Mid-Summer Beer of the Year (2015)

It's been a really good year for beer so far. So good in fact that, just like last year, I can't wait until the end of 2015 to declare my champions.

It is August already, so that makes it time for my second annual Mid-Summer Beer of the Year blog.

I had plenty of fantastic IPAs, Imperial IPAs and American Pale Ales, but I  found lightning in a bottle in some different styles this year; notably golden ales and pilsners.

A Pilsner? On a Beer of the Year blog? Yup. There were two that knocked my socks off in 2015 and I expect there will be other breweries that will take a stab at this style, which is more difficult to perfect because it is harder to hide flaws.

Black Oak, with its Epiphany Number 2 Imperial Pilsner (7.7 per cent) made the grade, which was bright, zesty and smooth, as did Long Dong Pilsner, which was an exceptional beer. It was the first to tap out at a recent Great Lakes tap takeover at Buster Rhino’s, so when I saw it back on I grabbed this "Etobicoke style" pilsner, as the brewery calls it. It smells of lemongrass and spices and tastes really creamy for a pilsner, with more grassy and lemony hops, along with some biscuit. Nice finish. Probably the best pilsner I’ve ever had.

Winner: Long Dong Pilsner (Great Lakes)

Golden Ales (also called Blonde Ales) also surprised me with excellence this year.  There were two
finalists in this category as well: Saint of Circumstances from Collective Arts and The Citra Situation from local favourites Manantler from Bowmanville.

Both were very good, but I have to tag the boys from Manantler for the win. There was tons of lemon and grapefruit on the nose, followed by bright citrus, lemon candy and some tropical fruit on the tongue. Decent bitterness for a session Golden Ale. I really liked this one.

Winner: The Citra Situation (Manantler)

Another category rising fast for me was the Wheat Ales. Last year's winner - All or Nothing, a Hefeweizen from Oshawa's own Underdog's Brew House, was in tough this year against Miami Weiss from Great Lakes and Wag the Wolf from Beau's.

I had to make the sacrifice and drink a little extra to find me a winner here, but Wag the Wolf's gave me plenty of banana, lemony citrus, more spices and a ton of epic smoothness. I like this beer a lot.

Winner: Wag the Wolf (Beau's All Natural)

Rye Pale Ales gave me two finalists, though it doesn't seem to be a 'hot' style this year, as I  didn't try too many of what is one of my favourite varieties. Cameron's RPA was there as usual - orange and grapefruit from the hops with a nice malt base that was both sweet and earthy and a bitter finish - and it was up against a newcomer:  Rye-Diculous, a Manantler collaboration with Brewer's Pantry.

Winner: Cameron's Rye Pale Ale

Session IPAs were supposed to be the 'It' beer style this year but I didn't get my hands on too many outstanding examples, proving that it is not easy to make five per cent ABV or under IPA that is still all about the hops. My two finalists here were Couchsurfer from Indie Ale House (Loads of lemony and zesty citrus hops on the tongue with just a little bit of bitter funk. Excellent summer session IPA), and State of Mind from Collective Arts.

Winner: Couchsurfer (Indie Ale House)

There were also quite a few categories that offered up just one finalist, though it most cases it didn't mean they weren't worthy champions. Apocalypso, a White IPA from Le Trou du Diable, knocked my socks off with its combination of citrus, spices, tropical fruit and awesomeness, and what can I say about Ruin Ten, Stone Brewing's Triple IPA? Just that Stone can do no wrong.

Winner: Le Trou du Diable Apocalypso (White IPA)
Winner: Stone Ruin Ten (Triple IPA)
Winner: Bellwoods Farmhouse Saison (Saison)
Winner: Innis & Gunn Toasted Oak IPA (British IPA)
Winner: Chimay Bleue (Belgian Strong Ale)
Winner: Manantler The Dark Prince (Black IPA)
Winner: Amsterdam Spring Bock (Bock)
Winner: Bellwoods No Rest for the Wicked (Sour)

The Belgian IPA category has always been one of my favourites and this year delivered five finalists to mull over. There was La Formidable, the Beau's collaboration with Oregon's Gigantic Brewery (Tastes of lemon and grapefruit with plenty of Belgian spices and some grassy notes. Peppery as well with a satisfying and lingering bitterness), and there was Catherine Wheel from Bellwoods (Bubblegum and Belgian spices on the nose, a big blast of lemony hops, pepper, wild flowers, Belgian yeast and more bubblegum. Crisp and beautiful). Princess Wears Girl Pants (Sawdust City), Belle Epoque (Flying Monkeys) and Belgian Barnyard (Indie Ale House) also made the cut.

