Snallygaster 2016 returns this Saturday at The Yards (tickets are still available by the way, buying in advance helps you skip the line and get started quickly). This is the fifth year of Snally already, which is kind of amazing. It has quickly become one of the best beer festivals on the east coast, if not the entire country. The festival features 351 beers, with, honestly, not a lot of filler therein, from breweries all across the area, region, and country (with some international appearances as well). It's an overwhelming experience. We're talking about seven times the number of drafts featured at ChurchKey, which is in and of itself a daunting number. How can beer fans, amateurs and experts alike, honestly be expected to sort through all of these beers?
Through a DCBeer-provided power ranking, of course.
That's right, we did the unthinkable (or at least inadvisable). We've ranked the 350 beers available at Snallygaster.
How did we go about this feat? Well, it was tough, to be honest. We haven't had all 350 of these beers. Far from it. So what we've done here is think about what our predilections would be on the day of. Which beers would we be most likely to shell out tickets for? This takes into consideration a great number of things: the esteem in which we hold a brewery, our relative style preferences, our understanding of a given beer's reputation, ABV, cost, availability (we're not, by and large, going to Snallygaster to drink things we can typically get). In some cases, but not all, we've consulted rating sites like Untappd, Beer Advocate, and RateBeer. In some cases we've consulted the breweries websites.
What we've cobbled together is a rough approximation of our relative preference for the beers that will be available. The thoughts come from a number of writers; this isn't any one person's perspective. The rankings were made collaboratively. It's not scientific, so don't come beating down our Twitter accounts for not putting your favorite IPA at #57 instead of #55. Make your own power rankings. Want to chat rationally about what you think we got wrong or under- or overranked? Let us know on Twitter at @DCBeer! We'd love to hear from you.
To the breweries and brewers, especially those who didn't see their beers ranked as highly as they might have liked, please understand that this is nothing personal. Everyone can't be #1. Hell, everyone can't be #179. There's a lot of tough choices to make when there are 351 beers available. We had some fun with this and hope you will, too.
Here's the list! (We've included a link to a Google Sheet for download at the end of this document). Huge thanks to the DCBeer staff and contributors who made this happen.
Note: DCBeer Picks are beers we'd go out of our way to grab.
350. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Perennial – Barrel-Aged Abraxas – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Rye; w/ Chocolate, Vanilla, Chili Peppers & Spices) – Missouri – (11%) – By the time you read this, it'll already be gone. Marking it low just for the resulting sound of heads exploding on Untappd.
349. 21st Amendment – Monk's Blood – Belgian Dark Ale (w/ Cinnamon, Vanilla, Figs & Oak Spirals) – California – (8.3%) – No one, and I mean no one (at least in my household), drinks quads anymore. Do you want to be like no one?
348. Anderson Valley – Briney Melon Gose – Gose (w/ Watermelon) – California – (4.2%) – Pretty ubiquitous. A great beer, and it'll be thirst-quenching if it's hot, but keep the train moving, we're only in the A's.
347. Three Notch'd – Boston Cream Porter – Baltic Porter (w/ Vanilla Custard) – Virginia – (8.5%) – My god, a vanilla custard beer. Why?
346. Victory – Helios – Saison (w/ Brettanomyces) – Pennsylvania – (7.5%) – Helios is fairly available, but it's not toward the top of my saison rankings here.
345. Alpine – Willy Vanilly – Wheat Ale (w/ Vanilla) – California – (4.9%) – A wheat beer. With vanilla extract added. You're still on this line because…
344. Lagunitas – Sucks – Imperial IPA – California – (8%) – Lagunitas sucks. I don't even know why they bother with this beer. /sarcasm
343. New Belgium – Pumpkick – Pumpkin Ale (w/ Lemongrass & Cranberries) – Colorado – (6%) – Pumpkick, like "fetch," is not going to happen for us today.
342. Green Flash – Passion Fruit Kicker – Wheat Ale (w/ Passionfruit) – California – (5.5%) – I don't like passionfruit in beers. You may, that's good for you. Not my thing.
341. Uinta – Labyrinth – Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter (Rye) – Utah – (13.2%) – IMVVVVHO, this is just too high a gravity for this particular beer in this context.
340. Stone – Ruination 2.0: Mango & Chipotle – Imperial IPA (w/ Mangoes & Chili Peppers) – California – (8.5%) – Sure, ruin your palate. Do it first. Right after you buy $200 in Snallygaster tickets. That's the best time to do it. https://tagn.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/simpsons_i-and-s_money.jpg
339. Tired Hands – Hoi Oligoi – American IPA (w/ Rye & Spelt) – Pennsylvania – (6.1%) – Milkshakes are all the rage, but this was a cloudy, unfermented mess when I had it.
338. Sonoma – The Washboard – American Cider (w/ Sarsaparilla & Vanilla) – California – (5.5%) – Sarsaparilla is a pain in the ass to spell.
337. Fordham – Spiced Harvest Ale – Pumpkin Ale – Delaware – (6.6%) – Way overly spiced for me.
336. Tröegs – Hop Knife – American IPA – Pennsylvania – (6.8%) – Troegs has been the benefactor of one of the best rebrands in craft beer history. That's why you can find them on a lot of grocery store shelves. Even this beer.
335. Lagunitas – Hop Stoopid – Imperial IPA – California – (8%) – This is a pretty dry double IPA. Is pretty easy to find around town at a reasonable bomber price.
334. New Belgium & De Koninck – Flowering Citrus Ale – Belgian Blond Ale (w/ Hibiscus, Rose Petals, Key Lime & Lemons) – Colorado – (7.4%) – I honestly think there's just too much going on here for this to come together.
333. Ballast Point – Big Eye – American IPA – California – (7%) – Presumably you have a local grocery store?
332. Goose Island – Halia – Barrel-Aged Saison (Wine; w/ Peaches & Brettanomyces) – Illinois – (7.5%) – This and the other ladies will be available for you as a palate cleanser later. Not that they're bad. They're just everywhere for sale.
331. Lagunitas – Hairy Eyeball (Vintage 2011) – American Strong Ale – California – (9.4%) – Not at all the beer I want to be drinking in September. I'm sure it is really smooth at five years old. Talk to me in December.
330. Dogfish Head – Punkin Ale – Pumpkin Ale – Delaware – (7%) – If you buy this beer at Snallygaster, you deserve to go in the punkin' chunkin' machine.
329. Ithaca – Hellish – Pale Lager – New York – (5.2%) – Not hell, just hellish. Who is going to Snallygaster for a beer like this?
328. Lickinghole Creek – Bourbon Barrel Blueberry Obsession – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon; w/ Blueberries & Cocoa Nibs) – Virginia – (13.5%) – Imperial stout with blueberries is something I can honestly say I haven't seen before. I have no idea how this will go. Blueberries in beer, to begin with, have a pretty mild flavor. I suspect they'll get steamrolled here. Not for me.
327. Heavy Seas – The Great'ER Pumpkin (Vintage 2015) – Barrel-Aged Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Bourbon) – Maryland – (10%) – Buy this bomber later and drink something else.
326. Original Sin – Elderberry Cider – American Cider (w/ Elderberries) – New York – (5%) – Your mother was a hamster, and your father…you get the idea. Anyone who orders this will tell that joke. Bank on it.
325. Terrapin – Side Project 27: HI-10 Mango-Habanero DIPA – Imperial IPA (w/ Habaneros & Mangoes) – Georgia – (9.3%) – I really wish breweries would stop with the mango-habanero beers. It seldom works out. And the hops just exacerbate the heat, which leaves me looking for milk at a beer festival. Can you imagine the questionable provenance of milk available at a beer festival?
324. Goose Island – Juliet – Barrel-Aged Sour Blond Ale (Cabernet Sauvignon; w/ Blackberries) – Illinois – (8%) – Of the "Sister" beers, this is one of the harder-to-find ones. But blackberries don't tend to make a particularly huge impact on beer flavor. Not going to tap on the window or knock of the door of Juliet to make her feel beautiful. Yes, that's a Maroon 5 reference. No, I will not apologize.
323. Victory – Festbier – Märzen – Pennsylvania – (5.6%) – The Franconian rubber-clad gravity kegs are your friend. You can find this another day.
322. Bluejacket – Darling Buds 2016: Cascade – Fresh Hop Pale Ale – Washington, DC – (6.2%) – A very balanced fresh hop IPA that you can get after Snallygaster at Bluejacket.
321. 3 Stars – Peppercorn Saison – Saison – Washington, DC – (6.5%) – If you're at Snallygaster, surely you've had this before. A tasty beer and reliable flagship but maybe one you don't need today.
320. Sonoma Cider – The Anvil – Barrel-Aged American Cider (Bourbon) – California – (6%) – Bourbon-barrel aging cider is just not a thing that needs to be done. I'm sorry. I've been skirting this issue for years, but I'm picking this moment to put it in writing.
319. Ommegang – Barrel-Aged Three Philosophers – Barrel-Aged Quadrupel (Bourbon) – New York – (10%) – Quadrupels were banned through the USA PATRIOT Act, and the authorities will be speaking with Brewery Ommegang soon.
318. Green Flash – Barleywine – Barleywine – California – (10.9%) – Pass. Sorry, Green Flash, there are a number of other barleywines ahead of you here, and I don't think people should be drinking barleywine at Snally to begin with.
317. Natty Greene's – Mt. Mitchell – American IPA – North Carolina – (7%) – Thanks for coming
316. DC Brau – Oktoberfest – Märzen – Washington, DC – (5%) – DC Brau's Oktoberfest is pretty good, and it's being canned this year. Be on the lookout.
315. Jolly Pumpkin – Rojzilla – Foeder-Aged Sour Red Ale – Michigan – (7.4%) – As a huge fan of La Roja, I wanted to love this. I was pretty disappointed. It lacked the complexity of La Roja and just kind of died on the finish. Sad.
314. 4 Hands – Night Chaser – Barrel-Aged Sour Brown Ale (Bourbon) – Missouri – (7.1%) – Want to say go ahead on this, but there isn't enough information about it out there to give the thumbs up. The few ratings there are are a little skittish.
