The Best Breweries of 2023

Brewery Awards

Each year, we acknowledge the breweries that collectively produced the highest-rated beers as evaluated in our Official Review. 2023 delivered no shortage of high-quality brews ranging from hopped-up hazy IPAs to rich and roasty barrel-aged stouts alongside many other offerings from breweries around the world. Read on to explore 2023’s best breweries!

How We Award

We look at the top three highest-scoring beers (as rated by our judging panel) for each brewery in the calendar year.

We then consider how many of the three place into the 100 to 96: World Class category and the 95 to 91: Exceptional category. For example, a brewery with two world-class beers and one exceptional would rate higher than a brewery with a single higher-scoring world-class beer and two exceptional beers.

The brewery with the most World Class beers followed by the most Exceptional beers is awarded the Brewery of the Year.

If two or more breweries have the same number of World Class and Exceptional beers, then the brewery with the highest point total wins.

In the event of a tie in point total, we look at the highest score total among the brewery’s two top-scoring beers.

Congratulations to this year’s winners! Cheers!

New Realm Brewing

1 World Class Beer
2 Exceptional Beers
Total Score: 286

Highest-scoring beers:
Tank Dog West Coast Imperial IPA – Rated 97
Haze Dipper – Rated 95
Blackberry Smoke Lager – Rated 94

New Realm Brewing in Atlanta, Georgia is the second runner-up for Brewery of the Year in 2023. Co-founded by Mitch Steele, the pioneering brewer responsible for many a classic IPA at Stone Brewing, in 2016, New Realm has quickly grown into an ATL favorite with its terrific hoppy ales.

The brewery’s top-scoring beer this year was Tank Dog West Coast Imperial IPA, an imperial-strength offering in New Realm’s Single Serve IPAs series. West Coast IPAs are seemingly on the rise in the new year, and this high-ABV version is sure to be a highly sought after rendition wherever it’s available. The brewery is going for something of an aggressive vibe with this beer, as the line’s slogan indicates: “Tank Dog is more than a beer, it’s a mindset. When Life Barks, Bite Back!” Our judge Dan Martich agreed, as he proclaimed: “A delicious beer and one that’s hard to put down, it drinks more like a regular-strength IPA rather than an imperial, yet the body reminds you of a bolder, more flavorful example of the style.”

Next up was Haze Dipper, an easy-drinking American pale ale that clocked in at 5.3% ABV. APAs are becoming harder and harder to find out in the wild, but leave it to Mitch Steele and the New Realm brewing team to deliver an extremely high-quality pale ale that is sure to have fans of the style jumping for joy. Of course, seeing as New Realm is on the forefront of trends, this is a “hazy juicy pale ale,” but that doesn’t take away from its quality, as our judge Joseph Formanek called it “very approachable and eminently quaffable.”

New Realm’s final high-scoring beer was Blackberry Smoke Lager, which is a collaboration with southern rock legends Blackberry Smoke that won a Great American Beer Festival gold medal for Contemporary American-Style Lager in 2022 (and a bronze in 2023). Our judge Scott Birdwell agreed with those plaudits as he called the delectable lager “a marvelously well-balanced thirst quencher.”

Double IPA
An incredible hazy DIPA, this delectably hoppy brew is bold and flavorful. As its slogan says: “When Life Barks, Bite Back!”

American Pale Ale
This juicy, hazy APA features a lower ABV than many other hopped-up hazies. This easy drinker would go well with any occasion.

American Lager
Smooth, delightful and eminently quaffable, this American lager is a collaboration between New Realm and southern rock legends Blackberry Smoke.

Garage Brewing Co.

1 World Class Beer
2 Exceptional Beers
Total Score: 288

Highest-scoring beers:
Classic Hazy Double IPA – Rated 99
Ruby’s Red – Rated 95
Prickly Pear Hef – Rated 94

Our first runner-up for Brewery of the Year 2023 is Garage Brewing Co. of Murrieta, California. Founded in 2013 with a name that honors where the craft brewing industry originated (in brewers’ garages), Garage had a tremendous year in our Official Review in 2023.

