The Best Craft Beer – June 2017
June was a busy month for me; both personally and with craft beer. On the beer side, I attended the Jungle Jim’s International Craft Beer Festival, Brewed Food Cincinnati, spent a day in Columbus and of course enjoyed a fair amount of craft beer elsewhere.
With all of that, choosing a handful of them to call the Best Craft Beer was not an easy task. But in the end, I was able to narrow my check-ins down to a manageable number. Make sure to read to the end and leave a comment about what was your Best Craft Beer of June.
Here’s the Best Craft Beer I had in June 2017:
Dire Wolf Yub Nub
Brewery: Wolf’s Ridge Brewing – Columbus, OH
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.4% IBU: 50
Description
Dire Wolf infused with cinnamon and One Line Espresso
Why did it make the list?
Related Post: Craft Beer In Columbus: A Day Trip To Fourth Street
Mayan Latte
Brewery: Darkness Brewing – Bellevue, KY
Style: Golden Stout
ABV: 7.5% IBU: N/A
Description
Golden Stout brewed with cinnamon coffee and chilies
Why did it make the list?
This is a beer I would drink every time I visit them. And for reference, Mayan Latte is the lightest colored beer in the picture.
Dragon’s Milk Reserve: Mexican Spice Cake
Brewery: New Holland Brewing – Holland, MI
Style: Barrel-Aged Stout
ABV: 11% IBU: 70
Description
The “Mexican Cake” flavor has become a popular one in beer, combining flavors of cinnamon, chilis and vanilla. New Holland aged this beer for 3 months in bourbon barrels, with toasted chiles, cocoa nibs, vanilla beans and cinnamon.
Why did it make the list?
This stout is then taken and infused with different flavors to create their Reserve series. They’ve had all types of variants including Vanilla Chai, Raspberry, and Coffee & Chocolate to name a few. The Mexican Cake is the most recent version that I’ve gotten my hands on. As stated above, Mexican Cake is a very trendy flavor profile and I was excited to see them join in on it.
The beer drinks super sweet with just a slight edge from being barrel-aged. The toasted chilies add more flavor than heat so it isn’t going to burn the taste buds like other pepper beers. Definitely wish I would have grabbed more than one bottle of this one.
Sour Noir
Brewery: Rivertown Brewery & Barrel House – Cincinnati, OH
Style: Sour Ale
ABV: 7.9% IBU: 35
Description
Dark Sour Porter with Lacto and Coffee
Why did it make the list?
Sour Noir is a sour ale that features coffee as one of it’s main flavors. What I really enjoyed about this beer was how it developed. The aroma and taste were initially all sour notes. In fact, the sourness had almost a tongue numbing feeling to it. Then it takes a turn and finishes with a subtle coffee flavor. This really helped prepare me to for the next sip.
As I drank it, the coffee notes grew while the sour level remained consistent. I took my time and drank the 750ml bottle over a two hour period. It is a beer to enjoy while watching a movie or sitting on your back porch.
Check out my write up on this beer that was featured on www.PorchDrinking.com.
Transatlantique Kriek
Brewery: New Belgium Brewing – Fort Collins, CO
Style: Kriek Lambic
ABV: 8% IBU: 8
Description
In a never-ending quest to create new beers and defy category, New Belgium Brewing and Brewerij Boon of Belgium have partnered together again to create Transatlantique Kriek – a spontaneously fermented lambic ale made with Polish cherries. This authentic kriek beer began life in the oaken vessels at Frank Boon’s brewery in the Lembeek region of Belgium. After more than two years aging, Boon’s offering shipped across the Atlantic and found its way to the intuitive palate of New Belgium’s Brewmaster Peter Bouckaert. After much sampling and internal consultation, Peter and his brew staff created a full-bodied golden lager to round out the light-bodied kriek. The cherry nose gives way to a pleasingly sour flash across the palate that rolls gently into a slightly sweet finish. Crisp, effervescent carbonation keeps the mouthfeel bright and delightfully tingly.
Why did it make the list?
I am a huge fan of cherry; it’s probably my favorite fruit flavor across all food and beverages. So krieks (cherry Lambics) have always been a go-to style for me. Not sure why I’ve never tried Transatlantique but I’ll definitely be seeking it out in the future. In fact, I may have already snagged a bottle and am saving it for the right night.
Citra Rainbows
Brewery: 450 North Brewing – Columbus – IN
Style: New England IPA
ABV: 8% IBU: 50
Description
We brewed this DDH DIPA after the NE style DIPA’s and created our very own Citra bomb. It boasts aromas of strong tropical fruit, orange and peach. We double dry hopped Citra Rainbows with ample amounts of Citra lupulin powder. It will have you seeing rainbows for sure!
Why did it make the list?
Citra is a hop that many enjoy so I had high expectations for this beer. And it didn’t disappoint me. The nose is full of mango and papaya followed by a super soft mouthfeel with the same flavors. It finishes with a slight bite from the ABV which I think led me to want more of it. 16 ounces was not enough of this one.
What’s interesting is cinnamon was an added flavor in three of the beers from this month. So either cinnamon is on the rise in craft beer or I am just a huge fan of it. Either way, it had a huge impact on my Best Craft Beer list this month.
What Was Your Best Craft Beer In June?
Comment Below And Let Me Know What Beer I Should Be On The Look Out For