Will the top 25 of 2012 make it into the top 25 of 2013? With many brands hopefully on the horizon and more Iowa breweries starting to brew in 2013, I would expect a change for 2013’s top 25. Rumors of Oskar Blues, Odell, Lagunitas, and more coming to Iowa along with Toppling Goliath and Backpocket bottling, it will be a great year for beer in Eastern Iowa.

Without further ado, the last 5 beers of the Top 25 list has arrived. Would love some feedback as to what you think should be included or what should have been left off the list. Here we go!

Green Flash Imperial IPA – 9.4% – Imperial IPA – Another newer brewery to the Eastern Iowa market, Green Flash has been producing some really fantastic beers. A great balance of intense hops with malts makes this a must try IPA.  From the brewery:

“San Diego-style IPA, as it has come to be known by many, is a super-hoppy, high gravity, yet highly quaffable ale. Green Flash Imperial IPA is created in this new tradition, with intense hop flavors and aromas from a unique blend of Summit and Nugget hops. It’s all about the hops!”

 

 

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA – 7.2% – India Pale Ale – Sierra Nevada beers have been on our shelves for sometime and can be overlooked. This IPA has more of malt presence than some on the shelves but the massive hop flavor helps with the sweetness of the malts. Great stuff, now available in cans as well. From the brewery:

Torpedo is an assertive American IPA deep reddish-gold in color, with a smooth and bready malt presence and over-the-top hop aromas. The beer has a solid bitterness and a massive hop flavor, yet remains easy drinking with a pleasant dry finish.

Founders Breakfast Stout – 8.3% – Imperial Stout – One of my all-time favorite beers that, according to the label, makes it ok to drink beer for breakfast. In all reality, this would be the perfect companion to a plate of bacon and eggs. Huge coffee presence that doesn’t take away from the qualities of a stout. You still get the creaminess, chocolate bitterness, that blends perfect with the coffee flavor. Awesome beer! From the brewery:

You’ve got to love coffee to truly appreciate this phenomenal brew. Brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, bitter and sweetened imported chocolates, Sumatra and Kona coffee. We’re actually not sure if this is some type of coffee cake or a beer. Either way you can drink this ale with a fork. Breakfast Stout has an intense fresh roasted coffee nose topped with a cinnamon colored frothy head that seems to never fade and makes you wish breakfast could last forever.

Schlafly Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – 10.5% – Imperial Stout – Huge malt presence with roasted barley that fits perfectly with a mild hop presence. Not overpowered by the bourbon aging, it’s there, but not dominating the flavor of the beer. Nice little burn from the alcohol but not over the top. A perfect beer for a cold night! From the brewery:

Around the time of the Louisiana purchase, beer was shipped in barrels. if one had been lucky enough to receive a used Bourbon barrel of Imperial Stout, this is what his/her happy taste buds would have encountered: roasty, rich, malty imperial stout with a strong dose of caramel, oak, and Bourbon character. This is the perfect beer to pair with hearty, cold weather dishes, smoked meats, and virtually any dessert.

Peace Tree Templeton Red – 7% – Sour/Wild Ale – Peace Tree, located in Knoxville, IA, has a very impressive lineup of beers. Many of them almost made the top 25. Their Blonde Fatale, Gumbo Stout, Hop Wrangler, and Hop Sutra are all excellent beers, but the one that stood out most this year was their Templeton Red. Bourbon nose with this beer and the flavor has the caramel, oak flavor that makes this beer tremendous. From the brewery:

Joe loves to experiment with barrel aged beers and was lucky enough to score 25 Templeton Red Barrels last June. Addded to these barrels was a red ale which was allowed to pick up some wild fermentaion. The result is a deliciously tart, red ale with hints of Templeton Rye Whiskey and oak. It comes in at about 7% ABV and is a very smooth drinker.

I think this is the 6th? Anyway, the baron is still winless, although the good news this year is that IPAs have finally won the gold medal. In previous years, the ladies of the beerbaron family have made it very trying to win when bringing an IPA, they just aren’t into the intense hop presence, but this year we have broken new ground and hopefully will continue to do so. Another fun night at the parents’ house, more exciting beers to try and already looking into what to bring to next years competition.

Judging is based on 4 categories: appearance, aroma, taste, and drinkability.

I did bring an IPA, Schlafly’s Tasmanian IPA to be exact, and although I felt I had the best beer of the bunch, majority rules; here are the results.

