Last year there were over 400 beer and beer-adjacent beverages being served at Snallygaster. This year Neighborhood Restaurant Group has come back with a svelte list of 423 (!!!) beers and ciders. Let’s have some fun with them.
The average Untappd score of the beers in 2022 was 4.07/5. In 2021 it was only 4.04, and we haven’t done the math this year, yet. Yeah, take that with a grain of salt; Port City’s Oktoberfest has now won every color of Great American Beer Festival medal over the past 8 years yet sits at a 3.63 rating). There’s a bias for hazies, pastry stouts, and fruited sours, but still… Away we go, with the usual caveat that the Snally list is subject to change, and, in fact has changed over the past 48 hours.
Top 10 IPAs by Untappd ratings:
This section is also known as “The Fidens Post” (Brewery, Beer Name, Beer Style, ABV, Festival Location, Untappd)
Test The Consecration of Graffiti, Hazy Double IPA, 8.25%, Cyclops, 4.74
Fidens Sam’s Axe, Hazy Double IPA w/ Simcoe, Citra, Taiheke & Nelson Sauvin (Brujos Collab.), 8.0%, Jabberwock, 4.63
Fidens Sean’s Axe, Hazy Double IPA w/ Nelson, Peacharine & Galaxy (Troon Collab.), 8.5%, Jabberwock, 4.62 – This might be the only IPA in the top 10 without Citra.
Fidens The Heart Of Chaos, Hazy Triple IPA w/ Citra, Nelson Sauvin & Mosaic 10.0%, Jabberwock, 4.55 – Fun fact, I was at Fiden’s last Thursday and I’m pretty sure cans of this sold out faster than Taylor Swift tickets. No, I didn’t get those, either.
North Park A Better Place to Play, Hazy Triple IPA w/ Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, Citra, Rakau & HBC-586 (Track Collab.), 10.0%, Rodan, 4.54
The Alchemist Heady Topper, Hazy Double IPA, 9.0%, Nessie, 4.53 – It’s really remarkable how this beer has become a new classic. The staying power is impressive.
Monkish Foggiest Window, Hazy Double IPA w/ Citra, Nelson Sauvin & Galaxy 8.1% Medusa, 4.51
Root + Branch Straight To Hell, Hazy Triple IPA, 9.6%, Medusa, 4.51
Widowmaker Haymaker, Hazy Double IPA w/ Citra, Waimea & Nelson Sauvin (Trillium Collab.), 8.0%, Medusa, 4.49
North Park NPBC7 QDH Hazy QIPA, IPA – Quadruple, 15%, Rodan, 4.48
Top 10 pastry Stouts by Untappd ratings:
Got a sweet tooth, got a designated driver? (Brewery, Beer Name, Beer Style, ABV, Festival Location, Untappd)
Perennial Barrel-Aged Abraxas, Oak Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ Ancho Chilies, Cocoa Nibs, Vanilla Beans & Cinnamon Sticks, 11.2%, Gargoyle, 4.70 – It feels unfair calling this a pastry stout; it’s too good a beer to be sullied by this style.
Aslin Beaumont 2023, Rye Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ Madagascar Vanilla Beans, 12.2%, Cyclops, 4.63 – This is the highest Untappd rating for a local beer.
Everywhere Do Laughs Have Accents?, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ Pecans, Dulce De Leche, Congolese Planifolia Vanilla Beans & Sea Salt, 15.5%, Poseidon, 4.63 – I had never heard of this brewery until last week, I am old.
Resident Culture Single Barrel Select: Barrel 45, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, 13.5%, Nessie, 4.56
The Veil Apple Brandy Toast-E Coilz, Apple Brandy Barrel-Aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout w/ Vanilla, Maple Syrup & Cinnamon (Monkish, Cloudwater, Other Half & Trillium Collab.), 12.0%, Medusa, 4.56
Everywhere A Year Ago Today, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ Nilla Wafers, Mushy Bananas, Vanilla Beans & Milk Sugar, 14.1% Poseidon, 4.55
WeldWerks Coffee Coconut Medianoche, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ Coconut & Coffee, 13.0%, Medusa, 4.54 – Andy told you about this one.
Xül Barrel-Aged Xuology: 101, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ Congolese & Cook Island Vanilla Beans, Macadamia Nuts & Marshmallows, 13.0%, Demogorgon, 4.53
Fox Farm Votive (No. 5), Bourbon & Rum Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, 16.2%, Drogon, 4.53
Mikerphone Barrel-Aged Imperial Smells Like Bean Spirit 2023, Oak Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ Coffee & Maple Syrup, 18.9% Rodan, 4.50 – One, this is a great beer pun, just tremendous work. Two, this has a higher gravity than Kahlua.
Top 10 funky bunches by Untappd ratings:
Did you know you can walk into multiple beer stores in DC and Virginia and just buy 3F and Tilquin? (Brewery, Beer Name, Beer Style, ABV, Festival Location, Untappd)
Cantillon Gueuze 100% Lambic 2005, Gueuze Lambic, 5.0%, Gargoyle, 4.74 – This beer is 18 years old, that’s pretty cool! But also, it will be gone before the VIP session (12-2pm) is over.
