Who has impressed?
As we call a close to a turbulent and testing 2020, I think for myself and many craft enthusiasts alike the ability to get hold of fantastic beers from domestic and international brewers throughout has at least offered some conciliation. A warm and boozy shoulder to rest on if you like!! In a rare moment of pensive recollection, I find myself considering which breweries have really impressed me this year and which breweries have perhaps not quite lived up to my hopes or expectations.
This piece looks at the positive.
1) Cloudwater - just wow! You might have seen that I featured 2 Cloudy beers in my BOTY Top 9, indeed the majestic and magnanimously-named 'Be Well Friends' took pole position. In reality, a number of the TIPAs they have churned out from the mid-point of the year onwards have been of a calibre largely untouched by our domestic brewers to date and more than worthy of competing with the big boys stateside. Yet alongside servicing our requirements for juicy hopbombs, they have also delivered an unrivalled series of stouts (My Continuous Improvement) and barrel-aged a few for good measure. I tip my hat to Cloudwater who have undoubtedly had a stellar year!
2) Vault City - my first taste of Vault came in 'The Hanging Bat' towards the very start of the year, a well established fan-favourite boozery in Edinburgh. Jack and I took the plunge simultaneously on their 9% Apricot Sour which set the tone that these were one to watch - admittedly we were already a few months late to the party. Vault have kicked on with some serious mustard in 2020, knocking out rich and complex sour after sour and even trying their at hand at some unusual and slightly divisive but generally well-received stouts (Double Mash Coconut Cream, your number is up!). For me, their spell-binding skill comes in the delivery of such balanced and natural flavours at what we might call an "imperial" ABV yet continually achieving a level of drinkability bordering on the dangerous. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing where 2021 takes these guys.
3) Track - there was no way, Track wasn't getting involved in the action! Whereas Cloudy have provided the TIPAs and stouts, Track have come through with the goods in terms of DIPAs, sours (and IPAs).
Whilst sours aren't my go to style so I haven't sampled as many, 'Boy in the Bubble' and 'What Kind of Voodoo is This?' really blew me away. Then we consider their
DIPAs - pretty much every double they have produced this year has been world class, 'Eye to Eye', 'Open Life', 'Weight of the Planets', 'If Not Now' the list just goes on and on!! To cap this all off, being the affable bunch that they are, they brought many of us (myself included) our first cans of Green Cheek, Highland Park, Humble Sea, Alvarado Street, Finback and Magnify from across the pond this year. Well-played indeed!
Notable Mentions
It would be remiss of me to finish this piece without throwing in a special mention to the Crocs from Cheltenham (Deya). As countless craft enthusiasts have already pointed out across IG, it would be difficult, and in my view impossible, to point to a better single-hop series this year than Deya's 'Saturated in [ ]'.
The series showcased remarkable quality and consistency and of course, ended on the high that was Nelson (definitely more of a Breaking Bad than GoT finish!). I would challenge you to drink a Deya beer with their quirky and unashamedly silly can designs and of course that super soft mouthfeel on the beer itself without a wide smile forming across your face.
Next week, I will be sharing my 'naughty list'.
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