 

1. Mission Street IPA – 6.1% ABV – India Pale Ale – I believe this beer is available at Trader Joe’s around the country. This is a very drinkable beer, the malt presence is the initial taste followed with the pine and resin from the hops to round it out. The winner is the same guy whose beer almost made me wretch a couple of years ago. A great worst to first story. Congrats to brother-in-law Tees Dees on the victory, but now he is a marked man.

2. Samuel Adams Winter Lager – 5.6% ABV – Spice/Herb/Vegetable – the 2nd time that is has been brought to the big show and this time scored much better than the last, I believe. I think this struck a chord with the females in the family but a few of the guys thought it was lacking in the flavor department. Sam Adams usually makes a showing, but has yet to take home gold. I wonder if my brother will bring it again, or if he thinks this was its best run?

3. Schlafly Tasmanian IPA – 7.2% – India Pale Ale – Of course I thought this was the best beer of the bunch! It’s a fantastic IPA! I wish Schlafly could brew this year-round, but of course it just came up short, (actually tied for 3rd but I’m going to go ahead and put myself in the #3 spot). Two IPAs in the top 3, the tides are turning a bit and taste buds are hopefully changing for the group. Seriously though, this beer is excellent. Buy some, buy some now.

4. Well’s Banana Bread Beer – 5.2% – English Strong Ale/Fruit Beer – Brought by my sister-in-law. This is one of those beers that gets hurt in the drinkability category. You are definitely tasting banana bread and the first few sips are really good, but after it sits a bit, it almost becomes undrinkable. Drink it fast and it is a pretty refreshing fruit beer.

5. Bell’s Java Stout – 7.5% – Stout – brought by my youngest brothers’ love interest. This is an intense coffee stout, one that would really wake you up in the morning if you are a morning beer person. I really enjoy this beer, at the right time.

6. Lagunitas IPA – 6.2% – India Pale Ale – brought by Meat. Definitely thought that this beer should have placed higher. An excellent west coast ipa with hop bitterness in your face rounded out by the sweet malts. I enjoyed a few of these after the beerfest was over.

7. Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale – 5.1% – brown ale – brought by the 3 time defending champ, the Beer Baroness. I thought this would place higher, and am thinking this was an old six pack. It seemed really think and lacking flavor, or it could be where and when we tasted it. Nevertheless, the Baroness has been knocked off her throne and Tees Dees takes the crown.

8. Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout – 4.95% – Stout – brought by Stab, the King of the castle. Am I missing something when it comes to Breckenridge brews? Nothing they have done impresses me at all and with an oatmeal stout you would think that it would be a very drinkable, possible top 3 placing. No go here, thin, watery, lacking many qualities of what a good stout has, finishes in the bottom 2.

9. Chick Beer – 4.2% – Pale Lager – Well shit, I’m not even sure what to say about this beer. If you go to http://www.ratebeer.com and look at the scoring it got a 3 out of 100. A three! I love my mom dearly, and believe she picked it because the packaging was cool, but as the old saying goes, never judge a beer by its packaging. One of the worst damn things I’ve ever tasted and I hope it goes away forever. 

What should I bring next year? Help me out.

The following comes from beerpulse.com.

Founders Rübæus to replace Cerise, Red’s Rye PA bottles no longer year-round

Most noticeably, Red’s Rye PA will only be available on draft year-round, beginning in March or April of 2013. Our bottle release will be limited to a specialty, four-pack release in September and October. The final Red’s Rye PA six-pack batch will ship in February 2013. This was a hard decision for us to make.

Unfortunate news about Red’s Rye PA, really enjoyed picking up six packs of that brew. Here’s more about the Rubaeus which is replacing Cerise, a beer I didn’t care much for.

As promised Founders Brewing Company has created something unlike the rest. Amongst this summers over crowded race to cloudy wheat beers we have decided to embark down a path all to our own. By using only fresh raspberries Rubaeus translates into intense flavors combined with a no hesitation malt bill. At 7% ABV this is definitely beer. In fermentation we add fresh raspberries at five separate stages throughout the fermentation life cycle to achieve the ultimate balance between tartness and sweetness. This beer is a tribute to Founders way of brewing…. Brewing Beer We Want To Drink

A tough to beat first 5 on the list. Let’s see what follows it up. By the way, during a blizzard, a great way to pass time is drinking beer. It’s really fun, you should try it.

