DRAFT Magazine

Magazines » January/February 2009 Issue » Top 25 Beers of 2008

These are the beers that, in the last year, have made us stop, think and beg for more. Some are old, some are new, but every one is worth the hunt and deserves a place on a pedestal (or in your fridge).

Isabelle Proximus by Lost Abbey Brewing
Wood-aged beer
This collaborative effort was greeted with schoolgirlish enthusiasm, long lines, and a lot of attention online. Brewed at Lost Abbey with help from Avery’s, Russian River’s, Allagash’s, and Dogfish Head’s brewers, the beer was celebrated long before it was released to the public.
Tasting Notes: This beer displays an incredible level of acidity, though it’s still able to exhibit complex flavors that range from lemon juice to leather. It is dry throughout, sour and highly effervescent. We expected nothing less from a collaborative project by five of the most talented brewers in the country.

Orchard White by The Bruery
Witbier
This new SoCal brewery made a splash felt around the country, and its Orchard White has quickly become one of the best interpretations of a Belgian-style witbier around. The Bruery specializes in Belgians stashed in large bottles, as well as special seasonal offerings that mesmerize the senses.
Tasting Notes: Orchard White is hazy and straw-colored with a light body and incredible effervescence. Tart wheat, chamomile, and spices add layers of complexity that go beyond the run-of-the-mill orange peel and coriander. Oat additions give the brew a silky texture, and a mild 5.7% ABV makes it easy to enjoy.

DarkLord by Three Floyds Brewing
Russian Imperial stout
This beer is so popular, Three Floyds started a festival for its annual release. This year’s celebration went beyond expectations with specialty drafts from around the country. In fact, the crowds managed to deplete the seasonal supply of Dark Lord well before the festivities concluded. Three Floyds makes a handful of exceptional brews, but this one is especially noteworthy.
Tasting Notes: Thick and viscous, Dark Lord’s roasted barley flavors grab hold of the cheeks and tongue, refusing to let go even after the swallow. Toffee notes and licorice lace the flavor, alongside a wallop alcohol that warms you from the inside out.

Ola Dubh Special Reserve 16 by Harviestoun Brewery
Old ale
Harviestoun has long brewed its world-class old ale, Old Engine Oil. To up the ante, the brewery made Old Engine Oil Reserve, which was aged in whiskey barrels. In 2008, Harviestoun pulled out all the stops by releasing a series of old ales aged in some of the finest single-malt barrels on earth from Highland Park. We sampled them all and agreed the most enjoyable of the bunch was 16.
Tasting Notes: This beer is powerful in its alcohol presence, both in the aroma and flavor. It begins with a sturdy peat smoke note that enhances the rich, malty character with raisin, dried flowers, and cocoa tastes. The beer finishes mostly sweet with a long-lasting single-malt quality.

Blasphemy by Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Belgian specialty ale
Blasphemy is appropriately named: The brewers took their rich, complex QUAD beer and aged it in American bourbon barrels. Experimental, fringe and, yes, even blasphemous, it doesn’t really matter; this beer is unforgivably delicious.
Tasting Notes: This is a full-bodied brew with a modest alcohol presence in the aroma and flavor. The barrels impart subtle notes of vanilla and orange to an already complex beer with fresh cracked pepper spice and bold caramel sweetness.

Hopslam by Bell’s Brewing Co.
American IPA
Bell’s has a well-deserved reputation as a maker of some of America’s most beloved brews, and this one’s even more exceptional than expected. This hopped-up beast of a beer may be the best display of clean, unadulterated hops in any American beer. It only hits shelves in January and February, so get your hands on it while you can.
Tasting Notes: The flavor begins with a firm toasted malt backbone that supports piney, citrusy, and bitter hop flavors. Even with all of the hops, the beer is still able to achieve balance with a malt backbone from toasted barley.

