• Special London Ale
• La Chouffe
• Unibroue Don de Dieu
• Unibroue Trois Pistoles
• Hoegaarden
• Fat Tire Amber Ale
• New Belgium Abbey Ale
• Shiner Bock
• Beers by New Glarus, Goose Island, Bell’s Brewing

• Naturally, I found out about Roger Protz’s book 300 Beers to Try Before You Die only after I started my own series.
• 50 beers on BeerAdvocate: User GClarkage in the BeerAdvocate forums posted his own Top 50 beer list in direct response to my own series. It’s a good list; there’s a few crossovers with mine, but most are different.
• Stan at Appellation Beer posted How many beers before I die?, a pointer and a nice writeup on my list.
• Jeff on Beervana pointed to my list, and that inspired him to start his own list of the best beers of Oregon (or that he’s reviewed). Good picks so far, and some nice commentary/history to accompany them.

And, while it’s not related to my 50 Beers list, RateBeer has published their annual "RateBeer Best" list—the best beers in the world overall and by category, and the best brewers, all based on their not-inconsiderate tabulation of user ratings.

American West Coast (Part 1)

1. Anchor Steam
2. Widmer Hefeweizen
3. Shakespeare Stout
4. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
5. Alaskan Smoked Porter

European Icons (Part 2)

6. Celebrator Doppelbock
7. Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen
8. Lindemans Framboise Lambic
9. Guinness Extra Stout
10. Pilsner Urquell

Extreme Beers (Part 3)

11. Samichlaus
12. Cave Creek Chili Beer
13. 90 Minute IPA
14. Midas Touch Golden Elixir
15. Samuel Adams Utopias

United Kingdom (Part 4)

16. Young’s Bitter
17. Fuller’s London Porter
18. Theakston Old Peculier
19. Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale
20. Orkney SkullSplitter

Belgian (Part 5)

21. Saison Dupont
22. Jenlain Original French Ale
23. St. Bernardus Witbier
24. Rodenbach Grand Cru
25. Trappistes Rochefort 8

American East Coast (Part 6)

26. Sam Adams Boston Lager
27. Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
28. Victory Prima Pils
29. Black Radish Dark Lager
30. Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

German (Part 7)

31. Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
32. Reissdorf Kölsch
33. Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen
34. Köstritzer Schwarzbier
35. Aventinus

"On the scene" picks (Part 8)

36. Düsseldorf, Germany: Altbier
37. Belgium: Lambic
38. Munich, Germany: Oktoberfest
39. Burton upon Trent, England: Bitter (and others)
40. Portland, Oregon: Varied

Around the World (Part 9)

41. Sapporo (Japan)
42. Sheaf Stout (Australia)
43. Flying Horse Royal Lager (India)
44. Singha (Thailand)
45. Baltika Porter (Russia)

The Final Five (Part 10)

46. Arrogant Bastard Ale
47. Style: Sahti (Finnish)
48. Style: Kvass (Russian)
49. Homebrew
50. Your local brewery’s beer

Naturally, this is an entirely subjective list—I picked the beers that I thought were representative of styles, region, and/or quality, or gave my reasons otherwise, knowing full well that other people’s lists may well be entirely different. This list isn’t endeavoring to be the be-all, end-all list of the worlds 50 best beers or anything—just something I’ve had fun with, and hopefully everybody else has, too.

There’s been some good suggestions in comments, and at least one other list that I’ve come across that was generated by this series… I’ll list those in a later post.

The final installment! Hard to believe it’s been ten weeks already; back when I was first starting this series, it seemed quite a bit more daunting. At any rate, for this final week there’s really no theme at all, other than “The End” or “The Final Five.”

See also: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9.

Arrogant Bastard Ale

This is a bit of a vanity pick, I admit, but I also think I overlooked Stone Brewing‘s flagship beer the first time around. I actually had it on my list of picks, but just couldn’t find the space for it at the time.

Arrogant Bastard is really the prototypical and overall best example of the newish “American Strong Ale” style of beers: when it was released it really set the stage for the new wave of American beers—the Imperial IPAs, the strong pale ales, the “double” this and “extreme” that, and I’d even venture to say the strong fresh hop beer craze. Arrogant Bastard opened the door for all that, and it’s still one of the best around.

BeerAdvocate score: 90/100, 98%.

