Top 100 Beers of 2024
The best of The Beer Connoisseur® magazine's Official Review in 2024, including a record-tying 14 World Class-rated beers with two nabbing elusive scores of 98.
Story by:
Editorial Dept.
Each year, we collect the highest-scoring beers evaluated in the Official Review and compile them into a definitive list of the finest examples. 2024 was a terrific year for brewing, and we’ve collected the best of the best in the world of beer for you to delve into.
2024 marked a major shift in consumer trends when it comes to beer consumption, as non-alcoholic beers exploded in popularity and hop fatigue seemed to set in, as IPAs tumbled and lagers rose to prominence. Despite those broad stroke takes, 2024 was an amazing year for our Official Review.
A staggering 14 beers achieved our vaunted World Class rating, which tied the record for most beers with scores above 96. A plethora of styles represent our world-class beers, but lagers make up an impressive four selections, with fruit lambics, IPAs, pale ales and specialty wood-aged beers also present among our top beers of the year, alongside many more top-tier examples of brewing excellence. These are just a few of the multitude of beer styles found within, so read on to explore the Top 100 Beers of 2024. Cheers!
Read More
While you’re unlikely to find any in this list, some large-scale brewers still rely on the traditional isinglass beer filter method to achieve that clean, polished finish that defines a top-flight lager.
ABOUT THE OFFICIAL REVIEW
The Official Review is conducted in a single-blind tasting format that adheres to the Beer Judge Certification Program 2021 Style Guidelines. This method provides the best opportunity to rely on facts and to avoid favoritism, ensuring a level playing field for all brewers. It serves both the industry and the consumer to have unbiased and objective scores from qualified experts.
In an effort to provide the most credible evaluations, The Beer Connoisseur hand-selects judges with a minimum BJCP ranking of “National” or Master Cicerone®. Judges are required to work with an assistant that handles beer prior to evaluation, and breweries are not allowed to solicit judges directly.
In the single-blind tasting format, judges are presented with a chilled, properly poured beer and given its style category. Scoring is then done on the following basis using a 100-point scale: Aroma (24 points), Appearance (6 points), Flavor (40 points), Mouthfeel (10 points) and Overall Impression (20 points).
The score breakdown is as follows:
100 to 96: World Class – You need this beer in your life.
95 to 91: Exceptional – Don’t hesitate.
90 to 86: Very Good – A brew to savor.
85 to 75: Average – Somewhat unimpressive.
74 and below: Not Recommended – Just walk away.
#100
Rated 85
Kickflipper West Coast IPA
New Realm Brewing
#99
Rated 85
Pure Cider
Kelterei Possman
#98
Rated 85
Light ‘n Hoppy
Social Fox Brewing
#97
Rated 85
Place to Imagine – Apple Pie
Social Fox Brewing
#96
Rated 86
Saturnine Feline
Attic Brewing Co.
#95
Rated 86
Pure Cider Rosé
Kelterei Possman
#94
Rated 86
Excelsior Ground Control
Schilling Hard Cider
#93
Rated 86
Green’s Gluten Free Tripel Ale
Green’s Gluten Free Beers
#92
Rated 87
Weltenburger Hell
Weltenburger Kloster
#91
Rated 87
South Pacific IPA
pFriem Family Brewers
#90
Rated 87
Here We Go Hazy IPA
Kit NA Brewing
#89
Rated 87
Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout
Samuel Smith’s Brewery
#88
Rated 88
Stone Fight On! Pale Ale
Stone Brewing
#87
Rated 88
Hazy Dawn
Cape May Brewing Co.
#86
Rated 88
Clausthaler Original
Radeberger
#85
Rated 88
Vanilla Triple Dog
Abita Brewing Co.
