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Being in the beer business, probably the most frequent (and frankly obnoxious) question you hear is “What is your favorite beer”? First of all, there are just too many to choose from! Too many styles, too many breweries, too many great beers! But, who is to say that my favorite beer has even been brewed yet?
For beer geeks like me, we have all experienced that overwhelming excitement of strolling into your favorite craft bar and finding a brew you’ve never had before – and this year, there were some serious stand-outs. One brewery shocked everyone by competing with its own best seller, one beer made me reevaluate an entire brewery, and one beer is pioneering the way in craft beer’s next big trend. And they are…
Warlock – Southern Tier
Pumpkin beer, it seems, has always been a point of contention between beer drinkers. Is it too gimmicky? Does it represent the craft industry? Why does it come out so early?? One beer that always seems to stand the test of Pumpkin-mania is Pumking from Southern Tier, which usually comes out in everyone’s top ten, if not their favorite, fall brews. This year, shipments of Pumking went out in July, and most bars tapped their kegs on August. I don’t know about you but I’m not ready for pumpkin in August, but this has apparently become the new September (which became the new October a few years ago). I understand Southern Tier’s move to release it this early because of the demand, however strange, but this year, they took October back. Just when we were all ready to move on from pumpkin, the Warlock happened. Warlock is essentially Pumking’s dark, roasty evil twin that debuted out of nowhere in October of this year. The cheeky stout essentially looked at Pumking lovers everywhere and said “you like that? Try this baby on for size!” The taste of this beer is spot on, and for me, might be better than the King – but that’s not really why I’m so excited about this beer. The entire idea behind this brew is what has me really excited. For a brewery to take its own number one seller and try to one-up it is insane, but it also goes to show that these breweries aren’t done yet. Just because they have found success in a beer does not mean that its evolution is over. It’s great to see these up and coming craft breweries sticking to their guns, embracing change, and always looking to improve – and that’s what the Warlock was to me.
Chillwave (Formerly Alchemy Hour) – Great Lakes Brewing Company
Cleveland-based Great Lakes Brewing has always in my mind been a good brewery. Looking for a variety pack that everyone will like? Try Great Lakes. Just want something simple? Try Great Lakes. But for me, I had kind of written them off as being one of America’s great breweries, but their 2013 lineup basically told me that I had to check myself because I was acting like a blithering bafoon. Earlier this year, Great Lakes released a beer so good, it made me revisit everything I thought I knew about Great Lakes. This beer, Chillwave Double IPA, was called Alchemy Hour Double IPA (but more on the name later). This beer is a hop monster right upfront but goes down ridiculously smooth, with a slightly citrus-driven aftertaste that lingers in a way that is oh-so perfect. The reason this beer was such a revelation for me was not just because it really is that good, but also because it came from an unexpected place (which, as it turns out, I should have expected). I went back and retried Great Lakes brews that I had sort of forgotten about. The Nosferatu is robust and amazing, the Edmund Fitzgerald is a flavorful, sessionable alternative to all the boozy porters out there. So not only did this beer give me a new brew to gush about, but it also helped me rediscover some old ones. Now, about the name. Thanks to our good friends over at AB InBev, Great Lakes had to change the name of this beautiful elixir. So if you want to experience the majesty of this perspective-altering IPA, make sure to keep an eye out for Chillwave (trademark) Double IPA in March 2014!
Reaper’s Harvest – Helltown Brewing
For the past few years, we’ve seen IPAs dominating the craft market, showing the huge range of the style and enlightening beer lovers everywhere to the power and sheer diversity of the pretty little hop flower. I’ve been noticing a new up-and-coming trend in the industry and this time, we’re not relying on a flower. I’m talking about a spicy little grain making waves in the industry: rye. Now most of the rye beers I have had lately have come across as sweet and overly malty, masking to an extent the full flavor of the rye. But this year, PA’s Helltown showed they aren’t afraid to let the full potential show. Helltown’s Reaper’s Harvest Rye is full of character, with spice from both the rye malts and spice-driven hops such as Simcoe. This to me is an example of a fearless beer, full of curiosity. When I spoke to brewer Shawn, the motivation behind this recipe seemed to be a search for whimsy. For a brewery known for their IPAs, this seemed like an easy and fun transition into the next chapter for a young brewery. I’m a huge fan of rye and hope to see this trend continue in 2014, as craft breweries start to experiment more and bring us the next new wave in great beers.
