Top 10 beers in the world’s media

90 Minute IPA, Dogfish Head Brewery, Delaware, US

Evan Benn, writing for The Miami Herald, recommended this “citrussy bitter beer” from Delaware’s Dogfish Head Brewery.

He said: “Delaware craft brewery Dogfish Head names its IPAs according to how long the beers interact with hops during the brewing process, from 60 to 120 minutes. Right in the middle, 90 Minute IPA was Dogfish’s first experiment with this hopping system, and the result is a citrusy bitter beer that approaches raisiny sweetness with a warming alcohol finish.

“Pairing: For National Hamburger Month, pair a 90 Minute with a Swine Burger from Swine Southern Table and Bar in Coral Gables. The burger’s blend of short rib, brisket and smoked pork is topped with bacon and American cheese. The brawny beer cuts right through all of that meat and fat and salt and smoke, prepping you for another bite.”

IPA, 9%

 Hop Ottin’ IPA, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Boonville, California, US

 Anderson Valley’s “Hop Ottin’” IPA got the vote of Bonnie Horgos, writing in the Santa Cruz Sentinel this week.

She said: “My stepmother and I used to attend the Women’s Herbal Symposium, a gathering in Northern California where hippies sat around drumming in tepees. Needless to say, I needed a few brews to make it through the weekend. On our way up, I would pick up a six-pack of Hop Ottin’ IPA and drink it by the river. I didn’t feel too guilty, though, since the brewery uses solar panels for energy. That makes me super green, right?

“Taste; what you’d expect from a nice IPA — there is a nice hop bitterness at first, followed by a smooth malt body.

“Pair with; at the symposium, they fed us gluten-free, vegan food. I always smuggled in meat and chips. Make sure you do the same.”

IPA, 7%

Kidnapped By Vikings, Solemn Oath Brewery, Naperville, Illinois, US

 Jason Baldacci picked this “relatively light” hoppy IPA as The Chicagoist’s beer of the week.

He said: “Kidnapped by Vikings is an India Pale Ale from the fine people over at Solemn Oath Brewery of Naperville. It pours a cloudy orange-copper hue in the glass, and gives off a nice floral aroma, along with a hint of pineapple skin. On the palate, those floral tones really pop, and turn to earthy perfume on the back end. We also pick up small undertones of pine, lemongrass, and grapefruit rind that make for a pretty complex hop profile overall.

“There is a touch of caramelization in the malt that helps round out the backbone of the beer, but the body is relatively light, and the hops are definitely the star of the show. At 6% alcohol content, Kidnapped by Vikings should make any of your hop loving friends happy if you share a bottle with them this weekend.”

IPA, 6%

Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers, Stone Brewing Co., California

An unusual smoked porter brewed with chipotle peppers made for an interesting beer recommendation from Chris Morris, writing on the New Jersey-based nj.com this week, who warned readers not to be put off by the inclusion of peppers.

He said: “The beer pours a deep black with an average-sized tan head. Both retention and lacing are, well, average. The aroma is far from average, though. Smokey notes mix with subtle peppers, followed by clean roasted malts and smoke. The taste starts similar to the standard smoked porter. Roasted malts and toffee flavors mingle with a sweet smokiness.

“Then, the pepper kicks in, but only slightly. Spicy notes slowly build on the back of the tongue, becoming just noticeable enough as it lingers in the aftertaste. The medium body and low carbonation make for a creamy, slightly chewy mouthfeel and an overall drinkable beer. Overall, this is a very enjoyable beer, maybe even surprisingly so. Peppers are a risky ingredient, but when it works, it pays off, as it has for Stone, yet again.”

American porter, 5.9% 

Hop Mountain Pale Ale, Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company, Delaware, US

Wine and beer buff Jamie Goode, writing on his newly launched blog The Beer Anorak, recommended this 6.3% beer which he said was a “deliciously rich, malty, bold, hoppy pale ale.”

He said: “Dominion started life in Ashburn, Virginia, back in 1989. In 2007 they merged with Fordham and relocated to Dover, Delaware, where the brewery is now called Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company. This beer brings together Kiwi hop Nelson Sauvin, assisted by Cascade and Columbus, with a caramel malt background, and it works really well. [This beer was drunk in the wonderful Rake, Borough Market.]

“Hailing from Dover, Delaware, this is a deliciously rich, malty, bold, hoppy pale ale. The distinctive feature is the way the hoppiness (from a Kiwi plus two USA hops) is countered by lovely sweet fudgy notes. It also has some nice bite on the finish. Really malty as well as hoppy, in a way that works well. 8.5/10”

Pale Ale, 6.3%

Calista IPA, Time and Tide Brewing, Deal, Kent, UK

Fellow founder of The Beer Anorak, Daniel Primack, highlighted this IPA from the seaside town of Deal in Kent.

He said: “Time and Tide Brewing has a mission to create great beers, to challenge customers with new ideas and flavours and to change people’s minds about how beer should be drunk.

