It’s the first Friday of the month in the beer blogging world and that means it’s time for The Session! Today beer writers and bloggers across the web will partake in the group writing effort, all on a common theme—so it’s the same, but different.

This month also marks the 21st Session—making it "legal"!

The topic this month comes from A World of Brews: What’s your favorite beer and why?

Before you say I don’t have a favorite beer or how do I pick just one. I say BS everyone has a favorite. There will always be a beer that you would grab above all others, your go to beer per say. The one beer you will almost always choose over the others. When I get asked that question I almost always say I don’t have one but then when I came up with this topic I realized I did and I know you do too.

I would like to take this topic one step farther for purely selfish reasons. I am trying to do better reviews on beers that I drink and I would like to see how other rate and review their beers. So put on your BJCP hat and Review and Rate your Favorite Beer.

The classic answer to this question—possibly first put forth by Charlie Papazian (even before he wrote this), but that’s entirely apocryphal on my end—is, "the beer I’m currently drinking." I may not go quite that far, but honestly, at the risk of sounding like a copout, I don’t have any one favorite beer.

I really don’t; what I choose "over all others" depends on my mood, [seasonal] availability, whether it’s new—things like that. That is, for beers X, Y, Z, I never always pick beer Y; sometimes I feel like X, sometimes Y, sometimes Z.

Don’t worry, I do have favorites (plural) that I will strongly agitate for. But asking me to pick my very favorite? I don’t think I can.

• Deschutes Brewery‘s The Abyss is definitely near the top of that list, to no one’s surprise. Read my review here.
• Alaskan Smoked Porter is pretty sublime. Here’s my review.
• When it comes to winter/Christmas seasonals, Deschutes’ Jubelale has a pretty strong showing (review). But I also really like Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale—it’s a true American classic (review).
• Saison Dupont has variously (and rightly) been called one of the best beers in the world. Believe it.
• I’ve talked up Rogue’s Shakespeare Stout enough times that it rightfully belongs on this list. Review.
• Regular readers know I have an affinity for pumpkin beers, and fresh hop beers. I don’t know if they’re favorites, per se, but I will make the effort for them if they’re available.

But I still like the answer: The beer I’m currently drinking.