Garage’s top-scoring beer was a true masterpiece: Classic Hazy Double IPA achieved a rating of 99 – one of only six scores of 99 that we have ever had the privilege to evaluate in our Official Review! Its name certainly serves as an indicator, as this one is destined to become a “classic” in both the hazy IPA and double IPA styles. Our judge Nelson Crowle was effusive in his praise for this tremendous brew: “This was an amazing and complex beer – one of the best this judge has ever had the privilege to sample. As the beer sits a bit more, that herbaceous note continues to develop, only adding to its complexity and intrigue. Drink this with any protein – Thai chicken, brisket with heavy rub, butter and garlic scallops – and be prepared to enjoy one of the best food and beer pairings you’ll ever experience. Of course, drinking it on its own would also work, as this is the best hazy IPA I’ve ever had.”

The brewery’s second high scorer was Ruby’s Red, an Irish red ale that clocked in at 6.1% ABV. This smooth, easy-drinking, well-balanced and fairly sweet red ale was notable for being a near-perfect example of its style. Irish reds are not that commonplace anymore, so finding a top-tier version is sure to make fans of the style rejoice.

Last but far from least, Garage’s final high-scoring brew was Prickly Pear Hef, a wheat ale that was brewed with prickly pear. This famed cactus fruit was a perfect accompaniment to the beer’s underlying style, and its lightly perfumy and sweetly fruity aromas and flavors were especially noteworthy.

Hazy IPA
A true masterpiece. Balanced, crisp, flavorful, aromatic and downright delicious, this 99-rated hazy IPA is sure to stand the test of time.

Irish Red Ale
Sweet, smooth, easy-drinking and well-balanced, this exceptional Irish red is among the best of its kind available today.

Fruit Beer
Brewed with the intriguing cactus fruit prickly pear, this wheat ale is fascinatingly flavorful and a true joy to drink.

Wild Leap Brew Co.

308 Main Street
LaGrange, GA 30240

Tel.: (706) 298-6400
www.wildleap.com

Congratulations to Wild Leap Brew Co. of LaGrange, Georgia for being named The Beer Connoisseur’s 2023 Brewery of the Year!

2023 was a terrific year for our Official Review and, by extension, our Brewery of the Year had to deliver some extremely high-quality brews to best the competition. Just like it did when it was named 2021 Brewery of the Year, Wild Leap submitted three beers that achieved World Class scores of 96 or above. Beyond Wild Leap’s contributions, we reviewed an impressive 12 beers that achieved World Class ratings, including a staggering eight scores of 97 or above – one of which was a score of 99! That marks only the sixth time ever that score has been achieved in our history, though it is the second straight year that a beer has been evaluated with a rating of 99. The quality of craft beer continues to remain high!

The story of Wild Leap begins with founders Anthony Rodriguez and Rob Goldstein meeting at a networking event when they were working in events and craft beer, respectively. They started hosting events together, beginning with a New Year’s Eve party at an Atlanta establishment and moved on to organize other large-scale gatherings including craft beer festivals, mixers, live music performances and much more. The duo decided to organize a craft beer festival in LaGrange, Georgia, which was actually something of a litmus test to see if there was a market for craft beer in the area. After the festival, the results were in – thousands flocked to this small Georgia town, and, with that, Wild Leap (and a thriving LaGrange beer scene) was born.

One quote that you’ll find frequently on Wild Leap Brew Co.’s website is: “If you don’t do wild things when you’re young, you’ll have nothing to smile about when you’re old.” That mantra serves the brewery well, as it has already achieved tremendous success in only six years of existence after opening its doors in 2017. Immediate recognition occurred in 2019 when it was awarded Best New Brewery of 2019 by USA Today’s 10 Best Readers Choice Awards, and the brewery rolled out their first craft spirit, Wild Leap Vodka soon thereafter. In January 2023, Wild Leap opened an Atlanta location that boasts a multi-level, 15,340 square-foot space just steps from sports stadiums Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena.

