# Hottest 100 Beers of 2014



## kevo (26/1/15)

Voted on by someone...some interesting trends perhaps...

At first glance looks like people may be steering away from hop monsters...?

Worth a look.

http://craftypint.com/news/946/Hottest_100_of_2014_The_Breakdown


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## barls (26/1/15)

one and two have been the same for 3 years now.


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## anthonyUK (27/1/15)

I think the hop monsters will decline this year and Saisons will become more popular for no other reason than 'it's different'.
Saisons are also fairly simple from an ingredients and production perspective.


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## mje1980 (27/1/15)

Who wants to drink hot beers?


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## Weizguy (27/1/15)

Shame that Murrays is not doing well, with only one entry.


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## Yob (27/1/15)

kevo said:


> At first glance looks like people may be steering away from hop monsters...?


Philistines 

Over the last 12 months I'd have to say that Ive enjoyed greater variety in styles than I ever have.


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## heyhey (27/1/15)

anthonyUK said:


> I think the hop monsters will decline this year and Saisons will become more popular for no other reason than 'it's different'.
> Saisons are also fairly simple from an ingredients and production perspective.


I agree there will be an increase in Saisons, but I think people still seem to vote the most flavoursome beer, not really the best drinking beer (hence the lack of lagers).


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## Dave70 (27/1/15)

'Session ales' (drops into Ricky Gevais type impersonation) 
"Come on, thats not really a _style_, is it'



*MOST POPULAR STYLES* (previous years figures in brackets – 2013 / 2012)

Pale Ale – 20 (20 / 21)
IPA – 18 (26 / 21)
*Session Ales – 14 (10 / 5)**
Red / Amber Ales – 7 (6 / 6)
Red IPA / India Red Ales – 6 (0 / 0)
Double / Imperial IPA – 5 (3 / 4)
Specialty (fruit, spice, flavoured) – 4 (1 / 2)
Imperial Stout - 4 (7 / 1)


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## nvs-brews (27/1/15)

was watching this pretty much live yesterday...
got a couple to get in.. but yeah not my style so much..

my top beer for last year was Nail Imperial porter & Feral Boris..
Shame they didnt make it..

******* so many IPA's and pales.. my pallet has gone right of them of late.. was never a massive hop fiend but though i would give them another crack for a year or so... back the more malt driven beers i go


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## Killer Brew (27/1/15)

Good to see Prancing Pony get a couple in, have been loving their work. Many on there I haven't tried as it is very difficult to get my hands on in Adelaide (click on the bottleshop tab of that link to get an indication!)

I haven't even been able to find an example of a saison to try side by side with the one I'm brewing. May have to "import" from the east coast!


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## anthonyUK (27/1/15)

Killer Brew said:


> I haven't even been able to find an example of a saison to try side by side with the one I'm brewing. May have to "import" from the east coast!


My baseline for general beer acceptance is when you start seeing that type in the supermarket.
In UK supermarkets you'll have no problem finding a range of IPAs from Sierra Nevada, Brewdog etc but as yet no Saisons, not even in Waitrose or M&S which are usually ahead of the curve.
With a lot of the smaller breweries having a saison 'style' available it is only a matter of time.


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## Spiesy (28/1/15)

I thought 4 Pines Pale Ale was an amazing beer when I first tried it, but for the majority of 2014 it was incredibly ordinary, in the bottled variety, despite popping up everywhere.


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## Vanners (28/1/15)

Spiesy said:


> I thought 4 Pines Pale Ale was an amazing beer when I first tried it, but for the majority of 2014 it was incredibly ordinary, in the bottled variety, despite popping up everywhere.


Yeah I've noticed the same thing. 

I'll think you'll find they have moved the bottled stuff to contract brewing. Which may explain why it is now everywhere but also why the quality has dropped.


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## pat_00 (28/1/15)

I agree on the 4pines PA. Used to be awesome, now I reckon they have cut back on the amarillo.


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## motch02 (28/1/15)

What is craft beer? Cooper & Little Creatures, Matilda Bay? Surely if you have an enterprise behind you, you aren't exactly craft just for adding a couple of hops to your beer


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## NewtownClown (28/1/15)

motch02 said:


> What is craft beer? Cooper & Little Creatures, Matilda Bay? Surely if you have an enterprise behind you, you aren't exactly craft just for adding a couple of hops to your beer


 The question you really are asking is "What is an Australian Craft Brewer".
It too nearly a year for the CBIA to define one as _"...being a brewer, based in Australia, producing less than 40 million litres of beer per annum."_


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## JB (28/1/15)

Spiesy said:


> I thought 4 Pines Pale Ale was an amazing beer when I first tried it, but for the majority of 2014 it was incredibly ordinary, in the bottled variety, despite popping up everywhere.





motch02 said:


> What is craft beer? Cooper & Little Creatures, Matilda Bay? Surely if you have an enterprise behind you, you aren't exactly craft just for adding a couple of hops to your beer


I gotta agree with both these points.