#84
Rated 88
Frankfurter Apfelwein
Kelterei Possman
#83
Rated 88
Excelsior Imperial Apple
Schilling Hard Cider
#82
Rated 88
Cinnamon Roll Dunkel
Old 121 Brewhouse
#81
Rated 88
Stone 27th Anniversary Lemon Shark Double IPA
Stone Brewing
#80
Rated 89
Gouden Carolus Cuvée Van De Keizer Rood
Brouwerij Het Anker
#79
Rated 89
Barrel Aged Saison VII
pFriem Family Brewers
#78
Rated 89
Apfelwein Kirsch
Bembel With Care
#77
Rated 89
Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout
Samuel Smith’s Brewery
#76
Rated 89
Turd Ferguson
Moniker Brewery
#75
Rated 90
Mulled Cider
Kelterei Possman
#74
Rated 90
Apfelwein Gold
Bembel With Care
#73
Rated 90
Green’s Gluten Free Amber Ale
Green’s Gluten Free Beers
#72
Rated 90
Alpha Abstraction, Vol. 27
Wild Leap Brew Co.
#71
Rated 90
Double Barrel Imperial Korova
Gnarly Barley Brewing Co.
#70
Rated 90
Bretta V
pFriem Family Brewers
#69
Rated 90
Sinfully Wicked
The Original 40 Brewing Co.
#68
Rated 90
Lucente
Attic Brewing Co.
#67
Rated 90
Valkyrie Porter
Moniker Brewery
#66
Rated 90
Clausthaler IPA
Radeberger
#65
Rated 91
Haus Marg
Gnarly Barley Brewing Co.
#64
Rated 91
The Russets
Snow Capped Cider
#63
Rated 91
2024 Vinifera Saison
pFriem Family Brewers
#62
Rated 91
Hell or High Twilight
21st Amendment Brewery
#61
Rated 91
Früh Kölsch
Cölner Hofbräu Früh
#60
Rated 91
In Between Times – Hibiscus Blood Orange
Social Fox Brewing
#59
Rated 91
pFriem Rum Barrel-Aged Porter with Coconut
pFriem Family Brewers
#58
Rated 91
Amendment Lager
21st Amendment Brewery
#57
Rated 92
Old 121 Lager
Old 121 Brewhouse
#56
Rated 92
Green’s Gluten Free Dubbel Ale
Green’s Gluten Free Beers
#55
Rated 92
Bourbon Barrel Aged French Macaron Stout
pFriem Family Brewers
#54
Rated 92
Double Jucifer
Gnarly Barley Brewing Co.
#53
Rated 92
Sun Sick Day
Moniker Brewery
#52
Rated 92
Kanga Brew
New Realm Brewing
#51
Rated 92
Kingston Black
Snow Capped Cider
#50
Rated 92
Cryoscape Cold IPA
Batson River Brewing & Distilling
#49
Rated 92
Apple Pie-Secco
Nine Pin Ciderworks
#48
Rated 92
Praga Pilsner
Praga Brewing Group
#47
Rated 92
Gouden Carolus Imperial Dark
Brouwerij Het Anker
#46
Rated 92
Dad Strength IPA
Dad Strength Brewing
#45
Rated 92
For The Love of Lager: German-Style Pilsner
Wallenpaupack Brewing Co.
#44
Rated 92
Broad Blade
Shovel Town Brewery
#43
Rated 92
Old 121 ESB
Old 121 Brewhouse
#42
Rated 92
The Peanut Butter Solution
Gnarly Barley Brewing Co.
#41
Rated 93
Chaise Longue
The Establishment Brewing Co.
#40
Rated 93
Weltenburger Asam Bock
Weltenburger Kloster
#39
Rated 93
PsycHOPathy (2024)
MadTree Brewing Co.
#38
Rated 93
Peaceful Groove
New Realm Brewing
#37
Rated 93
Tasty IPA
Manhattan Brewing Co.
#36
Rated 93
Weltenburger Helle Weisse
Weltenburger Kloster
#35
Rated 93
Riverwest Stein NA
Lakefront Brewery
#34
Rated 93
Double Perpetual IPA
Tröegs Independent Brewing
#33
Rated 93
Green’s Gluten Free India Pale Ale
Green’s Gluten Free Beers
#32
Rated 94
Great Pumpkin
Elysian Brewing Co.
#31
Rated 94
pFriem Lager
pFriem Family Brewers
#30
Rated 94
Easternmost Double IPA
Batson River Brewing & Distilling
#29
Rated 94
pFriem Hazy IPA (2024)
pFriem Family Brewers
#28
Rated 94
Lime of the Party
New Realm Brewing
#27
Rated 94
HelleSent
Wallenpaupack Brewing Co.
