Eric's Top 10 Minnesota Beers & Breweries of 2014

OK, so one last list for the end of year Wrap Up.  I noticed that a lot of the places and beers that ranked highest on my other lists were not Minnesota born.  There may be a component of "familiarity breeds contempt" going on there, or more likely for me that there just aren't enough good sours for my taste being made in this state!  So I decided to do a local only list for breweries and beers.  Those who read the JABlog regularly know that I tend not to be too judgmental and avoid a lot of negative comments. There are certainly beers and breweries that I'm not a fan of (and will say so when in my cups) but I tend not to post those things.  I'd rather focus on the BEST of the bunch and give my blessing to those who are doing the greatest job of fostering great craft beer in our chilly state.  You may not agree with my listing, or my ranking and that is totally fine!  We all have different tastes and experiences when we try beers and visit breweries.  I would love to see some comments on this blog from readers to see what beers you think should (or not) have made my lists!  Or better yet make your own Top 10 and share it here!

Photogenic SRM chart sampler at Urban Growler

Eric's Top 10 Minnesota Breweries (as of 2014)

1) Steel Toe Brewing: My solid first place.  I love nearly every beer that Jason brews (maybe not the Summer Vice but that is a style thing).  The taproom needs some better light and maybe an increase in size, but always nice to stop by for a pint.

2) Bent Paddle Brewing: These guys have been hitting it out of the park from the get-go.  With years of experience in brewing great beers before opening, I can't say I'm shocked.  This is the one reason I'd like to live in Duluth.

3) Surly Brewing: Well this one is a no-brainer!  Surly continues to innovate and push Minnesota along as one of the biggest growing craft beer states.  I got a chance to check out the new brewery and it is a thing of beauty!

4) Town Hall Brewery: The beers at Town Hall are excellent as always.  They have dropped a bit down on my list this year for a few reasons--mostly service and food related.  I feel that since re-opening after the very needed refurbishing that the food quality and staff attentiveness has fallen greatly.  Still awesome beer though.

5) Urban Growler: I just visited not long ago and was very happy with the vibe, service and beers here.  Check it out!

6) Hammerheart: I still haven't visited the taproom, but nearly every beer I've had from them this year has been outrageous and flavor-packed.  Top of my list to visit in the coming year!

7) Schell's:  No Minnesota list can be complete without the second oldest family owned brewery in the USA.  Schells has rebranded themselves a bit this past year--focused more on their classic lagers and trying new and interesting sour beers to push the envelope a bit.

8) Indeed: I still really like the beers from Indeed and most are very good.  The taproom is still one of my favorites, though often crowded these days.

9) Summit: Mark Stutrud and his cadre of brewers continue to put out tons of high quality beers and can always be counted upon to have a tap handle in even the shadiest of dives these days.  Thanks go to them for bringing Craft Brewing to Minnesota.

10) Waconia Brewing: A new favorite and probably my most controversial.  This place is brand new but I love the feel of the place.  The owners and brewer are wonderful people and the beers are quite good.  And it is a few blocks from my home!

Did I leave some good ones off?  Of course!  Notables that almost made the list were Dangerous Man (too difficult to get in the doors and find a seat these days); Enki (still great guys and a comfy taproom, but I'd like to see more new beers this coming year!)

Keep in mind that I haven't even been to Sisyphus, Bauhaus, LTD, Tin Whiskers, and more!  So if you think I'm missing out, tell me and I'll try to get out there and check them out!  Please post your lists or any thoughts!!

Eric's Top 10 Minnesota Beers of 2014

1) Bent Paddle Double Shot: My personal best of show beer at ABR.

2) Steel Toe Before The Dawn: Dark barleywine goodness.

3) Steel Toe Wee Heavy: Rare, but not so hard to find that I can't enjoy it from time to time.  

4) Surly Darkness: Always something to look forward to.  I have only had on draft so far this year.

5) Hammerheart Rune Stone Stout: Tasted this summer at the Acadia Cafe...I'll suffer through a dirty glass and a crappy pour for this beer!

6) Bent Paddle Cold Press Black: Happily now available in cans in the Twin Cities!  One of the best coffee beers around.

7) Town Hall Czar Jack: Every once in a while you stumble upon a gem, nestled among the other already good beers.

8) Indeed Rum King: This is a last minute addition.  I cracked a bottle of this recently and was blown away by the complexity and balance in this big Imperial stout.  I have managed to have another glass of this and a sampler pour in the past week...Good job Indeed!

9) Town Hall Three Hour Tour: A perennial favorite of both myself and my wife.  One of the few well done coconut beers to be found anywhere.  Why do they not make more of this????

10) Enki Cacao Porter: This one mainly makes the list because I've probably had more of it than any other local beer over the past year!  With Enki being so close I can't help but stop by for one of these.

So again...so many good beers and not enough space for them.  You may notice a lack of sour beers on the list compared to my previously posted Best New Beers in 2014 list.  The only real sours I tried from Minnesota this year were Berliner Weisse style beers from Schells and the similar Gose from Bent Brewstillery.  I like these, but they lack the complexity and true sourness that I get out of lambics and Flanders Reds.  Many of my favorites are dark beers but many are hard to find.  I'm actually shocked that more MN breweries don't specialize in Stouts and Porters since we have 10 months of winter here...

