Start 14-Day Trial Subscription
*No credit card required
The Beer Connoisseur Announces Its Top-Rated Beers and Best Breweries of 2019
Atlanta, GA (Jan. 13, 2020) The Beer Connoisseur® is excited to announce the top-rated beers and best breweries of 2019 in its Winter 2020, Issue 46. Each year The Beer Connoisseur compiles the highest ratings from its Official Review and awards the top three breweries with the three collective highest-rated beers for publication in its winter edition. The Official Review is a single-blind review of beer and cider by the publication’s panel that evaluates approximately 500 entries annually submitted by brewers from around the world.
In 2019, eleven beers received the designation of “World Class” with a 96 rating:
#11 - Juicy Harvest by Upland Brewing Co. / Bloomington, IN (Rated 96, World Class)
#10 - Sonoma Tart by Bear Republic Brewing Co. / Cloverdale, CA (Rated 96, World Class)
#9 - Oak Barrel Aged Flanders Red Ale by Moody Tongue Brewing Co. / Chicago, IL (Rated 96, World Class)
#8 - The Sage by Archetype Brewing / Asheville, NC (Rated 96, World Class)
#7 - Brouwer’s 14th Anniversary by pFriem Family Brewers / Hood River, OR (Rated 96, World Class)
#6 - Festbier by East Brother Beer Co. / Richmond, CA (Rated 96, World Class)
#5 - Oude Kriek by pFriem Family Brewers / Hood River, OR (Rated 96, World Class)
#4 - Irish Coffee Barrel-Aged Legion by Community Beer Co. / Dallas, TX (Rated 96, World Class)
#3 - Stranger Danger by Monday Night Brewing / Atlanta, GA (Rated 96, World Class)
#2 - Cruise Control by Two Roads Brewing Co. / Stratford, CT (Rated 96, World Class)
…and #1, the Best Beer of 2019 is Terrible, a Belgian Dark Strong Ale by Unibroue from Chambly, Quebec, Canada (Rated 96, World Class).
Congratulations to the brewers of these truly world-class beers!
The Beer in Review also awards top three breweries that produced the three collective highest-rated beers of the year. 2019’s second runner-up is Monday Night Brewing of Atlanta, Georgia. The brewery received one 96 World Class rating with Stranger Danger, an Experimental Beer brewed with chocolate and peanut butter and two 94 Exceptional ratings with Lundi, an IPA and Currant Events, a sour beer brewed with black currants.
First runner-up is Upland Brewing Co. of Bloomington, Indiana, which submitted Juicy Harvest, a hazy IPA that received a 96 World Class rating and two Exceptional reviews with Bockness Monster, a Specialty Wood-Aged Beer rated 95 and Twain, a fascinating Mixed-Style Beer rated 94.
2019’s winning brewery is a familiar name. For the third time in four years, pFriem Family Brewers of Hood River, Oregon is awarded Brewery of the Year and is subsequently the most distinguished brewery in the 10-year history of The Beer Connoisseur.
“We have a highly accomplished panel consisting of a number of Grand Master BJCP judges,” says Lynn Davis founder, editor and publisher. “pFriem has done well over the years by submitting many of their beers to our Official Review that represent a range of beer styles. Our review is blind and greatly controlled in order to eliminate all bias. In our ten years of publishing, there has not been another brewery that consistently receives as many World Class and Exceptional ratings from our panel as pFriem. In fact, no other brewery even comes close. pFriem is unequivocally The Beer Connoisseur’s best brewery of all time. This is not our editorial opinion. This is a fact as demonstrated by the reviews. Congratulations to pFriem on earning my personal designation as The Beer Connoisseur’s best brewery of all time!”
pFriem submitted two beers in 2019 rated 96 World Class with Oude Kriek and Brouwer’s 14th Anniversary, two delectable Fruit Lambics with ample complexity. The brewery submitted eight beers in 2019 that scored Exceptional ratings (95-91), including the fascinating coffee beer Golden Coffee Pale, which scored a 95. These three beers combined for 287 points out of the maximum of 300 and landed them the top spot as Brewery of the Year.
“We have reviewed thousands of beers from what others consider to be the world’s best breweries,” continues Lynn. “In our review, none have come close to producing the quantity of World Class and Exceptional beers as pFriem. It’s really striking and an incredible accomplishment.”
The Winter 2020, Issue 46 not only showcases 2019’s best beer and breweries, it also takes an insider’s look into important emerging trends within the beer industry with interviews and perspectives from some of the top minds on consumer trends, craft beer trends, restaurant trends, emerging beer styles and hops.
The Beer in Review is currently on sale in print for $12.00 U.S., $16.00 Canada and $23.00 International and may be purchased as single copies, bulk copies or included as a premium subscription option worldwide.
Purchase your copy today before the edition sells out!
Premium Subscriptions ($15 US, $19 CAN, $26 INT)
https://beerconnoisseur.com/premium-subscription
Single & Bulk Copies ($12 US, $16 CAN, $23 INT)
https://beerconnoisseur.com/annual-print-edition
Gift Subscriptions
https://beerconnoisseur.com/gift-subscription
Magazine excerpts are broadcast periodically to The Beer Connoisseur’s social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter. Follow us today to stay up to date on our latest news, stories and reviews.
Facebook: @beerconnoisseur
Instagram: @beerconnoisseurmag
LinkedIn: The Beer Connoisseur
Pinterest: The Beer Connoisseur
Twitter: @beerconnoisseur
For more information about The Beer Connoisseur and its editorial coverage or for interview opportunities with Founder, Editor and Publisher Lynn Davis, please email [email protected].
About The Beer Connoisseur®: Delve into the world's premier beer magazine as it explores beer culture in America and abroad. Subscribers will find in-depth articles covering industry & people, news, food & travel, beer & trends, education, brewery tours, beer reviews and more! With over 8 million readers annually, The Beer Connoisseur is one of the highest read media sources covering the beer industry.
Learn more:
Website: BeerConnoisseur.com
Subscriptions: BeerConnoisseur.com/Premium-Subscription
Store: BeerConnoisseur.com/Store
Social media:
Facebook: @beerconnoisseur
Instagram: @beerconnoisseurmag
LinkedIn: The Beer Connoisseur
Pinterest: The Beer Connoisseur
Twitter: @beerconnoisseur