313. Heavy Seas – Siren Noire – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon; w/ Cocoa Nibs & Vanilla) – Maryland – (9.5%) – Buy this bomber later and drink something else.
312. Sly Fox – Incubus – Tripel – Pennsylvania – (10.3%) – I'm not saying Hoobastank was better, but…
311. Ballast Point – Grunion – American Pale Ale – California – (5.5%) – At the grocery store you presumably have, this is next to the Big Eye.
310. Dominion – Candi – Tripel – Delaware – (10%) – I'm glad Dominion is getting in the door for Snallygaster and about not much else in this row.
309. Atlas – Rye, Rye My Darling – Saison (w/ Rye) – Washington, DC – (4.9%) – Nothing wrong here at all, but this lacks the "hook" that a lot of other beers have.
308. Goose Island – Matilda – Belgian Pale Ale – Illinois – (7%) – You can find Matilda in Aisle 15 next to the Land O' Lakes Sweet Cream Butter
307. Manor Hill – Grisette – Grisette – Maryland – (4.7%) – A great example of the style. But also readily available locally now (thankfully)
306. North Coast – Old Rasputin – Imperial Stout – California – (9%) – An absolute, 100%, no doubt about it total classic that you can find almost anywhere and so don't need to pick up here. TB: Fun fact, I once got lost with a friend in Dupont Circle because I had 4 of these when it was on cask at Pizza P. Maybe you, too, can be like me.
305. Bluejacket – Ex Lion Tamer – American IPA – Washington, DC – (7.2%) – This is like Lost Weekend, Jr. Think Lost Weekend with Azacca in it. Perfectly fine, but let's keep the line moving.
304. DC Brau – On the Wings of Armageddon – Imperial IPA – Washington, DC – (9.2%) – You've had Wings before. You'll have Wings again. Let's keep it moving.
303. Heritage – Tequila Barrel-Aged American Expedition – Barrel-Aged Wheat Ale (Tequila; w/ Limes) – Virginia – (8%) – Not a huge fan of the underlying beer here. The idea that it's tequila lime doesn't add to the appeal.
302. Otter Creek – Overgrown – American Pale Ale – Vermont – (5.5%) – Meh.
301. Smuttynose – Pumpkin Ale – Pumpkin Ale – New Hampshire – (5%) – Why would you come here to drink this?
300. Rogue – 8 Hop – Imperial IPA – Oregon – (8.8%) – Good little DIPA. All of these beers are produced with hops from Rogue Farms, which is pretty cool.
299. Sierra Nevada – Otra Vez – Gose (w/ Prickly Pear & Grapefruit) – California – (4.5%) – Hard pass. There are a bunch of other beers in this style that I would gose to drink first. (See? See how I did it?)
298. Great Lakes – Oktoberfest – Märzen – Ohio – (6.5%) – A great Oktoberfest that you can get readily any other day.
297. Allagash – Saison – Saison – Maine – (6.1%) – Allasgash Saison is great, but you can move along here. If you want some Saison, you can get it wherever better beers are sold on a day that isn't Snallygaster.
296. Mustang Sally – Minho – Saison (w/ White Wine Must) – Virginia – (3.2%) – I dunno about this – I'm not super into musty beers, but I could be surprised. Happy for the ABV though
295. New Belgium – Fruit Fly – Berliner Weisse (Dry-Hopped) – Colorado – (5.7%) – Kettle soured with passionfruit and Citra hops. This is draft only, but it won't be hard to find in DC in a few weeks.
294. Dogfish Head – Seaquench – Sour Blond Ale (w/ Black Limes, Lime Juice & Sea Salt) – Delaware – (4.9%) – This beer was at SAVOR. This was the first SAVOR where the Dogfish line was short enough for me to stop by the table on a break. I'm just saying. (Also, this is being packaged now. Find it some other time; I'm actually a fan.)
293. Bluejacket – Forbidden Planet – Kölsch (Dry-Hopped) – Washington, DC – (4.2%) – Forbidden Planet should be the name of the 18+ Only section behind the velvet curtain at every comic book convention.
292. Stone – xS – Barrel-Aged Imperial IPA (Gin & Rye) – California – (8.9%) – They sell bombers of this, go buy one.
291. Ommegang – Witte – Witbier – New York – (5.2%) – Ommegang Witte is a very fine witbier that you can find almost anywhere else.
290. Perennial – Saison de Lis – Saison (w/ Chamomile) – Missouri – (5%) – If you want this, go to WF P St and buy a bottle.
289. Oliver – Bishop's Breakfast (Nitro) – Oatmeal Stout – Maryland – (6.6%) – If you're ever in the Inner Harbor (or Columbia location), give this beer a chance, but save your time and liver at Snally for something else.
288. Terrapin – Grapefruit Hi-5 – American IPA (w/ Grapefruit) – Georgia – (5.9%) – Pass. Plenty of other Grapefruit IPAs out there.
287. Firestone Walker – Luponic Distortion: Revolution No. 003 – American IPA – California – (5.9%) – "That's So Snally" is an affliction facing Firestone Walker, too.
286. AleWerks – Twenty Knots – Tripel – Virginia – (10%) – Prediction: tripels will be the next brown ale.
285. Tröegs – Scratch #236: Hibiscus IPA – American IPA (w/ Hibiscus Flowers) – Pennsylvania – (7.4%) – Fun fact: when I have a kid, I'm going to make fun of him or her for asking cutely, "Hi biscuits?" But until then I have no use for hibiscus.
284. Heritage – Kings Mountain – Scotch Ale – Virginia – (7.4%) – Lots of competition in the Scotch ale category this year. This is the rare year-round Scotch ale.
283. Otter Creek – 25th Anniversary Double IPL – India Pale Lager – Vermont – (8.5%) – Debut, but they'll package it.
282. SweetWater – Hash Brown – Brown Ale – Georgia – (6.5%) – What is it with breweries and weed puns?
281. Champion – Ghidorah – Tripel – Virginia – (8.5%) – I can't blame Godzilla and Rodan here. What incentive do THEY have to save mankind?
280. 21st Amendment – Hop Crisis – Imperial IPA (w/ Oak Spirals) – California – (9.7%) – There's just too many other beers available at Snallygaster for me to have a 9.7% DIPA from 21st Amendment
279. Perennial – Von Pampelmuse – Berliner Weisse (w/ Grapefruit & Mandarin Orange) – Missouri – (4.2%) – If you want this, go to WF P St and buy a bottle.
278. Prairie – Bomb! – Imperial Stout (w/ Coffee, Chocolate, Vanilla & Chili Peppers) – Oklahoma – (13%) – My vote for beer that is heavy that will still be available at 3pm.
277. Bullfrog – Le Roar Grrrz – Gueuze – Pennsylvania – (6%) – I'm sorry, a brewpub in Williamsport has a "gueuze?" What is 2016 anyway?
276. Stone – Winter Harvest – Barrel-Aged Belgian Strong Blond Ale (White Wine; w/ Merlot Grapes) – California – (11.3%) – I bet you could drink a MerLOT of this. (sobbing)
275. Green Flash – Soul Style: Citra – American IPA (Dry-Hopped w/ Citra) – California – (6.5%) – Drink cask beer. But not cask IPA. Citra addition helps.
274. Lonerider – Hoppy Kai Yay – American IPA – North Carolina – (6.6%) – The pun game is strong here.
273. Burley Oak – Coffee N' Cream – Cream Ale (w/ Coffee) – Maryland – (5.1%) – Oh, I see what you did there. Could this beer be perfect for early kickoff tailgating? Maybe.
272. Smuttynose – Orville – Belgian Blond Ale (Dry-Hopped) – New Hampshire – (6%) – This is around. Save it for later.
271. Ninkasi – Tripel (Vintage 2015) – Tripel – Oregon – (9.2%) – There are tripel the number of triples that there should be here. Where is Tricerahops? That's what I really want: a nice IPA with a "three" theme.
270. Jailbreak – Imperial Carrot Cake Conspiracy – Imperial Pumpkin Ale (w/ Carrots) – Maryland – (9%) – For when you absolutely, positively have to have a carrot cake-inspired beer. Another pretty good offering that would probably be better appreciated at a later date.
269. Green Flash – Cosmic Ristretto – Baltic Porter (w/ Espresso) – California – (8.2%) – It's a nice sunny day out, what are you doing drinking a Baltic Porter with coffee in it?
268. Deschutes – Mirror Mirror (Vintage 2014) – Barrel-Aged Barleywine (Red Wine) – Oregon – (11%) – It will be paramount for our readers to drink all the barleywine at Snally. The person who drinks the most barleywine gets…an official DCBeer handshake.
267. Founders – Blushing Monk (Vintage 2015) – Fruit Beer (w/ Raspberries) – Michigan – (9.2%) – Of the many fruit beers available at Snally, this isn't one I would clamor for.
266. Bold Rock – Peach – American Cider (w/ Peaches) – Virginia – (4.7%) – Peaches and apples living together?
265. Port City – Maniacal – Imperial IPA – Virginia – (8.5%) – It's embarrassing to me that I'm going to rank this so low. I feel like there needs to be a very specific sitcom called "That's So Snally!" You won't be at all disappointed if you wind up with this. It's great. But you can get it elsewhere.
264. Laughing Dog – The Dogfather – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon) – Idaho – (10.9%) – You can buy bombers of this at DC's Costco. Did you know that?
263. Ithaca – Cranbretty – Sour Blond Ale (w/ Cranberries & Brettanomyces) – New York – (5%) – Cranberries, like the band.
262. Bell's – Octoberfest Beer – Märzen – Michigan – (5.8%) – Last year this was bottled? 2011. Feel free to drink this amazing Okto at Snally, but you'll be able to get bottles this fall.
261. Bullfrog – Edgar – Imperial IPA – Pennsylvania – (7%) – @jacobsberg had a DIPA from this brewery once. It was malty. Very malty.
260. North Coast – Old Stock Cellar Reserve: Bourbon Barrel (Vintage 2014) – Barrel-Aged Barleywine (Bourbon) – California – (13.2%) – Old Stock is a delicious barleywine. Reminder: it will be in the 80s on Saturday.
