Best beers of 2017?

[Honk]

Just for fun and because it could be useful when deciding to what to brew next what were your favourite beers of 2017 either self brewed or available commercially?

For me self brewed it was the Graham Wheeler Exmoor gold clone which I've done 3 times this year but tops was the version where I substituted my home grown first gold hops for the late hop additions done as a green hopped beer. Not sure if it was the green hopping or just the extra investment in time and effort that made this beer so special but it didn't hang around for long.

Don't get out or buy commercial beers that often and there is loads I've read about and want to try but best pint I had was a Harvey's Sussex bitter which I had during a weekend away, I've seen a few clone recipes for it online but not yet got round to brewing it.

What's your favourites?

 

[Thumper]

My favourite newly discovered commercial beer has to be the Enefeld Brewery's London Porter. It had me in raptures, it's wonderful.

 

[Lawrence22]

I'm just about to start all grain brewing so in 2017 it was all kits for me. The best I made would be the Festival Razorback. Best Craft beer I've had would be either Hillstown breweries Spitting Lama triple or Costelloes Irish Red. Best larger commercial Hofbrau-Munchen Octoberfest.

All just in my opinion of course:

 

[Dads_Ale]

From a brewing point of view it was my latest version of BIPA.

Commercial was Tiny Rebel Cherry Sour, a real assault on the senses. In fact I was warned off buying a whole pint, ended up having 3 ������

Just checked my notes and apparently the bar would not sell you any until you had a taster ....

 

[MarkBowie]

The anniversary edition of Jaipur X, really was incredible.

 

[Sandimas]

I'd heard a lot about Harvey Sussex Bitter and found it at a local beer festival, absolutely amazing for a lowish ABV bitter. I've just brewed a clone (using the recipe off JBK), it's nice but not quite as good.

I did quite a lot of experimentation with the homebrew this year and many of my brews were OK but not spectacular. My top 3 were:
- Vanilla Porter (BrewUK Extract recipe pack)
- Cornish Tin Miners Ale (AG) from the Greg Hughes book
- Cwtch kit

 

[marshbrewer]

Bateman's Lincoln Red. This year's beer for October in their seasonal rotation. It was amazing.

Unfortunately, my opinion wasn't shared by most punters so a little bird tells me that it may never see the light of day again. My local managed to have another bite of the cherry and get one of the last of the casks they were still available very early in November, and I made it my mission to sneak out of the house at every opportunity for a sneaky pint or five. It was a strong seller in my local according to my landlord, but obviously not elsewhere. I blame the pump clip that described it as a wheat beer. Ok, it was, but it wasn't wheat beer like, if you at what I mean. I reckon that put people off.

Anyhows, that was my beer of the year.

 

[MickDundee]

Of my beers, the best has been my Citra and Simcoe IPA. I’m shocked it turned out so well because brewday was a total disaster, including a 4 hour mash and a 2 hour boil courtesy of my (then) 18 month old who had to go to the out of hours doctor then refused to go to bed/sleep!

Best commercial beer was the chilli and coconut pale that new local brewery Redcastle released. The rest of their beers were pretty standard/bland but this was pretty special - chilli heat and a hint of coconut, balanced by some spicy Belgian yeast esters. That reminds me I must try and make one for the summer!

 

[strange-steve]

Favourite of my own was my Orval clone brewed in January but I lost half of them in a disastrous shelf collapse

Favourite commercial beer of the year (and perhaps ever) was a 7 year old bottle of Struise Pannepot, I don't think I'll ever taste another beer as good

 

[sdt7618]

I don't think I'll ever taste another beer as good [/QUOTE]

And you haven't even opened your santa swap yet.......:lol:

 

[GhostShip]

The best 'new' beer I've had this year was Chestnut Red from the Lancaster Brewery, which I found in Wetherspoons. It was superb.

 

[Ajhutch]

Great thread!

Best of my beers this year was my hefeweizen. Must brew that one again.

This year I drank lambic for the first time, I think my favourite was Hanssen Kriek.

My favourite British brewed beer this year, or at least the one that made the most impression on me, was a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout from Siren. I'd not been a huge fan of either dark or very strong beers but have explored both more since trying that and started brewing them too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[trueblue]

Dennis King's Galaxy delight, the all grain kit from the malt miller https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=852 not that I buy the kit any more just keep the ingredients in stock.

 

[Sadfield]

Best commercial was the Burning Sky / Harvey's Brewery collaboration Last Voyage.

Best homebrew was a Chocolate Lime sweet inspired American Brown Ale I brewed for an Easter homebrew club comp, I now have a keg of the rebrew ready for Christmas.

Estimated OG: 1.055 SG
Estimated Colour: 46.7 EBC
Estimated IBU: 45.0 IBUs
Mash: 60 Minutes @ 66.7
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Water

Porter Profile.
Ca - 140
Mg - 10
Na - 100
CO3 - 50
SO4 - 100
CL - 300

Mash.

Maris Otter Blend (6.0 EBC) – 76.0 %
Cara-Pils (2.5 EBC) – 6.9 %
Munich Malt (40.0 EBC) – 5.5 %
Crystal Malt 60L (120.0 EBC) – 5.1 %
Chocolate Malt (1050.0 EBC) – 4.5 %
Torrified Wheat (3.9 EBC) – 2.0 %

Boil

Target [11.50 %] @ 60.0 min (to 15.0 IBUs)
Wai-iti [3.40 %] @ 15.0 min (to 7.5 IBUs)
Citra [13.50 %] @ 15.0 min (to 7.5 IBUs)
Protofloc – ½ Tablet @ 15.0 min
Wai-iti [3.40 %] @ 0.0 min (to 7.5 IBUs) 20 minute steep.
Citra [13.50 %] @ 0.0 min (to 7.5 IBUs) 20 minute steep.


Fermented at 20C with Whitelabs WLP028 Edinburgh Ale Yeast.

Dry hopped with 3.5g/L Wai-iti and 1g/L Citra.



"Inspiration is the impact of a fact on a well-prepared mind" Louis Pasteur

 

[RichK]

My favourite new (to me) beers of the year are: from a kit - Festival Suffolk & in the pub - Proper Job Going to have a go at the latter myself at some point.

 

[Sandimas]

My favourite new (to me) beers of the year are: from a kit - Festival Suffolk & in the pub - Proper Job Going to have a go at the latter myself at some point.

Can recommend this clone recipe pack for Proper Job
https://www.brewuk.co.uk/st-austell-proper-job.html

 

[RichK]

Can recommend this clone recipe pack for Proper Job
https://www.brewuk.co.uk/st-austell-proper-job.html

Thanks for that. Could well be on the cards in the new year :)

 

[Pigroaster]

Yo from my igloo in Canada. Any chance of you sending or posting your Orval recipe? I have the required yeast. Thanks

Favourite of my own was my Orval clone brewed in January but I lost half of them in a disastrous shelf collapse

Favourite commercial beer of the year (and perhaps ever) was a 7 year old bottle of Struise Pannepot, I don't think I'll ever taste another beer as good

 

[GerritT]

My Mooie Nel IPA clone. Shared it with the brewing course after having it conditioned for only 5 days. It was so good! The dry-hop really was a pleasant kick in the teeth.

 

[strange-steve]

Yo from my igloo in Canada. Any chance of you sending or posting your Orval recipe? I have the required yeast. Thanks

And greetings in return from my crannog in Ireland. You can see the recipe and method here although the pics are gone (thanks photobucket).