Revisiting the Great Beers of 2013

Top 10 List

Any entry on this list would be well worth repeating.

I know that most year-end lists come out well before the end of the year, but I still had beer to drink! Why stop in mid-November? These 10 beers “Wow’ed” me this year. Where the aroma made me stop and smell again. Where the flavors were bold and complex. Whose color shone a touch brighter than the other beers. As with most of my lists, this one is in no particular order. On some days #10 might be perfect and the next night might call for #3.

Whether it was the use of champagne yeast in #10, an Oktoberfest like no other in Chicago with #8, Farmer’s Market melons in #7, a new hop from New Belgium at #5, or two foreign beers that take classic styles to new heights at spots #3 and #2. All made my taste buds happy.

10. Buzzerkely by Calicraft Brewing Co. available in the Bay Area.  Rare to find a combo of Champagne yeast and beer.

9. Killer Green by Double Mountain Brewery seasonal release available in LA.  A very distinct hop aroma and bitterness that tasted like fresh hops.

8. LagerTown by Half Acre Brewing seasonal release available in Chicago. This proves that Oktoberfest biers don’t have to be boring.

7. Mellon Collie by El Segundo Brewing special release may or may not return. Melon in a beer may sound too weird but this experimental beer worked.

6. The Pupil by Societe Brewing Company available in San Diego.  One of the most highly talked about breweries of 2013 backed up the praise with this hoppy concoction.

GUIDE CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

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Sean Inman

Find more of Sean Inman's writing on his blog, Beer Search Party.

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