The average Untappd score of Snallygaster beers this year is 4.05. In 2022 was 4.07/5. In 2021 it was only 4.04, and we didn’t do the math last year. You get it, people want the beers being brought to the East Coast’s largest beer festival 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 9 years yet sits at a 3.64 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 usually known as “The Fidens Post,” but they’ve got some competition this year. (Brewery, Beer Name, Beer Style, Festival Location, Untappd, ABV)
Analysis: Kudos to Marlowe for bringing a pale ale with that score. 5.4% alcohol by volume means repeated visits. In fact, it’s the only beer under 8% in the top ten. I am intrigued! Bissell Brothers has created a modern classic in Swish–you can find cans of this around the DMV semi-regularly. Don’t take it for granted. Also, Fidens is taking over ChurchKey on Monday, October 14 in case you can’t catch ’em all at Snally.
Bourbon Barrel-Aged Strong Ale w/ Coconuts, Marshmallows & Vanuatu Vanilla
Cyclops
4.48
14%
Analysis: Fine fine, two of these are stout-adjacent. Whatever. There are not one, but two Munichwines at Snally this year, which is a style I’d never heard of until I saw the beer list. Barleywines traditionally employ British malts, and these use, you guessed it, Munich malts, often darker than Simpson’s and Fawcett’s. I’ll be trying these! Barrel-aged Abraxas was the first beer to kick last year and I don’t see why that would change this year. I’d be surprised if it lasts more than 45 minutes. Do with that information what you will.
Top 10 funky bunches by Untappd ratings:
Did you know you can walk into multiple beer stores in DC and Virginia and just buy Tilquin?
Mindful
feeling colors.
Oak Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Ale w/ Apricots & Honey
Drogon
4.50
6.0%
Trillium
Cuvée de Tetreault 2018
Wine & Bourbon Barrel-Aged Wild Ale w/ Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Grapes & Black Currants
Poseidon
4.49
11.0%
Side Project
Oude Fermier 2022
Wine Barrel-Aged Saison
Cyclops
4.42
7.0%
Cantillon
Ashanti 2024
Fruit Lambic w/ Black Pepper
Mothra
4.41
5.5%
Charles Towne
El Rayo 2024
Tequila Barrel-Aged Sour Ale w/ Lime, Orange, Agave & Sea Salt
Jabberwock
4.41
4.5%
Mindful
at least we’re dancing
Oak Barrel-Aged Dry-Hopped Farmhouse Ale
Drogon
4.40
6.5%
3 Fonteinen
Zenne Y Frontera 2020/2021: Blend No. 66
Sherry Barrel-Aged Lambic
Mothra
4.39
8.5%
Cantillon
Fou’ Foune 2022
Fruit Lambic w/ Bergeron Apricots
Mothra
4.39
6.0%
de Garde
The Stone: Gin Barrel Cuvée
Gin Barrel-Aged Lambic-Style Ale w/ Peaches & Nectarines
Rodan
4.37
6.0%
The Seed
Shades of Grey
Mixed Culture Saison w/ Spruce Tips
Drogon
4.35
6.4%
Sante Adairius
Saison Bernice
Mixed Fermentation Saison
Cyclops
4.35
6.5%
Analysis: Overall Untappd has a bias towards the Americans as opposed to the classics from Belgium–we’ll fix that in our power rankings–but Sainte Adarius is pouring right next to The DC Beer Show Podcast Stage; I can’t be mad about that. That Charles Towne Untappd rating has my attention, too! Otherwise, see you at Mothra.
Top 10 lagers by untappd ratings:
Wheatland Spring
Consequent
Czech Pale Lager
Nessie
4.30
4.5%
Wayward Lane
Schlager Light
Leichtbier
Nessie
4.18
4.0%
Suarez Family
Qualify Pils
German Pilsner
Cyclops
4.17
4.8%
Suarez Family
Paletine Pils
German Pilsner
Cyclops
4.16
5.0%
Good Word
Bones & All
Czech Pale Lager (Barrique Collab.)