Floodland Collins Family 2022, Oak Barrel-Aged Mixed Culture Saison w/ Organic Plums & Pluots, 6.3%, Medusa, 4.71
Mindful My Own Secret Place, Red Wine Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Ale Blended w/ Wild Apple Cider, Honey & Vanilla 7.0% Jabberwock, 4.69
Floodland Death Come Quickly (2021 Harvest) Saison, 7.4%, Medusa, 4.57
Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek, Fruit Lambic w/ Cherries, 5.0%, Gargoyle, 4.52
Cantillon Iris 2004, Dry-Hopped Lambic, 5.0%, Gargoyle, 4.51 – Even older, will also probably not make it out of the VIP session.
Hill Farmstead Vera Mae 2022, Wine Barrel-Aged Farmstead Ale w/ Wildflower Honey & Dandelion Flowers, 6.0%, Cyclops, 4.49
Trillium Cuvée de Tetreault 2018, Cabernet Sauvignon Wine & Bourbon Barrel-Aged Wild Ale w/ Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes & Black Currants, 11.0%, Medusa, 4.49
Xül PB&J Mixtape, Fruited Sour Ale w/ Peanut Butter & Jelly (Gluten-Free), 6.5%, Demogorgon, 4.49 – We had this at Churchkey last night and we’re pretty mad about how much we liked it. Really well executed.
Fox Farm Cadenza, Spontaneous Ale, 6.3%, Drogon, 4.45
Top 10 lagers:
New for this year, because why not?
Orchestrated Minds Lines Of Lineage, West Coast Pilsner w/ Simcoe & Nectaron Hops (Petty Thieves Collab.), 4.3%, Drogon, 4.40 – What’s a West Coast Pilsner? Kate Bernot can teach you!
Everywhere Branching Out, Dry-Hopped Pilsner w/ Nectaron, HBC-586 & Nelson Sauvin, 5.6%, Poseidon, 4.23
Schilling G’Suffa!, Festbier, 5.8%, Drogon, 4.21 – Finally, a beer you can buy at Whole Foods!
Suarez Family Palatine Pils, German Pilsner, 4.8%, Cyclops, 4.18
Parleaux Idle Moments, Wine Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Lager w/ Brettanomyces, 6.0%, Jabberwock, 4.11
Schilling Karlův 13°, Černé Pivo, 5.3%, Drogon, 4.11
Suarez Family Ms. Frank, Kellerbier, 4.7%, Cyclops, 4.10
The Seed Einfach, Oktoberfest Inspired Lager, 5.0%, Nessie, 4.09
Bierstadt Lagerhaus Slow Pour Pils, German Pilsner, 5.1%, Nessie, 4.09
Human Robot Smoked Rösten, Helles Lager, 5.0%, Nessie, 4.05 – Come find me here.
Top 10 locals by untappd rating:
Aslin Beaumont 2023, Rye Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ Madagascar Vanilla Beans, 12.2%, Cyclops, 4.63
Sapwood Cellars Barrel Threads 2023, Bourbon & Rye Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, 12.6%, Nessie, 4.42
Other Half Bourbon Barrel Aged Velvet Magnum VI, Stout – Imperial / Double Pastry, 14.5%, Nessie, 4.32 – I think this one comes from DC and not NY.
Ocelot My Only Friend 2023, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, 12.2%, Cyclops, 4.28
Sapwood Cellars Smüzí Apple Pie à La Mode, Fruited Sour Ale w/ Apple Puree, Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Vanilla Softserve, 6.0%, Nessie, 4.28 – Me, reading this.
Ocelot Big Cat, Hazy Double IPA w/ Citra, Galaxy & Nelson Sauvin (The Veil Collab.), 9.0%, Cyclops, 4.26
Other Half Blue Crab Special Reserve, Hazy Double IPA w/ Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe & Strata, 8.5%, Nessie, 4.25
Crooked Run Sentimental Education, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Vanilla Beans, Ceylon Cinnamon & Maple Syrup (Barreled Souls, Finback & Tripping Animals Collab.), 16.0%, Cyclops, 4.24
Aslin Double Orange Starfish, Hazy Double IPA w/ Citra & Galaxy, 8.3%, Cyclops, 4.24
Sapwood Cellars Barrel Of Rings, Oak Barrel-Aged Funky Ale w/ Citra Hops, 7.1%, Nessie, 4.19 – Sapwood got 3 very different beers on this list, most impressive.
Boundary stone’s battle of the barrel-aged beers:
Not a lot of check-ins on these beers… yet!
DC Brau Golden Funk, Chardonnay Wine Barrel-Aged Wild Ale, 4.6%, Gargoyle, 4.09
Port City Tidings 2023: Elijah Craig, Barrel-Aged Bourbon Barrel-Aged Belgian Strong Blond Ale w/ Wildflower Honey, Coriander, Cardamom, Fresh Ginger & Grains Of Paradise, 10.0%, Cyclops, Unrated at time of publication – Tidings itself is 8%. That this beer is 10% tells you something.
General admission tickets still available, see you there!
