Best of 2008 and plans for NYE 2009:

[denverdog]

I had a long, in depth and probably boring write up on the best beers of 2008, but lucky for you my laptop died and I lost it. Let’s just make this short and sweet.

What are your top 5 beers for 2008?

• Gouden Carolus Carolus D'Or - Cuvée Van De Keizer: This makes my list every year, I try to replace it but it’s just that good.
• Abyss 2008: Might be as good as the OR from 2006, excellent.
• Pliny The Younger: Possibly the best IPA I have had. Historically it has only been available for a couple of weeks a year on tap at the brewery, but they are bottling it as we speak for a spring release.
• Bells Two Hearted Ale: This beer is available year round and isn't extreme or hard to find. It is just a well made, solid beer that deserves a spot in the top 5.
• Firestone Walker 12: I almost put FW11 in as my number 1 but it was technically released in 2007. The 12 is a fantastic beer that has the potential to become mind blowing as the different blends continue to marry.

What are you drinking to celebrate 2009? Here is what I plan to open at our NYE party.

• 
  [*]Russian River: Beatification Batch 003 - 750mL
  [*]1998 Westvleteren 8
  [*]Captain Lawrence: Cuvee De Castleton
  [*]2008 Westvleteren 12
  [*]Portsmouth: Kate the Great

 

[ChiTown_Huck]

Nice List! And nice lineup for the New Year. The best for me have been (in no particular order):

1. Alaskan Smoked Porter
2. Stone Double Bastard out of the 3L bottle and drank last New Years
3. Three Floyds Dark Lord
4. Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. Nothing special or hard to find, but I just love this beer.
5. A Two-Way Tie between Old Ruffian Barley Wine and Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout from Great Divide

Honorable mention is Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye. Tasty, tasty beer.

As far as the New Year's line up, the wife and I are staying in and cooking a nice dinner, so we have a couple nice bottles of wine. This will be the first New Year's in many years that we have not gotten together with friends in Northern Wisconsin. Usually we each have a couple cases of crazy beers to try, and we spend 4 days trying them, watching football, eating fish fry, and playing video games.

Happy New Years Ya'll!

 

[joshmickelson]

for tonight. I will be with Jonas and his brother and everyone, I am bringing:

The Czar by Avery
Double Bastard


be safe everyone!

 

[Aventinus]

1. Beers at Goose Island with my wife-La Deuxieme, Matilda and Russian Imperial Stout
2. Firestone 10 & 11 with my brother
3. Hair of the Dog Fred from the Wood
4. New beers from our local brewery, Boulevard-Bourbon Barrel Quad and Saison with Brett
5. Deschutes The Dissident

Lots of runner ups: Fantôme Brise-BonBons, De Dolle Dulle Teve Special Reserva, HeBrew Jewbelation Eleven, Haandbryggeriet Dark Force and a year old bottle of Bell's Expedition. Some of my favorite beer drinking experiences are just good local beers that are tasted fresh.

It's just me and the kids tonight. I started out with Tallgrass IPA. I wanted a Kansas beer while I was watching Kansas in the Insight Bowl.
Had a glass of Shiraz with a Strip steak and blue cheese butter. After the game I opened a 2007 Abyss (Thanks Jonas!). Actually that might be in the top five as well, since I didn't drink any until 2008. A beer that lives up to the hype.

 

[smellysell]

Not sure how practical it is to have beers that I only had small samples (SEVERAL small samples in the case of Royal Oil) of be the top 2 on my list, but who cares!

These are my favorite beers that I drank in '08, not necessarily brewed/released last year.

1. Russian River Consecration (only had a sample at GABF, but WOW!)
2. Bull & Bush Royal Oil (see above)
3. Kasteel Brune
4. Capt Lawrence Cuvee de Castleton
5. Troegs Nugget Nectar

Honorable mention:

Hoppin Frog B.O.R.I.S., Weyerbacher 13, Midnight Sun Arctic Devil, Alesmith Speedway and Numbskull, Capt Lawrence Nor'easter, Weihenstephaner Krisstalweissbier, and of course Abyss.

Happy New Year everybody!