Best beers of 2010

[Stu McKinlay]

So, it's that time, what were yours?

 

I'm always suspicious that these kinds of lists are made up of the best [insert selected noun here] that people have had in the last few months... so, I kept a record of my favourite beer each week for the entire year.  I'd love to have done a blog on each one but there's no way I'd have the time.  

 

I'd be hard pressed to pick anything that impressed me more than Mikkeller's Sauvignon this year but I'll look over the list in the next few days and think about what the very best ones for the year were.

 

No homebrews in the list, that's just not cricket.

 

 

Week: Beer (where I got it, how it came)

 

30/12: Emerson's JP 2010 (Malthouse, 500ml bottle)

23/12: Twisted Hop Challenger (Hashigo Zake, handpump)

16/12: 8 Wired Tall Poppy (Regional Wines and Spirits, 500ml bottle)

09/12: Pink Elephant Mammoth (New World Island Bay, 330ml bottle)

02/12: Mikkeller Black Tie (Innspire, 500ml bottle)

25/11: Tuatara 'X' (Hashigo Zake, 750ml bottle) 

18/11: Emerson's Grace Jones Porter (Malthouse, tap) 

11/11: Monkey Wizard Steam Punk Ale (@jedsoane, 750ml bottle) 

04/11: Tuatara Ardennes (Malthouse, tap via pears in Modus Hoperandus) 

28/10: Fuller's 1845 (Four Square Strathmore, 500ml bottle) 

21/10: Orval (Regionals, 330ml bottle @ Playing Favourites tasting) 

14/10: Bridge Road B2 Bomber (Bridge Road via @innspire, 750ml bottle) 

07/10: Cooper's Vintage 2010 (Dan Murphy's Kawana, 330ml bottle) 

30/09: Little Creatures Pale Ale (Mudjimba Bottlestore, 500ml bottle) 

23/09: Wigram Imperial Stout (Malthouse, tap via coffee beans in Modus Hoperandus)   

16/09: Moa 5 Hop Winter Ale (Pollux, handpump) 

09/09: Townshend Rosedale Bitter (Hashigo, handpump) 

02/09: Townshend Cathcarts NTA (Hashigo, handpump) 

26/08: Moa Barrel-aged Imperial Stout (BrewNZ Awards, bottle) 

19/08: Cooper's Sparkling Ale (Malthouse, tap) 

12/08: Croucher Pale Ale (Hashigo Zake, tap) 

05/08: Townshend Wedding FSA (Wedding, handpump) 

29/07: Emerson's JP 2010 (Regionals, bottle) 

22/07: Hallertau SOBA NHC Coconut Porter (Malthouse, tap) 

15/07: Hallertau Statesman (Hashigo Zake, tap) 

08/07: Eugene City Tracktown 200m IPA (Hashigo Zake, tap) 

01/07: Townshend Dubloon (SOBA Matariki Winter Ales Festival, handpump) 

24/06: Invercargill Sa!son (Invercargill Brewery, rigger) 

17/06: Baird Brewing Dark Sky Imperial Stout (@seatounsteve, bottle) 

10/06: Mikkeller Sauvignon (@jedsoane, bottle) 

03/06: Tuatara APA (Malthouse, tap) 

27/05: Mountain Goat Surefoot Stout (Mountain Goat Brewery, tap) 

20/05: Rogue American Amber Ale (Hashigo Zake, tap) 

13/05: White Cliffs Organic Ale (Regional Wines and Spirits, 2L rigger) 

06/05: Epic Oak-aged Armageddon (Malthouse, tap) 

29/04: Galbraith's Best Bitter (Galbraith's Ale House, handpump) 

22/04: Moa Resurrection (Marchfest, tap) 

15/04: Flying Dog Ragin' Bitch (Hashigo Zake, bottle) 

08/04: Green Flash 'Double' Stout (Beerstore.co.nz, bottle) 

01/04: Mac's Brewjolais (Regionals + Bar Edward, conditioning tank rigger) 

25/03: Rodenbach Grand Cru (2yo from Island Bay New World, bottle) 

18/03: Emerson's Old 95 (Miramar New World, bottle) 

11/03: Mata Blondie (Liquorland Beer Festival, tap) 

04/03: Yeastie Boys PKB Remix 2009 (Malthouse, tap) 

25/02: Townshend Cathcarts NTA (Ruakura Campus Club, handpump) 

18/02: Emerson's JP 2009 (Regional Wines and Spirits via cellar, bottle) 

11/02: Thornbridge Raven (Kelly Ryan, bottle) 

04/02: Green Flash "Le Freak" (Sam's friend, bottle) 

28/01: Hogs Back "Santa's Wobble" (Rumble's, 330ml bottle) 

21/01: Hallertau "Minimus" (Malthouse, tap) 

14/01: 8 Wired "Hopwired"  (Regionals, 500ml bottle) 

07/01: NZ Natural Brewing "Deliverance Dortmunder" (Hashigo Zake, tap)

 

 

Wishing you all a late Merry Christmas... and a just in time happy new year.

