June and July were quite the whirlwind of travels and delicious beers! I visited Alaska, Colorado, Michigan, Aiken SC, Augusta GA, and Hendersonville NC. I shared beers via 3 bottle shares, and I got to visit two iconic breweries I have been so excited to check out: Anchorage Brewing and Casey Brewing and Blending!
The past two months also brought re-visits to some of my favorites like HOMES in Michigan, Jackie O’s in Ohio, and Bierstadt in Colorado. During all of this I tried 219 beers over the past two months, and here were the best of the best (in no particular order):
Pliny the Younger from Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, CA
Iconic. What more do you need to know about this limited-release Triple IPA?
A Deal With the Devil - Triple Oaked (Batch 15) and Some Kind of Something from Anchorage Brewing Company in Anchorage, AK
I was lucky enough to have several Anchorage beers over the past two months, both at the taproom itself, at a beer bar in Anchorage, and via a friend at a bottle share right before my trip. The two standouts were a version of the beer the are most known for, A Deal With The Devil, and an Imperial Stout blend. Any time I see a dark beer that Anchorage is associated with I know it’s going to be fire, and these two were exceptional examples. I can’t wait to break into the bottles I brought back!
Nelson Collider from North Park Beer Company in San Diego, CA
Nelson Collider is a part of North Park’s series and focuses in on Nelson with Nelson, Nelson Cryo, and Nelson SubZero Hop Kief. It is a Triple IPA that is far too easy to drink and loaded with flavor.
VSOR Select 2024 from Revolution Brewing in Chicago, IL
Similar to Anchorage, when I see a dark beer from Revolution I know I won’t be disappointed and this unique beer was a great example. RSOJ is a Ryewine blend using hand-selected bourbon and rye barrels making the barrel presence extremely prominent and delicious. Best enjoyed by the riverside fire table after hot tubbing in Alaska, obviously.
Royal Blenheim (2023) from Nebuleus Beer in Portland, OR
Nebuleus is just quietly putting out bangers and I still really don’t understand how the operate, but every time I have a beer from them I love it so I am not asking too many questions! This is a blend of oak barrel aged Saisons refermented on royal blenheim apricots from Polestar Farm.
Citra, Citra, Citra, Citra from Inner Voice Brewing in Decatur, GA
All the Citra for this Triple IPA! This is brewed with Citra Cryo and dry hopped with Citra T-90, Citra Lupomax, Citra Spectrum sauce and Citra Cryo. We love to see it.
Good Look At A Steak collaboration from Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY and CLAG Brewing Company in Sandusky, OH
A collab from two of my favs! This Triple IPA is hopped with Simcoe and Nectaron. I cannot wait to get back to CLAG in December to restock, but these stellar collaborations make it easier to get my hands on their delicious beer!
Coconut Bourbon Barrel Temple of Minerva from Jackie O’s Brewery in Athens, OH
A Coconut Stout is generally always going to be tasty, but especially from this incredible spot. Jackie O’s does it again with this Imperial Stout aged for 20 months in Bourbon barrels and conditioned on raw and roasted coconut. Absolutely delightful.
Tarred and Feathered + Yodel: Motueka + Barrel Aged Sky Burial + Melted from Freak Folk Bier in Waterbury, VT
4 Freak Folk beers you say? Sorry not sorry. Here’s the breakdown:
Tarred and Feathered is a Double IPA brewed with Citra, Peacharine, and Motueka hops. Yodel: Motueka is an Imperial IPA Double Dry-Hopped with all Motueka hops as part of their incredible single hop series. Barrel Aged Sky Burial is an Imperial Stout aged for 15 months in Baker Bourbon barrels, conditioned on cacao, coffee, cinnamon, and vanilla beans. Melted is an Imperial IPA with Nelson, Citra & Galaxy hops. Freak Folk is straight fire and I am so incredibly impressed with everything they do!
Altra Volta: Naranja from Fox Farm Brewery in Salem, CT
This Wild Ale was finished in vino de naranja casks and is a great example of how Fox Farm is able to take super unique beers to the next level.
Nucleate (2025) collaboration beer from HOMES Brewery in Ann Arbor, MI and Southern Grist Brewing Company in Nashville, TN
Nucleate is the festival HOMES puts on each summer, and they do a collaboration beer in celebration as well. This year’s edition is aged in Balcones, Buffalo Trace & Jack Daniels Rye whiskey barrels, then aged on a lot of Madagascar vanilla, coconut cookies & cacao nibs. Sheeeesh this was a goodie and I bummed to have missed the fest & bottle release!
