Beers of the Year 2016

As the dust settles on 2016 I can reflect on not only a great year of beer discovery but also the first five months of this blogging project.

There have been some unquestionable successes (my beer exposure is increasing every day) as well as some areas where my focus has been lacking (there has been far more beers than barbells!).

In this review I have shortlisted the nine beers that I have enjoyed the most this year; they may not all be ales that have been first released this year but all are beers that I have been reviewed in that period.

There is no specific order to these with the exception of the last one which is my beer of the year.

So without further ado, please put your hands together for the South Coast Barbells and Beers 'Best Beers of 2016.'

Yellow Belly by Buxton & Ominipollo

A beer where as far as I'm concerned, the hype was well justified. An absolute monster of a peanut butter biscuit stout that is amazingly well balanced. Superb.

Click here for my full review

Black Chocolate Stout by Brooklyn Brewery

Unashamedly boozy and like swigging a luxurious Irish hot chocolate, a perfect autumnal drink.

Click here for my full review

Crème Brule by Dark Star

Genuinely like a desert in a can, boozy but with lovely vanilla, coffee, sugar and toffee notes. An outstanding stout.

Click here for my full review

Imperial Biscotti Break by Evil Twin

My first experience of Evil Twin brewing and it blew me away. So much boozy flavour packed into one can!

Click here for my full review

Kraken by Time and Tide

A wonderful coffee stout, Kraken was a revelation. Created using cold brew coffee, this was like drinking a flat white.

Click here for my full review

Spresso by Beavertown

Just one of a number of great beers by Beavertown that I have sampled this year, Spresso is very good coffee stout.

Click here for my full review

Broken Dreams by Siren

Siren have made some amazing beers in 2016 and nearly had at least two more in this list. Broken Dreams is an unctuous breakfast stout which is almost like liquid tiramisu.

Click here for my full review

Heavy Artillery by Southsea Brewing

This was so close to being my beer of the year! I sampled this in the same week as I first tried a Cloudwater DIPA (V9) and it's my opinion that Heavy Artillery is just as good. This really is an outstanding beer.

Click here to see my full review

Beer of the Year - Double Heathen by Northern Monk

With the world going crazy for East Coast USA Double IPAs it's comforting to know that UK breweries are more than holding their own. Northern Monk absolutely smashed it this year and in Double Heathen they created a juicy hoppy masterpiece.

Click here to see my full review