2012 Best Beers in America

So, Zymurgy's 2012 Best Beers in America list just came out.

If you follow this blog at all, you know that for the past two years, I have been seeking out and writing about beers on previous versions of this list (see my Zymurgy BBIA label for the blog posts I have done). In fact, my last blog post was Sam Adams Noble Pils (tied for #20 on the 2011 list).

Now that the new list is out, I am done with 2011. I have tried 42 of the top 52 beers there. Now it is time to start trying to get through the 2012 list. Of course, lots of the same beers are on the 2012 list that were on 2010's and 2011's, so I have a pretty good head start.

Pliny the Elder is #1 for the 4th time in a row. You may remember that I liked Pliny (see Pliny the Elder), but did not really consider it in such high regard that I would call it the best beer in America. Obviously, this is a very subjective list.

Looking through the list, I have tried all of the top 10 (Russian River Pliny the Elder,  Bell's Two Hearted Ale,  Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA,  Sierra Nevada Pale Ale,  Stone Arrogant Bastard,  Bell's Hopslam, Sierra Nevada Celebration, Stone Ruination IPA,  Sierra Nevada Torpedo,  North Coast Old Rasputin)

I have not had (or at least I do not remember ever having):

11. Firestone Walker Union Jack

12. Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye

I have had #14 (Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale)

I need to try:

15. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

16. Firestone Walker Double Jack

 I have had the next 17 (Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot,  Stone IPA,  New Belgium Fat Tire,  Deschutes Black Butte Porter,  Avery Maharaja,  Founders Breakfast Stout,  Left Hand Milk Stout,  Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA,  New Belgium Ranger,  Stone Sublimely Self Righteous,  Deschutes The Abyss,  Goose Island Bourbon County Stout,  Surly Furious,  Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin,  Rogue Dead Guy,  Samuel Adams Boston Lager)

I've never had the pleasure of 

34. Troegs Nugget Nectar

But I have had the next few (Lagunitas IPA, New Belgium La Folie,  Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, Founders KBS)

I need to find

T37. Russian River Blind Pig IPA

I've tried the next few (Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale,  Victory Prima Pils, Great Divide Yeti, Alaskan Smoked Porter,  Anchor Steam,  Lagunitas Hop Stoopid,  Samuel Adams Noble Pils,  Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter,  Oskar Blues Ten Fidy )
And I've missed the last beer on the list

T48. Russian River Pliny the Younger

So, unless I am counting wrong, I have had 43 of the top 50 beers for 2012. You would think finding and trying (and blogging about) 7 beers in a year's time should be extremely easy, but most of my "no" list are the ones I have not been able to get hold of up until now. I need to step-up my game to mark some of these off.


This is the first year that I've voted for the list. My list is very Colorado-centric. In case you are curious, here are the beers I voted for:

Stone's Sublimely Self Righteous
New Belgium La Folie
Dry Dock Double IPA
Dry Dock HMS Victory ESB
TommyKnocker Hop Strike Black IPA
Arrogant Bastard
Odell Brewing Red Ale
Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale
Breckenridge Brewery Lucky U IPA
Dry Dock Two Tasks American Stout
Backcounry Brewing Telemark IPA
Odell Brewing IPA
Left Hand Brewing Milk Stout
Surly Brewing Furious
Bell's Brewery Two Hearted Ale
Green Flash Brewing Hop Head Red
New Belgium Fat Tire
Avery Brewing Company Ellie's Brown Ale
Boulder Beer Company Flashback Ale
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Stone's Sublimely Self Righteous
New Belgium La Folie
Dry Dock Double IPA
Dry Dock HMS Victory ESB
TommyKnocker Hop Strike Black IPA
Arrogant Bastard
Odell Brewing Red Ale
Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale
Breckenridge Brewery Lucky U IPA
Dry Dock Two Tasks American Stout
Backcounry Brewing Telemark IPA
Odell Brewing IPA
Left Hand Brewing Milk Stout
Surly Brewing Furious
Bell's Brewery Two Hearted Ale
Green Flash Brewing Hop Head Red
New Belgium Fat Tire
Avery Brewing Company Ellie's Brown Ale
Boulder Beer Company Flashback Ale
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale