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Top 100 Beers of 2019
Each year, we collect the highest-scoring beers evaluated in the Official Review and combine them into a list of the finest examples. 2019 saw the continuation of the hazy IPA trend into being a hallmark style with real staying power, as many of our hoppy IPAs, pale ales, double IPAs and session IPAs featured hazy, unfiltered elements.
All manner of sour beers, ranging from goses to Flanders red ales to wild specialty beers were reviewed by our judges, and they enjoyed the impressive depth of flavor and mouth-puckering tartness that many sours provide.
Belgian beers were exceptionally well-reviewed this year, with our judges’ favorite styles being the bigger, boozier Belgians like tripels, golden strongs and dark strongs. Speaking of strong and boozy, specialty wood-aged and wood-aged beers aged in all manner of barrels continued their popularity among our judges in 2019.
We hope you enjoy reading about the Top 100 Beers of 2019 and that you use this list to help navigate the vast expanse of beers available today.
ABOUT
The Official Review is conducted in a single blind tasting format that adheres to the Beer Judge Certification Program 2015 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 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
91
by Sal Mortillaro II
OG: Cascade
Wild Leap Brew Co.
#99
91
by Michael McGuire
Alpha Abstraction Vol. 5
Wild Leap Brew Co.
#98
91
by Brad Darnell
Red Lager
East Brother Beer Co.
#97
91
by David Sapsis
La Fin du Monde
Unibroue
#96
91
by Michael Bury
Blanche de Chambly
Unibroue
#95
92
by Michael Heniff
Piraat
Brouwerij van Steenberge
#94
92
by Michael Heniff
Urban Lumberjack
WestFax Brewing Co.
#93
92
by Michael Heniff
Materfamilias
Mother's Brewing Co.
#92
92
by Jason Johnson
Ralph
The Ale Apothecary
#91
92
by Brian Eichhorn
Beyond Resin
Upland Brewing Co.
#90
92
by Pat Mulloy
Dark Apparition
Jackie O's Brewery
#89
92
by Rick Franckhauser
Export Lager
pFriem Family Brewers
#88
92
by Tracy Hensley
Notorious P.O.G. Berliner Weisse
Stone Brewing Co.
#87
92
by Michael Heniff
A Tout le Monde
Unibroue
#86
92
by Michael McGuire
Irrationally Exuberant
Cape May Brewing Co.
#85
92
by Nelson Crowle
Chocolate Peanut Butter Milk Stout
Garage Brewing Co.
#84
92
by Rick Franckhauser
Pike Pils
Pike Brewing Co.
#83
92
by Scott Birdwell
Two Juicy
Two Roads Brewing Co.
#82
92
by James Link
I Need S'more Brownie Batter Batch #1
Pontoon Brewing
#81
92
by Nelson Crowle
Hazy IPA
pFriem Family Brewers
#80
92
by Michael Heniff
Bourbon Barrel Aged Concrete Ship
Cape May Brewing Co.
#79
92
by Jason Johnson
Tangerine Deuce Coupe DIPA
Garage Brewing Co.
#78
92
by Michael Bury
Semillon Barrel Aged Alani
Reformation Brewery
#77
92
by Jim Koebel
Darker Subject Matter
Monday Night Brewing
#76
92
by Michael Heniff
Synopsis Dark Sour Cherry
Area Two Experimental Brewing
#75
92
by Rick Franckhauser
Red Flag
Heavy Seas Beer
#74
92
by Michael McGuire
Alpha Abstraction Vol. 8
Wild Leap Brew Co.
#73
92
by Michael Bury
Sour Alani
Reformation Brewery
#72
92
by Michael Heniff
COEDO Shiro
COEDO Brewery
#71
92
by Michael Bury
Don de Dieu
Unibroue
#70
92
by Rodney A. Tillinghast
THK - Tripel Honey Kriek
De Proef Brouwerij
#69
92
by Michael Heniff
TROOPER Sun & Steel
Robinsons Brewery
#68
93
by Joseph Formanek
Maui Waui IPA
Altamont Beer Works
#67
93
by Michael Heniff
Blueberry Spaceship Box
Superstition Meadery
#66
93
by Scott Birdwell
Double Dust
Pure Project Brewing
#65
93
by Jim Koebel
Medlock IPA
Six Bridges Brewing
#64
93
by Jason Johnson
Good Behavior
Odell Brewing Co.
