The Best Craft Beer – April 2017

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The Best Craft Beer – April 2017

Another month has passed so it is time to look over my Untappd check-ins to see what was the best craft beer I drank last month.

April was a roller coaster month filled with beer from all over the US. I always find it interesting to try beer from other locations especially if it is from a brewery that is getting a lot of attention. But you also can’t go wrong with local craft beer and you can bet that I had my fair share of Cincinnati craft beer.

Here is the best craft beer I had in April 2017:

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Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy

Brewery: – Oskar Blues – Longmont, Colorado

Style: Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

ABV: 12.9%    IBU: 75

Description

Aged through four seasons and from a blend of the top Bourbons around, this Ten Fidy has morphed into a monster of cranked up flavor. Espresso, burnt sugar, rich chocolate, caramel notes are now driving alongside the vanilla, oak, bourbon from the barrel and been smoothed out during maturation. Even at 12.9% (75 IBUs) it is cool and drinkable, letting each sip add more and more complexity.

Why did it make the list?

Ten Fidy is an imperial stout that I fell in love with a while back. So when I heard there was a barrel-aged version, I knew I would find a way to get it. After I secured a can, I then had to decide when to drink it. The can is a “stovepipe” 19.2 ounce can, so I knew I wanted to share it. This was a good decision. It does not hide the 12.9% ABV. BA Ten Fidy is bold, strong and needs to be sipped. Check out my full review.

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 Related Post: Oskar Blues Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy Review

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PM Dawn

Brewery: Trillium – Boston, Massachusetts

Style: American Stout

ABV: 9%    IBU: N/A

Description

In another exciting collaborative effort with our neighbors at Barrington Coffee Roasters, we bring you a bold American stout infused with cold-brewed coffee. PM Dawn exhibits an earthy, freshly roasted coffee bean and dark chocolate/mocha nose. The flavor profile consists of vanilla, hot chocolate, and caramel along with rich espresso. With a medium to heavy body, luscious mouthfeel, and light bitterness, PM Dawn is balanced and full, smooth with a drying roast character.

Why Did It Make The List

It’s odd; I rarely drink coffee but tend to love coffee beer and this one is no exception. Trillium is well known for making hoppy craft beer; PM Dawn showcases that they also know how to make a killer dark beer and made it onto the list for the best craft beer for this month.

Some coffee beers are too strong or too weak. Some are too bitter or too sweet. PM Dawn sits right in the middle of both. The coffee aroma is stronger then the flavor and there is no harsh coffee bitterness. There is a touch of sweetness. All of the flavors work together to make a well balanced beer. The mouthfeel of the beer is one area where it stands out. It is very creamy and smooth.

It might be the first coffee stout that I’ve had that uses cold brewed coffee. And if this is the result; I hope to see more cold brewed coffee stouts in the future.

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Visible Spectrum

Brewery: Finback – Queens, New York

Style: New England IPA

ABV: 6.2%    IBU: N/A

Description

An IPA brewed with Mango, then dry hopped with Citra, El Dorado and Falconer’s Flight.

Why Did It Make The List

I love my local breweries and their beer but there is always something fun and exciting to try outside of Cincinnati. Finback Visible Spectrum was one of those from this past month. Out of Queens, New York, Finback seems to be making a splash with their whale logo and excellent IPAs.

This IPA is much like many others coming from the east coast right now and falls under the category of New England IPA. Finback uses a ton of hops in this beer which is evident in the aroma and flavor but the bitterness is quite low. In addition, mangoes were used in this beer which takes the fruity aspects to another level.

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 Suh, Brah?

Brewery: Streetside Brewery – Cincinnati, Ohio

Style: New England IPA

ABV: 6.7%    IBU: N/A

Description

Starting with an intense nose of stone fruit, grapefruit and light pineapple, the aroma is rounded out by the citrusy and piney notes from our double dry hop of Simcoe Hops. The flavor leads with a soft pineapple/peach flavor, dank undertones of pine and citrus, finishing with a fluffy, almost creamy body.
Hops: Simcoe, Citra

Why Did It Make The List

You had to know that I was going to put at least one Cincinnati beer on my list. Streetside Brewery is one of the newest breweries in Cincinnati but they aren’t messing around. They celebrated their 6 month anniversary with their first canned beer release. For this release, they went big and canned a New England IPA.

This NE IPA was quite different from the handful that I’ve had so far. Most focus completely on pulling the fruit flavors out of the hops. Suh, Brah? has a ton of grapefruit and other fruit flavors but also has dank and pine as well. This is from the use of the simcoe hops. Keeping true to the style, there is little to no perceived bitterness and the look of the beer is hazy with a very soft mouthfeel.

I am excited and encouraged to see what else this young brewery can do in the future. There is a good chance they make the best craft beer list again.

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Related Post: The Haze Craze: Why The New England IPA Is So Popular

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What were your favorite craft beers of April?

Comment below, tweet at me, email me, or whatever you find easiest to tell me about your Best Craft Beers from April.

Is there a beer that I need to try? Let me know and maybe it will make it onto The Best Craft Beer list in the future.

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