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50 Top-Rated Beers from 50 Issues of The Beer Connoisseur
98
The Topsail
Cape May Brewing Co.
Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer
Reviewed by Dan Martich
The aroma of this beer is inviting with lots of ripe pineapple, green mangoes, red apples, ripe pear, and light citrus fruity esters. The grainy malt character is secondary. Sink your nose into the glass, and you'll find the straw and hay notes of this sour ale. It pours light golden yellow with a firm haziness and thick foamy head that lasts and lasts. The first sip reveals a medium-light ripe pineapple note... CONTINUE READING
96
Four Seasons Spring '17
Mother Earth Brewing Co.
Fruit Beer
Reviewed by Randy Scorby
This beer is marketed as a dry hopped saison brewed with kumquats, and it delivers with a solid representation of the base beer combined with a well-integrated character from the kumquats. It pours a light gold color with near brilliant clarity, and a creamy white head that lasts throughout. The aroma greets the drinker with a moderate black pepper phenol quickly followed by a light orange citrus character. A moderate and slight rich bready maltiness and crackers seasoned with black pepper emerge closely behind. The flavor follows... CONTINUE READING
97
Four Seasons Winter '16
Mother Earth Brewing Co.
Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer
Reviewed by John C. Tull
A robust coffee aroma leaps out of the glass. Dark malts blend with the coffee as a rich chocolate and roasty undertone; hints of caramel, vanilla, and alcohol sweetness are layered in as well. The color is black like coal smoke from an 1800’s London industrial smokestack. Held up against the light, you can just make some light through the beer along the very top edge of the glass. A velvety froth of dark tan, nearly brown bubbles covers much of the surface. The flavor is led with a bit of coffee... CONTINUE READING
97
Rodenbach Vintage 2015
Brouwerij Rodenbach
Flanders Red Ale
Reviewed by James Link
A potpourri of aromas is immediately upon you at initial pour. Intensely fruity, tart and vinous with a touch of oak in the background.A medium off white head is supported by a reddish-hued beer which is quite clear. This is a very complex beer with lots going on. Fruitiness perceived in the aroma is more cherry like in the flavor. The aforementioned tartness as provided by the bacteria and Brettanomyces used here during fermentation is subdued and marries well with the other components and is... CONTINUE READING
96
Nitro Irish Stout
Breckenridge Brewery
Irish Stout
Reviewed by Michael Heniff
This stout pours an opaque pitch black with a very finely beaded creamy tan head. The aroma is prominent, rich dark malts with aromas of roasted espresso, chocolate and toasted malts. The flavor is similarly and appropriately malt-focused with a rich, flavorful blend of roasted espresso and dark chocolate malt flavors. The body is medium and very velvety smooth. The finish is lightly bittered with a rich, complex malt depth of coffee and dark chocolates lingering for a long time... CONTINUE READING
96
Tunnel Vision DDH with Citra
Bearded Iris Brewing
American IPA
Reviewed by Sal Mortillaro II
This beer pours a deep gold color with opaque clarity due to the use of dry hopping. A modest off-white head forms but dissipates fairly quickly. As the beer is imbibed, it leaves a lovely lacing on the glass. On the nose is a moderately high juicy mandarin orange profile with low notes of pineapple taking the forefront on this beer. A low level of malt sweetness helps support the hop aroma and makes the beer almost candy-like. Any esters in the beer are lost behind the fairly intense hop character. Light wisps of alcohol are apparent... CONTINUE READING
98
Privat
Brauhaus Riegele
Festbier
Reviewed by Michael Bury
At first glance, the effervescent bubbles rapidly climb through this brilliantly clear, light golden beer and help to support a stand of white foam. The appearance of this beer is just the tip of the near-perfect iceberg however. The clean lager fermentation allows the hops, but especially the malt, to shine through. Moderately-low light toasted malt with a soft doughiness mingles with the characteristic qualities of noble hops: floral and spice. Sip after sip, you’ll be greeted with lightly toasted malt, notes of graham cracker, honey and a subtle doughiness. Medium-low floral hops with a restrained spiciness and a similar level of bitterness perfectly balances the malt. You’ll find no faults in the fermentation... CONTINUE READING
97
Mexican Empire
Arches Brewing
Vienna Lager
Reviewed by Sean Coughlin
The initial aroma of this beer is all malt – toasted bread and bread crust are prominent. The malt aroma is straightforward and does a great job of displaying a rich breadiness/nuttiness without adding anything superficial. There are no hops or other aromatics present and the fermentation profile is exceptionally clean without any hint of sulfur or fruitiness. The beer is an attractive amber with a strong, tightly packed light-khaki head. The clarity on this beer is exceptional and highlights an appearance that truly whets the appetite. The flavor follows the aroma... CONTINUE READING
97
Seedstock Dusseldorf Alt
Seedstock Brewery
Altbier
Reviewed by Michael Bury
The nose is quite malt-forward with toast, brown bread and a bit of baker’s chocolate. Restrained prunes and light floral hop presence provides intrigue. The flavor of this beer is similar to the aroma but, again, with a bit more intensity. Above average brown bread, hints of nuts and dark fruit are balanced by the moderately high bitterness, which ultimately tilts the balance in its favor. It’s cleanly fermented with no off-flavors... CONTINUE READING
96
Rupture
Odell Brewing Co.
