Order Of Merit: Beers 1 to 8
To completement the main beer list I wanted to write a
bit more on some of my favourite beers. A top 10 seemed too
limiting and a top 50 seemed to lack discrimination so in
the end I have settled on an Order Of
Merit. Therefore you find here 24 beers, listed in
alphabeticaly order, that I believe have shown
distinguished service in bars across the world. Think of it
as my ideal mixed case.
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The concept of Steam Beer nowadays is really no
more than an inventive registered trademark that
helps that San Franscisco beer stand out from the
crowd. Even Anchor's website admits that it doesn't
know where the term came from or how the 19th century
steam beers were actually made. All that said Anchor
Steam Beer is a fine beverage, an initially sharp but
lingeringly dry and bitter amber lager with a full
taste. Their Liberty Ale is even finer, but less fun
to write about.
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Made by a "small intensely independant organic
brewery in the heartlands of the Scottish Highlands"
this looks from the outset to be like walking into a
pub full of locals and being given a long stare
whilst the conversation goes silent. However venture
forth and you will find a bottle conditioned red ale
made with peat smoked malt and bog myrtle that has
the flavour of a Belgian gueuze. Slightly fruity and
sharp with a very full flavour.
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More a working museum than a brewery, Cantillon
are a small family business based in the outskirts of
Brussells who use the same techniques now that they
did in 1900. Their output is basically confined to
spontaneously fermented Lambic beers, all of which
share a dry acidic taste with a distinct citrus edge.
At first the taste is disconcerting, but once you've
adjusted your preconceptions you discover something
very rewarding. Their Kriek is a fruity and sharp
beer with big hits of cherry and grapefruit going
"zing, zing, zing" on your tastebuds, followed by a
deeper interesting after taste. One to enjoy slowly
but a very impressive cherry beer.
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There are many striking stouts available as
brewers have mixed Oatmeal, Chocolate, Oysters and
more into the brew. Guinness sets a high benchmark
for all the others but many brewers have stepped up
to the challenge. Belgian brewery Ellezelloise have
produced this Dark, deep, almost marmite tasting beer
which is possibly the greatest 'treacle' beer around.
Too potent for regular drinking but it's burnt taste
is something stunning. It has much in common with the
original taste of Guinness (a variant stil produced
for John Martin in Belgium) but has an even more
potent kick. One to blast the little grey cells
with.
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There are a number of brewpubs in Vienna that
produce beers that German and Czech brewers would be
happy to call their own. The wheat beer from Fischer
Brau in the north of Vienna is possibly the best of
the lot. It is a light yellow, cloudy wheat beer with
a gentle lemon and banana flavour that is not very
sharp and feels quite natural. Fantastically
refreshing and with a suprising lightness for
something with the mouthfeel of a typical wheatbeer,
possibly due to having having a slight gassiness in
place of the usual bready head. Incredibly drinkable.
When in Vienna also try the Marzen from 7 stern
brau.
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There aren't many breweries that produce Gueuze,
the blended lambic beer produced using spontaneous
fermentation, and even fewer that produce the
traditional Oude Gueuze that is made solely from
lambics. Of this small group I believe Girardin to be
the finest. A sharp and sour beer with a fruity note
and little if any sweetness. Very impressive and very
interesting.
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A hoppy, top fermented beer from Northern
Rhineland. Amber coloured, hoppy and citrus smelling,
strongly malty with some caramel and bready
undertones and dark raisiny fruits. It has a
semi-dry, bitter finish. One of the more dynamic and
interesting German beers with a significant depth of
flavour, this also comes in a really good looking
bottle.
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Scottish beer that is matured in Oak barrels to
produced a full flavoured lager with a hint of whisky
in the taste. There is a 77 day version that is
matured for longer to give a deeper and heavier taste
and a blonde version that is lighter with a hint of
vanilla. The pick of the bunch is the Rum Cask Innis
& Gunn which has an huge taste of stewed fruit
and spices with a hit of rum on top. All of the beers
come in at a strength of around 7%.
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Order Of Merit:
Beers 9 to 16
Order Of Merit:
Beers 17 to 24