259. Foothills – Hop of the Month: Mt. Hood – American Pale Ale – North Carolina – (5.7%) – Perfectly fine beer I don't think will excite anyone. Will people really be running to a 5.7% single-hop blonde ale? Probably not. Not saying that's right or wrong.
258. Manor Hill – Taylor's Row – American IPA – Maryland – (7.5%) – Don't know much about this beer, but hear that it's a juicy hopbomb
257. Union – Double Duckpin – Imperial IPA – Maryland – (8.5%) – A very, very good, local, DIPA. "That's so Snally!"
256. Dogfish Head – Fall On Me – Saison (w/ Apple Cider, Cinnamon, Orange Peel, Star Anise & Cloves) – Delaware – (6.9%) – So this is like punkin ale, but without pumpkin? Get your friends to do a side-by-side test while you go drink beers from Chophouse and Lowenbrau.
255. Burley Oak – Savage IPA – American IPA – Maryland – (7.2%) – If it isn't named after the Australian pop duo, it should be.
254. Uinta – Jacked B Nimble – Barrel-Aged Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Bourbon) – Utah – (11%) – Utah could be famous for its pumpkins. I'm not sure. I know nothing about Utah.
253. District ChopHouse – India Pale Ale: Mosaic – American IPA – Washington, DC – (6.8%) – Nothing personal about it being this low, there's just a lot of style competition here.
252. Oskar Blues – Death by Coconut – Porter (w/ Coconut & Chocolate) – Colorado – (6.5%) – This is very good, on the order of Maui Coconut Porter, which is praise you cannot get any higher than for a coconut porter.
251. Hardywood Park – Cassowary – Imperial Stout – Virginia – (13%) – Fun fact: cassowaries eat wattle seeds.
250. Commonwealth – Papi Chulo – American IPA – Virginia – (6.5%) – Welcome to DC, Commonwealth Brewng Company.
249. Right Proper – Kodachrome Dream(ing) – Radler (w/ Grapefruit, Lemon & Lime Zest; Dry-Hopped) – Washington, DC – (4.5%) – The only radler at Snally!
248. Lickinghole Creek – Pony Pasture – Pilsner – Virginia – (5.7%) – If you're here and don't like beers in a barrel, drink this (wow this is really good advice)
247. Flying Dog – White Peach Saison – Saison (w/ Peaches) – Maryland – (5.9%) – If you missed this for Brewhouse Rarities, get it quickly as it will cycle out shortly.
246. Foothills – Hop of the Month: Azacca – American Blond Ale (Dry-Hopped w/ Azacca) – North Carolina – (5.7%) – Perfectly fine beer that I don't think will excite too many people Azacca is a good hop, but will people really be running to a 5.7% single-hop blonde ale? Probably not. Not saying that's right or wrong.
245. Left Hand – Rye on the Prize – Imperial Red Ale (w/ Rye) – Colorado – (8%) – I read the name as "Ryes" on the Prize. Have I read too many puns? I'm a little disappointed in the pun game here.
244. Prairie – Standard – Saison (Dry-Hopped) – Oklahoma – (5.6%) – A very excellent saison that you can certainly find elsewhere some other time.
243. DC Brau – Belgian On the Wings of Armageddon – Belgian Imperial IPA – Washington, DC – (9.2%) – Belgian Wings didn't do it for me, personally (the esters interfered with the hops rather than complementing them). Your mileage may vary.
242. Schlafly – Pumpkin Ale – Imperial Pumpkin Ale – Missouri – (8%) – One of the better pumpkin beers out there. Drink it somewhere else.
241. Lonerider – Barrel-Aged Pistols at Dawn – Barrel-Aged Imperial Sweet Stout (Bourbon; Cocoa Nibs & Coffee) – North Carolina – (9.5%) – This might be the largest assemblage of bourbon barrel-aged stouts the District has ever seen or ever will see.
240. Great Lakes – Tripel Dog Dare – Tripel – Ohio – (9.5%) – Why is a tripel coming out of Cleveland, OH? Even if it's a really good tripel?
239. Sweetwater – Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon) – Georgia – (11.2%) – No clever name here. Just a barrel-aged imperial stout. Not sure what makes this one stand out from all of the others. Probably nothing, actually. It's still 10+%, and it's still September in DC.
238. Saint Somewhere – Nobel Rouge – Saison (w/ Red Wine Grapes) – Florida – (5%) – WINE GRAPES? YOU BROUGHT WINE GRAPES TO SNALLYGASTER?
237. District ChopHouse – Barleywine 2015: Oak-Aged – Barleywine (w/ Oak Chips) – Washington, DC – (10%) – Cask barleywine is a thing?
236. Original Sin – Apricot Cider – American Cider (w/ Apricots) – New York – (5.5%) – Can't say I've ever had an Apricot Cider. I'd give it a go just on the basis of how good apricots are in beers I like.
235. Bullfrog – Hopsphyxcitration with Orange – American Pale Ale (w/ Oranges) – Pennsylvania – (6%) – These hop puns are getting out of control in the truest sense.
234. Ninkasi – Imperial Sleigh'r – Imperial Altbier – Oregon – (9%) – Imperial altbier? This is a thing now?
233. Right Proper – Kick.Kick.Snare – Berliner Weisse (Dry-Hopped) – Washington, DC – (3.1%) – A nice palate cleanser, but otherwise available in DC (where you should definitely drink it).
232. Hellbender – Biere de Garde – Bière de Garde – Washington, DC – (8.4%) – This probably won't be super high on anyone's list (prove me wrong!), but Hellbender makes tasty beers. Compare it to Wicked Weed's.
231. Rogue – 4 Hop IPA – American IPA – Oregon – (4.4%) – Good little session IPA. All of these beers are produced with hops from Rogue Farms, which is pretty cool.
230. Blue Mountain – Spooky – Barrel-Aged Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Bourbon; w/ Cocoa Nibs) – Virginia – (8.2%) – Good name for a Halloween beer? I got nothing. This is a perfectly pleasant bourbon barrel pumpkin beer that won't dissapoint pumpkin fans but doesn't require special attention.
229. Lost Rhino – O.P.A. – American Pale Ale (w/ Oats) – Virginia – (6.5%) – It's a pale ale. With oats. An O.P.A., if you will.
228. Oskar Blues – Black Brew Bae – Black IPA – Colorado – (6.4%) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYSrjnjpzz0
227. Three Notch'd – Bourbon Biggie S'mores – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon; w/ Graham Cracker, Marshmallow & Chocolate) – Virginia – (8.4%) – Cultural appropriation, dude! (second opinion: this beer is apparently really good 4 ounces at a time)
226. Ithaca – Excelsior! White Gold – Belgian Strong Blond Ale – New York – (8%) – Like Duvel, but from the Finger Lakes.
225. Commonwealth – Penthesilia – Barrel-Aged Sour Brown Ale (Red Wine; w/ Dates & Tart Cherries) – Virginia – (6.7%) – This is an ambitious sounding beer. I haven't heard of Commonwealth, so I'd be shooting in the dark on whether or not it's worth taking a flyer on here.
224. Green Flash – Dia De Los Serranos – Imperial Stout (w/ Chilies) – California – (8.8%) – tfw you miss out on abraxxxas
223. Victory – Sour Monkey – Sour Blond Ale – Pennsylvania – (9.5%) – Victory sells SO MUCH Golden Monkey tripel. It's a much bigger chunk of their sales than people realize. It's absurd. I haven't had this yet. I would like to. But maybe not here.
222. Laughing Dog – Devil Dog – Imperial IPA – Idaho – (10%) – Laughing Dog flies under the radar, but their beers are pretty good, actually, and well priced. Fun fact about them: Ponderay, ID has 1,137 people. That is not a lot of people. There's probably like a 8 BBLs of beer produced for every person. Ponderay is apparently a company town for Laughing Dog.
221. Ballast Point – Sour Wench – Berliner Weisse (w/ Blackberries) – California – (5.4%) – Snark aside, BP doesn't have much of a reputation for sour beers. Not that they have a bad one. They just don't have much of one, period, as far as I know. Nice to see them stretch into this, but they'll be up against some heavy hitters.
220. He'Brew – Wishbone – Imperial IPA – New York – (8%) – I haven't had this beer, and I probably never will, but it reminds me of when me and my uncle used to put either end of the wishbone in our mouths and then pull and whoever choked and died on the wishbone first won. I never won.
219. Bold Rock – India Pressed Apple – American Cider (Dry-Hopped) – Virginia – (4.7%) – I guess if you can't process gluten, but want hops, this is for you.
218. Heavy Seas – 20 Year Storm – Barrel-Aged American Strong Ale (Bourbon) – Maryland – (10%) – The key here is the 85 degrees and sunny. HS makes a solid beer here, just a bit rough on the timing.
217. Firestone Walker – Oaktoberfest – Märzen – California – (5%) – This is back again this year after a hiatus. Honestly, there's nothing wrong with this beer I'd just rather have other marzens more.
216. North Coast – Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse – Berliner Weisse (w/ Cherries) – California – (3.4%) – 3.4% is a nice break in the action. I think there are some other fruit beers I'd hit first though.
215. Jester King – Detritivore – Saison (w/ Cherries) – Texas – (5.5%) – "an animal that feeds on dead organic material, especially plant detritus." Um…
214. Eastern Shore – The Grapefruit Situation – American IPA (w/ Grapefruit) – Maryland – (7%) – Makes a great IPA. Addtion of grapefruit knocks it down a bit for me.
213. Founders – Pale Joe – American Pale Ale (w/ Coffee) – Michigan – (5.4%) – If you could drink the label art for this beer, I bet you would be even more satisfied.
212. Ithaca – Excelsior! Eighteen – Barrel-Aged Baltic Porter – New York – (7%) – Interesting that even barrel-aged this is only 7%. Not a lot of Baltic Porters in the lineup, but I think that barrel-aging tends to cover up some of the complexity.
211. Evolution – Wandering Monk – Tripel (Dry-Hopped) – Maryland – (7%) – What is with all the tripels this year? Evolution is underappreciated as an area brewer. If it came down to this or Lot #6, you should hit Lot #6.
210. Logsdon – The Conversion – Series 2 – Witbier (w/ Brettanomyces & Lactobacillus) – Oregon – (5.5%) – I assume the conversion here is converting a witbier into not a witbier. That's pretty meta.
209. Mustang Sally – Dortmunder Lager – Helles Lager – Virginia – (5.7%) – I had some Mustang Sally beer when they opened and they were nice. This'll be a good palate resetter.
208. Bear Republic – Hull Melon Rebellion – American Pale Ale – California – (6%) – There is no melon in this beer. This is not a fruit beer. It's a single hop pale ale using Hull Melon hops, which have a honeydew melon flavor. (Obligatory: honeydew is a bad fruit, but Hull Melon is a good hop)
207. Champion – Malibu Nights, Tangerine Dreams – American IPA (w/ Tangerine & Hibiscus) – Virginia – (6.5%) – Hey, whoa. This is a family show. Take it easy with the NSFW beer names.
206. Sierra Nevada & Mahr's Bräu – Oktoberfest (Vintage 2016) – Märzen – California & Germany – (6%) – This is a really good beer. You can buy it at Giant and drink it later.
205. RAR & Aslin – Walk of Shame – Blond Ale (w/ Cocoa & Coffee) – Maryland – (7.4%) – The hype train is chugga-chugga-choo-chooing for this beer. Why do people make blond stouts? Is it just because they can? Like people who name their kids "Tyler"?
204. Stone, 10 Barrel & Bluejacket – Suede (Vintage 2013) – Imperial Porter (w/ Jasmine & Calendula Flowers) – California – (9.6%) – "10 Barrel, those sellouts!" you cry as you drink a beer brewed way back when they were scrappy upstarts.
203. Saint Somewhere – Assoiffé – Saison (w/ Brettanomyces) – Florida – (4%) – So many bros are going to order this beer for its name (up top, Kevin!) and then not understand how to describe what it tastes like.
202. Boulevard – Funky Pumpkin – Pumpkin Ale (w/ Brettanomyces) – Missouri – (5.8%) – Having a tough time seeing how this will be good for me.
201. Lost Rhino – Bretty McBrettface – Brett Pale Ale – Virginia – (7.1%) – It's like "Boaty McBoatface" I get it!
200. Sierra Nevada – Beer Camp: Tropical IPA – American IPA – California – (6.7%) – You don't often see Sierra Nevada on cask, so this is a good pickup if you're some kind of cask hunter. At the same time, this beer (non-cask) is fairly available.
199. DC Brau – Belgian Space Reaper 2.0 – Imperial IPA – Washington, DC – (10%) – We have nationalities of Space Reapers now. What a world.
198. North Coast – Red Seal: Nitro – American Amber Ale – California – (5.5%) – Wow, Red Seal brings me back. I haven't had one of these in years. That streak is probably going to continue.
197. Blue Mountain – Single Hop Citra IPA – American IPA – Virginia – (6.6%) – No Citra puns here, folks. Just Citra. All Citra.
196. Bluejacket – Kelsey & Greg's Wedding Ale (Vintage 2016) – Sour Blond Ale (w/ Peaches & Nectarines) – Washington, DC – (4%) – Kelsey and Greg already got married, but they're still making their Wedding Ale. That's the sign of a good marriage. (There is a metric shit ton of peaches and nectarines in here). That said, you can get this at Bluejacket later.
195. Logsdon – Oak-Aged Bretta – Barrel-Aged Saison (w/ Brettanomyces) – Oregon – (8%) – Fans of funk will find a lot to like here.
194. Cascade – The Vine – Barrel-Aged Sour Blond Ale (w/ White Wine Grapes) – Oregon – (9.2%) – Very highly rated. This strikes me as more wine than beer. It'll also probably be pretty expensive. Pass for me. I don't like wine or expensive things.
193. Devils Backbone – Smokehaus Rauchbier – Rauchbier – Virginia – (5.3%) – Haven't seen a lot of rauchbier on this list. Devils Backbone tends to do pretty well with traditional German style. They can barely hear you over the rattling of all their GABF medals.
192. 4 Hands – Incarnation – American IPA – Missouri – (6.5%) – You can count on 4 Hands' IPA to be reliably tasty. Like probably a dozen other beers here (conservatively).
191. Denizens – Five Points – India Pale Lager – Maryland – (7.2%) – "The fermentation characteristics of lager yeast allows for the hops and malts to showcase well, while leaving a clean and crisp finish to the beer. Notes of resiny pine, tangerine and peach are created by our hop blend and dominate the light malt backbone in the aroma and flavor. "
190. 3 Stars – Grapefruit Ghost – White IPA (w/ Grapefruit Peel & Juice) – Washington, DC – (5.9%) – Like Ghost, but with grapefruit.
189. Champion – Violent Trubulence – Imperial IPA – Virginia – (10.5%) – Pretty excellent pun here. Reviews indicate a well-made, if unremarkably so, double/triple IPA out of VA. Burnt orange and assertively bitter.
188. AleWerks – Shorty Time – Session IPA – Virginia – (4.8%) – Have you ever been to Colonial Williamsburg? I have. I drank root beer there once. It's not as good as regular beer, but I didn't know that then because I was 8.
187. Hellbender – Dunkelweisse – Dunkelweizen – Washington, DC – (4.7%) – Fun fact: Hellbender's mash press system means they can use an insane amount of wheat in their dunkelweizen (Edited to add: 100% this year! Thanks, Phil). With that said, this will be available at the tap room and around the city.
186. Oliver – Barrel-Aged Speed of Darkness – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon) – Maryland – (9.5%) – I'm kind of surprised I haven't seen a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout on here yet.
185. Burley Oak – Mo'Brett Mosaic – Brett Pale Ale (Dry-Hopped w/ Mosaic) – Maryland – (5.6%) – Perfectly fine, but probably not worth a special trip for. A little bit of something for everyone. Hops, funk, fairly low ABV.
184. He'Brew – Hanukkah, Chanukah: Pass the Beer – American Strong Ale – New York – (8%) – This is an interesting shtick for a beer brand. (Do you see what we did there?)
183. Champion – Marzen – Märzen – Virginia – (5.5%) – Shower Beer has taken home some hardware; these folks know how to lager.
182. Anderson Valley – Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout – Barrel-Aged Stout (Bourbon) – California – (6.9%) – I'm a sucker for Wild Turkey, and this is a session bourbon-barrel-aged stout (< 7%? Whoa)
181. The Bruery – Tart of Darkness – Cherries & Vanilla – Barrel-Aged Sour Dark Ale (w/ Cherries & Vanilla) – California – (7.1%) – Yeah, bro, but have you ever had TOD with cherries AND vanilla?
180. Tired Hands – Lil Lady – Barrel-Fermented Grisette (Red Wine; w/ Wildflower Honey, Rooibos Tea, Brettanomyces & Lactobacillus) – Pennsylvania – (5%) – A lot going on here. Will it be too much?
179. Brooklyn – Lord Sorachi – Saison (Dry-Hopped w/ Sorachi Ace) – New York – (9.5%) – Another SAVOR repeat, it was perfectly fine then, and if you like the original version I'd say sure, but take your time.
178. Jolly Pumpkin – Uber Wit – Barrel-Aged Witbier (w/ Orange Peel, Pink Peppercorns & Green Tea) – Michigan – (7.8%) – I don't like these high-gravity witbiers. Often too sweet. But this might have enough botanicals to even it out. Interesting, but I'm not all that compelled personally.
177. Terrapin – Woodford Reserve Barrel Aged Wake-n-Bake – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon; w/ Coffee) – Georgia – (8.5%) – This will jump 10 spots if you can just get the Woodford Reserve on the side.
176. Ommegang – Rye Barrel-Aged Porter w/ Vanilla Beans – Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter (Rye; w/ Vanilla Beans) – New York – (10.1%) – This seems to be a very traditional Belgian style beer.
175. Stone – Barrel-Aged Milk Chocolate Porter – Barrel-Aged Imperial Sweet Stout (Bourbon, Tequila & Red Wine; w/ Chocolate) – California – (9.6%) – Bourbon, tequila, and red wine with chocolate? This beer should have been called Honeymoon Hangover
174. Uinta – Gin Barrel-Aged Cucumber Farmhouse – Barrel-Aged Saison (Gin; w/ Cucumber) – Utah – (6.2%) – This will be like a gin and tonic, which is cool because it will be perfect for your annoying coworker who tagged along for Snally. But it won't be enough like a gin and tonic for said coworker, and he or she will complain about it. Find a new job is my point.
173. Smuttynose – Smoked Peach Short Weisse – Berliner Weisse (w/ Peaches & Smoked Malt) – New Hampshire – (6.9%) – This is around. Save it for later.
172. J. Wakefield – Great Scott!!! – Scotch Ale – Florida – (10%) – aka Great Jumpin' Jehosophat!
171. 21st Amendment – Marooned on Hog Island – Foreign Stout (w/ Oyster Shells) – California – (7.9%) – "It was a brave man who first ate an oyster [stout]" – Jonathan Swift
170. Boulevard – Tropical Pale Ale – American Pale Ale (w/ Grapefruit & Passionfruit) – Missouri – (5.9%) – This is a good "Walking Around Seeing What's Up" (TM) beer, but it's also pretty widely available.
169. Victory – Tart Ten – Dubbel (w/ Brettanomyces) – Pennsylvania – (10%) – I can honestly say I've never thought about a dubbel with Brett.
168. Denizens – The Chapless Horseman – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon) – Virginia – (9%) – Cackling at the name of this beer. Haven't had an barrel-aged RIS from Denizens yet, but if you miss it here, go see them in Silver Spring.
167. The Bruery – Share This: Coffee – Imperial Stout (w/ Coffee) – California – (11.9%) – You heard the beer name: Share It. With a friend. With a stranger. With the guy doing the sound board for the show. With the security guard who wants you to stop harassing the guy doing the sound board for the show. With the cop the security guard eventually calls. And finally with the guy at central booking who will hold onto the rest of the beer for you until you can post bail.
