As the year comes to an end, it’s only natural to take a look back and think about all of the great beers we’ve had in 2015. We’ve been to festivals, been on road trips, and we spent a lot of time drinking and talking about craft beer. But which beers stood out the most? That’s what we’re looking at today.
We have to say this up front: This is not a list of the 10 Best Beers On Earth, and it is not a list of our Top 10 Beers We’ve Reviewed, what is is a list of the Top 10 Best Beers we’ve had since January 1st, 2015. Sorry, Heady Topper, you’re delicious, but we had you last year. That also means if we had a beer but didn’t write a review, that it doesn’t qualify for this list (I’m looking at you, Abraxas).
Number 10: Pony Pils – Half Acre Beer Co.
This might not win many people’s hearts in terms of sheer “wow factor”, but this is a fantastic example of a Pilsner that has flavor, yet is not overly aggressive in any way, Ron and I are making this, as well as their Daisy Cutter, a staple every time we visit Chicago.
Number 9: Provenance – Jester King
This was our first ever experience with a Jester King beer, and so far it is the best. Their unique sour flavors are absolutely delicious and make us want to take a trip to Texas and try everything they have to offer!
Number 8: Dreadnaught – Three Floyds
Many people know Three Floyds for their stupidly-good beer, and this is no exception. Dreadnaught is consistently the beer we hope to find when 3F makes it’s way into it’s small Ohio distribution ring. This tropical, yet crisp IPA is everything we at the BRC love in a hoppy beer, and you need to do all you can to try it for yourself!
Number 7: Backwoods Bastard – Founders
Founders is a midwest treasure. Backwoods Bastard is a midwest gold mine! This Wee Heavy aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels has smooth yet bold flavors that kept us wishing this Bastard never ran dry.
Number 6: Pseudo Sue – Toppling Goliath
We haven’t had King Sue, or many of the other TGB Rarities, yet, but this beer sticks out as one of the most unique Pale Ale we’ve ever tasted. Our trip to Decorah wouldn’t have been complete without bringing back a 4-pack or two of this ridiculously juicy, Citra-only brew, but we’re kicking ourselves for not getting more.
Number 5: Weyerbacher 20th Anniversary Ale
Ron and I will claim up and down that Belgian beers are one of our least favorite styles. That being said, this Anniversary Special beer from Weyerbacher was a complete game-changer for us. The combination of fruity esters and caramel malts were enough to earn a coveted BRC Double 100 score.
Number 4: Dark Lord 2014 – Three Floyds
Those wizards over in Munster, IN have cracked the top 10 twice already! As you can tell, a lot of Double 100’s will be thrown out from here on down, but this one took us by surprise. Some people hate on the “regular” version of Dark Lord, but this one was so decadent and rich that we couldn’t put it down. If this is the bottom of the Dark Lord ladder, bring on the variants!
Number 3: Sunday Morning Stout – Weyerbacher
I had a friend who told me that we couldn’t do another review until we tried this beer, and I’m glad I took his advice. SMS is a beer that might not have the hype of Founders KBS, but it tastes just as good, if not better! Seek this one out for sure!
Number 2: Westbrook Gose
This was on our Top Ten Most Wanted list for a while, but thanks to great trading partners we finally got to try this epic brew. Westbrook Gose is unlike any other beer I’ve ever had before, and it makes for the most refreshing beer possible. Slightly tart, slightly salty, and fully mind-blowing, this beer has a reputation for all of the right reasons.
Number 1: BCBS Vanilla Rye – Goose Island
Hate all you want on us for picking a “AB-inBev” beer as our #1 spot, we are BCBS fanboys until the day we die. It’s just the best barrel aged stout around, and since we couldn’t use Prop (the best beer we’ve EVER tried) due to it’s 2014 tasting date, we will go with it’s little brother, Vanilla Rye. The complexity of this beer is out of this world even before they add more vanilla. Trust me, this one is a beer we would love to have again!
Conclusion:
There it is, folks, our top 10 beers that we reviewed this year. What did you think? Have you had any on our list? Did you love them as much as us? What was your favorite beer of the year? Leave us comments, and as always, cheers!
Written By
Lists are always fun and you’ve got a list here that’s hard to argue with. I wish I had tried a few of these beers that I’ve not been lucky enough to come across yet. When it comes to Goses have you tried the Ritterguts gose yet? I had it back to back with the Westbrook at a tasting a few months back and I think the German original is better (and easier to track down). Curious if you’ve tried that comparison.