By Greg B. Following Mike’s lead, I’ll post some of my favorite beers of this past year, but I’ll start with a classic top 10 list.  These wont follow any particular category, just the 10 that I felt stood out the most in this past year and really made me stand back and say say “now that’s a beer!”.

10 – Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA: Slightly more bitter than the 60 minute, and less overwhelming than the 120 minute, this IPA sits right on the sweet spot for where I like my hop profile.  Strong aroma, good bittering, excellent texture and a good quantity of alcohol to boot, this is a stellar beer from Dogfish Head’s brewery.

9 – Ommegang Three Philosophers: This beer is an amazing beer.  Ommegang brewery up in Cooperstown NY does what I consider the best version of Belgian beers, outside of Belgium.  That said, I’d be happy to put most of their lineup on par with some of the best beers Belgium has to offer.  The three philosophers does not disappoint.  A strong quadruple ale with a hint of cherry lambic, this beer is so exceedingly smooth and yet complex, the best word to describe it is luscious.  It’s overwhelmingly delicious and drinkable, a great beer for a quiet evening.

8 -Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron: I wasn’t sure where to place this in the list of the top 10.  Either it’s unique character places it high or low, either way it ranks in the top 10 for 2008.  A brown ale aged in a barrel made from the south American Marron tree.  Wow, this beer comes out so interesting you really cannot pass up an opportunity to try it.  The beer itself has a wonderful nutty/vanilla/toffee flavor to it from the roasted malts but there is just this bit of something else, you can smell it and taste it, but it’s so strange, like nothing you’ve ever had better.  The essence of that Marron tree really will drive your senses wild, go out and seek some of this beer, it’s worth the effort!

7 – 13th Century Grut Bier: In a time before hops, people in medieval Europe used many different spices to flavor and preserve beer.  This beer, brewed in this style, incorporates a multitude of spices and no hops.  It really is a great beer to try if you have not.  Sweet, herbal, tea-like and extremely quaffable, this beer is a must-try for beer lovers AND for wine lovers who want to start experimenting with different beers to drink.

6 – Southern Tier Krampus/Choklate stout: These beers are tied because they are both amazingly interesting in their own way.  The Krampus was such an interesting combination of hoppy aroma with dark malt flavor that the memory stuck with me for a while.  The Choklate stout itself was an intense brew, just a massive cocoa infusion and a fruity component on the nose that made drinking this beer akin to drinking a raspberry chocolate cake.  Both amazingly unique beers.

5 – North Coast Brewing Co. Old Rasputin: A very dark and rich beer.  Smooth as silk, dark as motor oil and smells like a light chocolate cake that is slightly burnt in the oven, this is a great beer.  Not too much chocolate malts but more dark and black patent malts on the nose and taste give this beer a very dark flavor to it without being overwhelmingly dark.  For stout lovers, this is a must-try!

4 – Allagash barrel aged curieux: Such a complex beer.  Has flavors that are both delicate and robust, an intriguing beer in all forms of the word.  This beer just dances around your mouth with a slightly sweet, herbal and yet vanilla/oak flavor as well.  Aged in Jim Beam barrels, this beer is one not to be missed if you find it in a store!

3 -Clipper City Loose Cannon/Peg Leg Stout: What can I say, I’m a sucker for good beer.  The loose cannon has to have the most aromatic hoppy nose of any IPA I’ve ever tasted, and it tastes great to boot.  The Peg leg stout is itself, a great stand alone beer, worthy of cellering (if you can stop yourself from drinking it).  Chocolate toffee notes come froma beer that is lighter on the mouth than you’d think, and packs a flavor punch like few others.  Great work Clipper City!

2 – Brouwerij de Molen’s Rasputin: Another complex beer.  This probably could have been cellered for another few years before opening, but I just couldn’t wait.  Rich dark beer with berry hints on the nose and tart blackberry tastes, a beer to be enjoyed at the end of the night and one that certainly is worth the $30 price tag.

1 –  Weyerbacher’s Old Heathen: This beer takes the #1 spot of the year for being just so versatile and delicious.  If you have just about any dessert you want to pair with a beer, this is the beer to do it with.  Velvety soft carbonation with chocolate malt notes.  Even without a dessert this stout can stand up to just about any other stout on the market.  I’ve tried to keep a constant supply or at least 1 or 2 lying around the house ever since I’ve sampled this beer back in September.  Keep up the good work, Weyerbacher!