166. Perennial – Glitter & Gold – Bière de Miel – Missouri – (6.5%) – Biere de Miel translates to "Beer of Miel" in French
165. Boulevard – Love Child #7 – Barrel-Aged Sour Red Ale (Whiskey & Red Wine) – Missouri – (8.2%) – Bottles forthcoming, but if you still write "FIRSTIES" in comments sections, run here.
164. Schalfly – Hop Trial: Michigan's Brewer's Gold – American IPA – Missouri – (6.6%) – What are Brewer's Gold hops? Here's what YCH says: "Bred at Wye College in 1919, Brewer’s Gold is an ancestor to many major high alpha hops including Sterling, Galena, Horizon, Centennial and Nugget. It is an English variety, however American-grown Brewer’s Gold contains higher levels of alpha acids than its English counterpart. Aroma: Specific aroma descriptors include blackcurrant and spicy."
163. Left Hand – Pride Runs Deep – American IPA (w/ Spruce Tips) – Colorado – (6.8%) – I'm generally a fan of the flavor spruce can impart. I'm hoping it doesn't conflict with the hops too much. I'd give it a try, personally.
162. Avery – Pump(ky)n – Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter (Bourbon; w/ Pumpkin & Spices) – Colorado – (15%) – Pump(ky)n is secretly plotting the death of Rumpkin. Don't get too close or you'll be an accomplice.
161. Oskar Blues – American Summer Hoppy Wit – Witbier (Dry-Hopped) – Colorado – (6%) – A hazy IPA, but not the kind you're probably thinking of.
160. Victory – DirtWolf: Mosaic – Imperial IPA (Dry-Hopped w/ Mosaic) – Pennsylvania – (8.7%) – DirtWolf is a pretty earthy DIPA, so it'll be interesting to see how Mosaic adapts here. It's a shapeshifter (hence a "Mosaic" – 'ahhhh' you say).
159. Ballast Point – Bourbon Barrel-Aged Victory at Sea – Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter (Bourbon; w/ Coffee & Vanilla) – California – (10%) – A perfectly cromulent bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout.
158. Avery – Ale to the Chief – Imperial IPA – Colorado – (8.1%) – Avery makes good IPAs. This is the kind of hard-hitting analysis for which you come to DCBeer.
157. Maine Beer – Lunch – American IPA – Maine – (7%) – Yes, it's a perfectly good IPA. A novelty here at the Gaster of Snallies
156. Anchorage – Galaxy White IPA – Foeder-Aged Brett IPA (w/ Coriander, Kumquats & Peppercorns) – Alaska – (7%) – If you miss it here, check it out at The Sovereign (or other places with great bottle selections). This is a very grown up witbier.
155. Wicked Weed & Creature Comforts – Juiceless – American IPA – North Carolina – (7.7%) – I like this beer name. It's a political statement. No fruit in this beer, just juicy hops. For the throwing of shade at your colleagues, I award you some points
154. Lickinghole Creek – Supreme Leader – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon; w/ Chocolate, Vanilla, Chili Peppers & Spices) – Virginia – (13.5%) – I'm not sure what the difference is between "Great Commander" and "Supreme Leader," but they're both Mexican stout variants. Lickinghole Creek (cannot believe I typed that) is developing a pretty good reputation. This beer is almost 14%.
153. Bell's – Bourbon Barrel Aged Hell Hath No Fury – Barrel-Aged Dubbel (Bourbon) – Michigan – (8.4%) – This is (probably) the only barrel-aged dubbel at Snally. If you're someone who just has to have an abbey-style ale with intense bourbon flavors…you have really particular tastes.
152. The Civil Life – American Brown Ale – Brown Ale – Missouri – (4.8%) – Is this the only brown ale here? Do brewers still make this style?
151. Blue Mountain – Sour Cherry Devil – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (w/ Cherries) – Virginia – (10%) – Imperial stout with sour cherries is interesting. Would be nice to compare and contrast this with something like Tart of Darkness from The Bruery.
150. Wicked Weed – Resonare – Barrel-Aged Sour Blond Ale (Wine; w/ Plums) – North Carolina – (6%) – This is the kind of Wicked Weed beer that beer nerds go crazy for. But plums. Why, plums? Why?
149. Fair Winds – Masthead Mosaic – American IPA – Virginia – (6.5%) – Woe unto the craft brewing scene that can't source Mosaic hops.
148. Terrapin – Wake-n-Bake (Vintage 2015) – Imperial Stout (w/ Coffee) – Georgia – (9.4%) – Real cult following around this beer. I think that's mostly because it allows people to relive their glory days at the Beta Epsilon Rho house.
147. Lickinghole Creek – Great Commander – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Rum; w/ Cocoa Nibs, Vanilla, Cinnamon & Chilies) – Virginia – (13.5%) – Here's your barrel-aged "Mexican stout" variant. This and Barrel-Aged Double Mexican Radio.
146. RAR – Grapefruit Nectar – American IPA (w/ Grapefruit) – Maryland – (7.4%) – RAR's rise has been meteoric. Nanticoke Nectar is now like the Two Hearted of the Mid-Atlantic. It's kind of amazing. Like Two Hearted, it's everywhere.
145. 3 Stars – Two to the Dome – Imperial IPA – Washington, DC – (8%) – Bonus points if you get a picture of yourself drinking this with the Capitol Dome in the background. You can send the picture to [mumbling]@dcbeer.com and we'll get right on that.
144. Highland – Tasgall Ale – Scotch Ale – North Carolina – (8%) – Highland has a way with malty beers (their Gaelic Ale is excellent). This won't likely get a ton of play, but it's worth a nod if you're just checking out Highland for the first time.
143. Schlafly – Expo IPA – American IPA – Missouri – (7.2%) – This is out of the Schlafly Tap Room, which means you won't see it out this way often. "Schlafly Expo IPA delivers the best of all worlds with a fusion of global ingredients from the foremost sources to create a harmoniously delicious world class ale. Available year round."
142. Eastern Shore – Bufflehead Brown – Brown Ale – Maryland – (5%) – There's a really great golden retriever than hangs out at Eastern Shore. Just a delightful doggo. A very good dog if you will. You pat it on the head. It licks your hand. It's a thing you have together.
141. RAR – Nanticoke Nectar: Motueka – American IPA – Maryland – (7.4%) – I often wonder if people will avoid hops because they can't pronounce them. Kind of like you've never heard anyone order vichyssoise.
140. Heavy Seas – Loose Cannon: Citra – American IPA (Dry-Hopped w/ Citra) – Maryland – (7.2%) – Total classic.
139. Maine Beer – Zoe – American Amber Ale – Maine – (7.2%) – All things considered, I think I'd rather have The One They Call Zoe from Hops & Grain instead. But there's absolutely nothing wrong with Maine's Zoe, and it will serve you quite well.
138. Bell's – Le Batteur – Bière de Garde (w/ Brettanomyces) – Michigan – (5.8%) – These oddball beers that make it out here from Bell's are interesting. If you miss it here, you might be able to catch it at CK's DCBW event
137. Alpine – Duet – American IPA – California – (7%) – This is another example of a tremendous beer that you will not be disappointed by but that will get lost in the waves of the ocean that is Snally.
136. Great Lakes – Nosferatu – Imperial Red Ale – Ohio – (8%) – One of the first "Imperial Red" beers I ever had. Great malt character and snappy hops.
135. Evolution – Lot #6 – Imperial IPA – Maryland – (8.5%) – I'm torn here. On the one hand, if you haven't had Lot 6, you should absolutely have Lot 6. It is one of the most criminally underrated beers in our area. But you can get it elsewhere. It'll stand up to literally any other DIPA at Snally though.
134. Lagunitas – Born Again Yesterday – Fresh Hop IPA – California – (7.5%) – Super fresh beer. Good ABV. Sure, why not. You're there. It's there.
133. Maine Beer – Another One – American IPA – Maine – (7%) – Another One is an apt name for this beer.
132. Hardywood Park – Apple Brandy Barrel GBS – Barrel-Aged Imperial Sweet Stout (Apple Brandy; w/ Ginger, Vanilla & Cinnamon) – Virginia – (10.4%) – A bit harder-to-find variant of this beer that has a strong local following. Worth stopping by after your whale hunt to see if it's still around.
131. Ithaca – The Creeker – Imperial IPA – New York – (9%) – From the folks who brought you Flower Power: a reminder that you're out of WD-40
130. Tröegs – Belgian Style Saison (Apple) – Saison (w/ Apples) – Pennsylvania – (5.9%) – Not entirely sure you need to add more apples to a style that already has a very estery yeast. But Troegs doesn't make many bad beers.
129. AleWerks – Jubilee X – Barrel-Aged Belgian Strong Dark Ale (Bourbon) – Virginia – (12%) – What is the difference between Jubilee Rare and Jubilee X? We have no idea. [Actually, this version of Jubilee was born with a particular gene for mutation, and has been slowly aging at an exclusive school for gifted children in Upstate New York for the past five years.]
128. Lost Rhino – Sumatran Solstice (Batch 1000) – Imperial Brown Ale – Virginia – (7.5%) – An imperial brown ale. Pretty rare to see one of these around. Assuming the Sumatran has something to do with coffee.
127. AleWerks – Cafe Royale: Extra Coffee – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon; w/ Coffee) – Virginia – (8%) – "We age a stronger version of our CoffeeHouse Stout in Virginia Gentlemen Bourbon Barrels for 3 months." All this caffeine and whiskey. Your poor heart. Your beautiful tastebuds.
126. Highland – Clawhammer – Märzen – North Carolina – (5%) – Shout out to Hollie Stephenson. Come back to DC, Hollie. We miss you.
