The Best Craft Beer – July 2017
Another month, another list of amazing beers to pick from for my list of Best Craft Beer.
July is typically a hot month that is full of family activities. While we have had some extremely hot days; overall it hasn’t been too bad. And of course there is the 4th of July as well which is always a great reason to get together and share some great craft beer. On top of that, I got to visit Boston for work and try some of their beer as well.
Just choosing a few for my list of Best Craft Beer is never an easy task but here is what I selected for July 2017:
Strawberry Rhubarb
Brewery: New Glarus Brewing – New Glarus, WI
Style: Fruit Beer
ABV: 4% IBU: N/A
Description
Teased from the loam by the kiss of the Sun. Mom’s Strawberry Rhubarb delights are the happy memories of childhood. Diploma Master Brewer Dan employed juicy sweet Strawberries to take the barbaric wild tart fermentation of rhubarb. Escaped from the far corners of neighboring yards, local rhubarb was incorporated into the wild sour fermentation to create this drinkable dream. Bright sour and effervescent. Toast chilled cold to Bright skies, fireflies, bare feet and rhubarb pies!
Why did it make the list?
There are some breweries that become well known because their beer is great. Not because their marketing is always amazing or because their beer is widely distributed. New Glarus Brewing is one of those. They have a huge following despite the fact that they don’t distribute outside of Wisconsin. (and to my knowledge have no plans to do so either).
This beer is a masterpiece of a fruit beer. They don’t mess around when they add fruit to beer. You will taste exactly what the label says is in it. And it tastes natural and fresh; not artificial. The main flavor is strawberry but the rhubarb is in there giving it just enough of a bite to cut through the sweetness.
It is the closest thing to a fruit smoothie I’ve ever had in a beer and that’s a good thing.
Craigerator II: Pool Party
Brewery: Night Shift Brewing – Everett, MA
Style: American IPA
ABV: 5.3% IBU: N/A
Description
American IPA with Cascade, Citra, Simcoe, and Topaz
Why did it make the list?
If you follow my site then your probably read my recent article about visiting Boston. Night Shift Brewing is one of the places I got to visit while there. Their taproom was great and the beer was even better.
Craigerator II: Pool Party was recommended to me by the bartender among a few others. He knows great beer because I loved this one so much that I get a four pack to ship back home. I didn’t waste much time before I tried it again at home. And honestly, it was even better from the can.
This is a hazy IPA but the appearance is just warning for what this beer has in store. Tons of grapefruit and citrus in the aroma and flavor. The simcoe adds a nice bite but there was nearly zero bitterness. This soft IPA was satisfying and seemed to last forever. And it tasted like a much stronger beer than 5.3% ABV.
My only regret is not getting more of this great IPA.
Related Post: Craft Beer In Boston: Night Shift Brewing & Sam Adams
DDH All Citra Everything
Brewery: Other Half – Brooklyn, NY
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
ABV: 8.5% IBU: N/A
Description
Our standard All Citra Everything double dry hopped with an extra dose of Citra lupulin powder
Why did it make the list?
Beer friends are the best friends. A friend of mine shared this one with me and I was instantly impressed by it. I’ve had a few other beers by this brewery but this one has to be my favorite so far.
Citra is a hop that most of us would agree is one of the best for IPAs. They took this hop and just kept adding more and more to this beer. The result is a super flavorful double IPA but they must have added all of them late in the process as there was no bitterness. Instead, just soft, fruity, floral and citrus notes. This one had such a smooth, soft mouthfeel that it was nearly frothy.
Thick Mint
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing – Lakewood, NY
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 10% IBU: 60
Description
Inspired by the legendary cookie, this imperial stout is a mouthful of perfectly balanced mint & chocolate. Roasty malts coalesce with notes of Belgian dark chocolate, sweet mint & just a touch of sweet caramel. So decadently delicious, you’ll wish you’d bought another box… er, bottle.
Why did it make the list?
If you’ve ever had Southern Tier Creme Brulee, Choklat Oranj, Salted Caramel or Choklat then you know this brewery knows dessert beers. They are rich, sweet and perfect at the end of the day.
Thick Mint is another great offering in this line up of decadent beers. The chocolate and mint in this beer are up front and strong. And as you would imagine, it tastes just like the classic Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie. I found the flavors intensified as it warmed up. You won’t need a dessert when you have a beer like this.
For those in Cincinnati, I need to recognize The Woodburn Brewery and their Chocolate Mint Stout. It is an equally delicious beer with similar tastes. I found the Southern Tier to have more chocolate while the Woodburn offering was more mint forward. So depending on your preference, one may be better than the other. But regardless, both breweries exceeded my expectations with these beers.
Cuvee De 75
Brewery: Listermann Brewing – Cincinnati, OH
Style: Blended Beer
ABV: 11.2% IBU: N/A
Description
Our latest collaboration with Warped Wing Brewery, Cuvee de 75 is a blend of 48.5% Triple Digit BA Chickow!, 48.5% Warped Wing BA Pirogue Black Tripel and 3% Warped Wing BA Abominator Dopplebock.
Why did it make the list?
I’ve already written about this beer in two other articles (here and here) so I won’t repeat myself too much.
This made the list for best craft beer because you don’t see collaborations like this very often. Most of the time a collaboration is two or more breweries coming together to brew a brand new recipe. These breweries decided to take amazing beers that they have already made and blend them into something new. I love this approach and really hope they both do more of these in the future.
This dark, barrel forward craft beer is one of a kind. I can see many holding onto a few of these and see how well they age. For me, I couldn’t resist and drank the bottle I got while it was fresh. And I am glad that I did because it isdefinitely worthy of being on my list of the Best Craft Beer.
Related Post: Craft Beer Spotlight: Cuvee De 75
What’s surprising is only one local beer made the list this month. That doesn’t mean there wasn’t a ton of great craft beer in Cincinnati; they just didn’t make the list this time around.
I am now looking forward to August; summer is ending and I can’t wait for Oktoberfest and other fall beers to be released.
What Was Your Best Craft Beer In July?
Comment Below And Let Me Know What Beer I Should Be On The Look Out For
