Dec. 27, 2001

Wow! We should have learned from past experience not to be surprised by the email feedback we get from Beer Break readers. Nonetheless, reading your replies to our request to learn about the best beers you drank in 2001 has been a hoot.

Here are a few of the responses. We picked the ones we did for a variety of reasons. First, they'll alert you to great beers to look for. Second, they remind us of the diversity of beer tastes. Third, there were some we just plain liked reading.

We'll run more next month, so if you haven't sent your nominees to editor@realbeer.com then please do (and if you've written us, don't worry, your favorites will be tallied along with all the others). We haven't decided just how to present the final list, but it will be available at Realbeer.com.

- From Mike Donovan in Bristol, R.I.:

I won't try to give my amateur tasting notes on this beer as they wouldn't do it justice. The best beer I had the privilege to enjoy this year was Allagash Brewery's Dubbel Reserve. The brewery describes a dry finish with a hint of chocolate and nuts. I served this at a special engagement dinner with Veal Scaloppine over angel hair pasta with a Gorgonzola cream sauce. All my fiancee and I could say was WOW! The dinner was pretty good too. This beer hadn't been aged very long and I will definitely pick up a second bottle to cellar.

I wasn't sure my fiancee would enjoy it as she favors lighter beers and won't touch the porters and stouts I bring home. But we were both impressed with the Dubbel as we usually are with all Allagash products. A fave for special occasions or any occasion for that matter.

- From Andrew Smith in California:

Hair of the Dog Adam: This one is top of my all time list and it will take something sensational to move it. A great brew to sip and savor, with a complexity that will have you jotting down notes with every sip.

Victory Prima Pils: Proof that an American brewer knows just how a pilsner(or probably more "pilsener" in this case) should taste like.

Fullers 1845 Bottle Conditioned Ale: Great complexity for an English ale.

Others to mention: Anderson Valley Belk's ESB, Anchor Porter, North Coast Old Rasputin, North Coast Old No. 38, Sierra Nevada Celebration.

- Martin Tousignant notes these are "respectfully submitted" and they are certain beers that deserve respect:

1. Lagunitas Maximus, a strong IPA (1.080 o.g.) which is surprisingly light (does it use pale malt exclusively?), dry, and citrusy, despite its hop content (72 IBUs).

2. Stoudt Abbey Dubbel, an very clean-tasting, well-balanced abbey ale, much like a supercharged Chimay Premier might be.

3. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, simply the hoppiest beer (90 IBUs) I've tasted. The hops resemble a good Habanero in their initial impact, followed by a lingering dry hop bitterness and massive pale and caramel malt.

- Patrick writes "I appreciate the chance to try to contribute!" and we like his two choices because they aren't beers that demand you stop what you are doing to discuss the beer. You've surely noticed we're happy to talk about beer, but there are times when beer should facilitate rather than dominate the conversation:

I'd like to nominate Goose Island Honker's Ale. A craft brew from Chicago, it's a must have when I travel to the Windy City. It's smooth and full of flavor with no unpleasant aftertaste, and it's not too heavy, so it's great to enjoy with food. Goes well with Chicago-style stuffed pizza or most of the foods available at one of Goose Island's two brewpubs.

My second favorite is probably Leinenkugel's Northwoods Lager. It's made in Chippewa Falls, Wis., and is available only in a few Midwestern states. "Leinie" also makes about a dozen other regular and seasonal brews, but the Northwoods, one of their two lagers, is probably my favorite. Very smooth, not too heavy, and has a good flavor.

- John Adams offered a longer list, and then was kind enough to sum it up:

If I have to pick my favorite, it was probably be the Old Ale that I had this past July 3rd at Bell's Beer in Kalamazoo, Mich. I had it on tap. I was also able to enjoy their Two Hearted Ale in the beer garden later that evening. This was my first and second visit to Bell's, but since then it hasn't been my last (though I live in Chicago).

- What do we mean by diversity? Ron Simpson of Denver offers a Belgian specialty, a Mountain stateslager, an intense old ale and an American invention (the first beer listed):

1. Dogfish Head Midas Touch
As smooth as it is deadly, wonderful honey and other flavors.

2. Delirium Tremens
Wonderful golden Belgian.

3. Snake River Lager
What Sam Adams really wants to be. Wonderful malty flavors.

4. North Coast Old Stock Ale
A beautiful beer, that makes me wonder what it'll taste like in a few years. How can it get better?

- An unsigned submission illustrates diversity of a different sort:

I'd like to say something about my favorite beers. I tend to call the commercial beers, the "Shelf Beers." My favorite being Budweiser. It has a smooth, easy to drink feature for the person that's going to drink more than just a couple. I also like Sam Adams Cherry Wheat when I'm just going to have drink just a few. For something a little more stout, I like the Montana ale called Moose Drool. It's a more full bodied dark brown ale that's just a bit stout, but relatively smooth.

