#goldenpints

2016 was an odd one. I don’t just mean politically, historically, environmentally - I mean on a personal, more human level, down in the trenches where I can be found crawling around. It was touched by grief and by joy - a bereavement and finding out I was going to be a dad, respectively - and besides those things, everything else seemed slightly greyed out in comparison, like the softly-blurred middle distance of a photograph, focused on something else.

Blogging took a back seat, unfortunately, as the slowly diminishing archives of BAPD shows - even if the drinking didn’t, what with it being there to comfort you in the down times and toast you in the good. In fact, I can say without a doubt that 2016 was my best drinking year ever - for quality, for diversity, maybe even for volume, though maybe not that, since I was a student once. Quite literally, from the moment the clocks chimed midnight and ushered 2016 into being, I have been drinking good beer - I started with Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout 2015, and the as final vengeful seconds of 2016 ticked away, I was sipping a Trappistes Rochefort 10. The pace and the pleasure rarely let up. Hopefully that been reflected in the blog, even if not as regularly as I would have liked.

The accepted way to celebrate the year in beer on the internet is in the form of Golden Pints - a kind of communal awards, shouting out all the things you loved most from the past 12 months. Having gone right over the year end, just in case anything was going to sneak in under the wire, here are my prize winners, in whatever categories I feel like recognising:

Beer of the Year - Cloudwater DIPA V10

It feels like Cloudwater’s evolving DIPA series has become almost emblematic of UK craft beer and the culture surrounding it - a high ABV your dad would wince at, scarcity in the select bottle shops it turns up in, and a series of eye-catching designs meaning the bottles are as satisfying to look at as they are to open. But despite its cultural dominance, it’s barely been 12 months since the first iteration appeared and made everyone lose their collective shit. Now on a monthly schedule, and harnessing the accumulated experience of nine past iterations, December’s DIPA V10 saw the addition of alchemical hop powders and oats to the grist, for their most billowingly fruity effort yet. DIPA defined the year. Bring on the cans.

Brewery of the Year - Brew by Numbers

It feels almost impossible to pick a brewery of the year when there were so many good breweries making great beer this year - the aforementioned Cloudwater, Magic Rock and Siren all made strong showings - but ultimately I picked Brew by Numbers because I couldn’t think of another brewery making such strides with such diverse styles as they have this year. From barrel-aged imperial stouts to semi-legendary saisons, via hazy pale ales and sticky IPAs, there isn’t a dice roll of digits that hasn’t worked for them.

Venue of the Year - waterintobeer

Sometimes, you just get lucky. This year, my sleepy corner of south east London discovered, in the space of a few days, that it was getting two bottle shops. Both turned out to be excellent, and I maintain Salthouse Bottles may be the most pleasingly laid out shop in the capital. But waterintobeer has a special place in my heart, thanks to a) having seats allowing you to sit in and drink b) playing excellent records and introducing me to bands like Martha. It’s a home away from home already.

Location of the Year - Brussels

I’m almost embarrassed (humblebrag!) by the number of places I went this year where beer was a centrepiece of the trip. I did a cask ale crawl round the charming pubs of Derby. I drank my way through the dankest offerings Brooklyn’s Other Half had to offer. I crushed cans of Jai Alai in the Florida sun, and crammed in as many bars as Manchester and Leeds had to offer. All of these are worthy beer trips to make, but nothing else quite matched up to my first trip to Belgium. After a bad teenaged run in with a bottle of Leffe, I’d never truly come to appreciate Belgian beer, but a weekend in Bruges and Brussels soon changed that. Sitting in the sunny yard of a puppet theatre drinking Westvleteren XII was close to a religious experience.

Writers of the Year - Matthew Curtis / Will Gordon

Whether on his own site, Total Ales, or doing beautifully illustrated stories for Good Beer Hunting, I’ve loved reading Matthew Curtis’ work this year. He writes with passion and precision, and an uncommon clarity about the broader industry that always makes me pause to consider the bigger picture. Meanwhile, Will Gordon remains the chief inspiration for me bothering to tell other people what I like to drink, with a voice that combines humour and insight in equal doses. I hope they both keep up the good work.

