When we sat down to put together our Top 10 Craft Beers of 2017 list, there were so many amazing beers that didn’t quite make the cut that we decided to expand the list – so here’s the rest of the beers which made up our Top 20.
11. Northern Monk & Wylam – I Like to Moob It, Moob It
A one-off collab, limited edition release in response to all the click-bait articles which said IPAs give you moobs. This was a full-on fruity, hazy, juicy affair – a wonderful beer on its own but it gets bonus marks for my favourite artwork of the year.
12. Brewdog – Born to Die 17.03.2017
This was when they upped the BTD ABV to 9.5% – it received a lot of mixed reviews but this intensely bitter, super dry variation was my favourite version to date.
13. The White Hag & Kinnegar – The Hare & The Hag
The bottled version was great but the nitro keg on tap was another level – a thick, luxurious, creamy, Irish coffee stout. Super smooth, easy drinking, tons of flavour.
14. Omnipollo – Selassie
Very much an Omnipollo stout but this one wasn’t as sweet as some of the others (Noa, Anagram etc) with a strong, bold, coffee flavour setting it apart.
15. Cloudwater & The Veil – Chubbles
Cloudwater never fail to deliver when it comes to big, murky, DIPAs but they took it one step further with this Triple IPA brewed in collaboration with The Veil. The first few sips were extremely boozy and bitter but once accustomed, it’s basically 10% ABV fruit juice.
16. Põhjala – Must Kuld
Some porters are too thin – not this one! Thick, creamy, very sweet. Perfect dessert beer from the only Estonian micro-brewery to make our Top 20 list.
17. Cloudwater & Other Half – Imaginary Greenscapes
Another Cloudwater collaboration, this time with Brooklyn, NYC’s Other Half. It’s another big, bold DIPA – this time featuring a more bitter, piney, backbone – although still very much a juicy, hoppy banger.
18. Northern Monk – Patrons Project 1.04: Morello Cherry & Peruvian Coffee Imperial Porter
A stunning 10% porter, bursting full of cherry and coffee flavours. Another A+ effort as part of the Patrons Project.
19. Brew by Numbers – 10/07 Coffee Porter: Bildiimoo
Super smooth, intense coffee flavours. We like coffee flavoured beers, can you tell? Hate coffee though. No, really.
20. Cloudwater – NW DIPA Citra BBC Simcoe
Another ‘typical’ Cloudwater beer… a boozy, piney, fruity juice bomb. They do it so well – and this was one of the best of a great bunch released in 2017.
So there you have it – not quite in our Top 10 for 2017 but some mighty fine beers rounding out the Top 20. Have you tried any of the above? Let us know what you thought in the comments below.
