Another year of BrittskiBeers has come to a close, and you know I’m here to give you a recap. A continuing trend of less beer drank resulted in 1431 Untappd check ins, a number that is 141 less than 2023. Of those, 965 were uniques, 67.4% of my check ins as opposed to 73.8% last year. I suppose I’m getting more set in my ways and sticking closer to some staples I know and love. Speaking of those beers I like to drink, Westbound & Down Infinity Pils (#3 on my 2022 Best Beers list) was my most drank with 11 check ins followed by Bierstadt Slow Pour Pils, Live Oak Hefe, and Amalgam The Mosaic Institute each with 9. 25.3% of my check ins were Lagers, a number slightly lower than the 28% I had last year. I have no doubt that number is lower because 2024 was the year of the American IPA for me, checked in a whopping 205 times. Hazies no more – give me that modern West Coast action. For the first time I can remember, a Lager entered my Top Styles with Pilsner – Other having 40 check ins.
My 2024 Best Beers style count is 4 Lagers, 2 Barleywines, 2 Stouts, 1 Strong Ale, and 1 Brown Ale. No new styles, but 4 Lagers making the list is my most ever. 4 breweries are making a first time appearance.
Without further ado, here is Brittski’s Best Beers of 2024.
10. Bull & Bush Big Ben Brown
This one surprised me in multiple ways. First off, as many times as I had been to Bull & Bush, I had yet to try Big Ben Brown, one of their staples. Secondly, wow what a beer! Perfect amount of roast and little bit of nuttiness in a light 6% package. I can’t imagine an English Brown Ale getting any better than this.
9. Westbound & Down Colorado Nights
As I write this, I sit here drinking Colorado Nights, the ideal Dark Mexican Lager. Take everything loved about a well-made Mexican Lager and add dark malts, elevating the flavors with slight roast and cocoa. While this could easily be drank year round, a cold winter evening and a desire to have a crushable beer are perhaps the consummate conditions in which to enjoy Colorado Nights.
8. Westbound & Down Coconut Justice
Back to back Westbound & Down appearances speak to the quality of beer they are producing, and that was also rewarded this year by their GABF showing. Western Justice, the base for this beer, captured Gold in the Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout category. I debated having Western Justice in the list, but ultimately I am a slut for coconut done well. The oak and vanilla imparted by the barrel harmonize with the coconut and its slight sweetness, creating a decadent Stout that does not stray too far from its barrel aged roots.
7. Private Press Take 1, Volume 2: Barrel #356
I’ve been a Private Press member for 2 years now and am continuously amazed by the work Brad Clark does. This beer magnificently summarizes his barrel program and the true mastery he has achieved in his aging and blending. By taking an already awesome beer in Electric Roads and further aging it in a rye cask, this Stout wonderfully highlights the rye spice without drowning out the base bourbon. At 17.4%, it’s the highest ABV on this year’s list, but it did not at all feel overly boozy.
6. 3 Floyds Dark Lord – Marshmallow Handjee (2024)
A legendary beer I finally got to try on draft here in Denver, Marshmallow Handjee is one of the most coveted and highly rated 3 Floyds Dark Lords in its illustrious history. Barrel, char, and decadent helpings of vanilla define this pour. Marshmallow handjibberino indeed.
5. Cohesion Černé Pivo 14°
This collab with Cerebral is what Cohesion is all about. There is beauty in simplicity, and Cohesion’s Czech lagers exemplify what carefully chosen ingredients brewed excellently can become. With Černé Pivo 14°, dark malts create a deep robust roast character that amplifies the easy drinker to another stratosphere. I could put any Cohesion beer on the list any year, but this one was extra special.
4. Amalgam The Mosaic Institute
Amalgam has started canning their hoppy Lagers and West Coast IPAs nearly once a month, and I have been a very happy man for that. They had several beers I could have included here, but ultimately I went with The Mosaic Institute, a West Coast Pilsner with 3 different types of Mosaic hops. This beer embodies exactly what I want in a hoppy lager: a huge tropical citrus hop presence with a light and crushable body. The tropical potpourri Mosaic provides shone brightly here.
3. Anchorage Kill The King
Anchorage took home the single Best Beer of 2022, and Kill The King was not far off from that placing. Talks of value aside, Anchorage makes incredible barrel aged beer, and in Kill The King they also show that they know their way around an adjunct. Leading with bourbon booze and tons of oak, the coconut comes on strong, giving this Black Barleywine and Stout blend a new level of complexity. Similar in ABV to Coconut Justice (15% here versus 14.9%), Kill The King leans more into its boozy profile. I told you what coconut does to my nether regions, and this beer tickled that fancy.
2. Tree House Nomad Oak
Tree House is not a brewery known for its Lagers, but hot damn this was one of the best bottom-fermenting beers I’ve ever had. This Dark Czech Lager is aged in American Oak after primary conditioning, lending some softness of flavor and subtle woody vanilla. This is the third Dark Lager featured on this year’s Best Beers, and its oak aging really takes it over the top. I have no doubt this beer would have been great without that extra step, but it truly becomes exceptional with the added complexity.
1. Revolution Straight Jacket (2015)
Proving that I make my own rules for my own Best Beer list, this year’s #1 beer was released nearly 10 years ago. This is surprisingly the first time Revolution has appeared on my Best Beers – I suppose I need to find a way to drink more from their world-class barrel program. Straight Jacket is their crown jewel barrel aged Barleywine, and it is absolutely immune to time (and perhaps even space). 9+ years after release, it remains what a perfect BA Barleywine should be, chock full of toffee, caramel, raisins, and enough barrel to gently put you to bed for the night. This was a treat randomly shared by a friend, and I am very appreciative for their random selection becoming my single Best Beer of 2024.
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