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## droid (28/1/15)

interesting, I see the delmont is a new entry, coming in as a big APA style it will be interesting to see if the timing turns out bad, considering the comments about the possible/inevitable decline in hoppy beers, we will see

How about the numbers? I would have guessed NSW to be highest but nearly half of VIC .... and poor old Tassie, what's going on down there?

If everyone keeps banging on about these saisons on the forums then old and new Brewers alike will no doubt try their hands...

Is it time for this more discerning palate? Perhaps

Well I'm not getting off the delmont train, I hope it moves up next year ~ I eff n love the stuff


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## BrewedCrudeandBitter (29/1/15)

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Tasmanian beers. Seven Sheds, Van Diemans, Two Metre Tall etc produce some truly great beers. The problem for them I imagine is being able to get those beers to the capital cities on a regular basis. 

Remember it's still a popularity contest.


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## droid (29/1/15)

I was referring to representation from tassie not the quality of the beer but yes


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## Bribie G (29/1/15)

Les the Weizguy said:


> Shame that Murrays is not doing well, with only one entry.


I love Murray's Whale Ale (or at least when I last tried it) but find their other offerings a bit meh. Kolsch and Pilsner I can take or leave.

And yes I've been to the brewery where I sampled a fair range with Schoey (he was driving) and also to their dedicated pub when it was in Manly.


edit: as to the comment earlier about lack of lagers, I've yet to come across an Aussie Craft brewery that can crank out anything approaching the quality of a German or Czech Pils .. they just don't seem to get it right and I guess with the typical craft equipment, tying up lagering tanks for two months just isn't possible with their business models.
Nearest I've come across was a Balmain lager but even that had a bit of chill haze happening.

edit edit: sorry, yes I'd have to give a gong to the original Bluetooth before Coca Cola got it's hands on it.


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## Weizguy (29/1/15)

Bribie G said:


> I love Murray's Whale Ale (or at least when I last tried it) but find their other offerings a bit meh. Kolsch and Pilsner I can take or leave.
> 
> And yes I've been to the brewery where I sampled a fair range with Schoey (he was driving) and also to their dedicated pub when it was in Manly.
> 
> ...


Bluetongue?

I heard that they changed the yeast, and started using the MGD yeast, as they were brewing it onsite too.

Yes, I liked that Bluetongue Pils, but not at the price. I make my own beer and generally can't come at commercial beer prices. YMMV.


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## Spiesy (29/1/15)

Bribie G said:


> edit: as to the comment earlier about lack of lagers, I've yet to come across an Aussie Craft brewery that can crank out anything approaching the quality of a German or Czech Pils .. they just don't seem to get it right and I guess with the typical craft equipment, tying up lagering tanks for two months just isn't possible with their business models.
> Nearest I've come across was a Balmain lager but even that had a bit of chill haze happening.


I quite like Pike's Pilsner.


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## Spiesy (29/1/15)

Les the Weizguy said:


> Bluetongue?
> 
> I heard that they changed the yeast, and started using the MGD yeast, as they were brewing it onsite too.
> 
> Yes, I liked that Bluetongue Pils, but not at the price. I make my own beer and generally can't come at commercial beer prices. YMMV.


I got a case of that for free from the brother in law, and gave it away. Tasted like licking the back of a stamp :blink:


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## heyhey (29/1/15)

BrewedCrudeandBitter said:


> There is absolutely nothing wrong with Tasmanian beers. Seven Sheds, Van Diemans, Two Metre Tall etc produce some truly great beers. The problem for them I imagine is being able to get those beers to the capital cities on a regular basis.
> 
> Remember it's still a popularity contest.


On a recent tour of Tassie, I had all of those, plus a few more (Launceston Beer Fest was on). Unfortunately, Tassie doesn't produce beer better than other states. They may have good breweries, but they're not great or even top of the range. I rate them around the same as SA (I'm not a fan of Coopers and have had very little SA beer otherwise) down the bottom of my list.

Plus Tassie has that dreadfully rubbish Ironhouse Brewery that shames the state and craft brewing.


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