Now that July has begun, I am already missing the “cooler” days of June. The heat of summer is here but there’s also lots of great beer to help deal with the high temperatures. And just like the cooler weather, I’ll also miss the beer that I had in June; like the ones below that made my list of Best Craft Beer.
If you want to keep up with what I am drinking in real time, make sure that we connect on Untappd. Click that link or search for craftbeerjoe.
Don’t forget to take time to review your check-ins and think about what would make your list of the best craft beer. I’d love it if you sent me a message or chatted on social media about the best craft beer you had in May.
Here’s the Best Craft Beer I had last month:
Hop-On
Brewery: Abita Beer
Style: New England IPA
ABV: 6% IBU: 45
Description
Abita Hop-On is a full-bodied “juicy pale,” packed with Cascade, Citra and Ekuanot hops to deliver refreshing tropical and citrus notes. It pours a vibrant light gold while the unique brewing process produces a distinctive haze. It’s also super food-friendly, great with seafood ceviche, fresh fruit or a nice aged cheddar. Give Hop-On a try and enjoy our brewmaster’s latest journey.
Why it made the list?
Seems like every brewery is making a New England IPA or at least a beer that is “juicy” and focuses on the fruity side of hops.
But not all are great. Seems like these beers are often best produced in small batches by small breweries.
Abita Beer has done a great job with their Hop-On which the can refers to as a Juicy Pale Ale.
This one has a nice juicy, fruity flavor that focuses on tangerine and lemon citrus notes. And it has some of the lowest perceived bitterness among the nationally distributed beers in this style.
Check Out My Full Write Up About Abita Hop-On
Triple Berry Slurpy
Brewery: 450 North Brewing
Style: Fruit Berliner Weissse
ABV: 4.5% IBU: N/A
Description
Berliner Weisse conditioned on Blackberry, Raspberry and Blueberry.
Why it made the list?
What is beer? Seems like that’s become a really difficult question to answer and beers like this one just keep making it harder.
The Slurpy series beers from 450 North Brewing takes a Berliner Weisse and adds a ton of fruit to it. This creates a tart, sweet beer that is 100% fruit.
This one specifically stands out because of the way that the fruit flavors worked together to create the perfect fruit flavor.
In addition, it has the heaviest body of any of these beers so far and literally had pulp in the beer. So much so that the glass was coated in pulp after the beer was gone.
Is it was most people think as beer but I’ll gladly drink these every day.
Anniversary Series #2
Brewery: Municipal Brew Works
Style: Double IPA
ABV: 10% IBU: 100
Description
Our Anniversary Series DIPA is brewed with locally sourced honey that creates a sweet and smooth body. The various hives produce slightly different colors and flavors which adds the uniqueness of each batch. We use six different styles of hops to provide complex flavors and enhance the drinking experience.
Why it made the list?
One of the best parts of having so many new breweries is seeing them celebrate milestones. And recently, Municipal Brew Works celebrated their 2nd anniversary.
And just like their 1st anniversary, they brewed a special Double IPA for the event and even bottled some of it.
The 2nd Anniversary version is one of the better DIPAs that I’ve had in a while. It featured a sweet, boozy flavor from the addition of honey. But this sweetness was equally matched by the aggressive hops.
Hops so aggressive that the IBUs on this one reached 100. But even with those high IBUs, it was very smooth and easy to drink. I even know a few people that do not like IPAs that really loved this one.
Fuggee
Brewery: Fretboard Brewing
Style: Brown Ale
ABV: 6.1% IBU: 15
Description
It’s like breakfast in a glass! Infused with french toast, vanilla, and cinnamon flavors, this one is undeniably delectable. The best days start with a good breakfast.
Why it made the list?
I love dark beers with a ton of adjunct flavors that add sweetness. But these beers are often high in ABV and very heavy.
That’s where Fuggee is amazing. Since it is a brown ale, the ABV is moderate and the body is as well.
But the flavor isn’t.
The sweet, breakfast flavors really shine as you get a ton of maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla. So much so that you never really get used to it.
It’s the right beer when you want a ton of sweet, dessert flavors without the ABV or body being overwhelming.
Read More About Fretboard Brewing
La Guatavita
Brewery: Brink Brewing
Style: New England IPA
ABV: 7.6% IBU: 17
Description
I couldn’t find a description on the brewery’s website or Untappd.
Why it made the list?
Brink is a spot that I go to quite often. Not only are they one of the closest to my house but their beer is consistently amazing.
On a recent visit, I ordered a flight of beers that I hadn’t tried yet. La Guatavita was one of those beers.
When I drank it, I thought to myself . . . this is a great New England IPA, I can really tell that they used real tropical fruit in this one.
Then the bartender approached me and asked what I thought about it. So I told him my thoughts. That’s when he told me that this beer had no real fruit in it.
The fruit flavors I was tasting were 100% from hops; specifically lupulin hops.
I really couldn’t believe it as it was the most fruit like New England IPA that I think I’ve had yet. This brewery may be small and they may be new but they are putting out some of the best beer around.
Learn More About Craft Beer: Pale Ale Vs IPA: What’s The Difference?
Final Thoughts
If you aren’t in my area, then most of what is on my list will be out of reach for you. Not every month has so many local beers on it but this month the local beer won me over.
For most people, drinking local beer is something they do more and more of as the months go on. And that’s a good thing as we should all support our local breweries.
What local beer did you drink this past month? Which would make your list of the Best Craft Beer?
As always, you can sound off in the comments below or send me a message.