Eric's Top 10 Breweries of 2014!

Top 10 Breweries I Visited In 2014

This was a tough list to make and many great places got left off.  I think the ones that made the cut stood out to me in some way...making it past my jaded "seen one brewery you've seen 'em all" mindset.  

1) Perennial (St. Louis, MO):  Perhaps the best beers I've had all year and amazing staff!  Add in the Side Project Brewery by the same brewer in the same facilities and you have the best of the best.  

2) Cantillon (Brussels, Belgium): Because it is Cantillon!  This place is THE brewery for a sourhead like me.  

3) Founders (Grand Rapids, MI) Duh!  Founders doesn't make a bad beer!  The shear scale of this place is overwhelming from a craft brewery.

4) Surly (Minneapolis, MN) This was a last minute addition to the list since I snuck in a visit right under the wire.  I'm impressed with the new place--truly a destination brewery!

5) Perrin Brewing (MI): A happy surprise with a huge selection of house brews.  Focus on the stronger ales and wood aged stuff.

6) Dark Horse (Michigan): Ghetto, comfortable, real.

7) The Brew Gentlemen (Pittsburgh, PA): An upstart brewery doing amazing things.

8) Jolly Pumpkin (Dexter, MI): Brewing the first real sour ales in America!  Everything is fermented in wood, not a stainless conical to be seen.

9) Waconia Brewing (Waconia, MN): Because this is now my Local.

10) Val-Dieu (Belgium:) Great beers brewed in an old monastery...in Belgium!  Not brewed by monks though...

HM) De Dolles Brouers (Belgium): Hoppy beers in Belgium!  So this one got knocked down by Surly...

Since many of these are non-Minnesota, I plan on posting a Best of MN list in the coming week as well.  If you've been to any of these places...do you agree with me?  

Eric's Top 10 New Beers OF 2014

So to wrap up the year I've got a couple of annoying Top 10 Lists coming up for you!  I do these not as definitive best of all time lists, but more as an exercise in remembering some of the stand-out beers, breweries, etc. from the past year.  I'll be posting some more over the coming few days.

Top 10 NEW Beers I Tried In 2014

1) Perrennial Barrel Aged Abraxas: I tried this beer at the release party during the filming of the Limited Release show with Rob and Ron.  Not only was this one of the best beer events I went to this past year, the beer blew my mind.  Huge and complex, this spiced RIS aged in bourbon barrels was the Top O' The Mountain for me.  This is not only my favorite beer of the year but my favorite beer EVER.

2) Side Project Fuzzy: On that same trip to Perennial we got to try a couple of brewer Cory King's Side Project Brewery beers.  This insanely tart sour was like getting socked in the face with the world's biggest peach.  OMG time.

3) Tilquin Quetsche:  A relatively new lambic producer in Brussels, this young blender is taking all his cues from the classics like Cantillon but doing something all his own.  This sour blended ale is made with purple plums and is like nothing else I have had.

4) Cantillon Zwanze 2012: This is a rhubarb lambic, and as such is intensely sour.  But sooooo good for a sourhead like me.  While I had better Cantillon beers there (Lou Pepe Kriek) I've had those before so this one is the best new beer I tried from them.

5) Allagash Coolship Red:  I had to go to Belgium's Night of Great Thirst sour beer festival to try this American version of a fruit lambic.  I would put it up against almost any of the Belgians I tried there.  

6) Bent Paddle Double Shot: This was their barrel aged Double Black with cold press coffee, served at Autumn Brew Review and was my favorite of the festival.  I may have gone back like 6 times for more.  Sorry if you got there late and missed it...I probably drank yours!

7) Steel Toe Sticker Fight: A new double IPA that really hits my particular sweet spot when it comes to that style.  I like it better than the Size 11.  Call me crazy.

8) Upland Persimmon: This was shared with me by Andrew G. and was so unusual and intense that it stands out as one of the best sours I've had.

9) Poltergueuze: A homebrewed 2 year blend served to me at NHC Club Night this year.  Certainly the best homebrewed sour I have ever had.  

10) The Brew Gentlemen's There Was Only Fire: A chipotle double IPA that shouldn't have worked but was so balanced that it actually worked.  This one makes the list for being so ballsy!

Last Minute Honorable Mention:  Surly's Todd The Axe Man.  I just tried this yesterday at the brewery (might have had two...) and was really impressed.  This is what I wanted Overrated to be like!

Overall, a hard list to make.  I've had some better ranked beers during the year that I've had before, but I set myself the goal of NEW beers (to me) this time to let some new blood into the list!  Looking at the finished list, I notice that many of these beers were tried at events or shared with others.  The situation will often color or enhance the enjoyment of a beer, making it stand out in your mind beyond the simple taste memory.  You will also notice that all my favorite styles of beer are represented: RIS, DIPA, and sours galore.  All of these beers I would actively search out and drink the heck out of if given the chance!  Unfortunately only three of these are available now in Minnesota: Sticker Fight at the Steel Toe taproom, Todd The Axe Man at the Brewery, and I just picked up an expensive bottle of Tilquin at The Four Firkins this past week.

Any thoughts on this list, or do you have a top 10 list you want to share?  I'll also be posting a Minnesota specific list later in the week...