Ok so 2012 is quickly coming to a close and what a great year for craft beer this year has been... Ive narrowed down my selections to just ten beers that really made an impression on me and other beer lovers in the New England this past year. I have tried to take a couple of things into consideration when compiling this list such as regional availability, local favorites, cult followings and style variations.
Without further ado here is the Bottle Foragers picks for best beers of 2012 !
Barrel Aged Farmhouse Pale Ale
From Maine's very best farmhouse brewery comes this wonderful barrel aged selection only available from the brewery or on a rare occasion at Novare Res in Portland.
Oxbow is currently selling the fourth batch of this beer and every batch has been slightly different based on the barrel in which it was aged. I have had the pleasure of drinking multiples from each barrel and I will say the last two batched have completely knocked it out of the park and Im alway hoping I have some extra money to add one of these bottles to my haul when heading to Oxbow for growler fills.
For a detailed listing of barrels used from batch to batch look HERE.
750ml retails for $15
House Beer
House beer has arrived and its another great selection from Allagash's long list of top notch brews. This one is available only at the brewery here in Portland ME and is sold by the case only. It comes in a classic old world wooden crate that houses twenty four 12oz bottles of this wonderful belgain style session beer.
24btl case retails for $40
(with $20 deposit on wooden crate)
Tasting notes :
Pours a medium golden brown color with a rich foamy three finger head that laces down and forms a nice cap on the beer. Aromas are light-handed but focused with yeasty spice mingling harmoniously with touches of citrus and honeyed malts. On the palate it continues to please with full flavored bright notes of yeasty bread, earthy sweet malts and a zesty citrus hop bitterness that kisses the finish and begs you to take another sip. Wow what a session beer a pure pleasure to drink !
Coolship Resurgam
While Im thinking about Allagash and the year 2012...I had to include one of their Coolship releases. This is another brewery only release, however the Resurgam actually was available for over a week at the brewery which is actually much longer than most of these spontaneously fermented beers last. And it just so happens that its probably my favorite in the series.
375ml retails for $15
Tasting Notes:
Pours a slightly hazy golden yellow with a touch of foam and some side and bottom rising bubbles. Aromas are sour fruit, young nectarine, berry, dusty, wood and funk. On the palate its comes off ripe and sour with tart bright touches of grapefruit and a beautiful funky rustic dry earthy finish. Damn this is probably the most classic gueuze Ive had from the states.
MO
You may be looking at this saying... what about Lunch ! And if your looking at this and you don't know Maine Beer Co. than you best get off your computer and head over to the nearest bottle shop and snatch up any of the beers they brew. Because they all are worth trying. The reason I chose MO over Lunch is basic availability As Lunch comes and goes, you can almost always find a fresh batch of MO on the shelf of your favorite beer store. A classic pale ale with a hop forward presence this beer is a great gateway into the wonderful world of craft beer.
16.9oz retails for $5.99
Tasting Notes:
Pours a light copper color with frothy three finger head. Aromas are pineapple, pine and a touch of sweet grapefruit. Dont let the pale ale fool you, MBC brings the hop flavors ! On the palate this one hits the mark, great mouthfeel and carbonation to carry the balanced flavors on a journey of excellence.
Grapefruit, pine, mango... ride the toasty malt flavors to completion !
Strawberry ShortWeiss
One of the first in Smutty's newest method of distributing beer... small batch release days ! This one happened in August and I had the pleasure of driving down to pick up this charming refreshing release that was limited to four 750's per person at the brewery only. It also showed up on draft lists at fine beer establishments up and down the east coast so if you had the pleasure of drinking this Im sure you would agree this beer was a highlight of 2012 and I really hope they release this again every summer !
750ml retails for $15
Tasting Notes:
Pours a slightly hazy blondish orange color with a two finger fizzy head that fizzles out quickly. Aromas jump out of the glass with fresh strawberry touches tart stone-fruit and a nice malty cereal sweetness. On the palate this beer jumps and sings summer ! Great flavors of strawberry tartness that is just enough without being syrupy... but more the flavor of a tart slightly green berry... backed by beautiful cereal malts and a touch of tangy yeast.
Cant Dog Imperial Pale Ale
Another highlight from Maine in 2012 was the much anticipated arrival of Marshall Wharf cans in southern Maine. We have all become acquainted with this top notch midcoast brewery over the years... whether you have had it by the pint at Three Tides or Novare Res, or you made it up to the brewery where they fill growlers in Belfast. Now we CAN all smile because they have are delivering 16oz cans on a bi-weekly basis. So far the only selection they have put into their cans is Cant Dog but if you have had the pelasure of consuming one of these, chances are you have been a repeat consumer of this fresh tasty brew !
16oz can retails for $4.99
Tasting Notes:
Pours a rich copper color with a big foamy three finger head. On the nose it got a big citrus pineapple nose with touches of sweet spicy malts. On the palate... damn this is good ! Big fruity citrus, fruity pebbles and pine on the front balance beautifully off the slightly earthy spiced sweet caramel malts that hold their own but also keep a backseat to the great hop flavors. The mouthfeel on this is dead on... rich and smooth but not sticky !