American Pale Ale
Reviewed by Rick Franckhauser
Rupture does, in fact, rupture out of the glass with super fresh grassy, herbal and lemony citrus hop aromatics. Imagine sticking your face in two big handfuls of fresh hops. Once you acclimate to the hops you get hints of slightly sweet and grainy malts with a touch of light toast. Super inviting. The beer pours a light golden color with good clarity and a creamy white head. Millions of tiny bubbles stream up, assisting in sustaining the head throughout. A beautiful beer. The flavor follows the aromatics by delivering those fresh hops to the palate. Resinous with lemon zest and a touch of grassy... CONTINUE READING
96
Sonoma Tart
Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Wild Specialty Beer
Reviewed by Randy Scorby
Sonoma Tart pours a deep, hazy yellow with a white head that lingers. The aroma starts with prominent mixed passion fruit that eventually gives way to an identifiable guava character. A light tartness in the nose, light candied orange and bready malt notes emerge as it warms. Although the passion fruit is prominent the overall aroma is fairly complex. The flavor follows with pronounced guava, mango, light pineapple and candied orange. A moderate and clean lactic sourness balances the light residual sweetness that emerges mid-palate, along with a very light hop bitterness and bready malt. The lactic... CONTINUE READING
95
pFriem Golden Coffee Pale
pFriem Family Brewers
Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer
Reviewed by Randy Scorby
The beer has a light cracker malt front rounded by faint herb/coffee with an initial citrus-leaf angle, with the nice light malt underlain by aromatics with dark earthy notes. Upon swirling, a big, fresh, light coffee bean (un-ground, rich, but relatively light/Vienna roast) comes out. Off-dry overall and really, really nice. The coffee aroma mixed with the light malt sweetness is very well-balanced. A biscuity-cereal malt start goes quickly to a firm and assertive coffee (Vienna roast, again) note that seems to substitute largely for bitterness with mid-palate flavors of lovely cracker malt... CONTINUE READING
96
Oak Barrel Aged Flanders Red Ale
Moody Tongue Brewing Co.
Flanders Red Ale
Reviewed by John C. Tull
Notes of acetic acid linger on a bed of cherry fruit with hints of wood and leather. The acidity is restrained, but unmistakable. The color is a dark copper-garnet, very clear with just a faint head on the glass’s edge that is off-white. The flavor is acidic and fruity expressing both good development of the wild yeast character and a rich pie-cherry fruit. The malt is not overworked, and a good malt sweetness balances the acidity nicely. I would characterize the malt and acidity as being... CONTINUE READING
96
Brouwer's 14th Anniversary
pFriem Family Brewers
Fruit Lambic
Reviewed by Michael Heniff
14th Anniversary pours golden in color with a slight haze and a fading rim of white head. The aroma is moderately funky with aromas of hay, barnyard, and a hint of horse blanket along with a hint of cherry-like dark fruit. The flavor is moderate-light lactic sourness with a light sweetness and black cherry-like dark fruit. The funky characters take a background in the flavor but there is still a trace of leather and hay. The complexity... CONTINUE READING
96
Terrible
Unibroue
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Reviewed by David Sapsis
The nose is redolent with dark caramel and light cocoa with dark-dried fruit and nuts, and a side of dried herbs and molasses. Ethanol is evident in spades. Absolutely full, rich, alcoholic and sweetly dark in the nose, it is immensely alluring. The flavor starts with a dark caramel malt and trails quickly to a low-but-there bitterness with mid-palate flavors of dark fruit (dates, black cherries), modest spice, some faint chocolate and dark Brazil nut, and a hit of molasses at... CONTINUE READING