2013 Best Beers Pt. 1

It has been far too long since I've written about beer. Part of it has to do with being bored with saying the same things about beers --- Some are good, some are bad. Some are heavy, some are light. Blah blah blah blaaaahhhh. But part of it also has to do with the fact that I'm drinking so much different beer that I can't keep up with what is unique and was is bland.

So I decided to take a different approach to this post and do what I do best --- make a list. Here you'll find (in no particular order...actually that's a lie, it'll be chronological order) the best "unique" beers I drank in 2013. By "unique" I mean beers that were new to me. So while there are great beers out there like Firestone Walker Parabola and Ballast Point Victory at Sea, those are beers I've had prior to 2013 and therefore ineligible for this list. Conversely, all of the beers I'm listing below will be ineligible for next year's list as well (unless there is a significant change to the taste and recipe of said beer).

So without further ado, here are Rob's Best Beers of 2013!

Three Floyds Brewing - Zombie Dust
Not much has to be said about ZD. It's a highly regarded IPA that doesn't come to California. But I got hold of a bottle and from the instant I opened it (before it even was poured into a glass), I was in love. The aroma alone permeated from the bottle and had me salivating. It's now one of those beers I permanently want.

Central Waters Brewing - Bourbon Barrel Barleywine (2012)
Here is a beer that nailed the bourbon aspect. Everything from aroma to taste to aftertaste meshed perfectly with this heavy (11.2% abv) brew to create the perfect sipping beer after a long rainy day. Having a year old version I think helped mellow out the alcohol bite and bring forth the bourbon characteristics (vanilla, toffee, wood). I have a 2013 in my fridge now that I'll be drinking soon.

Almanac Brewing - Barrel Noir
Similar to Central Waters BBBW, here was a beer that did a great job of balancing the barrel-aged aspect with a traditional stout. That's likely because the blend of styles (traditional stout & Belgian dark ale) worked well in keep this 10% abv beer surprisingly light.

Founders Brewing - Curmudgeon's Better Half (2012)
As I previously wrote in this post, I thought this beer was incredible. It's a shame that I only had the one bottle because it's something I'd like to try again despite it being a couple years old at this point.

Ballast Point Brewing - Even Keel
Not all of my favorite beers were double digit abv behemoths. This lil guy clocked in at only 3.5%, but man oh man did it pack a hop punch. Somehow, the guys at Ballast Point made was tastes like an IPA (or at the very least a dry hopped pale ale) and brought the alcohol down to something that you can drink all day long. I had this on draft in their homebrew mart and wish to god that it came in 12-pack cans for some good summertime drinking.

The Bruery - Imperial Loakal Red
Another beer I previously wrote about, this one stood out to me because The Bruery isn't know for making hop-forward beers. Yet, this impreial red ale had all the characteristics of a huge hop-bomb (aroma, taste, tongue-tingling after effects), while still maintaining a strong malty backbone. They really should re-release this one.

The Bruery - White Chocolate (2012)
From the same entry as Loakal Red, I was astonished with how great this beer smelled. And the taste was even better than the smell...which is saying a lot. It's important to note however that this was the 2012 blend. The 2013 (released later in the year) was horribly funky and off-tasting. So much so that The Bruery issued refunds and pulled it from it's shelves. I really hope they get this one right in 2014. I miss it dearly.

Ballast Point Brewing - Homework Series Batch 1

Much like Loakal Red, here was a literal attempt at making a hoppy red ale. What was equally as impressive as the beer was Ballast Point's choice to put the recipe for the beer on the back of the bottle. Having started as a homebrew supply store, they went back to their roots and created the Homework Series - a line of small-batch beers distributed locally and encouraging the drinker to replicate the beer on their own. Clever, tasty, and informative!

Goose Island Beer Co - Bourbon County Brand Stout (2012)

On a completely random day in early summer I found myself with a day off. I also happened to notice one of my favorite bars tapping this well-known, but hard to come by, imperial barrel-aged stout. With one half-pour (all the bar was offering), I immediately understood the hype behind it. The chocolate notes were only outdone by the bourbon booze. This beer had a kick, but not a burning one that you might associate with a 15% abv beer. Instead, it was smooth sipping and the desire for more. Thankfully, the 2013 vintage saw bottle release here in Los Angeles and I quickly snatched up some.

