Top 10 beers in the world press

Tyranena’s The Devil Made Me Do It, Wisconsin, US

This “dangerously smooth” imperial oatmeal coffee porter from Tryanena in Wisconsin was recommended by Jason Baldacci writing for The Chicagoist. 

He said: “Part of their Brewers Gone Wild Series, it pours a very dark brown color in the glass, with the coffee notes dominating the aroma along with a hint of vanilla. On the palate this one is wonderfully soft, especially for the strength of the beer. The velvety texture, thanks to the oats in the grain bill, gives way to a little malty sweetness and subtle notes of nutmeg and allspice. The coffee lays in on the backend with a pop of roasty bitterness that makes for a pretty elegant finish. At 7.5% The Devil Made Me Do It is dangerously smooth, seductive and downright delicious.”

Imperial oatmeal coffee porter, 7.5%

Kiwheat fruit beer by Cromarty Brewing Co.

Colin Campbell, of the Herald Scotland, picked this vegan-friendly fruit beer from Scotland’s Cromarty Brewing Company as his beer of the week, describing it as a “must-try” for all beer fans, vegan or otherwise.

He said: “New Zealand hops feature heavily among their beers, bringing big tropical and citrus notes and heaps of bittering. With such a focus of new world hops, it’s hardly surprising the Black Isle-based brewery now produce a beer using kiwi fruit. Unlike their core range, Cromarty’s Kiwheat kiwi wheat fruit beer (5.2%) isn’t made with isinglass, and is a must-try for all beer fans, vegan or not. It pours a warm, hazy amber, with a gentle fizz and heaps of citrus character and bitterness coming from the Waimea and Riwaka hops.

“First off, it has a tart fruity hit that develops into a playful sweet and sour dance that’s like a mouthful of sherbert lemons, wine gums and royal gala apples. But it’s not all sharp fruit flavours (you’ll find grapefruit there, too), there’s an easygoing, slight biscuit, wafer feel from the wheat malts, giving the beer depth and backbone before settling into a long, slightly sour and refreshingly clean and bitter finish.”

Wheat fruit beer, 5.2%

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

Pouring a dark black, Chris Morris, of the Star-Ledger, said this porter from Ohio’s Great Lakes Brewing Co. was “world-class” having picked up more than twenty medals in the world’s top beer competitions.

He said: “Edmund Fitzgerald pours a dark, dark black. Trace amounts of light peak through when held up, but not much. The thick off-white head holds well throughout the drink. Sweet sugar from the malts is noticeable on the nose alongside big notes of cocoa, roasted malts, and coffee. No alcohol (5.80% abv) is noticeable.

“Roasted malt flavors dominate the flavor up front, followed by a light nutty flavor, coffee, dark chocolate, and some sweeter malts. The full body and moderate yet healthy carbonation makes for a chewy mouthfeel and a creamy finish. Overall, Great Lakes’ Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is world-class, a perfect example of a modern American porter. I know I’ve said this about a lot of beers recently, but it really is the perfect beer to sip on next to the fire.”

Porter, 5.8%

Kirin Ichiban Premium Press Beer, Japan

If you have often wondered what drink to pair with your sushi here is your answer. A fixture at sushi restaurants across the world, Kirin’s Ichiban Premium Press Beer was recommended by Beppi Crosariol writing in the Globe and Mail.

He said: “It’s creamy and pours with an admirably foamy head atop its pale-blond hue, more than one has come to expect from industrial-scale lagers. It’s also made entirely with barley malt, not the “filler” rice- and corn-based ingredients of the large brands. Light in body, it strikes a bready, wheat-grain cereal note, dry and refreshing.”

Pale lager, 5%

Firestone Walker’s Pivo Pils

With the Super Bowl just days away, John Verve of the LA Times rounded up a selection of craft brews for watching the match – among them this “zesty” Pilsner from Firestone Walker.

He said: “Often, pilsners are disregarded by craft beer fans who mistakenly believe that the golden lagers are synonymous with the lower-flavor Millers and Buds. But a well-crafted pilsner is not only complex and delicious, it’s almost the perfect beer to pair with football. This is especially true if you’re entertaining guests who may not have fully bought-in to the whole craft beer thing: Pilsner is familiar and unchallenging, but the best examples are flavorful enough to stand up to chips, dips, and all manner of football snacks. The style is also comparatively low in alcohol (usually around 5%), so you can sip on them for all four quarters without getting too bored (or too blasted). Firestone Walker’s Pivo Pils is a superlative craft example that features a zesty citrus punch from generous dry hopping.”