Moment of the Year - The British Guild of Beer Writers Annual Awards

This is my first ever ‘Golden Pints’ and it’s a post I’ve laboriously worked on. Not in terms of editing and proof-reading, but rather through heated internal debates on what beer should receive what accolade. From the deaths of great musicians to death of humanity’s common sense, 2016 has been utterly abject. However, the ascent of craft beer hasn’t faltered as UK breweries continue to get bolder and better with their beers. It’s truly been a tough decision on each category, but there’s been one brewery that has dominated my awards. 

If 2017 is half as good as 2016 has been in terms of beer, we’re in for a very exciting future in the craft beer world 

Best UK Cask Beer: Cloudwater’s Vermont E.S.B. 

After spending most of 2016 in Manchester, I’ve only occasionally had cask beer due to amount of brilliant keg offerings in many bars. Despite this, upon a visit Port St Beer House I tried a rare cask of Cloudwater’s Vermont E.S.B., their modern take on a classic, traditional style. Their extra special bitter was gorgeously nuanced and rounded, yet made all the more extra special by the unique vermont ale yeast which completely accentuated all the beer’s incredible properties.

Best UK Keg Beer: Cloudwater’s IPA Citra

This year Cloudwater have become renown for their DIPAs by taking inspiration from all corners of America to produce innovative and unique DIPAs. However, it is their dangerously sessionable IPA Citra that really shone through for me on keg, scoring extra points for the relatively widespread distribution of it. More than anything, it was the ‘mouthfeel’ on this that made it so tasty. The beer had a strange juxtaposition of intense tropical Citra hops, combined with a texture that mimicked the velevetyness of a imperial stout.

Best UK Bottled or Can Beer: Cloudwater’s DIPA v3

Cloudwater have had a truly inspired year for me, and their DIPA v3 is emblematic of all their success. It’s in a similar vein to their IPA Citra, but amped up. Indeed, like their E.S.B., the vermont ale yeast gives a creamy thick texture to beer, creating this opaque luxurious haze. Flavour wise there’s tons of apricot combining with lots of tropical fruits. It is for me, the juiciest and best DIPA in their series. What made this the best bottle is the magnificent artwork on the label; striking, abstract, and evocative.

Best Overseas Draught Beer: Dugges’ Tropic Sunrise

The best beer experiences are the ones you don’t expect. On one my last nights living in Manchester, my girlfriend and I decided to head to Heaton Hops for a little drink in Stockport as it was somewhere we had never been before. Dugges are a brewery I’ve heard a lot about, but had yet to try much by them. I opted for Tropic Sunrise, and the rest is history. The very first sip was a revelation, tasting like nothing I’ve ever had before. Frankly, it tastes more like an alcopop than ‘beer’, which may be off putting for some, but for me the tropical fruit juice flavours were luscious and ruinously quenching.

Best Overseas Bottled or Canned Beer: Alesmith’s Speedway Stout

I think 2016 saw quite a rise in interesting imports from abroad. Highly sought after beers from highly sought after breweries are becoming easily attainable as the demand and market for craft beer continues to increase. Indeed, as a result, this year I’ve had many excellent wild and lambic beers from the likes of Crooked Stave and Mikkeller’s Spontan series, as well as lots of incredible IPAs from America, but everytime I tried to narrow down a choice I kept coming back to a beer that has been relatively easy to buy here for a while: Alesmith’s Speedway Stout.  The beer embodies the essence of what an imperial stout should be. It’s smooth and decadent, with the bold flavours of coffee softened and complimented by gorgeously indulgent chocolate. It’s a beer that will always be a favourite of mine, and is unlikely to be surpassed.

Best Collaboration Brew: Lervig/Way Beer and 3 Bean Stout

As well as imports, it seems like more and more collaborations have happened this year, so this category has been fiercely competitive. 3 Bean Stout is my champion though, an inspired imperial stout that maintains classic flavours and viscosity with its own unique twist. Lervig are a brewery who have completely nailed their imperial stouts, and most are excellent. What sets this beer apart is the use of Tonka beens which creates a completely original aroma and flavour that is hard to pinpoint. Almond and vanilla becomes highly accentuated to provide a lingering sweet aftertaste that I will remember for years to come.