Revolution Brewing - Very Mad Cow

Earlier in the year, I had a bottle of Mad Cow. It was a good, somewhat forgettable milk stout. Nearly 8 months later, I had Very Mad Cow. It was great, and entirely unforgettable. The difference in aging their milk stout on Woodford Reserve barrels for 7 months created a whole new, layered beer. At 9.5% abv, it's not the strongest beer on this list. But it's one of the tastiest. The bourbon is perfectly blended into the milk creating an almost vanilla/chocolate milkshake concoction. This is another beer that I deeply wish I had more of.

There are the first 10 beers for 2013 that stood out to me. I have 10 more ready to go for the next post. Before that though...I need a beer.

Digging in the Cellar: Curmudgeon's Better Half

As with last month's blog, I'm attempting to branch out from my typical posts of beer, buzz, and hangover. Being that beer has taken over my life in a way I never expected, I no longer feel that I'm drinking just to accurately pinpoint what elements in beer cause me to feel closer to death than others. Instead, I'm going to try a series of posts of the next few weeks and months that look at other aspects of distinct beers. This month, I dig into my beer cellar (aka, a converted wine fridge) and pull out a gem from way back in 2012 --- Founders Brewing Backstage Series #3: Curmudgeon's Better Half.

The Past:
Curmudgeon's Better Half was released as a part of Founders Brewing specialty "Backstage" series. This is their creme of the crop, the top of the heap, the...uhh...light of my life? Its some truly special shit, alright! Released sporadically over the past 2 1/2 years, Founders creates unique one-off beers that are meant to be shared and celebrated. Of course, with a collection culture such as craft brewing, they're more often hoarded and stashed away. After the 2nd such release from Founders (the insanely desired CBS, or Canadian Breakfast Stout), the bar was set high for their 3rd release. What was delivered was a re-branding of a beer known as Kaiser's Curmudgeon, which had only ever been released in their taproom. Upon aging it in re-purposed bourbon barrels that more recently held maple syrup, the "Better Half" of the beer was formed.

The Present:
I opted to open this bottle recently as I had heard through some online chatter that the beer may be at or slightly past its peak. How, exactly, this is determined is really beyond me. I'm sure there are some people out there who have multiple bottles of this and are drinking it semi-regularly while taking detailed notes and pictures to document its development. Why am I sure of this? Because there are nerds everywhere! And they know all! As for my thoughts on Curmudgeon's Better Half, I found it to be rather remarkable. Even being somewhat hyped up, I felt it lived up to it's billing. Pouring the first glass into my snifter, it appeared to be one of the more beautiful looking beers I've come across. And the initial aroma was strong with bourbon and vanilla even despite its age. My first sip immediately hit me with heat. The booze in this 11.9% abv beer was present and up front and clearly didn't fade into the background of flavors. But once my palate got accustomed to the heat, tastes of maple and wood came through. While vanilla was in the smell, it wasn't really in the taste. Rather, brown sugar and syrup dominated. This was basically breakfast in a bottle. If I only had a side of bacon to eat with it, my evening would have been complete.

The Future:
The future sadly doesn't look bright for Curmudgeon's Better Half. Not because it wasn't great, nor because I wouldn't drink it again. But rather, the chances of me coming across another bottle are pretty slim. The Backstage series is hard to come by today, let alone ones that were released over a year ago. I was fortunate enough to score this bottle from a guy in the Midwest who sent me a ton of great barrel-aged beers, including another in Founders' Backstage series: Bolt Cutter. As for how much longer Curmudgeon will retain its flavors and aromas...well, I'll leave that answer up to the uber-beer nerds who bought a case of it and continue to scientifically test it every 3-6 months. Me? I'll just jump at the chance to taste and/or share it immediately should I come across it again.