“In a seaside town about as far East in England as you can go before the word bonjour is heard more frequently, Sam & Paul know what they are doing. This beer is one of a small but quality range, where the base beer remains constant but the hops change, demonstrating again that you don’t have to have full in the face hops to make great beer. Hops here are very much the support act reinforcing the complexity of really good lightly carbonated light brown ale. Winner. 8.5/10.”

IPA, 6.1%

Centennial IPA, Founders Brewing Company, Michigan

Andy Barbour, writing at the blog beer review site nonsnobbeer.com, recommended this Centennial IPA from Michigan’s Founder’s Brewing Co.

He said: “No, this is not brewed once per century. It’s brewed with Centennial hops, ya dingus! The IPA field is tough one these days. Everyone and their brother has the IPA to end all IPAs, right? What I think is clear, though, is when a brewery is good at making beer across the board; Founders is definitely one of those.

“Their Double Trouble is a ridiculously good DIPA, and for the money and style, this is definitely comparable in quality. Not too bitter, and the hopping gives a very straightforward set of flavors. Is it a single-hop beer? I cant tell, but the nose is mildly sweet, and it’s going down like water in this 90 degree heat (I’m in the shade obviously). This one’s simple: if you can find it, pug it. But I cant, so until then I’ll just give props to my East Coast hookup. CK, thanks for another fine Northeast recon beer!”

IPA, 7.2%

 High Tea, Roosters, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, UK

Michael Bates, writing in the York Press, recommended Rooster’s HIgh Tea, an unusual beer brewed with jasmine flowers and jasmine green tea from Taylor’s of Harrogate in collaboration with beer writer Melissa Cole, which he said had “promising” written all over it.

He said: “Pouring a hazy gold, and giving rise to a rich meringue-whip head, the aroma is unsurprisingly jasmine-lead with only the faintest suggestion of rich tea biscuit malts in the background. It’s the first sip that’s the most exciting; a sweet, perfumed beer, High Tea fills your entire head with notes of tangerine, parma violets, and yes… jasmine, before a surge of green tea adds a herbal, slightly acidic, bitterness.

“Pungent, delicate, and reasonably balanced, the bitter finish of the IPA is taken further by the dry green tea tannins, and it is this flavours lack of abrasive quality that keeps this IPA from becoming hard to drink. Obviously if you don’t like jasmine tea, you might not like this one (or maybe you’re brewing your tea improperly), but you should give this a try regardless. It’s genuinely refreshing, and could be just the ticket for next time the sun comes out.”

IPA, 6.2%

Polestar Pilsner, Left Hand Brewing Company, Longmont

This pilsner was recommended by Chris Outcalt, writing for the 5280: The Denver Magazine, a beer which said had a “mild bitterness that smoothes out and finishes clean, crisp, and dry.”

He said: “There’s an adage in the beer community that goes something like: “Pilsners are so delicate in flavor that there’s no place to hide any flaws.” Meaning, if you want to walk into a brewery and make a snap judgment on the talent of those preparing the ales and lagers, well, then the Pilsner might be a good place to start. It is a true test of brewing skill. (In fact, brewers often do just that when visiting other breweries.) Polestar, Left Hand Brewing’s take on the classic German style, has nothing to hide.

“Perhaps it is no surprise that Left Hand has a killer Pilsner in year-round rotation. As a kid in Nebraska, head brewer Ro Guenzel fermented sauerkraut and pickles with his Grandfather, and as an adult developed a fondness for German-style ales. Polestar and Oktoberfest are among his Left Hand favorites. Polestar, another name for the North Star, has a mild bitterness that smoothes out and finishes clean, crisp, and dry. Simply put, it’s the kind of the beer that will pair well with the impending heat of summer. Would we buy it again? A sure bet for Pilsner fans. Those unaccustomed to the style might want to try a sip of their friend’s Polestar before committing to a full pint.”

Pilsner, 5.5%

River Ale,  Deschutes Brewing Co, Oregon

Jim Vorel picked out Deschutes’ River Ale this week, writing for Paste Magazine, which he said had a “subtle but complex” aroma with notes of “light lemon, orange and wildflower”.

He said: “With a taste, drinkers will get just a bit of lightly toasted malt and a flavor similar to shredded wheat biscuits. Light sweetness is complemented by mild flavors of citric, orangey hops. Bitterness is mild, but there’s just enough of it there to remind you that this is still craft beer. It goes down frighteningly easy.

“At only 4% abv, this is prototypically great session beer. The amount of flavor it packs into its small package is more than adequate and appreciably complex. You wouldn’t describe it as the most thrilling or in-your-face suite of flavors, but that’s not what it was ever intended to be, and it really can’t be judged as such. This is spring and summer beer, the perfect companion to the extra innings of a baseball game or an extended afternoon cook-out. Go ahead and indulge, marveling at the thought that this wonderful beer contains less alcohol per ounce than your unenlightened neighbor’s Bud Light.”

American blonde ale, 4%