Best Overall Beer: Cloudwater’s DIPA v3

What makes this the best overall beer for me is the subsequent impact the beer has had on UK IPAs. One might argue that Cloudwater have simply imitated many New England IPAs that are on trend at the moment, providing juiciness in favour of bitterness and haze instead of clarity. But this is reductive, as this is a beer that is unique and special in its own right. Indeed, I feel this beer has acted as a catalyst for many other breweries who have since attempted make juicy IPAs with their own independent stamp on it. Cloudwater, and their DIPA range in particular have inspired breweries, excited beer geeks and new drinkers alike, and as such are surely at the epicentre of all that is great in the industry at the moment.

Best Branding, Pumpclip or Label: Omnipollo

I love Karl Grandin. He is the genius behind much of Omnipollo’s branding and artwork and highlights the importance of imagery within the industry. Grandin’s beautiful abstract imagery serves to complement the beer, echoing certain characteristics within the each beer. For example, Mazarin has a melting candle on it, that connoting that it’s a beer to savour, and mull over. Grandin’s work is truly a refreshing change from a lot of breweries, showing that bold and distictive artwork can be attained through simplicity. The artwork has become as representative of Omnipollo as much as their beer has, and goes to show that beer can be about the overall experience and aestheticism as much as the taste.

Best UK Brewery: Brew By Numbers

Despite all my praise for Cloudwater, my best brewery of the year is Brew By Numbers who have seemingly mastered the art of each style. Like Cloudwater, this year they have introduced their own DIPA range with rotating hops which have been consistently excellent. Likewise, their turbid pale ales which look like chicken soup are glorious and perhaps the tastiest beers they’ve ever made. Yet perhaps more interesting is their newer range of mixed fermentation saisons and barrel-aged beers. It’s rare for a brewery to be as ambitious and innovative across a vast range of styles, but Brew By Numbers have continually nailed it for me.

Best Overseas Brewery: Omnipollo

I love Omnipollo. They are quite possibly mine, and many others, favourite brewery at the moment. Though it may be sacrilege to say, some of their beers recently have left me a little cold, such as their Anagram Blueberry Stout and Maple Candied Almond Pale Ale. But when they get it right, they get it deliciously perfect. Their Noa Pecan Mud Cake Stout is as decadent as can be, with a viscous chocolatey texture. Indeed, their barrel-aged version of this is a rare example of the barrels complimenting, rather than altering an already brilliant beer. Moreover, their Raspberry/Mango/Blueberry lassi gose’s are some the most quenching and striking beers I’ve ever tasted, and their stalwarts Mazarin and Fatamorgana are both pillowy soft pales that are gorgeous. They’re a brewery that will continually excite me, and I can’t wait to see where they head next in 2017.

Best Newcomer: Wild Weather Ales

I think a new year’s resolution for 2017 is to try more beers from smaller breweries rather than relying feverishly on those I know and love. There’s a lot of new breweries this year that have had a lot of people excited, but I’ve unfortunately missed such as Verdant, Lost & Grounded and Little Earth Project. However, Wild Weather Ales are a new brewery that have really impressed me this year and seem to be getting better and better. Their Fraise Et Poivre was a standout; a peppery saison with strawberries which was excellent. What I really like is their ability to straddle a line between traditional and modern, with their classic red ale Five Fifteen matching the quality of their Peach of a Weekend, a sour with copious amounts of fresh peach.

Best Pub/Bar: Beermoth Cafe

Opening towards the end of last year, Beermoth Cafe has been continually excellent, managing to find its own place in an already brilliant Manchester pub scene. The prices are always reasonable, and there’s always at least one or two ‘rare’ beers available to have. Moreover, their bottle list is perhaps the best of any bar I’ve ever been to. Though I’ve never indulged in buying one (as most are 750ml, and are therefore quite expensive), there’s something to cater for everyone. Yet most importantly, it’s a fantastic atmosphere to have a drink in. It’s a huge space that’s elegantly decorated, and never feels claustrophobic. It’s only been open for just over a year, but Cafe Beermoth has already cemented itself as a Manchester gem.

Best Beer Festival: London Craft Beer Festival

LCBF was the only beer festival I went to this year, so the accolade of ‘best’ is a bit unfounded due to lack of competition. However, I had a really great time and drank some fantastic beers. Initially I was a little sceptical at the upfront price of the festival, whereby you pay for the ticket and are entitled to unlimited ‘taster’ fills, but it allowed for a seamless evening with no queuing for beers. It was amazing to have a ludicrously fresh Otra Vez from Sierra Nevada, as well as some mammoth beers such as Bearded Lady Barrel Aged Bourbon Dessert Edition from Magic Rock. Everyone was friendly and it was a really feel-good atmosphere. My only regret is singing and dancing too much to Justin Timberlake and embarrassing my girlfriend.