125. Bluejacket – PX Sherry Barrel-Aged High Society – Barrel-Aged Barleywine (Sherry) – Washington, DC – (13.5%) – If I recall correctly, they've had this beer on before, and if it's the same one I enjoyed it but would hope to run in to it later. (It's the same one. The sherry finish is quite nice, and unique here. Again, this is 13.5%)
124. AleWerks – Jubilee Rare – Barrel-Aged Belgian Strong Dark Ale – Virginia – (12%) – Having trouble finding info on this beer, but if this is right "Chocolate Stout blended with Jubilee, Café Royale, Bourbon Barrel Porter and 2 year old Coffeehouse Stout" this sounds like a doozy.
123. Founders – KBS – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon; w/ Coffee & Chocolate) – Michigan – (11.2%) – Slightly shorter line than for CBS (not that CBS)
122. Brothers – Verdue with Pineapple – Berliner Weisse (w/ Pineapple) – Virginia – (3.8%) – A Germanic sour style with fruit in it. You know what to do, kids!
121. Mad Fox – State Theatre V.I.P.A. – Session IPA – Virginia – (4.8%) – Great little session beer from Mad Fox.
120. 21st Amendment, Drake's & Cleophus Quealy – Good Things – Tripel (Dry-Hopped) – California – (8%) – We're only ~200 beers in, and we're already ready to award best name. "Cleophus Quealy" is approximately the #4 most popular name among Millennial shepherds for 2015.
119. Hardywood Park – Watermelon Gose – Gose (w/ Watermelon) – Virginia – (5.2%) – I bet this is a nice, refreshing change of pace.
118. The Veil – Personvl Spvce – American IPA – Virginia – (8.5%) – The Veil has a strong following, so I expect this will also go fairly quickly.
117. Flying Dog – The Truth (Pineapple & Cascade) – Imperial IPA (w/ Pineapple & Dry-Hopped w/ Cascade) – Maryland – (8.7%) – This is a great DIPA, and everyone loves pineapple, but the truth is that you probably will pass this over for some other hoppy beer.
116. Logsdon – Seizoen – Saison – Oregon – (7.5%) – Great saison, very similar to Szech n' Brett.
115. Three Notch'd – Drake Smokes 10K – American Barleywine (w/ Smoked Malt) – Virginia – (9.5%) – Barleywine with smoked malt is a pretty interesting twist, but I'm not sure you'll have the time to appreciate it in this context. Maybe you will. I don't know you.
114. Bullfrog – Farmhouse Meyer Lemon Wheat – Wheat Ale (w/ Brettanomyces & Lemon) – Pennsylvania – (6.5%) – Not just lemons, but Meyer Lemons. This sounds pretty refreshing for a hot day.
113. The Veil – Broz Night Out – Imperial IPA – Virginia – (9%) – The Veil has a strong following, so I expect this will go fairly quickly.
112. Oxbow – Cavern – Barrel-Aged Saison (w/ Cara Cara Orange Juice & Zest) – Maine – (6.5%) – Listen, Cara, we heard you the first time. You don't have to repeat yourself.
111. Oliver's – Riding Easy: Nitro – Blond Ale (Dry-Hopped) – Maryland – (4.4%) – Dr. Jones' nitro beers are quite tasty.
110. Bear Republic – Olde Scoutter's 2010 – Barleywine – California – (10.4%) – In 2010 I was working my first job out of college just dreaming about the day I'd get to write pithy one sentence beer descriptions like this. This barleywine is named after a dog. This one has had plenty of age and should be quite smooth.
109. Lickinghole Creek – Coconut Illuminatos – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Rum; w/ Vanilla & Coconut) – Virginia – (11.3%) – Like I said earlier, I'm a sucker for rum barrels. The fact that this has coconut and rum is intriguing.
108. The Bruery – Quadrupel Tonnellerie – Barrel-Aged Sour Brown Ale – California – (10.2%) – I've actually had this beer, unlike 80% of this list. It's too heavy on the stone fr-. Wait. (re-reading description). This is a quad. Again. Why are there so many quads at this beer festival? Snallygaster? More like Quaddygaster.
107. Rogue – 7 Hop IPA – American IPA – Oregon – (7.8%) – Good little crossover-between-IPA-and-DIPA. All of these beers are produced with hops from Rogue Farms, which is pretty cool.
106. Fair Winds – Barrel-Aged Ghost of the Mariner – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon; w/ Coffee) – Virginia – (9.5%) – Fair Winds has been knocking out a lot of solid beers down in Lorton in very short order. There's every reason to suspect this will be a good one.
105. Dogfish Head – Raison d'Extra (Vintage 2014) – Belgian Strong Dark Ale (w/ Raisins) – Delaware – (18%) – This is very quad-like. As you know by now: fuck quads. With that said, you won't see d'Extra around much, and you definitely won't see 2014 d'Extra. Good on either NRG for holding onto this for a while or Dogfish for releasing it out of the vault.
104. Mad Fox – Oaked Wee Heavy – Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale (Whiskey) – Virginia – (8.6%) – I dig Mad Fox Wee Heavy. Give the oak a go.
103. Union – Pink Flamingo – Sour Blond Ale (w/ Pink Grapefruit & Ginger) – Maryland – (5%) – Grapefruit and ginger is a winning combination.
102. District ChopHouse – Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout 2014: Coffee – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon; w/ Coffee) – Washington, DC – (12.4%) – Very solidly made barrel-aged RIS. To see it on cask is kind of wild. There are honestly too many RIS here. Eliminate 12. I am not a crackpot.
101. Anderson Valley – Grand Cru – Barrel-Aged Belgian Pale Ale (Port; w/ Brettanomyces & Lactobacillus) – California – (9.5%) – A blend of dubbel and tripel with Brett and Lacto aged in port barrels. Too much going on for me to drink while walking around outside, but I can't expect we'll see this often out there, if ever.
100. Lickinghole Creek – Kentucky French Toast – Barrel-Aged Imperial Brown Ale (Bourbon; w/ Maple, Cinnamon & Vanilla) – Virginia – (10%) – Admit it, you are somewhat intrigued by this, and you're not even high.
99. Goose Island – Sofie: Hombre Secreto Mango – Barrel-Aged Saison (Wine; w/ Peaches & Brettanomyces) – Illinois – (10%) – Do I even want to know the story behind Sofie's "Secret Mango Man"? I probably don't. Haven't ever heard of this variant. Sofie has a lot of fans out there.
98. Great Lakes – Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon) – Ohio – (9%) – This is an underrated imperial stout. Should be easy to get to.
97. Three Notch'd – 10 Farmers Ale – Fresh Hop Pale Ale – Virginia – (5.5%) – There are worse ways to deliver hops to your face.
96. Burley Oak – Fruits of Our Labor: Passion Fruit – Sour Blond Ale (w/ Passionfruit) – Maryland – (4.4%) – I hope they used authentic Maryland passion fruits in here. And Old Bay. And plenty of Baltimore Ravens. That's how you know it has that Old Line State Character.
95. Anderson Valley – Barrel-Aged GT Gose – Barrel-Aged Gose (Bourbon; w/ Lemon Peel, Juniper, Lemongrass & Grains of Paradise – California – (6.5%) – GT Gose is the fourth addition to the Anderson Valley lineup. You can see the additions in the beer style column. I'm not sure about barrel-aging gose. I drink gose to be refreshing, but AV's gose pedigree is so good, and the likelihood we'll see this one again so unlikely, that I'd be in for four ounces of it.
94. Brewer's Art – 20th Anniversary Ale – Saison (Dry-Hopped) – Maryland – (5%) – I bet this beer is pretty good and that, for some reason, people won't care about it too much. That's their loss. If you're up in Baltimore, stop by and see The Brewer's Art. Their whole space is phenomenal.
93. Logsdon – Szech 'n Brett – Saison (w/ Szechuan Peppercorns & Brettanomyces) – Oregon – (6%) – This just came into DC, so you'll be seeing more of it. (The prices are pretty good for retail, too, so be on the lookout). There isn't a lot of Szechuan peppercorn flavor here to speak of, but this is a tasty beer.
92. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Wicked Weed – Garcon de Ferme – Foeder-Aged Saison (w/ Brettanomyces & Peaches) – North Carolina – (6.2%) – @Jacobsberg really likes this beer. He would encourage you to drink it.
91. Jolly Pumpkin – La Roja – Barrel-Aged Sour Red Ale – Michigan – (7.2%) – This is the first sour I ever had! Thought it was just a red ale. It was like drinking Sprite thinking it was water. Is nevertheless delicious.
90. Schlafly – Smoked Stout – Stout (w/ Smoked Malts) – Missouri – (8%) – I bet this is good.
89. Schlafly – Imperial Oktoberfest – Märzen – Missouri – (8%) – When this year turns into the year everyone figures out how good the gravity kegs are, I'll slip off and make sure to try this one.
88. J. Wakefield – Careless Witbier – Witbier (w/ Lactobacillus & Watermelon) – Florida – (6%) – I hope it's half as good as this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaoLU6zKaws
87. Jolly Pumpkin – Saison X – Barrel-Aged Saison – Michigan – (4.5%) – If you put "X" on the end of something, you know it's good(?)
86. Oxbow – Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Pale Ale – Barrel-Aged Saison (w/ Brettanomyces) – Maine – (6.5%) – Look, is this a saison or a pale ale? Words have meaning, people!
85. Goose Island – Sofie: Hombre Secreto – Barrel-Aged Saison (Tequila; w/ Orange Peel) – Illinois – (9%) – Again Sofie with the "Secret Man" this time with tequila. What kind of narrative is this.
84. Mahr's Bräu – Pilsner – Pilsner – Germany – (4.9%) – Why anyone would pass up authentic German lager is quite beyond me
83. Firestone Walker – Imperial Smoked Walker's Reserve – Smoked Porter – California – (10.5%) – Imperial smoked porter? I'm down for 4 ounces of this.
82. Jailbreak – Dusk Till Dusk – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon & Rum) – Maryland – (14%) – This beer is quite good, but just the thought of drinking it outside makes me feel queasy.
81. Ocelot – Barrel-Aged Gravity Always Wins – Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale (Bourbon) – Virginia – (11%) – Gravity does always win, but someday it won't. Until then, keep fighting. Not an imperial stout, folks. This is a wee heavy. Which means more toffee and caramel and less coffee and roast (the more you know).