- Chris Sherman wrote, "There are many great beers out there, bottled and draft and I have tried a lot this year but some just stay with you."

In my travels this year I have tasted many good fresh brewed beers. I live outside Syracuse, N.Y. so I have a partial favorite right hear at home. The Middle Ages Brewing Co. has many great beers every year but this year I have to nominate the Middle Ages Black Hart Stout. Another one is the Barrington Brewery Porter, in Great Barrington, Mass. As a follow up would I would nominate The Albany Pump Station (C.H. Evans) Kick - Ass Brown Ale, in Albany, N.Y. and also Saint Arnold Brewery's Brown Ale gets a big thumbs up in Houston, Texas.

- Want to drink a great vintage beer in a few years? Then perhaps you should follow the lead of Jason Rich of Warsaw, Ind., who obviously made his preparations for 2001 a few years back.

1. Kings & Barnes Millenium Ale - brewed for the new years' celebration of two years ago, this beer had a picture perfect body with a perfect balance of hop and malt. I can't wait to try the next two bottles I have stashed...

2. Thomas Hardy's Ale 1995 - This thick, dark beauty was wonderfully balanced, and made me wonder just how good it'll be in a few years. I had to shut off all the lights in the room and savor this one in peace. Glad I have nine more bottles. Heh heh heh...

3. Anchor Our Special Ale 2000 - I let this sit for a year, and worth the wait! A more intense piney aroma evolved and the beer was much more settled and enjoyable than I remember from when it was fresh.

- Dan McKeever of Attleboro, Mass., writes, "I'd like to suggest three beers that I feel are under appreciated. I'm not saying they are the best beers on the planet, but I'd like to see more folks give them a try."

1) Paulaner Premium Pils: For those enamored with the German pils style, I heartily recommend this fine beer. I love the elegant bitterness and the pleasant aftertaste.

2) Sam Adams Boston Ale: I prefer this stock ale to the pale ales on the market, even Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I'm frequently disappointed to find that bars carry Sam Adams Boston Lager, but not their Boston Ale, as I find it more interesting and full of character.

3) Sam Adams Double Bock: While there are some outstanding German double bocks on the market, I'd like to recommend Sam Adams limited edition double bock, as I find it a terrific interpretation of the style. What an amazingly creamy head it has! It's rather hard to get and is available only during the winter months, but give it a try if you can find it.

- Ralph Bellamy's choices aren't for everybody, because, "I drink beer for taste. Not for alcohol or 'kick' and not for 'balance,' either. I want taste and I like hops. So, I want to taste some hops even in my stouts."

El Toro India Pale Ale, El Toro Brewing, Morgan Hill, Calif. A generous amount of three kinds of hops; it has the fragrance, fruitiness (not too much) and bitterness. An awesome IPA. ABV is 6.5 I've killed for less.

Stone I.P.A., Stone Brewing Co.. San Marcos, Calif. Also, a generous amount of hops, but different ones from El Toro, hence a different finish. It is soooo delicious. ABV 6.9. As close to heaven as I'll ever get.

Old No. 38 Stout, North Coast Brewing, Fort Bragg, Calif. A wonderful malty-chocolatey stout in which the hops still come through (they must've used a ton). For my $$$, the best American stout.

Obsidian Stout, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Ore. The hops don't compare to Old 38, but what a smooth, robust stout! Perfect for curling up by the fire with a good ...

Red Seal Ale, North Coast Brewing, Fort Bragg, Calif. A hoppy, American red ale. This is my "everyday" beer. Nothing beats a Red Seal and a baseball game.

- This one wasn't signed, and we pass it along for obvious reasons:

My nomination: PBR - Pabst Blue Ribbon. Reason: 7th year veterinary grad school, can't afford any thing else, but PBR is always there for you when finals don't go your way!

- Mike Piazzi nominates Whale's Tale Pale Ale from Cisco Brewing, island of Nantucket, Mass.:

All around classic pale ale, with hoppy nose (perhaps Cascades?),and a malt profile which is of interest yet not so bold that it scares the "light" beer drinker away. The best part yet is that it is bottle conditioned in 750 ml bottles, which are perfect for opening with a table full of friends! A beer to share is the best beer of all!

- We would close with that fine thought had Jake Morrill of Portland, Ore., not reminded us that sometimes it helps to just get lucky. We don't expect to have a chance to try this beer:

The best beer I drank in 2001 was actually from 1983. I live in Portland, OR and one fine winter day went for a hike in the Columbia River Gorge, and on the way home we decided to stop in at the Full Sail Brewery. They were serving a 1983 Brewer's Reserve IPA that was delightful. My companions (who chose different brews) asked me to kindly keep my praise to myself after I regaled the ale after each swallow. This beer was a true hop monster -- very complex floral and citrus flavors. I savored every last drop.

- More reader input