Of course, the brewery wouldn’t be as successful as it is today without some terrific brews. That’s where Chief Brewing Officer Chris Elliott comes in. “An expert in capturing mouthwatering flavors through inventive brewing techniques, Elliott’s approach to craft beer was pivotal in bringing the Wild Leap dream to life,” the brewery’s website states. “A long-time friend of Anthony’s, Elliott’s inquisitive nature, progressive ideas and love for experimenting is why he’s called the Wild Leap mad scientist (and its Chief Brewing Officer, when he’s behaving!)”

That mad science certainly works wonders for Wild Leap, and with two Brewery of the Year titles in a matter of three years, Wild Leap Brew Co. is putting together an extended run of success that is hugely impressive.

Cheers to a great year and a terrific brewery!

Wild Leap Brew Co.

3 World Class Beers
Total Score: 291

Highest-scoring beers:
Lone Buffalo: Cinnamon Maple Vanilla Barrel Aged Stout – Rated 97
Side Bae Double IPA: Idaho 7 – Rated 97
Alpha Abstraction Vol. 22 – Rated 97

Much like Wild Leap’s Brewery of the Year showing in 2021, it delivered three incredible brews that achieved World Class ratings – one barrel-aged stout with zero (that’s right, nada) adjuncts and two delightful double IPAs (including, once again, a member of the brewery’s famed Alpha Abstraction series).

The brewery’s top-scoring beer was Lone Buffalo: Cinnamon Maple Vanilla Barrel Aged Stout. This tremendous work of brewing art was released as part of the brewery’s highly regarded Lone Buffalo series, which uses a different barrel for each release. This rendition was aged in an ex-whiskey, cinnamon maple syrup vanilla extract barrel. As such, all of the complex aromas and flavors of aged malt, maple, raisin, sweet bourbon, rich brown pipe tobacco, cinnamon, caramel and toffee come from the barrel – and nothing else. This is an amazing achievement by Chris Elliott and the Wild Leap brewing team, and it paid off for anyone who was lucky enough to get their hands on this extremely limited-release offering.

Next up was a new entry into the brewery’s Side Bae series, Side Bae Double IPA: Idaho 7. This series is known for its off-the-wall and experimental recipes. Often, these brews are massively hoppy and feature only a single, unusual hop varietal. In this case, Wild Leap opted for Idaho 7 cryo hops for a huge tropical fruit kick up front (prominent mango, orange and pineapple) with light bready malt and cookie dough sweetness following along for balance. While definitely hoppy, this brew is well balanced and the bitterness is understated and appropriate, providing a perfect canvas for the flavors to play upon drinkers’ palates.

Wild Leap’s final top-scoring beer was part of another of the brewery’s famed series: Alpha Abstraction Vol. 22 serves as the 22nd installment in the brewery’s uber-popular Alpha Abstraction series. According to Chris Elliott, “Abstract has a double meaning. Like a medical abstract, this is the flavorful summary of our findings on a particular alpha and hop blend; and also, abstract art, because double dry hopping is an art form in itself.” Certainly, the brewery’s use of the up-and-coming Nectaron varietal helped to cement this brew’s high score, as our judge adored its bright, prominent hop character in the aroma and flavor.

Specialty Wood-Aged Beer
This beer was aged in an ex-whiskey, cinnamon maple syrup vanilla extract barrel, which provided all of its rich aromas and flavors.

Hazy IPA
Featuring Idaho 7 cryo hops, this crisp and delectable hazy IPA delivers tremendous hop complexity in an easy-drinking, flavorful package.

Hazy IPA
The Alpha Abstraction series is a notable feather in the cap of Wild Leap, and it’s still delivering amazing IPAs well into its 22nd iteration.