Beer in 2008: A New Year’s Resolution, Part One

5 beers I need to try in 2008:

1. St. Bernardus Abt 12

I know, it’s a damn shame I haven’t gotten around to trying this brew yet; but that’s why its on the list! This way 2008 won’t end without some progress made… According to the St. Bernardus website, Abt 12 is,

the absolute top quality in the hierarchy of the St. Bernardus beers. It is also the beer with the highest alcohol content (10.50 %). A dark ivory coloured beer with a high fermentation. The show piece of the brewery. Thanks to its soft and unconditionally genuine aroma, the beer can be smoothly tasted. The Abt has a very fruity flavour.

2. Stone Brewing Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale is, quite simply, Stone Brewing’s Arrogant Bastard Ale aged on a bed of oak chips (available for the first time in 12 oz bottles). It sounds, in a word, delicious. And, along the same lines,

3. Stone Brewing Double Bastard Ale

Stone says of its Double Bastard Ale:

This is a lacerative muther of a beer. The evil big brother of Arrogant Bastard Ale. It is strongly suggested you stay far, far away from this beer. Those foolish enough to venture close enough to taste will experience a punishingly unforgiving assault on the palate. ‘Course there’s always the masochists…

4. Samuel Adams Utopias

Utopias is made with caramel, Vienna, Moravian and Bavarian smoked malts, and all four varieties of noble hops: Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Tettnanger, Spalter, and Saaz. The beer is aged in scotch, cognac and port barrels for the better part of a year. It is described as having a “distinctive smell of cinnamon and vanilla with subtle hints of floral, citrus and pine.”

Utopias has an ABV of 27% and, Due to legal restrictions, is not offered in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, or West Virginia. It retails for more than $100 for a 24-oz bottle but hey – a guy can dream, right?

5. Alaskan Brewing Co.’s Alaskan Smoked Porter

One of the of the most award-winning beers in the history of the Great American Beer Festival, Alaskan Smoked Porter is another brew that will be really tough for me to get my hands on here on the East Coast but I would love to give it a try. According to the brewery’s website,

The dark, robust body and pronounced smoky flavor of this limited edition beer make it an adventuresome taste experience. Alaskan Smoked porter is produced in limited “vintages” each year and unlike most beers, may be aged in the bottle much like fine wine.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Beer in 2008: A New Years Resolution, coming tomorrow!