Style: Sahti (Finnish)

Sahti is a style of beer rather than a specific beer recommendation, but it’s definitely one of those styles that I think everyone should try. It is a Finnish farmhouse ale, flavored with juniper berries and filtered through juniper branches and fermented (typically) with a Finnish bread yeast. For more on the style, check out BeerAdvocate’s page, Wikipedia, and Michael Jackson’s notes.

There aren’t many opportunities for this style of beer outside of Finland, though recently Otter Creek Brewing released Helsinki Göld in their “World Tour” series of beers (BeerAdvocate link). Otherwise, the other likely source you’ll find for this style is the Finnish brewer Lammin Sahti Oy.

Style: Kvass (Russian)

Another style of Eastern Europe—in fact, the national drink for Russia, its country of origin—that you probably won’t be able to get unless you’re in Europe or somebody brings some back for you. Kvass is a low-alcohol beer generally made from rye (or wheat or barley) bread, often flavored with various herbs and/or fruits, and fermented with bread yeast. It’s so low in alcohol that it is often considered a “soft drink” in Russia and consumed by children.

If you can’t make it to Russia anytime soon, your best best on trying kvass would be of the homebrewed variety. While the steps and methods for doing this are longer than would be appropriate here, that would be a good topic for a future article…

Check out BeerAdvocate’s style page for kvass, and Wikipidia’s article on it. BeerAdvocate only has four examples listed, two of which haven’t even been reviewed—pretty rare.

Homebrew

Yep, just “homebrew”. Any homebrew. I’m not going to quibble about style, or presentation, or region, or any of that. (Well, I hope it will at least be good.) But I don’t think anybody can call their beer drinking experience complete without drinking some homebrewed beer.

For many people who are first-time homebrew drinkers, the fact that a quality beer that is as good or better than what they can get commercially can be brewed at home with minimal equipment is a revelation.

And homebrewing can expose many people (newbies and experienced folks alike) to new styles or experimental types of beer (again, hoping they’re good!) that they may not otherwise be able to get. So if someone offers you a chance to try their homebrewed beer, jump on it.

And finally: Your local brewery’s beer

That’s right, the final beer everyone should drink before they die is their local brewery’s (or brewpub’s): because ultimately none of the creativity, availability, and culture of beer would be possible without the support and patronization of the local craft brewery. Not to get too preachy.

So head on down to your local brewpub and have a pint. Or if they bottle their brew, pick some up at the store and enjoy it at home. Either way, whatever your local brewer serves up, do yourself a favor and try some—if you haven’t already.

We’re closing in on the end here. This week I wanted to get away from the Western European-North American centrism that dominates beer, and explore a few from around the world. So this week’s theme is “Around the World.”

See also: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 10.

Sapporo (Japan)

There are a number of Sapporo-brand beers from Japan, but the one I’m referring to here is the classic “Premium Beer” that is widely available here in the United States in the curvy-shaped can. BeerAdvocate indicates the style is that of a “Japanese Rice Lager,” similar to the “American Macro” lager but brewed with a larger percentage of rice.

Japanese beers in general tend toward the lighter, rice-or-other adjunct lager styles, and Sapporo is a good and accessible example. Be that as it may, though, I’ll be brutally honest: you won’t be impressed with this beer if you’re used to the craft beer scene. But, as the title of this series indicates, it’s certainly one you should drink at least once, and it’s a good bellwether of what beer is doing in Japan.

BeerAdvocate score: 74/100, 37% approval.

Sheaf Stout (Australia)

I suppose when one thinks of Australian beers, popular culture leads them to Foster’s. I rather think Sheaf Stout is a better exposure to the land down under. A little harsher and grittier than the more “refined” stouts of the West, it’s still a good example of the Foreign/Sweet Stout category (which admittedly can be a bit nebulous).

And, something about this beer says “Outback” to me, and seems a better embodiment of Australia than all of those lager offerings.

BeerAdvocate score: 84/100, 92% approval.

Flying Horse Royal Lager (India)

For it’s size and population, there is very little in the way of native beer and brewing happening in India. As seems to be common among East Asian brewing, Flying Horse is a lager in the “American Macro” style, although as I reviewed here, it’s a darker, grainier version of the style.

BeerAdvocate score: 76/100, 64% approval.

Singha (Thailand)

Another of the ubiquitous lagers, though Singha bills itself as “the most exotic beer in the world.” While I’m leery about any beer that tries to claim that—especially one of this type—I do advocate this as a Must Try.

