This marks the first in a three-part line of year-end posts. Today’s will focus on the most alluring ghosts of new beers past from 2015. Each year, I have the pleasure (the honor, actually) of sampling literally hundreds of beers from San Diego-based breweries. The following are the 50 that were most memorable for their great flavors, aromas, textures and, in some cases, their adventurousness (but only when creatively daring pursuits paid successful dividends for imbibers). Surely your list varies as no two beer fiends’ palates are alike. But this isn’t about being right…it’s about being comprehensive, so pile on your favorite new beers of 2015 in the Comments section so others can benefit from your guidance. Happy drinking and God bless us, everyone!
Hoppy Beers
- Abnormal Debut IPA
- Bagby Grief Counselor (strong pale ale)
- Bagby Dinkus (imperial IPA)
- Bay City Session IPA
- Bay City Coffee Pale Ale
- Benchmark Hildegard Triple IPA
- Coronado Stingray IPA
- Duck Foot Double White IPA
- Green Flash Passion Fruit Kicker (partially wine barrel-aged, dry-hopped white IPA w/Brettanomyces & passion fruit)
- The Hop Concept Hop Freshener Series Citrus & Piney IPA
- Monkey Paw Gibbon Back (double IPA)
- New English Two Legit Double IPA
- Nickel My Way Fresh Hop IPA
- Rip Current Deep Crimson Imperial Red Rye
- Societe The Coachman (session IPA)
- Stone 19th Anniversary Thunderstruck IPA
- Stone Delicious IPA
- Stone Enjoy By Black IPA
- URBN St. Jumbo Double IPA
Dark & Roasty Beers
- Abnormal Full Pint Breakfast Porter (oatmeal porter w/coffee & maple syrup)
- AleSmith Hawaiian Speedway Stout (imperial coffee stout w/vanilla & coconut)
- Ballast Point Oompa Lupus (imperial milk stout w/chocolate, chilies & orange)
- Fall 2AM Bike Ride (stout w/coffee & vanilla)
- Half Door Coleman’s Stout (dry Irish-style stout)
- Second Chance Tabula Rasa (black porter)
- South Park Scripps Pier Oyster Stout
Belgian-style Beers
- AleSmith Noël (Belgian-style Christmas ale)
- Fallbrook Homegrown Saison (saison w/grapefruit, orange, lemon, prickly pear & avocado honey)
- The Lost Abbey My Black Parade (barrel-aged, Belgian-style dark strong ale w/cacao nibs, cinnamon, dried chilies & vanilla)
- Nickel Double Dubbel Animal-Style (rum barrel-aged Belgian-style quadrupel)
- Pizza Port Saisian Persuasion (Belgian-style saison w/yuzu, lemongrass, ginger & green peppercorns)
- Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station Rainbow Triplin’ (Belgian-style tripel w/strawberries, oranges, lemons, limes & grapes)
Sour Beers
- Alpine Kiwi Herman (kiwi sour ale)
- Council Imperial Béatitude (tart saison w/peaches & nectarines)
- Green Flash Cellar 3 Natura Morta w/Cranberries (barrel-aged sour ale w/cranberries)
- The Lost Abbey Churchill’s Finest Sour 2015 (barrel-aged sour ale)
- The Lost Abbey Veritas 015 (barrel-aged sour ale w/apricots, nectarines & peaches)
- Monkey Paw Yeast Farmer Tart Pomegranate Saison
- Societe The Thief (barrel-aged sour ale)
- Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station Gose Gose Gadget (gose w/coriander & smoked sea salt)
- Toolbox Purple Drink (boysenberry sour ale)
- Toolbox X Lupus (blueberry sour Brett beer)
Other Styles
- Bolt Donator Doppelbock
- Coronado Seacoast Pilsner
- Fall Plenty For All (pilsner/California common hybrid)
- Fallbrook Lupus Has Left The Building (peanut butter hefeweizen)
- Guadalupe El Vanillo (vanilla cream ale)
- Half Door Extra Extra Special Bitter (imperial ESB)
- Rip Current Delaminator (smoked doppelbock)
- Rough Draft Pinot Noir Barrel-Aged Wheat Wine