 

Slainte mhath

Stu

 

[Stu McKinlay]

reading your list reminds me that our taste can be so so similar...

 

 

knowing you reminds me that they can be so different.

[Greig McGill]

Hahaha, I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to say there! :P

[Ian Marriott]

Yeastie Boys - Her Majesty 2010

Mata - Taniwha (the brew before it went to tasting!)

Hallertau Statesman

Emersons JP 2010

8 Wired Big Smoke

Rogue Chipotle

Invercargill Pitch Black

Hallertau Deception

Croucher Hef (on Tap) Pure summer

Galbraiths Munich Lager

Mata Blondie (on Tap)

 

 

It could go on forever but loved all of the above and a few others this year.

[David Nicholls]

Happy New Year Stu. Thanks for having 3 of my newer Moa beers in the list. Moa Resurrection had to be renamed to Moa Blanc Evolution so as not to be confused with a fellow craft brewers brand. Dry hopping the 5 Hop, adding some Cascade and Sauvin seem to have worked a treat. As for the Imperial, wait for the next batch to be released. Has now been in oak for 9 months and should be 12 months before I bottle it.

 

NZ beers on my "I really enjoyed that"are;

Brew Moon Hop Head IPA

Liberty Brewing Summit IPA

Hopwired IPA

Renaissance Elemental Porter

PKB....the bottle left at the brewery!

Three Boys Oyster Stout

Three Boys Wheat

 

Imports have been

Green Flash WCIPA

Drakes Imperial Stout

Old Rasputin

Rouge XS Imperial Stout

Trumer Pils, fresh!

Sierra Nevada Torpedo, again fresh!

Neither list is complete but are the standouts by memory.

 

 

[JoKing]

YESSS!!!!!!!!

 

I finally made someones list!!!!!!!!!!!! (mind you... I do note Mikes IPA above)

 

And for that - I have to say that one of my best beers this year would have to be the Moa RIS.

Also Knockabollockoff was a memorable local drop.

I enjoyed Emersons JP 2010 quite a bit...

His Majesty 2010.

Liberty Summ!t (of course).

Hallertau Porter Noir.

Yeastie Boys Yakima Monster was great on tap.

Beervana Beers - too many and struggling to remember now.

 

Thats about it really - not a big drinking year for me really.

 

[Stu McKinlay]

You made no. 2 and 4 on Neil Miller's list in the Wellingtonian too (via Yeastie Boys Yakinma and Mike's IPA respectively).

[Mike Neilson]

He will just get pissed off that I piped him!!

[David Nicholls]

It was a great beer recommended by David Wood for Kim and I at Hashigo Zake after watching the AB's Boks. Was a great night (couple from rural Marlborough hit the big smoke!).

[Stu McKinlay]

Just realised Mike's IPA is not on my list... it was one of many that would have run close. On a week other than the 3 or 4 that I tried it, it may well have been on there.

[Stu McKinlay]

because I'm a data geek:

• Emerson's and Townshend feature 5 times each. Both had the only beers that featured twice (JP 2010 and Cathcarts NTA respectively). Moa and Hallertau featured 3 times each.  I've not drunk Hallertau regularly but it wouldn't be far off the mark in thinking that, along with Invercargill, these are my four favourite breweries in NZ at the moment.
• Very very surprised that Renaissance didn't feature as I'm a big fan of Elemental Porter and Perfection Pale Ale.  At least the brewery featured twice, via 8 Wired.
• Hashigo Zake and Malthouse were, unsurprisingly, my top venues with 10 beers at each (also very surprised that none were drunk at Bar Edward).
• Regional Wines and Spirits, even less surprising, was my top off-licence with 7 beers purchased there.  It's got me thinking that I need to pop into Rumble's again soon.
• Average abv was 6.46%, with the highest being Black Tie's 11.5% and the lowest being Roseadale 3.9%.  Without looking further into it, I reckon the average ABV of "craft beer" may be rising a bit.
• 36 beers were from from NZ breweries, 5 from USA, 4 from Australia, 2 each from Belgium, Denmark and England with one from Japan.
• 26 were bottled, 17 from tap, 8 on handpump and 1 was from a conditioning tank… I'm glad I picked it there and then as I never got another taste!  I guess this pretty much reflects my drinking habits.
• At least 4 were "greymarket" (though two of them werte imported in suitcases rather than containers, so "grey" but not really market... none were Stone, which I've been avoiding in an effort to please Greg Koch).
• 23 were beers I had never tried before.  Perhaps the theme of the year could be "losing my virginity every second week".
• None were JCIPA (that one is just to confirm for you Martin Townshend)

 

Just looking at this list makes me glad I don't keep a copy of the receipts of all the beer I pay for in a year!!

 

Cheers

Stu

 

 

[Stu McKinlay]

best brush up on my prezi skills...

[Stu McKinlay]

Hey Crabbey... Now I'm thinking Pecha Kucha presentation!