Some of the reviews out there indicate that this would be an excellent accompaniment to Thai cuisine—so if you can find it at your local Thai restaurant, give it a shot.

BeerAdvocate score: 74/100, 52% approval.

Baltika Porter (Russia)

Baltic Porter is to “regular” Porter as India Pale Ale is to “regular” Pale Ale—that is, a stronger, more robust beer designed to survive ocean-crossing voyages to get to their destinations. Baltika #6 Porter is one of the better-known beers to come out of Russia and a decent example of the style. Michael Jackson wrote about it after a trip to St. Petersburg:

Baltika Porter has an ebony colour; an alcohol content of 7.0, from an original gravity of 1068; and a woody aroma, with oily, creamy, fudgy, toffeeish, juicy, flavours. It is soft and lightly dry. This beer, too, contains crystal, and some carbonised malt.

BeerAdvocate score: 84/100, 94% approval.

This week’s theme is a little different from what I’ve been doing. Instead of picking a specific beer that you could (theoretically) get anywhere and drink at home, I’m going with styles of beer of a particular destination that you will have to travel to for the experience. “On the Scene” picks, as it were, and something everybody should do at least once.

In most cases, these are styles from which I’ve already picked bottled examples, but I think they’re worth revisiting for the world traveler.

See also: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 9, Part 10.

Düsseldorf, Germany: Altbier

Altbier in German literally means “Old Beer” and refers to the old, pre-lager style of brewing this beer: it is brewed with ale yeast but stored at cold, lager-like temperatures for up to eight weeks. I once heard it opined that the only place in the world you can drink true Altbier is in Düsseldorf, where the style originated—other beer purporting to be an Alt doesn’t measure up. Ever since then, I’ve personally considered Altbier to be the modern Holy Grail of (regional) beer.

Al Korzonas in his excellent Homebrewing, Volume 1, describes Altbier thusly:

Düsseldorf-style Altbiers are very malty and intensely hoppy.

Some interpretations are not very fruity in the nose, but most are quite fruity… in both aroma and palate. Malt flavor and aroma are strong, but hop bitterness dominates the palate…. All are medium-bodied, but are still refreshing.

Should you find yourself in Düsseldorf, head down to the Old Town and enjoy an Alt or four at Zum Uerige, of which Michael Jackson writes, “Fashion icons, rock stars, punks, men in suits, old ladies with big hats… everyone in Düsseldorf drinks at Zum Uerige by the river.”

Style links: BeerAdvocate, Wikipedia.

Belgium: Lambic

The one style of beer associated with location more than any other is lambic. The unique combination of wild yeast and bacteria that spontaneously ferments this beer is only found in a small region of Belgium, and it can be rightly argued that the only true lambic experience can be found in the country itself.

And while I covered Lindemans Framboise in Part 2 of this series, I don’t think any such list can be complete without including the straight-from-the-source version. There are actually four different styles of lambics available in Belgium: unblended (traditional), fruit, gueuze, and faro. Outside of the country, the bottled lambic you’ll find most often are the fruit and gueuze varieties; if you want to try the others, a trip to Belgium is in order.

Style links: Unblended, Fruit, Faro, and Gueuze on BeerAdvocate, Wikipedia.

Munich, Germany: Oktoberfest

This is much more an event-driven beer recommendation than for the style (which I already covered in Part 2). But if you’re going to drink an Oktoberfest, than what better place to do it than at the king of beer festivals in Munich? ‘Nuff said.

The Wikipedia Oktoberfest page has the dates for the next nine years—for 2007, it goes from September 22 through October 7. Buy your tickets now!

Burton upon Trent, England: Bitter (and others)

When one thinks of Beer in England, the first place that comes to mind is Burton upon Trent, in Staffordshire. In fact, Burton upon Trent has been associated with the English brewing industry for centuries, largely because of the high quality of water there, which produces excellent beer.

The bitter recommendation here is rather arbitrary, but since there’s no other ale as quintessentially English as a bitter, I went with it. But really, you could go with any local-brewed beer; the English pub experience is as much about the locale as the beer.

If you get there, try the Burton Bridge Brewery—still locally-owned and brewing authentic British ales.

