CHRIS DROSNER | Wisconsin State Journal
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To say this year was the best yet for craft beer in Wisconsin is a bit silly, because “this year” has always been the best year. Constant growth and innovation make sure of that.
But for Wisconsin, and Madison especially, it has been a particularly best year.
We’ve seen our own hometown brewery, Ale Asylum, position itself for massive growth. We’ve welcomed — with thirsty, open mouths — our first nanobrewery, One Barrel Brewing. We’ve studied new labels, from near and far, that have debuted on our beer shelves. We’ve watched the highest-profile face on the local beer scene move down the road for an exciting but uncertain future.
And, mostly, we’ve drunk a lot of great beers. So let’s dive in to my picks for the beers of the year.
Great Dane Imperial Red
The first beer to be bottled by the venerable Madison brewpub didn’t knock my socks off, in part because of the steep price. But it’s a landmark nonetheless, for the simple reason that it offers the promise of a shelf life for some of the Dane’s higher-end beers.
Sixpoint Resin
Of all the breweries that began distributing beer in Wisconsin in 2012, I bought the most Sixpoint, and of Sixpoint’s beers I bought the most Resin, its double IPA. It’s not because I’m an IPA guy but because this beer is perfectly balanced between the sticky, piney hops that define the style and a deep, complex malt body. Honorable mention to Sixpoint’s Apollo, a slightly tart wheat ale that washed down many summer softball league losses.
Central Waters Illumination
The brewery up in Amherst had a killer year, particularly with its big barrel-aged stouts. It started with Fourteen Fourteen, a highly limited, decadent imperial stout aged for 14 months to celebrate the brewery’s 14th anniversary. Also early this year came the fantastic Peruvian Morning, a bourbon barrel-aged imperial coffee stout that caused buzz among beer geeks both for its quality and an unusual and unfortunate recall due to an infection that some bottles picked up during aging. On shelves now is Central Waters’ straight bourbon barrel stout, even richer than last year’s edition due to an extra six months (12 total) of aging. Despite all these great beers, the Central Waters beer I’m most excited to see next year is Illumination, a double IPA bursting with lush, citrusy hops that proves this brewery isn’t just a one-trick, bourbon barrel-aged pony.
Capital Manoomator
I thought this wild rice doppelbock, released in February, was Kirby Nelson’s last masterpiece before he left the Middleton brewery where he’d been brewmaster for 25 years — millennia in the craft beer world. He’s joining startup Wisconsin Brewing Co., which has a brewery rising in a Verona industrial park that, if all goes according to plan, will be shipping 300,000 barrels of beer by 2016. For Nelson and the money guy, former Capital president Carl Nolen, to fulfill that vision, they’re going to have to make a beer portfolio more diverse than Nelson left at Capital, which is heavy on lagers — albeit excellent ones — and light on the hoppy and dark ales that have driven craft beer’s growth in the past few years. What kind of beer comes out of Wisconsin Brewing Co. will be THE local beer story to watch in 2013.
New Glarus Serendipity
When drought decimates Door County cherries, and perhaps your most acclaimed beer is dependent on copious amounts of them, what’s New Glarus Brewing to do? Take what cherries you can find, swap in apples and cranberries and release this oak-aged sour ale. That Serendipity so closely walks the line that Wisconsin Belgian Red does while still being its own distinct beer is a tribute to brewmaster Dan Carey’s vision and resourcefulness.
Lake Louie Radio Free IBA
The first new release in too long from Tom Porter’s tiny brewery in Arena was a pure experiment, with massive amounts of raspberries added to an India black ale/black IPA. Most of the berries’ sweetness fermented away, leaving only a hint of tartness to mingle amongst the dark, roasty malts and big hops. This one was a thirst-whetter for more new beers from Lake Louie.
Lagunitas Daytime
The only true “session IPA” widely available this year in Wisconsin is great because sometimes you want some bright, fresh hops without getting drunk.
Victory Prima Pils
When I embarked on the Summer of Pils, this hopped-up pilsner from Pennsylvania was the early front-runner and remained so by the break of autumn, edging out Capital Pilsner and Left Hand Polestar. The experience of immersing myself in a previously underappreciated style was very rewarding, too, and I’m already considering similar beers for next year.
What were your beers of the year? Contact Chris Drosner at
cdrosner@madison.com or twitter.com/WSJbeerbaron.
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