NEXT 5

Madhouse Hopburst – IPA – 7.2%

Iowa breweries are going to play a big part in this list with Toppling Goliath getting one in on the previous 5 and now Madhouse www.madhousebeer.com  getting on the list with Hopburst. A great IPA with the perfect balance of hops and malts. Very refreshing and available in bombers and in sixers. Support Iowa beer and get yourself some. From the brewery:

Hopbursting is a relatively new brewing technique in which the vast majority of hops are added to the kettle late in the boil in order to achieve enhanced extraction of hop components (ie, Hopbursting gives you tons of hops flavor and aroma!) Our Hopburst IPA has a substantial malt base, balanced with huge additions of our unique hop blend. This creates an incredibly flavorful beer, with smooth bitterness and hoppy goodness.

Stone Sublimely Self Righteous  – Black IPA – 8.7%

Stone has a chance to have a beer on all 5 portions of this list. A great addition to Iowa that continues to push what craft beer can be. Their IPA, Enjoy By, Levitation, Arrogant Bastard, and now this phenomenal, easy drinking black IPA make Stone one of the best breweries in the country. From the website:

We’re brewers whose substantial mettle and idiomatic approach to brewing allows us to consistently create works of art such as this justifiably self righteous ale. Its bitterness hits our sweet spot. Its blackness lightens our hearts. Its liquid dichotomy pulls it all together in this sublimely sacrosanct ale. Yes, we damn well know our stuff here at Stone, and it would be irresponsible of us not to acknowledge how remarkable this heavenly creation of ours is. Thus the name we are compelled to give it … Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale … serves as a reminder of just how good we are, in both liquid and verbal form. We re certainly not perfect. Too often, we allow our modesty to get the best of us as we re simply not inclined towards senseless braggadocio. When youre good, youre good. And when you do something great, the least you can do is acknowledge it. Others benefit from knowing. In this case, we find that we are compelled to point out how amazing this beer is that we rightly call the Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale. First brewed in 2007 as Stone 11th Anniversary Ale, this beer was an instant hit. With us. Other folks with great taste loved it too, but we were focused on how much we liked it, and we felt it was truly sublime. That euphoria didnt last long though, as it was soon replaced with the grim reality that when we sold out of it there wouldnt be any more. For Us. And that was simply unacceptable. So, we are now blessing ourselves, and you the enlightened, with this beer on a full time basis.. Thusly, you may now revel in your own self righteousness as you see fit with this glorious example of ours. You are genuinely welcome, as it is our pleasure.

New Belgium Imperial Chocolate Coffee Stout – Imperial Stout – 9%

For being a 9% beer this so smooth, rich, and easy drinking, and the fact that it comes in a bomber can make it real easy to get a bit wobbly after having a few. New Belgium’s Lips of Faith Series has been very hit and miss with me, but with his beer they hit it out of the park. Anytime I see this on the shelves, I make sure to grab one, perfect for these winter Iowa days. From the brewery:

Serving up cold and jet black, this imperial stout should be taken seriously for about one minute as the dark foam builds. Then, enjoy its velvety chocolate-covered smoothness and delicious aroma of sustainably-grown, locally-roasted coffee.

Bells Two Hearted Ale – IPA – 7%

This beer has been available in Iowa for quite some time now and I feel as though it is starting to get overlooked. Ratebeer score of 100, making it one of the best IPAs out there. A definite staple in my fridge and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.

India Pale Ale style well suited for Hemingway-esque trips to the Upper Peninsula. American malts and enormous hop additions give this beer a crisp finish and incredible floral hop aroma.

Founders Porter – Porter – 6.5%

Another perfect score on Ratebeer. Relatively new to the Eastern Iowa scene. A Founders beer that is not talked about as much as Double Trouble, Harvest Ale, or others, but if you are looking for a perfect porter, with the perfect roasted malt, caramel taste, then this is the beer for you. From the brewery:

Dark, Rich, and Sexy. Chocolate malts and four varieties of hops make this a very full flavored ale.

New to shelves this week we have a few heavy hitters. Founders Imperial Stout is a much-anticipated release as is Boulevard’s Rye on Rye.
Big news for one of Iowa’s newest brewery; Backpocket Brewery will have their bottles hopefully shipped out and ready to go this week.

Founders Imperial Stout – 10.5%
From the brewery:

A fine companion to end a meal or relax in front of the hearth with, this robust ale will cellar well for years. Brewed with ten varieties of malted barley this stout is extremely smooth, complex and rich in body. We recommend serving at cellar temperature. Sit back and enjoy its richness and complexity, you’re about to drink the ultimate winter warmer.

