10 Standout Beers of 2012

Sevare and I have really enjoyed reading Beers of the Year 2012 and Golden Pints awards. Particularly Craig Garvie's Golden Half Pints 2012 and The Beercast's Beer of the Year 2012.

Below is a selection of 10 of the more memorable beers for us this year:

Black Isle: Black Run.

B: A big, black porter with a ridiculously generous serving of piney hops! This is Colin's Christmas offering and it's something very special indeed. Hugely drinkable considering the abv. Definitely one to enjoy again on Christmas day.
S: LOVE this beer :) Thanks to Col for letting us taste it at the Black Isle a few weeks ago. I would buy this beer again and again.

Buxton: Imperial Black.

B: We originally had this at The York Tap. Pours a very dark brown colour with a thick light tan head. A beautiful upfront hop aroma of pine and grapefruit before light chocolate and roasty malt. Similar flavours with moderate carbonation and an oily mouth-feel. Alcohol is quite present and also quite bitter with a long roasty malt, dark chocolate, pine and grapefruit linger. Stunning! Also had this at The Stockbridge Tap for the Buxton Tap Takeover, another great night all round!
S: This is a 'happy in my pants' beer. I first tried it at the York Tap (for breakfast) and always buy a bottle if I see in Edinburgh.

Crombe: Oud Kriekenbier.

B: Pours an amber colour with a decent white head. A fantastic aroma of cherries, caramel, lemon, almonds, marzipan and alcohol. Similar flavours and nicely tart with moderate carbonation and a foamy mouth-feel. Superb! Nice and dry.
S: This is one of the beers from THE book '100 Belgian Beers To Try Before You Die'. It took us a while to find it (we started this mission in 2008) but well worth the wait :)

Hoppin Frog: BORIS The Crusher.

B: I've been lucky enough to drink a fair bit of this in 2012 thanks to it's availability at BrewDog. Pours a black colour with a tan head that dies away fairly quickly. Aroma of caramel, chocolate and coffee. Similar flavours with plenty of chocolate upfront. Alcohol is fairly present with a lovely lingering bitter chocolate character. Some capsaicin also, of red peppers, not chilli so much. A great oily mouth-feel and moderate carbonation. Delicious! Also had this on draught at The Delirium Hoppy Loft. Dangerously drinkable given the abv!
S: What can I say? I will ALWAYS love this beer but found it most enjoyable on tap in Belgium :) Mmmm hoppy loft nom nom nom.

HORAL'S: Mega Blend.

B: 2011 bottle. Pours a blonde colour with a thick white head. A fantastic aroma of horse blanket and lemon. Bone dry with flavours of lemon, chalk, digestive biscuits and barley. Moderate carbonation. Stunning.
S: A blend of so many sours? How could it not be amazing? :D


Lost Abbey: Deliverance.

B: Pours a very dark brown colour with a fair, light tan head. Aroma of marzipan, bourbon, coconut, brandy, chocolate, honey, vanilla, caramel and oak. Similar flavours with mild carbonation, light CO2 prickle and an oily mouth-feel. This beer is truly phenomenal! Definite Pannepot notes. Wow!
S: Blair and I went on a lengthy mission in California to find this beer. So glad we did :)

Lovibonds: Sour Grapes.

B: On keg at The Independent Manchester Beer Convention. Pours a blonde colour with a fair white head. A lovely sour, vinous aroma with balsamic vinegar, wet cardboard, oak, lemon and alcohol. Similar flavours with mild carbonation and a foamy mouth-feel. Nice and dry to finish. Great!
S: One of the few beers I drank multi-thirds of at the Indy Beer Man festival. Also lovely to meet the brewer :D

Magic Rock: Magic 8 Ball.

B: Bottle from Luvians, St Andrews. A black beer with a fair, light tan head. Aroma is lovely with passion fruit and grapefruit hop characters, presumably Nelson Sauvin. Juicy passion fruit and pineapple hop flavours give way to coffee, roasty malt, burnt toast and chocolate. The flavours are intense but this is a seriously drinkable beer. Also loved this on cask at The Stockbridge Tap Magic Rock Takeover. Fantastic!
S: I've had this beer so many times; always love it, always drink too much of it!

Thornbridge: Bracia PX.

B: On cask at The Holyrood 9A. Pours a very dark brown colour with a fair light tan head. A lovely aroma of roasty malt, blackberries, dark chocolate, burnt toast and alcohol. Similar flavours with a coconut and dark chocolate finish. Mild carbonation and an oily mouth-feel. A lingering oaky, vinous character also. Delicious!
S: I *love* the normal Bracia and the PX. The PX version convinced me to try the sherry. I loves the sherry.

Williams Bros: Nollaig.

B: Bottle from Drinkmonger. Pours a beautiful amber colour with a thick, rocky beige head. Aroma of mandarins, spruce, treacle, alcohol and pine. Mandarin, grapefruit and spruce flavours compete wonderfully to give a vibrant, bitter orange character that tails off to a warming alcohol hum. The linger reminds me of orange bitters with moderate carbonation and an oily mouth-feel. Superb! Also had this at The Holyrood 9A. Lots of strawberries all round and quite bitter.
S: mmmm Spruce. I could drink this beer all year but it definitely makes Christmas special :D

So there you have it. An eclectic mix of favourites from the last 12 months. Bring on 2013!