By the Pint's Top Ten Beers

Schlafly No. 15 - The Saint Louis Brewery, Saint Louis
schlafly-no-15-pint-beer-tap-room.jpg
97
Dark Wheat

I've had Schlafly's No. 15 a number of times now and it keeps getting better. This beer seems like such an amalgamation, like three beers have been mixed together to create this masterpiece. The No. 15 is sour up front, like a Weissbier or a Belgian Wit, but it finishes really smooth - like you'd expect from a wheat. This beer doesn't look like your typical wheat though, it's quite red and fairly clear... kinda like an amber lager. Perhaps what I like most about the No. 15 is that it has very little hop flavor to it. There is plenty of spice in this beer though, it's sour and tart at first but then you feel like you're drinking a loaf of banana bread. For me, it's been a unique drinking experience. I haven't had another beer quite like this before or since.

Long Strange Tripel - Boulevard Brewing, Kansas City
Boulevard - Long Strange Tripel
96
Tripel

Boulevard's Long Strange Tripel is one of those beers that I've wanted to drink for the longest time but never got around to it for one reason or another. The Long Strange Tripel is one of Boulevard's original Smokestack Series beers. I love Belgian style ales and I've wanted to pick up a bottle of the Long Strange many times but it seems like I've always overlooked it in favor of more exotic beers when I'm at the store. I finally got a sample of the Long Strange at the Kansas City Beerfest last fall. I'm not sure if it was the quality of the beer or the fact that it was poured by Mr. Harold "Trip" Hogue himself, but this was definitely the highlight of the day.

Saphir Weiss - Mahr's Bräu, Bamberg
Mahr's Bräu Saphir Weiss
96
Weissbier

This beer is exactly what I was looking for. Exactly. When I was poking around in the fridge looking for a beer to drink tonight I wanted something that was smooth, creamy and tasted familiar. When I saw this bottle of Mahr's Bräu Saphir Weiss I couldn't resist opening it. If you've read more than a few of my other posts you probably already know that I spent a good deal of time living in the small Franconian town of Bamberg. I may be biased but I still believe that Bamberg beers are the best in their class, and the beers from Mahr's Bräu are no exception.

Spezial Bräu Rauchbier - Brauerei Spezial, Bamberg
Spezial Rauchbier
95
Rauchbier

Rauchbiers and Smoked beers aren't my favorite style. Unless it's the dead of winter and I have a hankering for pork, I generally don't think to myself, "Hey, why not have a couple smoke beers?" That being said, I am quite partial to beers from Bamberg, Germany. I spent the better part of 2006 studying in Bamberg and became well acquainted with the local beers. Rauchbier is Bamberg's local delicacy so I can't help but appreciate it for what it is, a unique style of beer and a bit of an acquired taste. You know the saying about doing as the Romans while in Rome? Well, in Bamberg you do as the Bambergers do and that means drinking a Rauchbier.

15th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver
Great Divide 15th Anniversary Double IPA
94
Double India Pale Ale

I'll admit it, this beer was sitting in my fridge for quite a while. There aren't a whole lot of foods I like to pair with pale ales and given that this is a Double IPA I just didn't know what to do with it. Well, I've finally opened it up and I'm absolutely amazed at the flavors in this beer. Great Divide brewed this as their 15th anniversary so it comes with all of the typical commemorative perks like a special label and oak aging. The label is a bit of snoozer, not that I base my beer purchases off of looks but it just doesn't scream "special release" to me. Honestly though, it's all uphill from there. Everything else about this beer is absolutely amazing. This beer has many great aspects, you could almost call them contradictions. Contradictions of what the established India Pale Ale style is.

Bourbon Barrel Quad - Boulevard Brewing, Kansas City
Boulevard - Bourbon Barrel Quad
94
Quadrupel

My previous experience with Boulevard's Bourbon Barrel Quad is pretty limited... Last year I waited a couple days too long to start looking for bottles around town because it seemed that everyone had just run out. A friend of mine was kind enough to bring a bottle over last winter so I was able to at least have a glass, but that was it... Here we are a year later and I made a point to check the local liquor stores early and often. About $50 later and I've got a quad of Bourbon Barrel Quads all to myself...

Batch 9000 - Bell's Brewery, Kalamazoo
Bell's Batch 9000
94
Strong Ale

Everyone I've ever talked to about Bell's beers has nothing but nice things to say about them. Their beers have been hit or miss with me... I've not has a beer from Kalamazoo that I've hated but there are been plenty which have been forgettable. When I first hear about the Batch 9000 I was intrigued. First because this beer was a limited release to commemorate the 9,000 batches of beer brewed at Bell's, but also because it was brewed with molasses and licorice... that's something you don't drink every day.

Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier - Brauerei Weihenstephan, Freising
Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier - Brauerei Weihenstephan, Freising
93
Weissbier

The Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier was a pleasant surprise. Even though the label says this is a Kristall Weissbier, I wasn't expecting it to be literally crystal clear... and still taste like a Weiss. But sure enough, this beer has all the banana and coriander flavor of a regular Weiss but without the cloudy body. So what's the point? Why bother with finding a Kristall Weiss? Well, when it's nearing a hundred degrees outside you might not want to drink a thick wheaty Weiss... The filtered version of the Weiss is much crisper and more bubbly, it feels almost like a light Weiss. Sort of like how Bud Light is light, but with flavor. This beer is well worth seeking out, if you're able to find a couple of them. If you can, pick up a few of these and save them for a warm summer evening. You can thank me later.

The Beast - Avery Brewing Co., Boulder
Avery The Beast
93
Grand Cru

I've always had nice things to say about Avery. Though admittedly, I haven't had too many of Avery's more "extreme" beers. I visited their brewery in Boulder last year and was about to try a couple of their bigger golden Belgian series beers and I was hooked. This is the first of the darker big beers I've gotten around to reviewing. The Beast is a bit intimidating, it's 15.07% after all... That's twice the alcohol content of Avery's anniversary Saison beers! I've had stronger beers, but there was always something about the Beast... Maybe it was the name, the menacing label or just the price tag. At $8 for 12 oz it isn't cheap, but it worth every penny.

1809 Berliner Weisse - Brauerei Weihenstephan, Freising
1809 Berliner Weisse
93
Berliner Weissbier

I've been to Berlin. Yes, they make a big deal about the Berliner Weiss style. It's been four years since I've had one so my recollection of what today's modern Berliner Weissbiers taste like might be a little hazy. I bring that up because this beer, brewed by Dr. Fritz Briem at Brauerei Weihenstephan, is specifically labeled a "1809 Berliner Weisse" ...so I'm going to assume my 2006 Berliner Weisse tasted a bit different. What I do remember of the Berliner Weiss is a sweeter than sour fruit character in a light bodied wheat beer. That vague memory set my expectations pretty well, because that's what this 1809 Berliner Weisse is like, but there is a whole lot more to it...