 

 

Boulevard Rye on Rye – 11%

Why Rye? A fair question, given this assertively flavored grain is more often associated with whiskey than with beer. Even in that arena, it has largely been eclipsed by corn and barley, the sources of bourbon and scotch, respectively. But when we procured some seasoned rye whiskey barrels from our friends at Templeton Rye, we asked ourselves, “Why not?” Why not brew a rich, tawny rye ale, then mellow it in the warmth of charred oak rye whiskey casks? Thus, Rye-on-Rye: a marriage of very similar, yet very different embodiments of this unique, distinctive grain. Two kinds of malted rye provide a spicy sweetness, giving way to notes of caramelized wood and the citrusy tang of Perle, Magnum and Saphir hops before easing into a dry, lingering finish. Rye-on-Rye’s body and character make it the equal to any sort of hearty stew or aged cheese. At the risk of seeming redundant, might we suggest pairing it with a classic pastrami-on rye? A rye beer with a hint of rye whiskey aroma, alongside a rye bread sandwich. Why not?

I believe Backpocket will be bottling their year-round selection of beers which includes:
-Slingshot Dunkel
-Golden Coin Helles
-Penny Whistle Wheat
-Jackknife GPA
-Wooden Nickel Peated lager

Alright, after reading through the Draft Magazines’ list of the 25 best beers in 2012, my friend the Beer Counselor and myself thought it would be a fun idea to come up with our top 25 beers in 2012, with the whole idea being they are/were available for our consumption in Eastern Iowa. All the beers on the list are ones that we have tried, there are some out there we wish we could have tried but could not get a hold of.

This will be a list of 25 of the best beers in Iowa, in 5 beer intervals. There is not particular order.

*We both understand Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee Stout and Cherry Rye were out there; unfortunately we were unable to get a hold of them.

COMING ATTRACTIONS
**These beers will be available in Iowa, but were not in 2012. **
-Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout
-Founders Imperial Stout

HERE WE GO!!!!

~Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue – IPA – 5.8%A unanimous choice to be on our list; an easy pick for me when I’m at Red’s Alehouse or Parlor City this is always I pick I will go with. Sweet pine and citrus from the hops with a hint of caramel to finish it off. Very balanced, refreshing, and highly enjoyable. We as Iowans, lucky to have this fine brewery in our state, and even luckier that they will soon be bottling and we will be able to enjoy these fine brews in our homes. From the brewery:

This single hop ale showcases the Citra hop. Named for the largest T-rex fossil ever discovered, she roars with ferocious aromas of grapefruit, citrus, mango and evergreen. Delicate in body with a mild bite in the finish.

~Stone Enjoy By IPA 12.22.12 – Imperial IPA – 9.4%
If I had to pick my favorite of the year I think this might be the one I would go with. A very complex double IPA that smells just as good as it tastes. Resinous, citrus, hops make this beer one of the best of the year. From the brewery: 

You have in your hands a devastatingly fresh double IPA. While freshness is a key component of many beers- especially big, citrusy, floral IPAs- we’ve taken it further, a lot further, in this IPA. You see, we specifically brewed it NOT to last. We’ve not only gone to extensive lengths to ensure that you’re getting this beer in your hands within an extraordinarily short window, we made sure that the Enjoy By date isn’t randomly etched in tiny text somewhere on the bottle, to be overlooked by all but the most attentive of retailers and beer fans. Instead, we’ve sent a clear message with the name of the beer itself that there is no better time than right now to enjoy this IPA.

~Founders Backwoods Bastard – Scotch Ale – 10.2%
Another heavy hitter this year comes from Founders. I will be the first to tell you that Scotch Ales aren’t usually my thing, but with this beer the balance of the bourbon, coffee, oak, and caramel makes this an absolute home run. Glad to have Founders in Iowa! From the brewery:

Big and delicious for your ’perty mouth. Expect lovely, warm smells of single malt scotch, oaky bourbon barrels, smoke, sweet caramel and roasted malts. A bit of earthy spice and a scintilla of dark cherries. It’s a kick-back sipper made to excite the palate.

~Saison Dupont Vielle Provision – Saison – 6.5%
Something that has been on our shelves for sometime now but a style that is kind of lost amongst the IPAs, stouts, and barrel-ages of the world. Saison style beers are something I’ve started to grow quite fond of. Hennepin by Ommegang and Boulevard’s Tank 7 are good as well, but I still stick with the veteran that is Saison Dupont. Biscuity, black pepper, and lemon citrus makes this a must try beer!