Best Independent Retailer: The Epicurean

Living in Manchester this year has really allowed me to delve further into the craft beer world, and this is largely down to having such a fantastic bottle shop that was practically on my doorstep. The Epicurean has an excellent range at reasonable prices. Notably, and importantly, is the heralding of local beers from the likes of Track, Blackjack and Cloudwater. Indeed, a dedicated Manchester section of the shop is a great feature especially due to the quick ascension and improvement of many Manchester based breweries this year. Their international range is equally as brilliant and diverse. Indeed, many of my purchases from here hold a special place in my heart for introducing me to new styles, new breweries, or beers I had always sought after, such as Founder’s KBS. I don’t really want to know how much money I’ve given this shop over the past year, but I’m reassured in knowing that my money has gone to a good business.

Best Online Retailer: Hoptimism

In contrast, moving back home to Essex has in some ways felt like going into a time-warp, and entering a universe where craft beer is a seen as witchcraft. As a result, I’ve had to rely more on online retailers, and Hoptimism is by far the best. A consistently exceptional range is matched by an exceptional service. In one instance, after making an order, owner Rob Doyle contacted me to let me know that he would be unable to ship my beers until the following week because he was on holiday. This incredibly minor inconvenience was compensated through an additional beer chosen by Rob, and added to my order for free. Furthermore, after trying to buy some limited edition beers to no avail, I contacted Rob to ask when they would be available on his website. He quickly offered to hold one of each back for me to ensure I could get them. Rob runs an excellent business and it’s namely because his business is built on compassion and a love of great beer.

Best Blog: Matthew Curtis - Total Ales

In no particular order.

Best UK Cask

I don't get through a lot of cask beer, as it's generally pretty underwhelming, hit-and-miss stuff. But the Moor Beer Sloe Walker two weeks ago at the famous Bag o' Nails in Bristol was an absolute treat. This is a very personal beer for me, as a few years ago—along with Thornbridge Jaipur and Marble Black Marble—it was a gateway beer, changing forever my perception of what a beer can be, and starting me along a beery journey, of which this ridiculous blog project is just part.

It's delicious stuff and in painfully short supply, so the 250 mile round trip from London was an easy decision to make. The opportunity to hang with some of the pub's 15 cats was a nice bonus.

Best UK Keg

I could start listing all sorts of 15% barrel-aged Barley Wines and Belgian Quads and whatnot, but The Kernel's Pale Ale was the revelation for me this year.

Hiding in plain sight, and often overlooked in favour of the brewery's giant IPAs and Imperial Stouts, the Pales are the bread and butter of the Kernel range, yet when served eye-wateringly fresh, as can often be found at The Lyric in Soho, they're very hard to beat. Attempting to brew something similar myself has been enough to show me why the Kernel are a world-renowned brewery, and I'm a computer programmer.

Brewery

It's almost redundant to mention how good The Kernel are, and it was nearly going to be them, but for me this year has been all about Moor Beer. In many ways an understated brewery compared to some, their keep-it-simple approach to just brewing straightforward beers to the highest possible standards resonates strongly with me. The chance to spend an hour or so drinking and chatting with giant brewery dog Baz at the Moor taproom in Bristol recently remains a special memory, even if he steadfastly refused to pose for photographs.

UK Pub/Bar of the Year

It's always going to be the ever-magnificent Stormbird in Camberwell, isn't it. The exceptional selection of beers, the lovely staff and the unnecessarily reasonable prices combine to make Stormbird one of the very finest places to drink beer on the planet.

Extra special mention has to go to The Lyric and The Queen's Head, both in Soho. It's so rare to find a proper, honest, individual pub in central London, and I'm lucky enough to have two right on the office doorstep.

Overseas Pub/Bar of the Year

Alright, I've only been to two other countries this year, but I'm pretty sure I could travel the globe and struggle to find anywhere of the calibre of Moeder Lambic Fontainas and Poechenellekelder in Brussels, and La Capsule in Lille. Happy, if slightly hazy, memories of all three this year.

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