Best of 2009

Ok, so this is a bit overdue, and I haven't done a review in a while, so it's time to look back at the best beers I had in the last year. I'm going to go ahead and say up front that the beers we've been making have been really awesome in my opinion, and have been among my favorite things to drink, but I'm not going to include them since I'm a little biased. So here they are in roughly no particular order.

10. Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout - This beer was basically breakfast in a bottle. It's tasty, easy to drink, has a great roast quality, and makes you feel good about drinking before noon...

9. Clipper City Red Sky at Night - Another saison. While it's not even in the same league as the Avec les bons Voeux, it is MUCH cheaper, tastes great, and definitely worth trying out. It's one of the few beers that I've bought more than once in the last year.

8. Lancaster Milk Stout - I wouldn't want to overlook Lancaster brewing. Even though they might not stand out as much as some of the other beers on this list, the brewery has become one that I trust. I haven't had anything from them that I didn't like. The milk stout is definitely my favorite from them, and my go-to beer when I want something dark, delicious, and easy to drink.

7. Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale - I had a hard time choosing between putting this up or the 09.09.09 Vertical Epic. This beer won out simply because I'll never be able to get the 09 again. It's a black IPA, kind of an oxymoron, but so tasty that it makes up for it.

6. Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada Life & Limb - This was a special collaboration between the 2 breweries that was made in very limited quantities. I was lucky enough to have had it twice once in a bottle that Dan managed to get and the other time on tap at Dogfish's restaurant. It was absolutely worth the trip to have this beer.

5. North Coast Old Rasputin - I really like dark, complex, flavorful beers. Old Rasputin fits that description perfectly. It's a great Russian Imperial Stout, a style characterized by high alcohol content and bold bitter and roasted flavors.

4. Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA - Considering that I live in the same state as Dogfish Head, it's not surprising that I've been there a few times. I've become much more of a fan of hops this year, and Dogfish's 120 Minute is one of the best examples of a IIPA.

3. Westvleteren 8 - This beer was amazing. It was complex and delicious. My only complaint about this beer is how hard it is to get.

2. Duvel - It's still my default favorite beer, and I toasted with it at my wedding. I can't imagine ever getting sick of this beer.

1. Avec les bons Veoux - I don't think there's a style that I like more than a saison, and this is the definitive example of the style in my opinion. It's absolutely spectacular. I really can't get enough of this beer.

So after putting this list together I realized I really need to start reviewing beers on here again. I was actually having a hard time remembering everything I've had this year, and I didn't write anything about a good portion of the things I've tried. It's a shame because I'm sure I missed a few beers that really deserved to be on this list.