Bottle conditioned.
Saison Dupont is a classic Belgian farmhouse ale. This is a beautifully balanced, complex beer that has a refreshing fruitiness and long, dry finish. It is bottled unfiltered so it may be cloudy or have a slight sediment but this is normal and perfectly natural.

~Green Flash Palate Wrecker – Imperial IPA – 9.5% 
The name of the beer says it all. A slap in the face double IPA. The hops dominate this beer with citrus and tropical fruits shining. A very drinkable imperial ipa that can sneak up on you quick. Not as bitter as the West Coast IPA from Green Flash, and oddly enough, more drinkable for me.

Palate Wrecker was originally brewed for the Hamilton’s Tavern 2nd Anniversary celebration. It’s the most complicated West Coast–inspired IPA we have ever brewed—mashing and sparging with hopped wort, in addition to our hop layering regimen for IPA. We use almost 6 lbs/bbl of Columbus and Centennial hops to create this very bitter hop monster (tested at 149 IBU and no extracts in case you were wondering). By popular demand, it is now released for the world to enjoy (even though this beer isn’t for everyone, only the real hop heads!!!). Cheers! – Chuck Silva – Brewmaster – Green Flash Brewing

Thanks for reading! Keep checking back with the next 5 in the series!

Agree or disagree? How many have you had? Here’s how they judged this years’ list.  From draftmag.com:

To narrow it down, this time around we tweaked the rules: We focused only on bottled or canned beers that were released or made available for the first time in the United States this year. With the criteria set, we dug into our notes. We remembered some of the stunning new Belgian releases that arrived from Chimay, St-Feuillien and Westvleteren. We reminisced about the way Hangar 24 and Stone elevated the IPA with ingredients from the farm. And, most of all, we couldn’t forget the variety of exceptional farmhouse ales, from Cigar City’s Cucumber Saison to Ranger Creek’s smoke-infused Small Batch Series No. 2. It didn’t take long before a clear set of front-runners emerged, all defining the new look of craft beer.

Looking at this group as a whole, it’s evident that innovation is on equal footing with classic styles. Some releases reminded us that beer doesn’t have to be fancy to be awesome, while others weren’t just outside the box; they were nowhere near it. Brewers formed new partnerships that furthered the relationship between beer and the worlds of food and farms. Fruits, vegetables and specialty grains like oatmeal and rye reimagined old styles. Brewers perfected novel techniques, and found new ways to harness the power of wood aging and smoke. This list is about groundbreakers, and these are the top 25 new beers of 2012. -Christopher Staten

Onto the list:
– Cigar City Cucumber Saison

–Bières de Chimay  Speciale Cent Cinquante – Belgian Golden Strong

– Sun King Brewing The Velvet Fog – Belgian Dark Strong

-Firestone Walker Wookey Jack – Speciality Beer

-Hangar 24 Essence – Imperial IPA/Fruit Beer

-Russian River Row 2 Hill 56 – Pale Ale

-Rogue Brewing Bacon Maple – Speciality Brew

-Fort George Sunrise OPA – Specialty Brew

-Ranger Creek Brewing Small Batch Series No. 2 – Smoked Beer

-Maui Brewing/Dogfish Head Collaboration  Liquid Breadfruit – Specialty Beer

-Brewery Vivant/New Belgium Collaboration Escoffier – Belgian Specialty Ale

-Funkwerks Brett Dream – Saison

-4 Hands Brewing Prunus Saison

-DuClaw Brewing X-1 – Speciality brew

– Ölvisholt Brugghús Lava – Smoked beer

-Drake’s Brewing Alpha Session – Bitter

-Stone Brewing 16th Anniversary IPA

– Brouwerij Westvleteren Trappist Westvletern 12 – Belgian Dark Strong

-Founders Bolt Cutter – Barleywine

-Boulevard Brewing Lovechild No. 2 – Wild Ale

-Left Hand Brewing Nitro Milk Stout – Sweet Stout

-Urban Chestnut Brewing Zwickel – Zwickelbier

-Heavy Seas Plank II – Wood-Aged beer

-Mikkeller 19 – American IPA

– Brasserie St-Feuillien Grand Cru – Belgian Golden Strong

Anything you think is missing? I would like to have seen Stone Enjoy By on this list as well.