#26
Rated 94
Thomas Hardy’s Ale, Golden Edition 2018
Meantime Brewing Co.
#25
Rated 94
Ube Hazy IPA
Garage Brewing Co.
#24
Rated 94
Tropical Mist
Pure Project Brewing
#23
Rated 94
99Xperiment
Mutation Brewing
#22
Rated 95
Place to Imagine Vol. 4 – Blueberry Pie
Social Fox Brewing
#21
Rated 95
Tiers for Years
Ivanhoe Park Brewing
#20
Rated 95
New Grist IPA
Lakefront Brewery
#19
Rated 95
Lagered Hedonism 03
Moniker Brewery
#18
Rated 95
Andechser Hell
Kloster Andechs
#17
Rated 95
Dark Woods Barrel-Aged Stout
Batson River Brewing & Distilling
#16
Rated 95
Quince
Nine Pin Ciderworks
#15
Rated 95
Get Set Wheat
Kit NA Brewing
#14
Rated 96
Nelson Pale
pFriem Family Brewers
#13
Rated 96
Andechser Weissbier Hell
Kloster Andechs
#12
Rated 96
Kriek Black Pepper Lambicus
Brouwerij Timmermans
#11
Rated 96
Dive Beer
Lakefront Brewery
#10
Rated 96
Rain
Pure Project Brewing
#9
Rated 96
Grape Expectations
Irrigation Ales
#8
Rated 96
Green’s Gluten Free Dry-Hopped Lager
Green’s Gluten Free Beers
#7
Rated 97
Andechser Doppelbock Dunkel
Kloster Andechs
#6
Rated 97
Lagered Hedonism 01
Moniker Brewery
#5
Rated 97
Framboise Hibiscus Lambicus
Brouwerij Timmermans
#4
Rated 97
pFriem Double IPA
pFriem Family Brewers
#3
Rated 97
Corylus
Pure Project Brewing
#2
Rated 98
Andechser Weissbier Dunkel
Kloster Andechs
#1
Rated 98
Acadian Skies
Batson River Brewing & Distilling
Batson River Brewing & Distilling Head Brewer Dan Stampone Talks Acadian Skies
Who was responsible for this beer’s recipe?
I developed this recipe shortly after joining Batson River Brewing & Distilling. As we began to define our identity as a brewery, I took a deep look inward at who we wanted to be and what we wanted as our core offerings. My passion for lagers led me to take a different approach; instead of creating a porter or stout as our year-round dark beer, I opted for a Schwarzbier that aligns with our focus on clean, balanced and approachable beers. This recipe is challenging and demands a high level of attention to all the small details.
What sets this beer apart from other examples within the style?
I’m a huge Schwarzbier fan, so I’ve done my research! I set out to create a flavorful dark beer that’s refreshing enough for people to enjoy several pints in one sitting. I love the way this beer finishes – it’s crisp and clean, really clearing out the palate. For me, that’s paramount in any lager and a quality one might not expect to find in a dark lager like Acadian Skies.
What makes this beer truly World Class?
It’s the finer details, though perhaps I geek out on them too much. There’s so much to look for in a beer of this style that discovering those elements is endlessly satisfying. We dial in our water profile true to style; the hops provide the right amount of bitterness to support the complex malt profile; our yeast selection creates that Goldilocks attenuation required for an addictively refreshing finish that keeps you coming back from more. When it all comes together, it’s just this feeling of: “Yes, this is how we envisioned it, and we accomplished exactly that!”
What is your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, mouthfeel, etc.)?
Hands down, it’s the balance. You get all the roasted coffee notes you want from the style without overpowering the drinkability. It’s like a piece of music with highs, lows and mid-tones. The complexity created by the seven different malts we utilize could easily take over, but the crisp finish provides a harmony that ties it all together.
How popular is this beer among your faithful fans?
Dark lagers are gaining momentum here in Maine. We have a growing customer base that is passionate about Acadian Skies. Of course, being given a 98 rating from you guys has helped it gain some attention! At the end of the day, it’s rewarding to get it in people’s hands because once they try it, they love it.
Comments 0
No Readers' Pick yet.