Meow, Meow, Meow from Monkish Brewing Company in Torrance, CA
Meow, Meow, Meow is a triple dry hopped Triple IPA with Citra hops—no surprise from anyone who has read this far that I loved it.
Tumalo Kriek from The Ale Apothecary in Bend, OR
Never would I have guessed walking into The Potato in the tiny, remote town of McCarthhy, Alaska that I would be able to enjoy this delicious bottle from The Ale Apothecary. This is a spontaneous Wild Ale aged in oak barrels with cherries and conditioned with honey. Delicious of course, as anything is coming from this Bend brewery, but I think the shock and awe made me love it even more!
Slow Pour Pils from Bierstadt Lagerhaus in Denver, CO
A Slow Pour Pils at the source—chef’s kiss.
Freestyle No. 8 from Casey Brewing and Blending in Glenwood Springs, CO
Casey’s Freestyle series blends different beers together, #8 combines dry hopped Funky Blender & Saison with Peacherine. It was my favorite beer (of many) I tried at their taproom and absolutely delicious!
School Night from Westbound & Down in Idaho Springs, CO
Westbound & Down purchased Aspen Brewing, so the tap list was about 50/50 on each brewery’s beers, and I was delighted with this Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout & Barleywine Blend. School Night is a mix of 14- and 18-month-old Imperial Stout and Barleywine aged in Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace, Weller, Austin Nichols and Woodford Reserve barrels. I can’t wait to visit their Denver taproom in just a few short weeks on my next Colorado trip!
Flora (Batch 11 Wax Top) from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT
A great Farmhouse Ale from Hill Farmstead? Shocker, I know! This particular beer was initially brewed in Spring 2017 then rested in wine barrels for years. Packed with flavor and taking the Farmhouse game to the next level.
15th Anniversary Blonde Ale: Shaun Hill & Dan Suarez From Hill Farmstead in Collaboration with Suarez Family Brewery in Hudson, NY
This is definitely the first time a Blonde Ale has made my Top Beers Blog, because this collab was perfection. Refreshing, flavorful, and not your every day Blonde Ale.
Quad Dub + The Study of Dying (Collab with Lyric Brewing) from New Image Brewing in Arvada, CO
The Motueka, Motueka Cryo edition of Quad Dub Quadruple Dry Hopped Double IPA reminded me of how much I love New Image Brewing, even if it has been years since I have gotten my hands on anything from them. My visit to their taproom in Wheat Ridge, Colorado was a highlight of my 6 day CO adventure.
On top of their delicious beers, they also partner with Lyric to have some of their beers and collabs available. One of those is The Study of Dying, a blend of Stouts Aged 48 months in Heaven Hill Bourbon and 36 months in Heaven Hill Rye Barrels, then finished with roasted peanuts. More from Lyric below!
Fight ‘Em Off collaboration from Lyric Brewing Company in Denver, RaR Brewing in Cambridge, MD, and New Image Brewing
Fight ‘Em Off is a Hazy Double IPA with Motueka, Motueka Cryo, Motueka Dynaboost and Freestyle Motueka Hop Kief. 3 fantastic IPA breweries, it’s no surprise this was top notch. Excited to try more from them next month!
Forever Tethered To My Own Undoing from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC
Normally I think beer descriptions are a bit over the top, but when I saw Burial name Ferrero Rocher in the description of this blend of two double-mashed Imperial Stouts, conditioned on a toasted hazelnut and Madagascar Vanilla Bean, I knew that they had nailed it. This tastes exactly like biting into one of those little chocolate-hazelnut-vanilla balls and it is superb.
Never Having Materialized From Magic From Burial Beer in collaboration with Brujos Brewing in Portland, OR
Quadruple IPAs from Burial have been all the rage this year and this Brujos collaboration obviously is no different. This QIPA was whirlpooled with honey and double dry-hopped with Citra, Motueka, Riwaka, and Wakatu before finishing with Motueka Cryo, Citra Incognito, and Citra Hyperboost. Sheesh!
Bitty From Burial Beer in Collaboration with Lesser-Known Beer Co in Winston-Salem, NC
At 3.8% ABV Bitty is the best light beer I’ve ever had. I have no question. A perfect Zwickelbier.
LK Plis from Lesser-KnowN Beer Co
Not to be outdone, Lesser-Known’s German Pilsner is also incredible. I miiiight just be sneaking in another visit in August and can’t wait to get my hands on some more of their delicious Lagers!
Early from Dimensional Brewing Company in Dubuque, IA
Early is a blend of Rye and Bourbon barrel aged stouts aged 15-37 months, then conditioned on coffee, coconut, and vanilla. I had never heard of Dimensional Brewing before this bottle was shared with me, but now I know I have been missing out because this was exceptional.
