The Top 10 is here! Once again blown away by the amazing beers that our Iowa brewers and their staff have made for us this year! Huge thank you to all service industry workers! Cheers to you! Onto the TOP 10!
LIST CRITERIA
*Beer must have been brewed in Iowa
*Beer must have been released in 2025

Like every list, I know opinions will differ, and I’m looking forward to reading what your top 10 list was for this year! Once again, so many beers, so little time, and I know I wasn’t able to even scratch the surface as to the beers I wanted to try and thankfully I’ve had the help of The Duke of Drinking and Sherlock Foams to help compile this list of greatness! HERE WE GO!

**Clock House Brewing** – Surround by Nuts – 13% ABV – “A decadent long-boil imperial stout aged in Koenig Maple Bourbon barrels and finished on cacao nibs, Madagascar Vanilla, dry-roasted peanuts, and Nutter Butters. Perfect for those moments when your relatives are a little…nutty. “
A surprise release during the Cousin Eddie party on Thanksgiving morning, Surrounded by Nuts was the perfect accompaniment to a post Thanksgiving feast for dessert or for some folks the perfect way to start their Thanksgiving morning. Either way, Clock House once again delivers at top brew.

**Dimensional Brewing** – KICKS – 15.6% ABV – “Non-adjunct imperial stout that is a blend of some of our finest tasting whiskey barrels from our friends at Blaum Brothers Distilling Co. and Starks Sport Shop.”
Rich, boozy, and decadent, with whiskey barrel notes. It’s a sipper kind of beer, but so good that you may just keep on sipping. Another fantastic offering from Dimensional!

**Pulpit Rock** – Malaka – 8.1% ABV – “Double IPA with Nectaron, Riwaka, and Citra hops. Brewed in collaboration with Seven Islands Brewing from Greece.”
One of the more aromatic doubles I’ve had in quite some time, and luckily Need Pizza had this baby on tap so I got to dabble more than once. Wonderful done double IPA!

**Ten Wasp** – Cake Eater – 14% ABV – A German Chocolate stout with pecans, coconut, cocoa nibs, and vanilla beans. I was able to have a glass of this at the Iowa Craft Beer Bash held at Millstream Brewing in the Amanas. I love what Ten Wasp does, and the people behind it are even better. Hoping and looking forward to more of their offerings in the Cedar Rapids area this year!

**Twin Span Brewing** – Lemon Pound Cake – 12.5% ABV – “33 hours boil stout with loads of white wedding cake, lemon puree, and a touch of cinnamon! OH MY!” Had this at the Craft Beer Bash as well and thought it was absolutely delicious. I need to spend more time at the breweries in the Quad Cities, not only does Twin Span make good beer, their food always looks amazing!

**Big Grove Brewing** – Richard the Whale Golden Ticket – 11.5% ABV – “Inspired by German chocolate cake, we blended this Extra Special batch of Richard the Whale infused with toasted coconut, pecans, and Grade A vanilla beans.” Another very limited release, but if you played your cards right you were at least able to get a pour at one of Big Grove’s locations across the state. This beer is the definition of balance and once again is a beer of the year nominee.

**Lua Brewing/Dimensional Brewing** – Aibohphobia – 14.8% ABV – “Imperial Stout aged 32 months in Willett Bourbon barrels, then rested on toasted and raw coconut, honey roasted peanuts and peanut butter. Brewed in collaboration with Lua Brewing.” Another big stout on the list for this year. This beer is intensely rich and unctuous and is a perfect beer to share with other big stout loving friends!

**Field Day** – Perilous – 14.6% ABV – “Perilous 2025 rested in bourbon barrels for over 18 months and then was blended with coconut, vanilla, and chocolate.” Field Day releases are always a guarantee of something truly delicious. A good reason why they quickly became one of Iowa’s best breweries.

**Ten Wasp Brewing** – Wendy’s a Lifeguard – 7.4% ABV – “Simcoe, Vic Secret, Mosaic and Citra Hops- lots of mango & passionfruit.” Although 7.4% may catch up to you, I remember my first thought after a few sips of this brew was, “I could drink this all day!” Maybe not all day, but I feel like at least a few more wouldn’t hurt. Hoping to see this juicy IPA down the road again!

**Dimensional Brewing** – Well Placed Smile – 8.3% ABV – “Hazy Double IPA with Citra, Citra Cryo, Citra Hyperboost, and Citra Quantum.” Another from Dimensional as the fellas in Dubuque continue to push out truly remarkable beers. A wonderful year for them and some amazing accolades given to them as well. This hazy double is juicy and delicious. I’d like to see them make this more often, but I also love all the new brews Dimensional brings out!

There you have it! Our best beers of 2025! Let us know what you think and what your list would look like! 2025 should be outstanding for Iowa Beer! Cheers! Join the Iowa Beer Facebook group by clicking HERE: