In 2010, the Beverage Testing Institute/Tastings in Chicago evaluated almost 400 beers and ciders in nearly 80 style categories. For each style, here are the top three entries (more in the case of tied scores) of those that scored in the platinum (96-100 points) or gold (90-95) ranges.
Every beer listed here is worth seeking out as an individual example of the best of its style. Each year, however, we look at the breweries that deserve mention for producing outstanding beers in a number of categories: this year, Boston Beer topped the rankings with 12 medals, with Rogue Ales and Deschutes just behind with 10 and nine, respectively.
American micros Full Sail and Goose Island each took seven medals, competing in a wide range of brewing traditions. Yorkshire brewery Samuel Smith and Quebec’s Unibroue, both with seven, each specialize in particular brewing traditions, and have clearly mastered their areas of concentration.
The Brooklyn Brewery won five medals by demonstrating skill in a range of styles, as did Capital, with four medals. By contrast, Munich’s Hofbräuhaus submitted five traditional German beers for evaluating, and made this “Best of” list with four of them.
Warmest congratulations to all these outstanding breweries.
British Style Pale Ale
Pendle Witches Brew, Moorhouse’s Brewery (England). 5.1% ABV (93)
Pale Ale, Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery (England). 5% ABV (90)
American Style Pale Ale
Track Town Triple Jump Pale Ale, Eugene City Brewery (OR). 5.5% ABV (93)
Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Deschutes Brewery (OR). 5% ABV (92)
Red Chair NWPA, Deschutes Brewery (OR). 6.4% ABV (91)
Piper’s Pale Ale, Vancouver Island Brewery (Canada). 5% ABV (91)
Full Sail Pale Ale, Full Sail Brewing Co. (OR). 5.4% ABV (91)
Dale’s Pale Ale, Oskar Blues Brewery (CO). 6.5% ABV (91)
India Pale Ale
IPA, Goose Island Brewing Co. (IL). 5.9% ABV (94)
Full Sail IPA, Full Sail Brewing Co. (OR). 6% ABV (94)
Yellow Snow Ale IPA, Rogue Ales (OR). 6.5% ABV (93)
India Ale, Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery (England). 5% ABV (93)
Imperial IPA
Hop Henge Experimental IPA, Deschutes Brewery (OR). 8.75% ABV (96)
Imperial I.P.A., Garrison Brewing Company (Canada). 7% ABV (92)
I2PA Imperial India Pale Ale, Rogue Ales (OR). 9.5% ABV (92)
Amber Ale
Irish Red Ale, Garrison Brewing Company (Canada). 5% ABV (91)
Captain Sig’s Northwestern Ale, Rogue Ales (OR). 6.2% ABV (91)
Ripon Jewel Ale, Daleside Brewery (England). 5.8% ABV (90)
Green Lakes Organic Ale, Deschutes Brewery (OR). 5.2% ABV (90)
Blonde Bitch, Moorhouse’s Brewery (England). 4.5% ABV (90)
Scottish Style Ale
Traquair House Ale, Traquair House Brewery (Scotland). 7.2% ABV (94)
Old Chub Scottish Style Ale, Oskar Blues Brewery (CO). 8% ABV (94)
Samuel Adams Scotch Ale, The Boston Beer Co. (MA). 5.4% ABV (93)
Red MacGregor Ale, Orkney Brewery (Scotland). 4% ABV (93)
English Style Brown Ale
Nut Brown Ale, Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery (England). 5% ABV (93)
Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Rogue Ales (OR). 6.2% ABV (92)
Nut Brown Ale, Goose Island Brewing Co. (IL). 5.3% ABV (90)
Monkey Wrench, Daleside Brewery (England). 5.3% ABV (90)