The Abyss, by Deschutes Brewery
Russian imperial stout
Deschutes celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2008 and put out several commemorative brews. It was difficult to choose one beer from Deschutes this year, but ultimately we sided with the brewery’s second installment of its wildly popular oak-aged imperial stout.
Tasting Notes: The Abyss is rich with roasted malts, chocolate notes and fruity fermentation qualities, all made more complex by its time on wood. Oak kisses the profile for an all-around rich experience.

XII by Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Belgian dark strong ale
Beer enthusiasts around the country wondered if it was possible to match Firestone Walker Eleven, the brewery’s previous anniversary beer. Not to fear: XII has even more depth and outrageous complexity.
Tasting Notes: This beer’s profile ranges from smooth, stoutlike, roasted flavors to the deep fruitiness expected in a well-aged barleywine and even sweet notes once attributed only to Belgians. Blended with the much-celebrated Saucer Full of Secrets and other barrel-aged beers in the bowels of Firestone Walker’s brewery, the brew has rich burnt sugar sweetness, delicate pepper spice, and a roasted malt presence that are all long lasting.

Blabaer Lambik by Brasserie Cantillon
Lambic
Cantillon has long been the brewery beer enthusiasts turn to for hard lambics, those that make the mouth involuntarily pucker a bit with the beer’s sharp acidity and incredible dryness. Blabaer is the epitome of this exotic style; unfortunately, this beer is rarely found Stateside.
Tasting Notes: Cantillon achieved a new level of excellence with this lambic aged on blueberries. It’s still incredibly sour with lemony acidity and a faint husky grain presence; however, blueberry notes add an incredibly light sweetness to the flavor and aroma.

The Angel’s Share by Lost Abbey
American Barleywine
What Tomme Arthur does at his San Marcos brewery is nothing short of inspiring, putting out beer after beer that is carefully tended to as it matures in barrels. Angel’s Share presents a jaw-dropping experience at first whiff. It’s deeply complex, but still somehow joins all of its ingredients together for a swallow that is smooth, rich, and cohesive.
Tasting Notes: Angel’s Share’s brandy sweetness seems more well-rounded than most beers aged in bourbon barrels, and the soft, fruity sweetness of the distilled spirit is a wonderful match for the beer’s complex caramel and toffee malt sweetness. This is a full-bodied brew, with notes of toffee, oak, and chocolate all neatly wrapped within.

Kiwanda Cream Ale by Pelican Pub and Brewery
Cream ale
Any idea how good a cream ale has to be to make a top 25 list? As excellent as this one. This brewery may have one of the most beautiful views in America, with a backyard that butts up against the Pacific Ocean, and that beauty soaks into the beer.
Tasting Notes: Kiwanda begins with a slightly sweet, delicately bready malt character. It moves into a firm floral hop presence with mild bitterness and delicate malt character. This is easily one of the best light-bodied beers in the country and is bright, flavorful, and wonderfully easy to drink.

Tripel by Abdij Trappisten van Westmalle
Belgian tripel
Our first 100-point beer, Tripel is the premier example not just of what a Belgian tripel should be, but of how to brew a beer with a lot of alcohol that isn’t heavy or overwhelming. Westmalle brewers are monks first and foremost; this is one of only seven active Trappist breweries in the world. Perhaps their devotion to the divine explains the heavenly flavors in each bottle.
Tasting Notes: This beer is strong in alcohol but light in body with a palate-pleasing, creamy effervescence. Tripel has generous lemon and cracked-pepper notes throughout the swallow. The bready, lemony sweetness imparted by the grains and alcohol are balanced by an assertive hop bite that doesn’t linger or overpower the palate.

