2013 (outside Chico):
BA Bigfoot
Ovila Quad with Plums
Ovila Saison with Mandarins
Beer Camp Variety Pack (Imperial Red, Belgian Black IPA, American IPA)
Flipside Red IPA (coming soon)
DevESTATEtion Ale (coming soon)

 

I'm on the Short's bandwagon as well. Granted I am a Michigander but it is astounding how many different beer they are putting out. And there are very few that aren't outstanding. Who else would supply 100 beers for the new Hopcat location opening in Lansing? They are hitting on all cylinders in 2013 without a doubt.

 

How has The Bruery not been mentioned? They are cranking out some of the most interesting beers all year. And not one has been an IPA. Even when they mess something up (Ebony and Oak) they own up to it and take care of their supporters.
Everything they've released, and we still have a few months left in the tank.

 

Tired Hands of Ardmore, PA.
Followed closely by Pizza Boy in Enola, PA.

 

FFF and toppling Goliath

 

As far as Stone, their beer is great but I'm a little sour on them because it's impossible to find any Enjoy By unless you live in CA, or in a major city.
Overall though, I'd say there's too many to pick a leader. And too many possible ways to be one...what are we defining it as? Most hype? Most exclusivity? FFF, RR, Founders and many more would be a close match for those categories. Most popular beers? Most creative? DFH might pull ahead there. One could go on in this fashion.

 

Their sour lineup is legit. I just got the Reserve series and a few others in the mail the other day and am very excited to fly through them. I've already had #2 and #3 so I can't wait to try the others.

 

Prairie Artisan Ales is taking over. They are killing it with funk right now. Prairie Bomb was good too.

 

Duclaw.

 

Just tried the coconut IPA that was on one bottle allocation at my local bottle shop. Terrible! Drain poured half of it.

 

I concur Dave, with the exception of Double Bastard. However, their IRS fresh is very regular and does not wow me, but with 4+ years of age on it it becomes a different animal and simply magnificient. I honestly cannot think of an imperial stout out there that ages better in the US.

 

I think I gotta go with Goose Island, as unpopular as it might be. Expanding production of their Belgians and sours? Bringing old favorites back to the table (i.e. Nut Brown)? Producing a 'follow-up' to King Henry? I STILL resent AB-Inbev, I honestly do, but judged on beer, and beer ALONE, these lads are doing great things.

A few other truly standout beers though:
-Sierra Nevada Ovila Quad with Plums
-Boulevard's Love Child no. 3

 

Like, in the USA? Or, like, Belgium? Or, like, New Zeland. Or,like, in my states distro? Or, like, my imagination?