The tale of 2020 can be told through the beers we drank along the way–and they give us a specific sense of where we were a year ago, and how much they helped us retain both a kind of normalcy as well as keeping us connected with the hospitality industry, which took it on the chin after St. Patrick’s Day.
We managed to make the most of the little travel we did, and we gave our custom to the independent brewers as much as we could when it came time to eat or drink on the road. That we could continue to do so safely, across the country, during 2020, speaks to the resilience and ingenuity of those who brew our beer.
My list is curated by month; that’s the only way I can reflect on all of the grand beers I’ve consumed. I give a top choice with my tasting notes, and a runner-up for each month, and a Beer of the Year at the closing–the one beer I never wanted to end each time I drank it–and I was lucky to have a 6-pack of 16-ouncers in the fridge for a while.
January:
Brouwerij de Molen & Surrey Hills Brewery & Cobbett’s
Bean & Gone Single Cask BA
Brewed with tonka beans
10,5% abv
Dark brown color; bottled on 11/14/2019
Aroma of deeply browned butter and a hint of cinnamon, like a roll, which continues onto the palate turning molasses sweet
Runner-Up: BrewDog Pulp Patriot Milkshake IPA
February:
Dogfish Head (plus Stone & Victory) Saison du Buff Ale
Brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (bottled on 2/22/17)
6,8% abv
Golden hazy color
Minty, grassy aromas
Light lemon peel, thyme still comes through
Lovely and refreshing
Runner-Up: Mispillion River Brewing Not Today Satan IPA
March:
Guinness Open Gate Over the Moon Milk Stout
Brewed with lactose
6,5% abv
Deep brown with pale head
Coffee milkshake on the nose
Creamy sweetness like a good mocha with two sugars and lotsa cream on the palate
Runner-Up: Burnt Mill Gardens of Greens Double Dry-Hopped IPA
April:
Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Chesapeake Stout
Brewed with Rappahannock oysters
5,5% abv
Clear brown, creamy thin head
Smoked soy and a touch of fish sauce on the nose, black coffee with another whiff on the palate
Runner-Up: Cigar City Brewing You Should Smile More Double Dry-Hopped Double IPA
May:
Antietam Brewery Strawberry Lactosimplicity Milkshake IPA
7,0% abv
Crowler from brewery
Golden tinged scarlet, low carbonation
Fresh strawberry berry jam on the nose
More berries, smooth mouthfeel, bit of leafiness bitter at the back
Runner-Up: Union Craft Brewing Balt the More Barrel-Aged
June:
The Kernel Brewery Enigma Pale Ale
5,4% abv bottled 5/14/20
Pale golden hazy color
Chamomile, yeast on the nose
Warm lemon on the palate with a nice edge
Runner-Up: Rockwell Brewery Cyborg Bette NEIPA
July:
New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red
With more than a pound of cherries brewed into each bottle
4% abv
Pretty warm cherry color
Aromas take me to Door County Cherryland summers at our cabin
Flavor’s just like the coolers we’d buy at the roadside stand
Runner-Up: Collective Arts Surround Sound DIPA
August:
Virginia Beer Co Deadbolt DIPA
9,2% abv
Golden hazy color
Buttery peach cobbler aromas with a bit of coriander
Round sparkly stone fruit on the palate with a guava twist
Runner-Up: Cushwa Brewing Black Is Beautiful Collab Imperial Stout
September:
Denizens Brewing Co Brett Party Third Party Tripel Ale aged in neutral casks for 12 months with brettanomyces
9,5% abv
Golden, slightly hazy color
Balsamic aromas with nutmeg, stewed apricots
Fresher on the palate with balsamic glaze, stone fruit and a grape-y tang
Runner-Up: The Fermentorium Sweater Weather Milk Stout
October:
Fair Isle Eugene Hopped Saison
With Citra, Mosaic and Mandarina Bavaria hops
7,5% abv
Golden hazy color
Aromas of summer hayloft, mint, and apples
Funk on the flavors with a brett-y fruit cocktail juice
Runner-Up: 20 Corners Rendezvous Fresh-Hopped IPA
November:
Prairie Artisan Ales Vanilla Noir
Imperial Stout Aged in Oak Whisky Barrels with Vanilla Beans
13,7% abv
Deep dark obscure brown
Oak chips and vanilla beans on the nose
Whisky on my breath now
Runner-Up: Central Standard Brewing Truffles All The Way Down Imperial Stout
December:
Propolis Brewing Beltane Elderflower Saison—Brettanomyces
7,5% abv
Golden color, slight haze, nice lacing
Elderflowers, golden apples and lemon zest on the nose
Golden apple peel, funk, more citrus on the palate—for Solstice
Runner-Up: Tröegs Independent Brewing Mad Elf Grand Cru 2020 Belgian Ale
Beer of the Year:
Tröegs Independent Brewing Nimble Giant
Double IPA
9% abv
Brewed with Azacca, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops
Light, clear amber color
Grapefruit peel on the nose, with honey tones
Bit of forest floor—pine needles—on the palate
Straightforward yet mystical at the same time