Portland, Oregon: Varied

Like the event-driven Munich recommendation above, this is more of a place-driven recommendation and is not tied to any specific beer. But Portland, Oregon is a beer aficionado’s paradise: home to more breweries than any other city in the country, and possibly the world, Michael Jackson in 1999 considered Portland a contender for the title “Beer Capital of the World.”

Where to start? You might check out The Portland Brew Bus—they offer chartered and scheduled public tours of the brewery scene in Portland:

Our tour bus will take you around Portland to three or four breweries, where you can have samples of 15-25 different fresh beers. Our on-board guide gives a fun, educational tour of Portland, the history of craft brewing, and more.

A very good cross-section of Portland breweries participates.

If you’re looking for more of a “taste of Portland” as far as beer goes, three breweries I would recommend are Widmer (their Gasthaus), BridgePort Brewing, and Hair of the Dog. (Not to slight the many other really good breweries there, but to me these three are very “Portlandy.”) And for a beer? Since this is hop country, go with an IPA—perhaps BridgePort’s signature version.

This week’s theme is German beers. Like the Belgian beer theme a couple of weeks ago, you simply can’t consider the world of beer complete without acknowledging the huge influence Germany has had.

Now, I have to admit that for this bunch, I cheated a little bit. I wanted to cover several of the broad styles of German beers (other styles are touched upon elsewhere in this series), but my knowledge of actual German-from-Germany beers is on the sparse side. So, I relied exclusively on BeerAdvocate and pulled this week’s recommended beers from their top-rated list in those categories.

See also: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10.

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier

A Hefeweizen in the true style: cloudy, yeasty, fruity, spicy with the flavor of banana and cloves. The beer weighs in at 5.4% alcohol, a nice middle ground for a crisp, refreshing wheat beer. The Weihenstephan Brewery is the oldest brewery in the world still in operation today—so I think it goes without saying that they know what they’re doing.

BeerAdvocate score: 91/100, 100% approval.

Reissdorf Kölsch

Kölsch originates from the city of Köln (Cologne) and is characterized by being very light, low in hops and rather dry. It was definitely one of the German styles that I wanted to cover, and while Reissdorf isn’t at the top of the BeerAdvocate list, it had the most reviews which makes it, I think, the most qualified.

At 4.8% alcohol, this light, golden German ale is the perfect session beer.

BeerAdvocate score: 84/100, 94% approval.

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

Rauchbier (smoke beer) is another quintessential German beer style that had to be covered. The Aecht Schlenkerla brewery produces several varieties of Rauchbier, so I went with the one that seemed (to me) to best highlight the style: the Märzen variety. Their own description:

Our dark, bottom fermented speciality since 1678, brewed with Original Schlenkerla Smokemalt from our maltings and tapped according to old tradition directly from the gravity-fed oakwood cask.

Rauchbier is definitely an acquired taste, and certainly not everyone will like it. But everyone should at least try it once.

BeerAdvocate score: 87/100, 95% approval.

Köstritzer Schwarzbier

Schwarzbier means simply “black beer.” They are lighter in body than porters and stouts, nicely hopped, and are often winter-seasonal beers. Not much more to be said; I picked Köstritzer because it’s near the BeerAdvocate top and many of the review comments highly praised it. Go find some.

BeerAdvocate score: 86/100, 97% approval.

Aventinus

A Weizenbock by any other name is, well… a wheat bock. More of a wheat Doppelbock, actually. Another style that is quintessentially German, and Aventinus is at the top of the list. Nice and strong at 8.2% alcohol, the brewer’s description of this beer is:

Dark-ruby, almost black-colored and streaked with fine top-fermenting yeast, this beer has a compact and persistent head. This is a very intense wheat doppelbock with a complex spicy chocolate-like arome with a hint of banana and raisins. On the palate, you experience a soft touch and on the tongue it is very rich and complex, though fresh with a hint of caramel. It finishes in a rich soft and lightly bitter impression.

If you want to treat yourself to a great beer, this is the beer to do it.

BeerAdvocate score: 91/100, 99% approval.

This week’s theme is—roughly—American East Coast. Again, tough choices; I suppose if there’s one brewery I left off of this list, it would be Dogfish Head—but since I covered them (twice even!) in Part 3 (extreme beers), I figured I’m covered.

See also: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

I’ve seen ambivalence and negative reactions towards Samuel Adams and their beers, which I don’t think is entirely warranted. Known more properly as the Boston Beer Company, they were one of the early comers to the craft beer revival in the U.S. with their Boston Lager, which has become their flagship beer.

Introduced in 1985, the beer followed the recipe the great-great-grandfather of Jim Koch, the brewer and founder of the company. It’s a good recipe. Malty and sweet, hoppy, flavorful, and moderate in alcohol (4.9% by volume), it’s a perfect session beer and an American classic.

BeerAdvocate score: 85/100, 97% approval.

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

When you think of New York, you don’t generally think “craft beer.” The Brooklyn Brewery has been doing quite a bit to change that impression.

Going from a moderate session beer like Boston Lager to an Imperial stout like this one is quite a leap; this ale is a whopping 10.1% alcohol, brewed during the winter season. What’s doubly remarkable about this beer is that the rich chocolate flavor comes entirely from the malts—there is no actual chocolate added.

This is a beer you can age for years, and it will only get better.

BeerAdvocate score: 90/100, 98% approval.

Victory Prima Pils

Prima Pils is another beer (like the Saison Dupont I mentioned last week) that has been considered one of the world’s best. (They even say, “This, friends, is what beer should taste like.”) There’s no doubt about it, this is a classic, award-winning beer.

Look for dominating hops here; Michael Jackson writes of this beer in Ultimate Beer:

It has a “fresh sea air” aroma of Saaz hops; almost gritty hop flavors; a lean malt background; and a firm, bitter finish.

BeerAdvocate score: 88/100, 98% approval.

Black Radish Dark Lager

This beer from Weeping Radish Brewery in North Carolina—like all their beers—is brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot, the German Purity Law of 1516. That is, only malt, hops, yeast and water are allowed. Weeping Radish has been brewing German-style beers in this tradition since 1986.

Black Radish is a great example of the Munich Dunkel style—dark, complex, rich, but without the heavy and strong characteristics found in beers like stouts. According to this All About Beer article on Dunkels, Black Radish

has a deep mahogany hue and a slightly more substantial dark malt character than most dunkels. Perfect in palate, texture, balance, and overall character when compared to German varieties. Slightly sweet and malty with a light molasses-like finish. Perfect for watching the waves lick the shore.

BeerAdvocate score: 83/100, 98% approval.

Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

I know Great Lakes Brewing in Ohio isn’t exactly the American east coast, but their Edmund Fitzgerald Porter earns such high marks that I figured I’d call it “close enough” and include it on the list.

By all accounts—and by the large number of awards this beer has earned—this is an outstanding beer, perhaps one of the best American porters being brewed today.

BeerAdvocate score: 91/100, 100% approval.

This week’s theme is Belgian beers. There’s simply no way you could make a list of this sort without acknowledging the presence of Belgium in the beer world; even so this list (like the rest of it) might seem woefully under-represented. And don’t worry, that most Belgian of beers, lambic, is represented elsewhere…

See also: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10.

Saison Dupont

By some accounts, this is the best beer in the world. I’ll just let my review answer that:

I’ll start by saying that I don’t know if this is the best beer in the world… but it’s definitely near the top of the list. It’s a beer that reminds me that no matter how much I think I know about beer, there’s a whole different level I haven’t even reached yet. As it should be.

There’s not much more to say. If there’s only one beer that you try from this entire series, this should be the one.

BeerAdvocate score: 90/100, 98% approval.

Jenlain Original French Ale

Even though the Bière de Garde style originated in Belgium, it’s one that French brewers have adopted and do really well. Synonymous with "French farmhouse ale," it’s name literally means "beer for keeping" and as such was traditionally brewed on the family farm in the winter and kept in storage until the summer months. It that regards it’s similar to the Saison style (which is covered above).

Brasserie Duyck, the brewer of the Jenlain line of ales, has been brewing these beers since 1922. Their Original French Ale is an oft-cited classic example of this style of beer. Look for a lot of complexity, as well as the spices and herbs that exemplify the style.

BeerAdvocate score: 85/100, 96% approval.

St. Bernardus Witbier

The Belgian Witbier style is a wheat beer that is unfiltered and spiced (usually) with coriander and orange peel. It’s sometimes translated as "white beer" as in the eponymous Celis White—and in fact, has become something of a popular style in the United States.

But you really need to go to the source to experience the style. And you’ll find that experience with St. Bernardus.

BeerAdvocate score: 89/100, 99% approval.