Rodan
4.10
5.0%
Bierstadt Lagerhaus
Slow Pour Pils
German PIlsner
Demogorgon
4.09
4.7%
Gold Dot (Heater Allen)
Helles Lager
Helles Lager
Demogorgon
4.09
4.9%
Sojourn
Midnight
Tmavý
Nessie
4.09
5.0%
Sojourn
Ten
Czech Pilsner
Nessie
4.08
4.6%
Good Word
Riding Bikes In Munich
Helles Lager
Rodan
4.06
4.7%
The Brewer’s Art
Day Trip To Düsseldorf
Altbier
Drogon
4.06
5.0%
Analysis: Look at the locals representing! This WheatlandSpring beer seems to have made an impact over the last month, and Sojourn is too far for a day trip, but is made by locals. Nice to see Steve Jones and The Brewer’s Art sneaking in with a hybrid style, as Altbier is lagered, so it counts. DC Beer is hoping to get both Wheatland and Wayward Lane on the podcast stage–right next to Cyclops–at 12:30. We might have to settle for one of them, but if we can swing both, we’ll talk lager.
Analysis: Sapwood would be the highest scoring beer making operation in Maryland based on Untappd were it not for Township Meadery from Crooked Crab. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll see some mead make an appearance, too. By the way, all of Sapwood’s beers are dairy-free, even the smoothie sour with vanilla soft serve powder above. Lost Generation debuted at Snally 2 years ago and now here they are in the top 10!
Rye Whiskey Barrel-Aged Belgian Strong Blond Ale w/ Ginger, Spices & Local Honey
Gargoyle
11.2%
The Answer
Kurisupīfestu
Festbier w/ Rice
Rodan
4.5%
Untold
Mr. Breeze
Coffee Pale Ale w/ 50/50 Blend Of Peruvian & Colombian Beans
Poseidon
3.98
4.9%
Wild East
Turnstyle Pickle
Mixed Fermentation Berliner Weisse w/ Cucumbers, Mustard Seed, Peppercorns & Salt
Jabberwock
3.88
4.0%
Xül
PB&J Mixtape
Fruited Sour Ale w/ Peanut Butter & Jelly
Jabberwock
4.47
6.5%
Paw paw season was very early in the DMV area this year. Our largest indigenous sub-tropical fruit doesn’t travel well, which is why you’ll see them at farmers markets, but not grocery stores. They taste kind of like a cross between a mango and a banana, and I bet Allagash knows what to do with that in a mixed fermentation ale.
German lagers get the smoked malt treatment on occasion, but Czech ones? I haven’t seen it before. The smoked malt and sharpness of the hops should have things interesting over at Benchtop.
Japas is known for mastering beer styles and then tweaking them to fit their Japanese-Brazilian backgrounds, so a grape ale should be fun.
Can you taste the mushrooms in a beer that’s 12%? Let’s find out.
Nobody thinks of Port City as merry pranksters, but this version of Tidings picked up at least 2% of ABV in the barrel, and there’s hot honey involved. Intriguing.
A festbier with rice? The crispness against traditional malt sweetness? I’m in!
Lost Boy is bringing their cucumber cider, but Wild East will pour what I’m calling a Jewish deli-inspired berliner weisse.
Born in DC and raised in New York City, Jacob (Jake’s) craft beer education began when his dad brought home a 6-pack of Brooklyn Lager in the mid-90s. It was love at first sip, and throughout college he would cheat on Natty Lite and Miller High Life with the occasional Pete’s Wicked, Saranac, and Shipyard. He’s been fortunate enough to live in Maine (Allagash and Shipyard) and Michigan (Bells and Jolly Pumpkin), has visited breweries on four continents, and would love to help you mash in. A Cicerone.org Certified Beer Server, he lives in Brookland with his wife and two kids. Interests include real ale, obscure hops, session beers, pairing beer with food, and the effects of globalization on beer styles.
