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lrighty!
Inspired by the artical from hoppress, what have been your top 5 beers of the year?
For me this year has been chalk full of disapointments, loads of beers thta just havnt hit the mark. But i have also had some of the best in the world and heres some of them:
Struise Dirty Horse
Had at the Struise farm, the 25ish year old one. Absolutly outstanding in every aspect, no faults, this beats Orval!
Rodenback Alexander
Had at De Hearen, ’94 bottle i think. Lamp punchingly good, awsome oxidation, nice cherry fruityness, one of the few fruit beers in the world you could session for a week.
Harveys Pale Ale
The Royal Oak, many times. People ask me what i drink when i cant be bothered rating and its a very difficult question. But over the course of the year i seem to have just kept going back to this beer over and over again. I just love its simplicity, the lightly bretty massivly minerally character of it. Infinitly balanced and super drinkable.
Hanssens Kriekenlambic
The Rake Lambic Fest, numerous times. You take a drink of this and you go WOW! then you take another and you go WOW! and another WOW!...
De Dolle Oerbier Reserva
Vertical in The Kulminator and 750 shared with mesandsim. Iv completly gone off belgian ales, i just cant take the yeasty sweet unclean nature of them anymore. But this one ownes them. It stays clean even though its 13%, its acidity cuts through the sweetness, the alcohol is incredibly well hidden and its massivly tasty.
Its been an interesting year for me and beer. Once again its changed the course of my future(new job) and i know that next year it’ll be even more of a rollercoaster.
Chin chin
Tom
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1. De Struise Grand Pannepot Reserva 2006
2. De Molen ’Heaven and Hell’ (think) on Chelmsford Beer Festival 2009 on TAP
3. 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze for the first time
4. Thomas O’Hardy’s 2008 Ale - A tragedy this one - RIP. Superb ale.
5 Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale
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I’d like to try the Struise Dirty Horse, but again its going to be almost impossible to get.
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Valley Brew Cuvee de Evil (Collaborative Evil - Brandy Barrel)
Nectar Ales Black Xantus
The Bruery White Oak
Firestone Walker 13
Great Divide Barrel Aged Hibernation
Lots of great new beers this year but these were my favorites!
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Alesmith BA Speedway stout 2006, tasted with the Dutch RB crew in march. Amazing beer!
BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon Chien 2007. Bottle I got from Allen. Very complex brew.
RBESG 2009
Brewdog the Rake Raspberry Imperial Stout. I like the Brewdog paradox beers, and especially the ones lagered on Islay barrels, but this one was my absolute favourite from this brewery.
1st BBF
De Molen Hemel & Aarde Bruichladdich barrel
I had some great beers from Menno, but this one was my 2009 favourite.
Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel (Islay edition)
I guess I just love Islay malts....
Honorary mention for Molen-Struise Black Damnation (had it from tap) and Struise Dirty Horse (amazing beer, just the old age dusty mouthfeel prevents it from getting closer to the perfect 5).
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My Top 10 beers in 2009 - so far:
1. Cigar City Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout 4.5
2. Jacobsen Vintage 2, 2009 4.5
3. Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel 4.4
4. North Coast Old Rasputin Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout 4.4
5. Valley Brew Decadence Grand Cru 2009 4.3
6. Cigar City Bourbon Barrel Aged Bolita Brown Double Nut Brown Ale 4.3
7. Mikkeller X Calvados Barrel Aged Barley Wine 4.3
8. Thornbridge St Petersburg Imperial Russian Stout Speyside Whisky Reserve 4.3
9. Nørrebro SEVEN Imperial Stout (Niepoort Barrel) 4.2
10. Nørrebro SEVEN Imperial Stout 4.2
Apparently a year of long beer names - but a great year indeed!
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Founders Porter
Surly Darkness
Duck-Rabbit Barrel Aged Baltic Porter
Ithaca Ten
The Bruery Papier
Narke Stormaktsporter
Dieu du Ciel Rigor Mortis
Smuttynose Robust Porter
Broad Ripple Aaron Evilsizors Russian Imperial Stout
Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged BORIS
North Coast Old Rasputin Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout
Great Divide Barrel Aged Old Rasputin
Williamsburg AleWerks Brewmasters Reserve Bourbon Barrel Porter
Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf
New Top 50 beers for this year including ties. Lots of 4.4 this year.
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De Molen Hel & Verdoemenis, if I have to choose just one De Molen beer. Lots of great beers from De Molen this year, but this one & Tsarina Esra Reserva stood out. Saving another bottle for New year’s eve.
Jandrain-Jeandrenouille IV Saison. The top beer of the Bruges Beer Festival for me, I even went back for more of the same.
Närke Stormaktsporter. Simply amazing.
Beck Bräu Affumicator. Big fat smoky beer, loved it!
St.Georgen Bräu Kellerbier. It’s fresh, thirstquenching, hoppy, smooth, tasty and cheap.
Honorable mentions to De Prael Zwarte Riek, Southern Tier Über Sun, whatever Mikkeller Beer Geek beers I had (and all other Mikkeller beers I had for that matter), Amager Hr&Fru Frederiksen and their fantastic Imperial Stout.
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cigar city BA 110+OT
cigar city BA Big sound
cigar city 110+OT batch 2
Dark Lord
BA Speedway
BA WeeHeavy
Chardonnay Blonde (Nebraska Brewing Co.)
FW 12
2008 Abyss
so many great beers this year i have no idea how i could narrow it down to 5. i know i am still leaving some out.
all of these are thanks to my trading friends or the D/FW Crew!!
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This has by far been my biggest year for ratings so I would suppose we’ll go by the ratings I gave
1. New Glarus R & D Golden Ale
2. Lost Abbey Isabelle Proximus
3. Russian River Supplication
4. Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA
5. Hair of the Dog Adam
The last four were generously shared by two pretty nifty Iowans... or one Iowan and a Chilean... soon to be Iowan again.... 
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Just a few picks from what I see.
Dogfish Head Festina Lente
Bells Expedition Stout
Left Hand SmokeJumper
Olde Hickory Old Black Magic
New Glarus R&D Golden Ale
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