As we countdown the hours until 2018 is behind us and we ring in 2019, it’s time to name my 2018 Iowa Beer of the Year. So many wonderful brews came to us from our local breweries across the state that it made this a challenging task. In fact, I had a hard time narrowing my list of 10 for new Iowa beers of the year…which you can see if you click here.  So…without further ado, my Iowa Beer of the Year is…..

 

 

Big Grove Macaroon Richard!!

Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels, featuring organic toasted coconut & almonds.

The Richard the Whale release of 2018 was a very memorable experience. The line of guys waiting to get in and sharing beers with everyone, the wonderful food, the great conversation, and of course….the beer.

I was expecting coffee to be my favorite just because I love coffee in barrel aged stouts. Macaroon was a bonus to get the others and then I went ahead and tried it on tap….BLOWN AWAY!!! The nose, creaminess, sweet but not over the top/coconut sugar sweet and the nuttiness from the almonds meshed so damn good together that I needed to have another glass…and then another one that night at the Solon location, and then another for lunch the next day…well, you get it, I really loved this beer and that is why it is my 2018 Iowa Beer of the Year winner! Congrats Big Grove and I’m looking forward to the 2019 Richard release!