Your Favourite Beers of 2014

Last week I asked you to tell me what your favourite beer was over the last year. I was looking for Irish and International beers but the reponses were mainly focused on Irish brewed beverages.

First up here’s what Roy from QuareSwally.co.uk had to say, it was his best beers post that prompted me in the first place! His favourite brews were: Best Northern Irish Beer– Farmageddon’s Mosaic Smash. Best Northern Irish Stout- Pokertree’s Dark Nirvana. Best International – Townshend’s Flemish Stout and the Irish beer he liked best was White Hag Imperial Oatmeal Stout.

Brett from OurTastyTravels.com responded: Best Irish Beer: Hard to choose, especially with the great selection from EBBC, but looking back, the O’hara’s Lublin to Dublin actually was the one that resounded most with me this year. Best overall: Wow, even harder! Looks like I have over 850 checkins on untappd this year. Only 7 5-stars though. I’ll give the edge to Smonk from De Struise Brouwers, as well as my first successful tasting of Pliny the Younger.

Sean aka The Crafty Hoor gave this very thorough reply:

Best over all beer: Black Boar

Best Pale Ale or IPA: Bran & Sceolan (White Hag)

Best Red or Amber: Fleadh Ale (White Hag)

Best Brown: Big Bear (Trouble Brewing)

Best Stout or Porter: Wrasslers (Porterhouse)

Best Lager: Steam Boat (Galway Bay)

Best Double/Imperial (Pale): Of Foam and Fury (Galway Bay)

Best Double/Imperial (Dark): Black Boar (White Hag)

Honourable Mention to 200 Fathoms by GBB, I think I might be suffering from how long ago it’s been since I had it but as of right now, I’m edging the award to Black Boar because I can clearly remember it, I had one last week 😛

I don’t think it’s fair/workable to compare imperial/double IPA’s or stouts to their lower abv versions, so I gave them their own categories, because I can.

Now after that it gets a little messy. Everyone has a beer that’s special to them but there’s very little agreement, one thing that is abundantly clear is Ireland’s brewing scene was truly great in 2014! Here are the beers that you really loved this year:

Irish:

8 Degrees Barefoot Bohemian and Russian Imperial Stout

12 Acres Pale Ale

Bru Ri Irish Pale Ale

Bo Bristle Double IPA

Clonmore Heather IPA

Dungarvan Coffee and Oatmeal Stout

Mountain Man Crazy Horse Double IPA

Pokertree Seven Sisters Treacle Stout

Porterhouse Chocolate Truffle Stout and Devils Half Acre

Tempted Strawberry Cider

White Hag: Bran & Sceolan IPA, Bog Ale, Samhain Oktoberfest, Black Boar Imperial Oatmeal Stout

International:

Erdinger Snow Beer

Fursty Ferret

Krusher and Brent Red Ale was nominated by David Colohan who added: that I had near the Serbian/Romanian border & will likely never taste again. Sigh. Chasing The Dragon was pretty great too, mind.

Nogne O IPA

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale & Torpedo

Now I know not all of those were actually realeased this year but we won’t be pedantic! Drumroll please…..According to you the best Irish brewery in 2014 is White Hag up in Sligo, with good reason, they have brought us some truly awesome beers this year, I am confident that they will continue to impress us into 2015.

Best Irish Beer? Are you ready? Bo Bristle’s Double IPA! Banagher’s finest brought out a couple of great specials over the past year and that’s set to continue with their Extra Stout which is due next month!

What were my favourite beers? Well I tried to limit you to one Irish and one International beer but I’m afraid I’m going to break my own rules in a post which I’ll share with you before the New Year. Sláinte!