#63
93
by Sal Mortillaro II
Barrel Aged Helios
Pontoon Brewing
#62
93
by Michael Bury
Sangiovese Barrel Aged Alani
Reformation Brewery
#61
93
by James Link
Fruit Cup Vol. 1
Pontoon Brewing
#60
93
by Sean Coughlin
Cloaks & Mirrors
Monday Night Brewing
#59
93
by Jason Johnson
Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager
Stone Brewing Co.
#58
93
by Michael McGuire
Fistful of Cake
Monday Night Brewing
#57
93
by Michael McGuire
Truck Chaser Creamsicle Double IPA
Wild Leap Brew Co.
#56
93
by Sal Mortillaro
Prize Inside
Wild Leap Brew Co.
#55
93
by Dan Martich
Pervasive Species
Monday Night Brewing
#54
93
by Dan Martich
Big Softy
Monday Night Brewing
#53
93
by Tracy Hensley
Mosaic Double IPA
Belching Beaver Brewery
#52
93
by Rick Franckhauser
Brewers' Pale Ale Galaxy Hop Blend
Anchor Brewing Co.
#51
93
by Brad Darnell
Belgian-Style Tripel
East Brother Beer Co.
#50
93
by Sean Coughlin
Bohemian Riot
Arches Brewing
#49
93
by Brad Darnell
Red IPA
East Brother Beer Co.
#48
93
by Michael Heniff
Peche
pFriem Family Brewers
#47
93
by Nelson Crowle
Brett Saison
pFriem Family Brewers
#46
93
by Rick Franckhauser
Big Boss Lager
Big Boss Brewing Co.
#45
93
by Joseph Formanek
Double Barreled Maple Stout
Avery Brewing Co.
#44
93
by Michael Heniff
Table Terroir
Area Two Experimental Brewing
#43
93
by Michael Bury
Ephemere Pomme
Unibroue
#42
94
by Sal Mortillaro II
Timely Surrender
Archetype Brewing Co.
#41
94
by Richard Wong
Twain
Upland Brewing Co.
#40
94
by David Sapsis
Little Red Cap
Grimm Brothers Brewhouse
#39
94
by Rick Franckhauser
Jammer
Sixpoint Brewery
#38
94
by Michael Heniff
Swipe Light
Southern Tier Brewing Co.
#37
94
by Jason Johnson
Syringa Pale Ale
Boise Brewing Co.
#36
94
by Pat Mulloy
Two Stall
Ahnapee Brewery
#35
94
by Joseph Formanek
Found
Upland Brewing Co.
#34
94
by Joseph Formanek
Entwined
Upland Brewing Co.
#33
94
by Michael Heniff
Life Hopquatic
Melvin Brewing
#32
94
by Pat Mulloy
Pockets of Sunlight
Jackie O's Brewery
#31
94
by Michael Heniff
Chimay Grand Reserve
Abbaye de Scourmont
#30
94
by Pat Mulloy
Oktoberfest
Ahnapee Brewery
#29
94
by Brian Eichhorn
Bourbon Barrel-Aged Doppelbock
Seedstock Brewery
#28
94
by Michael Bury
Currant Events
Monday Night Brewing
#27
94
by John C. Tull
Salty Crew Blonde Ale
Coronado Brewing Co.
#26
94
by Richard Wong
Piston Pump-Kin Porter
Garage Brewing Co.
#25
94
by Joseph Formanek
White Rascal
Avery Brewing Co.
#24
94
by Rick Franckhauser
Space Needle IPA
Pike Brewing Co.
#23
94
by Tracy Hensley
Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout 2019
Stone Brewing Co.
#22
94
by Michael Heniff
Lundi
Monday Night Brewing
#21
94
by Pat Mulloy
Enter Night Pilsner
Stone Brewing Co.
#20
94
by Michael Heniff
Samuel Adams Utopias 2019
The Boston Beer Co.
#19
95
by Brian Eichhorn
Flensburger Dunkel
Flensburger Brauerei
#18
95
by Richard Wong
Bockness Monster
Upland Brewing Co.
#17
95
by Sal Morillaro II
Pig Porter
Right Brain Brewery
#16
95
by Joseph Formanek
Juice Above the Clouds
Altamont Beer Works
#15
95
by Nelson Crowle
Mirror Universe
Fair State Brewing Cooperative
#14
95
by Susan Ruud
Belgian-Style Blonde Ale
pFriem Family Brewers
#13
95
by Dan Martich
Sticky Icky Icky
Short's Brewing Co.
#12
95
by David Sapsis
Golden Coffee Pale
pFriem Family Brewers