Breakfast Stout
New to Maine this year is Founder's Brewing out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Quickly exploding onto the shelves and into the hands of local beer lovers this brewery produces solid American style brews that scream quality and dedication. For over fifteen years they have become one of the leaders in the US craft beer movement and one of my favorites for a go to palate pleasing 6pk or 4pk. When Founder's first hit the local market the buzz around bar stools everywhere turned to when are we going to receive their highly acclaimed Breakfast Stout ! Welp at the beginning of the autumn we found out the time had come... and for a 100 point rated beer to be available throughout the cold season here in Maine...this beer has made many local beer lovers into real believers including me !
4pks retail for $9.99
Tasting Notes:
Pours a deep rich umber black color with three fingers of sticky mocha foam. That glass gets lathered with lacing as the foam rest on top of the chocolate nectar. Aromas are pure and sweet; chocolate, coffee, vanilla bean roasted malts and maybe a touch of licorice if you want to really stretch out the nose. On the palate its creamy and smooth with great balance between all the great notes found in the nose. A touch of sweetness lifts it up and out of the bitter burnt flavors that other imperial stouts sometimes over do. Its soft and very approachable and is a great treat for breakfast on a crisp autumn day in Maine !
Bourbon County Stout
Another new addition to the local craft beer scene and a much anticipated release. I will not take the time at this moment to state my opinions on the InBev buyout of Goose Island but rather spend my time here embracing the fact that another 100 point rated stout has hit Maine shelves this year and if your lucky enough to have scored some of these or the even more limited variants then consider yourself one of the lucky ones. I have not yet officially rated this beer as I believe it to be one of those beers that you just need to obtain when you see it, then worry about when to consume it. Its big burly 15% abv makes it an IDEAL bottle to stash away and age for up to 5 years in the basement. Fresh out of the bottle this beer is boozy, with big dark bitter chocolate, ripe dark fruit and touches of bourbon... I've shared a bottle or two with a few friends over the course of the last month or so and have plans on sipping one every year until I feel they have hit their "magic" spot... this review is to be continued !
4pks retail $24
Arthur
Ok how can I have a top 10 beers of 2012 and not include at least one Hill Farmstead beer. Now I know this is not available in Maine but any person who considers themselves a beer connoisseur should include a trip to Vermont to obtain some of the world class beers being brewed up in Greensboro VT. For a full rundown of my last trip check out my previous post here ! I decided to choose my favorite Hill Farmstead beer that is pretty regularly available at the brewery and leave the small limited bottles for future posts. As far as saisons go this ranks in my top three of all time....
750ml retails $10
Tasting Notes:
Pours a nice golden color with a lively froth... great aromas of funky tart citrus, white pepper and barnyard yeast. On the palate its nicely balanced between doughy sour notes and bright citrus acidity. The flavors play well together in a rustic grassy farmhouse saison style that is tuned perfectly to my personal palate. Love the tartness...need more!
Heady Topper
Last but not least we head down from Greensboro Vt and over to Waterbury to the hottest can on the market in 2012. Heady Topper... an amazingly drinkable DIPA (double ipa) that has become one of the most sought after four packs I have ever scene. Distributed sparsely in Vermont and routinely selling out every week this beer is the kind of beer people fill trunks with. A lot of people will ask... is it really THAT good and all I can say is try it and you will be hooked. Whenever you hear someone saying they are headed to Vermont your ears will perk up and you have to ask... "are you gonna be stopping at the Alchemist?" because ill take a case... the good news is they are upping production in 2013 and on that note I recommend you acquiring some yourself and see what all the fuss is about !
4pk retails $12
Tasting Notes:
Opened with the pull of the tab... nice silver can with cool little label. Drinkin it from the can the way it tells you too ! (Ive dumped it in the glass a few times as well) Anyhow... rich aromas of pineapple and a touch of pine...fresh tropical hops....mmmm Flavors are rich full and heady... Pineapple sweetness at the start that rolls into a crisp bitterness of citrus and pine... it starts to get a little sappy but the finish brings out a whole heap of tropical flavors again that make this beer a big WINNER !
Last but not least we head down from Greensboro Vt and over to Waterbury to the hottest can on the market in 2012. Heady Topper... an amazingly drinkable DIPA (double ipa) that has become one of the most sought after four packs I have ever scene. Distributed sparsely in Vermont and routinely selling out every week this beer is the kind of beer people fill trunks with. A lot of people will ask... is it really THAT good and all I can say is try it and you will be hooked. Whenever you hear someone saying they are headed to Vermont your ears will perk up and you have to ask... "are you gonna be stopping at the Alchemist?" because ill take a case... the good news is they are upping production in 2013 and on that note I recommend you acquiring some yourself and see what all the fuss is about !
4pk retails $12
Tasting Notes:
Opened with the pull of the tab... nice silver can with cool little label. Drinkin it from the can the way it tells you too ! (Ive dumped it in the glass a few times as well) Anyhow... rich aromas of pineapple and a touch of pine...fresh tropical hops....mmmm Flavors are rich full and heady... Pineapple sweetness at the start that rolls into a crisp bitterness of citrus and pine... it starts to get a little sappy but the finish brings out a whole heap of tropical flavors again that make this beer a big WINNER !
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