Pliny the Elder by Russian River Brewing Co.
imperial IPA
Vinnie Cilurzo has crafted Pliny the Elder for years in Santa Rosa, Calif. Until 2008, this beer of lore was only available in the country’s top beer bars, mostly in the Bay Area and San Diego. With the installation of an upgraded brewery complete with a bottling line, however, it’s now sold in several regions around the country, much to the delight of beer fans.
Tasting Notes: Pliny the Elder is a compelling hop story, from the name (a nod to the first-century philosopher who gave hops their Latin name) to the aroma and flavor profile. It begins with a light, bready taste that quickly gives way to citrusy, peppery hops, stiff bitterness, and an aftertaste filled with grapefruit, pineapple, and pepper.

Reserve Special Black Bier Ale by Dark Horse Brewing Co.
Baltic porter
This beer demonstrates just how muscular and balanced a strong ale can be. While clearly powerful, the alcohol presence doesn't burn or overwhelm the palate, and the overall malt sweetness is bold, but not sticky or syrupy.
Tasting Notes: This beer opens with tantalizing dark cherry, ripe red apple and loads of caramelized malt aromas. Its taste follows suit and is intensified with seductive alcohol warmth that may cause a double-take, or at least a second sip.

Apricot Ale by Cascade Brewing Co.
Fruit beer
Cascade’s Apricot Ale takes fruit beer to a whole new level: It's like opening a bottle of freshly packaged apricots. This is an exquisite beer that allows the fruit’s juicy quality to shine with each thirst-quenching sip.
Tasting Notes: Pouring this brew is an unforgettable experience: An intense apricot aroma races out of the glass. The flavor is sweet but not syrupy, with apricot flavors from beginning to end. This is everything a masterfully crafted fruit beer should be.

Perseguidor (Batch 3) by Jolly Pumpkin
Wood-aged beer
Jolly Pumpkin’s special release was carefully matured in oak barrels and quickly snatched up by loyal fans eager to sample the Michigan brewery’s next great creation. This beer is a blend of four barrel-aged brews that were aged up to two years. The long wait resulted in a beer that is a complex treat for the palate.
Tasting Notes: The beer displays a subtle almond character beneath dominant, acidic sour notes. However, it isn’t an overly sour beer; it has a firm, cherry sweetness up front that melds into slightly oxidized oaken notes reminiscent of a nice sherry.

Palo Santo Marron by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Brown ale
Dogfish Head is proud of its off-kilter ways and big beers with a lot of attitude. In 2008, the brewery installed the largest wooden vats in the nation since Prohibition, made from a hardwood most people associate with flooring, then aged this impressive brew inside. The results were amazing, as these potential floorboards lend an excellent flavor addition to a big ABV beer.
Tasting Notes: The beer has a sharp wood character that tastes like new American oak, only stronger. Layers of malt sweetness and a peppery hop presence balance the flavor.

Whiskey Barrel Smoked Porter by O’Fallon Brewery
Robust porter
This Missouri brewery made a name for itself with beers like Wheach, but this smoked beer is something extra special. O’Fallon’s brewers obtained remarkable results when they took their GABF-gold-winning smoked porter and aged it in Buffalo Trace whiskey barrels.
Tasting Notes: While the whiskey imparts a strong sweetness to the brew, it doesn’t take away from the smoky, chocolaty complexity of the malts, achieving a rare balance for barrel-aged beers.

Dragon’s Milk by New Holland Brewing
Russian Imperial stout
Dragon’s Milk is a testament to the quality and care that goes into New Holland’s beers. It’s carefully aged in oak barrels, and according to the brewers, it’s the “crown jewel” of the brewery. While still made in relatively small batches, this brew is increasingly showing up around the United States, even making a splash at the 2008 Oregon Brewers Festival.
Tasting Notes: The beer hits the nail on the head in every way regarding the BJCP style guidelines. The intense aroma is full of roasted barley, fruity cherry, and raisin notes. Robust deep roasted grain, sweet vanilla, and an understated oak presence make up the flavor profile, which finishes slightly sweet with a lingering toffee presence. Its body is rich, creamy, and full with smooth alcohol and soft carbonation.