Pilsner, 5.3%

Deep Roots, Three Weavers Brewing, Inglewood, California, US 

Verve also recommended cracking into an English ale during the big game, a style designed for extended drinking sessions and which “showcase a balance between rich English malt flavors, a more fruity yeast character, and earthy English hops”.

Of this example, he said: “Deep Roots from Inglewood’s Three Weavers Brewing demonstrates the three-way balancing act between hops, malt, and yeast with aplomb, and even the ale-averse can find something to enjoy in the brew. Solidarity from Eagle Rock Brewery is a “black mild” that contrasts a complex malt flavor and midnight-black color with an impossibly light body. It’s proof in a glass that dark beers don’t have to be heavy, bitter, or scary, and at under 4% alcohol it’s one of the best made-in-L.A. session beers (and a 5-gallon keg will only set you back about $80).”

English bitter, 4%

Hildegard IIIP, Benchmark Brewing Company, San Diego, US

This “citra bomb” triple IPA from Benchmark Brewing Company is part of Beer to the Rescue – a year-long campaign to raise funds for the Lupus Foundation of Southern California.

Brandon Hernández, of the San Diego Reader, said: “Coming in at a whopping 13.5% ABV, it’s a departure for Benchmark Brewing Company, which has made a name for itself behind lower-alcohol beers, leading some to believe them incapable of upping the booziness. This brawny brew deliciously dispels that myth.

“Packed with Citra hops to the point where owners Matt and Rachael Akin refer to it as a “Citra bomb,” it gives off big orange and lemon aromas, and a bright juiciness on the tongue. As one would expect from a brew this big, alcohol warmth is present, but the beer remains crisp with well over 100 IBUs (referring to the international bittering unit scale used to measure beers’ bitterness) from a wealth of Warrior hops added in the boil kettle helping to more sharply hone its finish.”

Triple IPA, 13.5%

Kujo, Flying Dog Brewery, Delaware, US

Michael Bates, writing for the York Press, recommended Flying Dog’s Kujo, which he said was one of his “long-term favourites in the way of coffee stouts”, describing it as “unctuous, rich, and decadent”.

He said: “Pouring viscous black with the slightest edge of a crema-brown foam, Kujo looks every bit as intense as it tastes. The nose is ashen toast, brown malt, rum-and-raisin fudge, all rounded out with sweet coffee cream and fruity dark chocolate. Sweet iced coffee runs alongside blackcurrant and roasted malt acidity, balanced elegantly alongside vanilla oakiness and caramel sauce.

“Liquorice and an element of sesame seed nuttiness collide with black cherry chocolates and a wallop of almond essence. All this flavour is held in check by the sweet, immense body of this coffee stout, carbonated evenly enough to lift the body without undermining its viscosity. It’s just as well it’s so strong; I’d happily drink it all myself, if only I could.”

Coffee stout, 8.9%

Cigar City Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout, Tampa, Florida, US

Following three days of tasting, Jim Vorel revealed his top 37 non barrel aged imperial stouts writing for Paste Magazine this week. This example from Hunahpu’s, made with cacao nibs, vanilla bean, ancho chile, pasilla chile and cinnamon, came in at second place.

He said: “Yeah, there’s a reason this beer is such a big deal, and a reason that people travel from all over the country to buy it in person during its one-day release at the brewery in Tampa. There’s a lot of imperial stouts rocking this flavor profile of chiles and spices these days, but few of them are doing it with the sophistication and complexity of Cigar City, and that’s what has made Hunahpu one of the craft beer world’s more sought-after whales. In terms of specific flavors: Lots of cinnamon and dark fruit complexity, followed up by chicory coffee, and “chocolate and vanilla make the pepper go easy,” to quote one score sheet. Believe the hype.”

Imperial stout, 11%

El Gordo Imperial Stout, Good People,  Birmingham, Alabama, US

“Not a single one of us had ever had this beer before, and it’s safe to say it came out of left field and blew us all away, said Vorel of his number one imperial stout.

He said: “Truth be told, it wasn’t even close. This beer is massive. It’s beyond massive. The flavors are so intense that we immediately thought we’d made a mistake and accidentally included a barrel-aged beer. We seriously called up the brewery the next day just to make sure. The booze hits like a freight train pulling cars filled to the brum with dark fruit, raisin, sherry and even a teensy bit of drying roast. Ultimately, though, El Gordo is extremely rich, beguiling and devastating. Of the 37 non-barrel-aged imperial stouts we were able to get our hands on, it’s the clear winner.”

Imperial stout, 13.9%