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

 

[Greig McGill]

Yeah? Well... so's ya face! ;)

[Stu McKinlay]

don't get me started about your mum....

[Martin townshend]

YB Nerdherder. Can't remember if it was A, B or what, was on Beer engine at Freehouse in Nelson. I got a call from one of the owners telling me it needed a little investigation, so took a trip in.

Bought a pint, a packet of ready salted crisps and a pickled egg. Crushed the crisps and laid them out on a plate, then rolled the pickled egg in them, took a bite, then supped said beerand made a mess in me pants........

[Greig McGill]

And then you had a lager and lime?

[Greig McGill]

Oh is THAT why she loves PKB?

[Dominic Kelly]

As it happens I'd been planning a little end of year survey and have just sent the following link to Hashigo Zake's newsletter subscribers. Feel free to join in, although the options are made up of beers that HZ happened to have on tap in 2010.

[Matthew]

Alrighty, finally got around to it:

 

YB Motueka Monster

8 Wired iStout

8 Wired Tall Poppy

Thornbridge Halcyon

Liberty Summ!t IPA

Mikes IIPA

Jo's Yakima Warrior (IPA's coming out of the Naki are the shiz)

Townshend Dubloon

My own PKB clone <-- can I vote myself? It was definitely hoppier than YB's fresh ;-)

Green Flash Le Freak

Three Boys Oyster Stout (one of the best 2010)

Goose Island Matilda

Brewjolais (long may it continue)

 

And the early runner for 2011:

 

Emerson's JP2010 (Absolutely phenomenal!)