Wisconsin Belgian Red by New Glarus Brewing
Fruit beer
This beer is a celebration packaged in a bottle, capped, then sealed with wax. It has more than a pound of Door County cherries in every bottle, and is an exceptional display of why these cherries are so popular. This beer made our top 25 list last year, and it reigned supreme again in 2008.
Tasting Notes: This beer is ruby-red with an aroma that is bright and somewhat wheaty. The flavor has an intense cherry presence throughout that’s tart and refreshing, while light wheat flavors support the fruit. This is a medium-bodied beer that is highly effervescent, with a slightly sweet finish and long-lasting taste.

Woodcut No. 01 by Odell Brewing
Old ale
Odell Brewing is pushing into new waters with grace and success with the Woodcut Series that began in 2008. This beer is a true masterpiece with rich flavors and aromas balanced with a wonderful American oak note.
Tasting Notes: The series’ first beer is very limited release old ale, aged in oak. This brew pours dark brown with a tall, sturdy head. The flavors begin with generous amounts of toffee, oak and sweet raisins before finishing with a gentle peppery hop spice. Its mouthfeel is otherworldly, with a full-body, creamy carbonation and a smooth alcohol warmth. 

Adam by Hair of the Dog Brewing
Old ale
Hair of the Dog is one of the Northwest’s most celebrated brewers for a reason: Every beer it releases is high-quality, and selecting one beer above the rest is no simple task. We landed on Adam because its sweetness, alcohol, and hops are incredibly well balanced, and create a drinking experience that makes you wonder about the way beer used to be. Adam is based on a recipe from the Old World, but the flavors and textures experienced seem new with every sip.
Tasting Notes: From first taste to swallow, the flavors magically work in unison, with chocolate and toffee beginning the show before giving way to subtle notes of pepper and citrus. It has an assertive hop bitterness that lasts into the aftertaste, along with toffee notes. 

Nuova Mattina by Birrificio del Ducato
Saison
The U.S. market has seen very little from Italy by way of beer, but in 2008, Nuova Mattina’s output was received with thunderous accolades, and the Italian saison is cream of the crop. In fact, it’s redefining the way we look at Italian beer, with the use of local spices and a clear commitment to quality in brewing and packaging. This beer isn’t cheap, but it’s worth every penny.
Tasting Notes: It has a delicate biscuity malt presence accompanied by incredible licorice, chamomile, green pepper, ginger, and coriander. Orange and lemon notes sing through the swallow. The hop flavors are understated, with only a mild peppery spice and low bitterness. The beer is medium bodied, highly effervescent, and ultimately refreshing.

Pannepot by De Struise Brouwers
Belgian specialty ale
For five years, De Struise has rented space at Belgium’s Deca Brewery to brew its beer. In that time, De Struise has become recognized as one of the world’s premier breweries, and in the last two years, we’ve been fortunate enough to get this beer on our side of the pond. This Belgian treat is perfectly balanced, with bold flavors that never overwhelm the palate.
Tasting Notes: Pannepot starts with a deep toffee sweetness marked by fruity fermentation notes. It has an incredible body that is full but not heavy. The deep toffee sweetness and plum fruit notes move like a slow dance, deliberate and sensual, and the finish is a crescendo of taste and balance.

Darkness by Surly Brewing
Russian Imperial stout
Surly releases some of the most aggressive canned beers, but this specialty brew (in a bottle) achieves a level of quality that can’t be beat. The brewery only releases this beer once a year and it doesn’t last long, but those who find it can attest to its outstanding complexity and flavor.
Tasting Notes: The beer is jet-black and viscous; aromas of chocolate and coffee leap out and prepare the palate for a robust tasting experience. Its flavor muscles through the mouth with chocolate and dark roasted coffee notes. Cherry and raisin flavors finish the brew and blend well with the strong alcohol presence.

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This article originally appeared in the January/February 2009 Issue of DRAFT Magazine

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