Rodenbach Grand Cru

The style known as "Flanders Red Ale"—of which this Grand Cru belongs—is one of the most unusual styles I’ve come across. Of the style, BeerAdvocate says:

They are infamous for their distinct sharp, fruity, sour and tart flavours which are created by special yeast strains. Very complex beers, they are produced under the age old tradition of long-term cask aging in oak, and the blending of young and old beers.

This is one of the top beers of this style. According to their own site, they quote Michael Jackson as saying its "the most refreshing beer in the world." Can you get a better recommendation than that?

BeerAdvocate score: 89/100, 96% approval.

Trappistes Rochefort 8

Personally I think this is one of the best beers to represent the Belgian strong ale class of styles—actually, I think any of the Rochefort series (6, 8 and 10) will do, but I picked this one because I think it finds a good middle ground. At 9.2% alcohol by volume, tread lightly and take time to savor this ale.

BeerAdvocate score: 91/100, 99% approval.

The theme for this week is the United Kingdom: four English beers and one Scottish.

See also: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10.

Young’s Bitter

Possibly nothing screams "English beer" more than a Bitter; this low-alcohol session beer is a staple of the English pub. Though called "bitter," these beers actually vary in bitterness, and are not as bitter as one would expect; a Bitter is simply a moderate-to-low alcohol Pale Ale.

Young’s is a classic offering of the style. Their website says:

Bursting with taste, Young’s Bitter is an easy to drink, refreshing ale with a fresh, fruity aroma that leaves a long, satisfying bitter finish. It is traditionally brewed to deliver a clean taste and is light and dry in flavour with a subtle taste of hops.

Young’s Bitter is a comfortably low 3.7% alcohol, a perfect session beer. So have more than one.

BeerAdvocate score: 85/100, 93% approval.

Fuller’s London Porter

Porter is also quintessentially an English beer, developed during the 18th century in London. In fact, Fuller’s own site provides a great capsule history:

The origins of Porter date back to London in the early nineteenth century, when it was popular to mix two or three beers, usually an old, well-vatted or ‘stale’ brown ale, with a new brown ale and a pale ale. It was time consuming for the publican to pull from three casks for one pint, and so brewers in London tested and produced a new beer, known as ‘entire’, to match the tastes of such mixtures. Using high roasted malts, ‘entire’ was dark, cloudy and hoppy. It was also easily produced in bulk and ideally suited to the soft well-water of London. Very quickly, it became popular amongst the porters working in Billingsgate and Smithfield markets, and gradually, the beer took on the name ‘Porter’, in recognition of its main consumers.

Fuller’s London Porter is probably the best example in the world (hyperbole? Or not?) of this classic style. (I’ll let you in on a secret: I’m basing this bold claim on the fact that it’s the number one beer in the "porter" category on BeerAdvocate.) There’s a lot of good Porters out there—my hometown brewery makes a favorite—but Fuller’s is the one to set the standard.

BeerAdvocate score: 91/100, 100% approval.

Theakston Old Peculier

Old Ales are darker, fuller-bodied ales that accentuate the malt sweetness and alcohol level. Theakston’s Old Peculier is an exemplary sample of the style, malty and buttery (I actually used "buttery" in my review of it here). In fact, I opined that it would be a good session beer, but upon further reflection, a 5.6% alcohol ale is probably not the best to be drinking for a session beer.

BeerAdvocate score: 87/100, 97% approval.

Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale

Samuel Smith brews a lot of good ales, and the one I finally settled on was their Nut Brown Ale. A Brown Ale is another well-established English style, and while many might point to Newcastle Brown Ale as the prototypical English Brown—it’s certainly more well-known—it just doesn’t hold a candle to this version.

And at only 5% alcohol, this (like the Bitter) makes for an excellent session beer—a little on the high side, but not overwhelming. And it may well be that you won’t be able to drink just one, as it is.

BeerAdvocate score: 87/100, 98% approval.

Orkney SkullSplitter

When I think of Scottish beers, the first style that pops to mind is Wee Heavy. A Wee Heavy is sort of a Scottish barleywine; big sweet roasty malty brews with high alcohol to warm you through the chill Scottish nights.

SkullSplitter is a superb example of this style. Plus, it has a big Viking on the label, and it’s called SkullSplitter—if that’s not a good reason to drink a beer, I don’t know what is.

BeerAdvocate score: 88/100, 99% approval.