80. New Belgium – Love Felix: Apple Whiskey Barrel-Aged – Barrel-Aged Sour Blond Ale (Apple Whiskey) – Colorado – (8.5%) – Every time this beer shows up in DC for SAVOR or DC Beer Week, it's a real treat.
79. ***DCBeer Pick!*** The Bruery – Chronology: 6 Wee Heavy – Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale (Bourbon) – California – (13.7%) – It's from The Bruery. It's huge, and it's barrel-aged. It's a wee heavy, and it will disappear in VIP time. Go get some.
78. Smuttynose – Baltic Porter (Vintage 2012) – Baltic Porter – New Hampshire – (8.7%) – Smutty's aging program is underrated.
77. Bear Republic – Zut Alors! – Foeder-Aged Saison – California – (10.5%) – Zut Alors means "shucks," which is what you might say if you're a person who would like to drink this beer but then you don't. This is what they used to call an imperial saison in France before the French Revolution took care of the whole having an emperor/king/czar thing. Foeder beer is great, and Bear Republic is solid, but I can't speak to this specifically.
76. Oskar Blues – Juicy Dust – American Pale Ale – Colorado – (6.2%) – Who the hell is making the names at Oskar Blues? I wonder if there's like inverse correlation to inanity of the name and tastiness of the beer.
75. Deschutes – Black Butte XXVIII – Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter (Bourbon & Scotch; w/ Cocoa, Vanilla & Sweet Orange Peel) – Oregon – (11.5%) – This is a great series of beers by Deschutes. It'll be good.
74. 4 Hands – Volume #4 – Barrel-Aged American Strong Ale (Rye & Bourbon) – Missouri – (11%) – Reviews here are pretty good: "Volume #4 is a blend of 71% Russian Imperial Stout aged in Templeton Rye Whiskey Barrels and 29% Barley Wine aged in Willett Bourbon Barrels." If you like drinking barleywine, this will probably be up your alley.
73. Manor Hill – Barrel Project Quad: Viertal – Barrel-Aged Quadrupel (Bourbon; w/ Montmorency Cherries & Blood Orange) – Maryland – (10.3%) – It's not even funny how many quads there are at Snally. This is a disgusting style that people should stop making. I'm talking to you, Ben.
72. Aslin & Heist – Living to Get Radical – Imperial IPA (w/ Coconut & Vanilla) – Virginia – (8.5%) – IPA with coconut and vanilla. If only it were IPA with coconut and PINEAPPLE. WHY NOT PINEAPPLE?
71. Rogue – 6 Hop IPA – American IPA – Oregon – (6.6%) – Good little IPA. All of these beers are produced with hops from Rogue Farms, which is pretty cool.
70. J. Wakefield – Colonel Klank's Kotbusser – Kotbusser – Florida – (5.5%) – For more on Kotbusser, check out this Beer Advocate page: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32222/96984/
69. Oliver's – Winter's Wolves: California Cabernet Barrel – Barrel-Aged English Strong Ale (Cabernet Sauvignon; w/ Honey, Heather Tips & Smoked Malt) – Maryland – (7.4%) – Love the idea of all of these flavors mingling somehow. Not sure how it will work out, but willing to give it a go. Tannins from the wine along with smoke and the floral heather? Wild combo.
68. Sierra Nevada – Audition – Imperial IPA – California – (9%) – Sierra Nevada hasn't had to audition for anything in the beer world in at least 30 years. "This beer is a true West Coast-style Double IPA made with huge amounts of hops – both in the kettle for flavor and later in the torpedo to impart a massive hop aroma. The light malt body and dry finish hide the power in this immensely drinkable hop-bomb." I've never heard of this. Sierra Nevada, I hear, makes some okay hoppy beers. You *might* want to try this.
67. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Oxbow – Freestyle #38: Pils – Pilsner – Maine – (5%) – I would like to try an Oxbow lager.
66. Foothills – Barrel-Aged People's Porter – Barrel-Aged Porter (Bourbon) – North Carolina – (5.8%) – This is the beer you should get while your friend is in line for Sexual Chocolate
65. Atlas – Dance of Days – Wheat Ale (Dry-Hopped) – Washington, DC – (5.7%) – One of the better widely available local IPAs in the market right now. (And probably the best one Atlas has put out so far.) That says something. If you haven't had it, get on it.
64. Blue Mountain – Hop Tub Estate-Grown Wet Hop IPA – Fresh Hop IPA – Virginia – (7%) – The fresh hop IPA last year from Blue Mountain was a standout.
63. Brooklyn – Bel-Air – Sour Blond Ale – New York – (6.5%) – "Okay, so watch this magic trick – a thrilling jolt of tartness up front opens onto a riot of tropical fruit, courtesy of our lacto, our ale yeast, and a generous helping of Amarillo dry-hopping. Soft barley malts and wheat keep things dry and refreshing, and the whole thing comes together like a blend of Champagne, hops, and an unusually good pineapple." They really sold this well.
62. Lost Rhino – Stublendious – Barrel-Aged Sour Red Ale (Wine & Bourbon; w/ Cherries, Grapes & Brettanomyces) – Virginia – (6.5%) – Lost Rhino's barrel-aged sours can be very, very good. I'd seek this one out (but I haven't had it before, so fair warning)
61. District ChopHouse – Oktoberfest: Wet Sunbeam Hops – Märzen (Dry-Hopped w/ Wet Hops) – Washington, DC – (6.5%) – You can get this at Chophouse now (or soon, anyway). So do that and get a full one. If you can't get there, drink this. It's a trade. But go drink at Chophouse is the lesson. Go now. Go.
60. ***DCBeer Pick!*** 4 Hands & Wicked Weed – Super Flare – Brett IPA (Mango & Guava) – Missouri – (6.5%) – SAVOR offering makes another appearance. This was tropical as all get out then, and it's good to see it now.
59. Oxbow – Crossfade – Saison – Maine – (5%) – Barnyard ale bottled December 2014. Well-rated. A good, funky, barnyardy saison.
58. Foothills – Barrel-Aged Sexual Chocolate – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon; w/ Cocoa) – North Carolina – (10%) – There's a line out the brewery door for this in NC. May as well see what all the fuss is about.
57. Union – Elijah Craig Barrel-Aged Chessie (Vintage 2015) – Barrel-Aged Barleywine (Bourbon) – Maryland – (9.8%) – The regular Chessie, apparently, won "Blind and Boozy" at Scion a few years back. None of us remember it because that night was a mess. Anyway, this version is barrel-aged.
56. Ocelot – My Only Friend: Bourbon Barrel-Aged – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Bourbon) – Virginia – (10.5%) – Ocelot is my only friend.
55. Bear Republic – Sacre Blue! – Foeder-Aged Saison – California – (7.7%) – "Inspired by the rustic farmhouse ales of Belgium and France, Sacre Bleu! is brewed with modern hops and a wide array of ingredients including; buckwheat, spelt, rice and peas. The little brother to our Zut Alors! was then aged in an oak foeder for roughly six weeks to help round out the edges."
54. Aslin – Berliner Weisse: Mango & Passionfruit – Berliner Weisse (w/ Mango & Passionfruit) – Virginia – (3.5%) – Nanobrewery? Check. Refreshing flavor profile on hot day? Check. Low alcohol? Check. Annnnd we're kicked.
53. Brewer's Art – Tartuffe Groseille – Sour Blond Ale (w/ Red Currants) – Maryland – (3.7%) – WATCH OUT ELMIRE
52. Prairie – Paradise – Imperial Stout (w/ Coconut & Vanilla) – Oklahoma – (13%) – This has a 99 overall rating and an 83 rating for style on RateBeer. Make of that what you will. I hope they harvested the coconuts themselves.
51. Hardywood Park – Hardywood Pils – Pilsner – Virginia – (5.2%) – Need a break from big ol' stouts and sours? This is the beer for you. Also this is the beer for you anyway.
50. Uinta – Flamingose – Gose (w/ Pineapple) – Utah – (4%) – This is a new and fun gose pun. And it includes pineapple, which is new. Nice job, Uinta.
49. The Civil Life – The Angel & The Sword – Bitter – Missouri – (4.6%) – Whoa! A bitter! Points for that. This will go underappreciated, for sure, but The Civil Life is making some excellent beers.
48. Tired Hands – Fog Phantom – Barrel-Fermented Saison (Vin Santo; w/ Spelt; Dry-Hopped) – Pennsylvania – (4.8%) – Vin Santo kicks off a lot of apricot notes, which might go well with the dry-hopping.
47. Bluejacket – Whiskey Barrel-Aged Double Mexican Radio – Barrel-Aged Imperial Sweet Stout (Whiskey; Cocoa, Cinnamon, Vanilla & Chilies) – Washington, DC – (11%) – I'd drink this. Probably a lot of it and give myself a pretty nasty headache. Future me is a fool though, so who cares?!
46. Crooked Stave – Petite Sour – Raspberry – Barrel-Aged Sour Blond Ale (w/ Raspberries) – Colorado – (5.5%) – Crooked Stave's beers are good (and also very hyped). The fruit beers tend to live up to their billing.
45. Mahr's Bräu – Ungespundet Hefetrüb – Pale Lager (Kellerbier) – Germany – (4.7%) – SO MUCH DELICIOUS LAGER
44. Moonlight – How Do You LIke Them Apples – Barrel-Aged American Cider (Bourbon) – New Hampshire – (13.5%) – Moonlight's stuff is good if you like mead. It's extremely expensive per pour outside of the fest, so maybe give this a look because it could be a a good value.
43. Anchorage – Mosaic Saison – Barrel-Aged Saison (w/ Brettanomyces; Dry-Hopped) – Alaska – (6.5%) – Lots going on here. The ratings are quite good. If you're picking one of the two from Anchorage, make it this one.
42. Founders – CBS – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Maple Syrup-Bourbon; w/ Coffee & Chocolate) – Michigan – (10.6%) – There's no way there will be a line waiting for this beer, so you may as well head over and get it. Probably won't wait at all. Not at all.