Winner: Catherine Wheel (Bellwoods)

There were a number of outstanding Stouts this year as well and I narrowed it down to three. Long Dark Voyage to Uranus, an Imperial variety from Sawdust City that gave up plenty of dark chocolate and licorice and was easy drinking for an extra strong beer (and owns a really cool name), was the early leader but it got stiff competition from stablemate Blood of Cthulhu and Rococo Chocolate Milk Stout from Manantler.

Winner: Long Dark Voyage to Uranus (Sawdust City)

That brings me to the mainstays of my existence, IPAs, IIPAs and APAs: the Holy Trinity of beer. I narrowed it down to five for the American Pale Ale category. Citraddiction from Great Lakes made the cut, but barely, as it was released late last year. But I was still drinking it in January so it qualifies, and how could I resist a beer with grapefruit and mango fairly bursting out of the glass and lingering on my palate for what seems forever? I'm sure you understand. This brewery also gave me Johnny Simcoe and they were up against last year's category winner, the citrus bomb that is Rhyme and Reason from Collective Arts; Stone Pale Ale from California and Falconer's Flight, a single hop ale from Manantler.

Winner: Citraddiction (Great Lakes)

The Imperial IPA category turned out to be the toughest to handicap this year, with no less than seven finalists. And that's leaving out quite a few outstanding IIPAs who scored high enough to win most of the other categories. The list even spawned two of the same name: Stone's Ruination, which I enjoyed early in the year and its replacement, Ruination 2.0, which was released in the spring and was just as sticky as the original but with more fruity pizzazz. Stone (remember they can do no wrong) also provided Japanese Green Tea IPA AND Enjoy By (02-14-15) to this list (wow), while Nickel Brook's sublime Immodest (Aromas of grapefruit and pineapple give way to creamy pine notes and a solid caramel malt backbone. A truly extraordinary beer) and Bellwoods' Witchshark round out the field.

I couldn't decide. So I named two winners.

Co-Winners: Ruination 2.0 (Stone) and Immodest (Nickel Brook)

There were more excellent IPAs than I could shake a stick at (though why I would want to shake a stick at an IPA when I could just drink it is beyond me) but five stood ahead of the others. Headstock from Nickel Brook (an exceptional beer that tastes like summer all year 'round); Moralite from Diu du Ciel/The Alchemist; Big Eye from Ballast Point; Octopus Wants to Fight from Great Lakes (possibly the newcomer of the year) and another Great Lakes classic that should be available all year (are you listening Great Lakes? Please?), Karma Citra, which was all grapefruit and tropical fruit on the nose with lots of lingering bitterness. Most excellent.

Again I couldn't decide.

Co-Winners: Headstock (Nickel Brook) and Karma  Citra (Great Lakes)

I'm going to dispense with the Brewmaster of the Mid-Summer award (I'll save it for the end of t


The Mid-Summer Beer of the Year trophy.
Who wouldn't want this?

year) but I will hand out Mid-Summer Brewer of the Year hardware. Why not?

Four brew houses made the grade. Manantler was a five-time finalist and won two categories; Bellwoods was nominated four times and thrice; Stone was nominated six  times (four times in the IIPA category alone!) and won twice; and Great Lakes won three categories from six nominations.

Winner: Great Lakes Brewery

For the Beer of the Year I chose Headstock (Nickel Brook) and Karma Citra (Great Lakes) from the IPA category and Immodest (Nickel Brook) and Ruination 2.0 (Stone) from the equally tightly contested IIPA class; and Long Dong Pilsner from Great Lakes. Yes, it was that good. They were all that good.

I have to declare one winner, so I'll go with the beer that has kept me company more than any other in 2015.

Winner: Headstock (Nickel Brook)

Cheers!