41. 3 Stars – Citra & Lemon Peel Saison: Watermelon & Tequila-Soaked Oak – Saison (w/ Lemon Peel, Watermelon & Tequila-Soaked Oak) – Washington, DC – (5.2%) – I truly don't know what this is going to taste like, but bonus point for adding two different things I've never seen in a cask before.
40. RAR – Pulp – American Pale Ale – Maryland – (6.2%) – The relatively more rarely seenPulp gets the nod here over its Nanticoke brethren.
39. Prairie – Funky Gold Mosaic – Saison (w/ Brettanomyces; Dry-Hopped) – Oklahoma – (7.5%) – This is super, super tasty. An excellent showcase for Mosaic hops.
38. Sly Fox – Keller Pils – Pilsner (Kellerbier) – Pennsylvania – (4.8%) – This beer is very, very good, and once your palate is dead, you will worship at its altar.
37. Brothers – Drift – Session IPA – Virginia – (5%) – This is a Zombie Dust clone. Drink it.
36. Avery – El Gose – Gose (w/ Limes) – Colorado – (4.5%) – People whose palates I really respect have been singing this gose's praises. Please let this be like Liliko'i Kepolo but more tart.
35. Moonlight – How Do You LIke Them Little Apples – Barrel-Aged American Cider (Rye) – New Hampshire – (6.9%) – Moonlight's stuff is good if you like mead. It's extremely expensive per pour outside of the fest, so maybe give this a look because it could be a a good value.
34. Tired Hands – Homespun Moon – Dark Mild – Pennsylvania – (3.8%) – Whoa, a dark mild? And at 3.8%, you could slam a few (but you should not, because you should drink responsibly).
33. Flying Dog – Notorious B.A.G – Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter (Whiskey; Sweet & Tart Cherries) – Maryland – (12%) – Tremendously tasty at SAVOR. If you can sneak in a giant hunk of blue cheese, you will be the most popular smelly person in or around this booth.
32. Port City – Barrel-Aged Double Porter – Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter (Whiskey) – Virginia – (8.5%) – That's right, Port City barrel-aged a porter. A double porter. I bet Bill Butcher $10 he wouldn't do it, and then he did it. By the way, can I borrow $10 from you?
31. Prairie – Americana – Saison (Dry-Hopped) – Oklahoma – (7%) – A really, really excellent American saison. Also can we get a shout out for Prairie, which hails from Tulsa, OK? Talk about unexpected places to harbor a brewery like Prairie.
30. J. Wakefield – Miami Madness – Berliner Weisse (w/ Mango, Guava & Passionfruit) – Florida – (3.5%) – Did you know there's a sub-style called a "Florida Weisse?" Does that make you angry? It makes me kind of angry.
29. Ocelot – See the Light – Imperial IPA – Virginia – (8.6%) – They won't make it again, so drink it.
28. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Löwenbräu Buttenheim – Kellerbier – Pale Lager (Kellerbier) – Germany – (4.8%) – All day erryday
27. Wicked Weed – Framboos Mort – Sour Red Ale (Spontaneous Fermentation; w/ Raspberries) – North Carolina – (5.8%) – I think this translates to "Death Raspberry," which is a great name for a metal band of pastry chefs.
26. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Weißenoher – Altfränkisch Klosterbier (#1) – Pale Lager (Kellerbier) – Germany – (5.1%) – It's embarrassing how many people don't drink these beers. They are unbelievably tasty, and you won't find them anywhere else. If you like lager, at all, get on this. Same for all of them.
25. Alpine – Hoppy Birthday: Citra & Centennial – Session IPA (Dry-Hopped w/ Citra & Centennial) – California – (5.3%) – Hoppy Birthday. On cask. Dry-hopped in cask. We'll take four. You just don't see these casks out this way.
24. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Sierra Nevada – Narwhal – Rum Barrel Aged – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (Rum) – California – (11.7%) – I hate rum, but I'm a sucker for rum barrels. In conclusion, Libya is a land of contrasts.
23. Tröegs – Gose with Raspberry – Gose (w/ Raspberries) – Pennsylvania – (5.4%) – The base gose for this is very, very awesome. Adding raspberries to it sounds A+.
22. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Hellbender – Groundskeeper Islay's Barrel-Aged – Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale (Wheat Whiskey) – Washington, DC – (9.2%) – It is pretty rare to get a used Scotch barrel coming back over the pond. The fact that this is Islay (the smoky, peaty Scotch) blending with the toffee maltiness of a Scotch ale makes this is a pick. This will hopefully be a sleeper gem.
21. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Aslin – Bringing Sexy Back – American IPA – Virginia – (6.4%) – The unofficial official beer of the bearded guy who thinks he's got Justin Timberlake's moves after too many stouts.
20. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Union – Diamonds & Pearls – Gose (Dry-Hopped) – Maryland – (6%) – Union's Gose is a GABF winner. If they want to dry-hop it with fried chicken, dandelions, or hubcaps, I'll *probably* still drink it. But if they want to dry-hop it with hops I'll *definitely* still drink it.
19. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Allagash – James & Julie – Sour Brown Ale – Maine – (7.7%) – A Flemish sour brown aged for two years in steel tanks? Listen, it feels weird to make every Allagash sour a 5 and a DCBeer pick, but that's where we find ourselves today.
18. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Devils Backbone – Acidulous Hop Trip – Sour Blond Ale – Virginia – (6.4%) – Brewed by Charlottesville homebrewer (and friend of the site) Jamey Barlow, you should stop by and check this out. He's a talented homebrewer and even better Twitter follow (@barlowbrewing)
17. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Bell's – The Oracle – Imperial IPA – Michigan – (10.4%) – Don't be a foolish person, drink this beer. West-coaster made by Bell's. This beer is top-notch.
16. Weißenoher – green MONKey: Hersbrucker – Pilsner (Kellerbier) – Germany – (5.8%) – Classic German workhorse hop so expect spice and grassiness. Keller me!
15. Ocelot – Planets Align – American IPA – Virginia – (6.7%) – Again, they won't make this one again, so drink it.
14. Jester King – 分 桃 (Fēn Táo) – Foeder-Aged Saison (w/ Peaches) – Texas – (6.4%) – I poured the Jester Kings last year, and they went decently fast, but not so fast that they had to be the first beer anyone planned for…This year, if I'm pouring anywhere near this I plan to make sure to get this one.
13. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Manor Hill – Citra Splendor – Imperial IPA – Maryland – (8.3%) – In case you forgot why everyone and their mother likes Citra, this beer will remind you.
12. Weißenoher – Eucharius Märzen – Märzen – Germany – (5.2%) – On the thicker side of a marzen, deliciously syrupy without being cloying. Autumnal brown sugar and sweet dark fruit. Be great as a "leaving the fest" dessert beer.
11. Cantillon – Fou' Foune – Lambic (w/ Apricots) – Belgium – (5%) – It's fruity, it's tart, it's sour, and it'll kick before you get it. (Sorry!)
10. ***DCBeer Pick!*** 3 Stars & Charm City – Two Headed Unicorn – Barrel-Aged Sour Blond Ale (Bourbon; w/ Honey) – Washington, DC – (6.5%) – It's not enough to have a one-headed unicorn these days. No, now you have to have two. This is an intriguing pairing. Charm City Meadworks is a great example of a modern meadery, and 3 Stars has a bunch of stuff in the Funkerdome. There'll be a run on this.
9. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Firestone Walker – Krieky Bones (Batch #2) – Foeder-Aged Sour Red Ale (w/ Sour Cherries) – California – (5.7%) – I haven't had a foeder-aged beer from Firestone Walker before, but if it's anything like literally anything else FW produces, this will be tasty.
8. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Avery – Rumpkin – Barrel-Aged Pumpkin Ale (Rum) – Colorado – (18.1%) – If you have to have one pumpkin beer this year, make it this one. It is sublime. Have four ounces. At five ounces, you've had too much. Leave some for the rest of the kids.
7. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Weißenoher – Monk's Fest – Märzen (Kellerbier) – Germany – (5.2%) – This the gold standard of traditional German marzens for many who love the style. Aromas of freshly baked bread with hints of caramel and a beautiful nuttiness. Yet still light and refreshing. When you're done destroying your palate, appreciate something delicately wonderful.
6. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Weißenoher – green MONKey: Mandarina – Pilsner (Kellerbier) – Germany – (5.8%) – Kellerbier with a more modern twist from a brewery that is hundreds of years old and still making killer beer? Yeah, I'll skip some DIPAs for that.
5. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Allagash – Farm to Face – Sour Blond Ale (w/ Peaches) – Maine – (5.7%) – Missed out on Cantillon's Fou'foune? This will hit the same pleasure centers.
4. Aslin & Triple Crossing – Form & Void – Imperial IPA – Virginia – (9%) – Hopheads, look no further than here or the 30 other IPAs you "have to have" (As if Aslin needed any help, Triple Crossing is excellent as well. Of all of the mid-atlantic IPAs at Snally, this is my highest recommendation.)
3. ***DCBeer Pick!*** District ChopHouse – Nut Brown Ale: Hazelnuts & Cocoa Nibs – Brown Ale (w/ Hazelnuts & Cocoa Nibs) – Washington, DC – (5.4%) – My most memorable beer from Snallygaster 2015. If you haven't had Barrett's Nut Brown, it's a real treat. This offering, however, is nothing short of sublime.
2. Weißenoher – Classic Bioland Export – Pale Lager (Kellerbier) – Germany – (5.2%) – Want a major league lager along the lines of those that us old fuddy-duddies pine for? Take a hold of this. Subtle but surprisingly assertive euro style hops and a beautiful mouthfeel. I'd buy a lawn to mow just for this beer.
1. ***DCBeer Pick!*** Allagash – Ghoulschip – Barrel-Aged Pumpkin Ale (Spontaneous Fermentation) – Maine – (6.9%) – Anything that comes out of Allagash's coolship falls into the "run, don't walk" category. This is true, considering it ran out 40 minutes into VIP time last year.
Note: In the 11th hour, we found out that Natty Green's Wildflower Wit was mistakenly left off here. You can assume it was ranked somewhere between #351 and #1.
