The Top 10 Best Breweries of 2009

Every year breweries around the world compete to produce the best beers, win loyal customers, and be considered the best brewery in the world. As a result, every year it becomes more difficult to pick the best domestic beers and the best international breweries . Luckily there are Certified Beer Judges at domestic and international beer festivals to help beer enthusiasts find the top 10 beers and the best breweries of 2009.

In 2009, thousands of the best beers domestic and international were judged at the Great American Beer Festival, the Great British Beer Festival, and the biennial World Beer Cup in 2008. The best beers of competing breweries emerged as did the top breweries producing the best beers of 2009. Beer enthusiasts will agree that the following list of breweries are quite possibly the top 10 breweries for 2009.

Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick , MD

http://www.flyingdogales.com/

Flying Dog started in 1990 in Aspen, CO as Flying Dog Brewpub. As the popularity of their beers increased so did demand. Flying Dog expanded and then expanded again in 1994 into brewery space in Denver, CO. In 2008, its entire beer production was moved to its new Frederick, MD facility. At the 2009 Great American Beer Festival, Flying Dog won three Gold Medals and one Silver Medal for its top beers.

Gonzo Imperial Porter - A 2009 GABF Gold Medal winner. This Imperial Stout is named in honor of Aspen legend Hunter S. Thompson. It's A dark brown /black beer with a complex mixture of aromas. Notes of caramel, roasted malt, nuts, hops, dark chocolate, and dark fruit. Tastes are a well-balanced mixture of heavy roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate, slight sweetness, with a not overly bitter hop finish. It's the best beer for a cold winter night.

Dogtoberfest Marzen - A 2009 GABF Gold Medal winner. While this beer is labelled as an Oktoberfest beer, it is a clear dark copper colored beer. Aromas of caramel, malt, and nuts. Flavors of heavy malt, very sweet, hints of toffee & vanilla, long bitter finish.

Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen, Bellingham, WA

http://www.chuckanutbreweryandkitchen.com/

The owners of Chuckanut Brewery have been producing top craft beers domestically and internationally since 1984. At the 2009 Great American Beer Festival their Chuckanut Brewery won Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year Award along with two Gold Medals and two Silver Medals. It is one of the best US breweries.

Dunkel - 2009 GABF Gold Medal winner. Dark brown beer with caramel aromas. Tastes of toasted malts, nuts, and slightly sweet. Great with bratwurst.

Vienna Lager - 2009 GABF Gold Medal winner. A clear gold medium to light-bodied beer with aromas of toasted caramel. It has a malty sweet flavor with a taste of nuts. A smooth beer with a dry finish.

Pizza Port Brewing Company, Carlsbad, CA

http://www.pizzaport.com/carlsbad.htm

Pizza Port opened its Carlsbad location in 1997, five years after opening its Solana Beach location. It immediately started producing some of the best beers in the world. At the 2009 Great American Beer Festival it won Large Brewpub of the Year, Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year, four Gold Medals, a Silver Medal, and two Bronze Medals. If you've sampled their wares at their brewpub or at GABF, there's no mystery why they won these awards.

Revelations Belgian Gold - 2009 GABF Gold Medal winner. A Belgian-style strong pale ale. A very tasty medium-bodied beer. Nice banana aroma with banana and fuit flavors. Hints of coriander and butter in this very yeasty brew. Smooth finish and slightly sweet. Best tasted on tap.

Beech Street Bitter - 2009 GABF Gold Medal winner. A medium-bodied beer with aromas of caramel and toasted malt. Complex flavor combinations. Initially tastes of sweet toasted caramel with notes of citrus and grass. Ends with medium hoppy bitterness and fruit flavors of peach, pineapple, and tangerines.

Dry Dock Brewing Company, Aurora, CO

http://www.drydockbrewing.com/

Dry Dock Brewing Company was founded in Aurora, CO in October of 2005. They didn't waste any time producing some of the best beers in the US. At the 2009 Great American Beer Festival, Dry Dock won the Small Brewing Company of the Year Award and Small Company Brewer of the Year Award. Their top beers won a Gold Medal and two Silvers Medals at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival.

Bismark Alt - 2009 GABF Gold Medal winner. A medium-bodied hybrid amber ale. It has caramel flavors and a touch of apricot fruitiness. Slightly bitter but smooth malty finish. Best tasted on tap at the brewery tasting room.

U-Boat Hefeweizen - 2009 GABF Silver Medal winner. A traditional German wheat beer. This is a medium-bodied beer with lots of banana and a hint of clove. Classic cloudy wheat beer with yeast and a hint of citrus. Very smooth finish. You may finding yourself drinking several pints of this hefe. Great in summer with pasta and seafood.

Springfield Brewing Company, Springfield, MO

http://www.springfieldbrewingco.com/

Mueller Ales & Lagers

Founded in 1997 by Paul Mueller Company, Springfield Brewing Company is one of the rare US breweries that is owned and operated by a brewery equipment fabrication company. Operating as a pub and restaurant in Springfield, MO they produce an impressive lineup of craft beer. This top brewery is an absolute must-visit for any beer enthusiast.

Mueller Unfiltered Wheat - Their best-selling beer and a Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal in 2003 & Bronze Medal in 2006. This beer contains everything a unfiltered wheat beer enthusiast could hope for. This light-bodied beer smells of bananas and coriander. The banana and coriander flavors are nicely balanced without overpowering your taste buds. I detected a hint of clove. The perfect refreshment on a hot summer day. Matches well with pasta and seafood dishes.

AB InBev, Leuven, Belgium

http://www.ab-inbev.com/

AB InBev is a global brewer of nearly 300 brands of beer around the world. It's beer brewing roots trace back 1366 with the Den Horen brewery in Leuven, Belgium. This top brewery now produces the top beers in over 25 countries around the globe.

Hoegaarden - World Beer Cup Gold Medal winner in 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008. The record speaks for itself. It's the best Belgian wit beer of the past decade. First brewed in 1445, Hoegaarden is the original Belgian white beer. It's a light-bodied cloudy unfiltered wit beer with strong aromas of coriander. It tastes of coriander, orange, and a hint of clove. Best served from the tap. If you love yeast, gently swirl bottles to resuspend the yeast. A refreshing beer anytime of the year. One of the best beers of 2009.

Privatbrauerei Hoepfner GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany

http://www.hoepfner.de/

Privatbrauerei Hoepfner is a regional brewery founded in Karlsruhe, Germany in 1798. Today, it is one of the oldest breweries still operating in Karlsruhe. At the 2008 World Beer Cup it was selected as the Mid-Size Brewing Company Champion Brewery.

Hoepfner Kräusen - A 2008 World Beer Cup Gold Medal winner. An unfiltered beer that smells of wheat and hops. Flavors of yeast, light malt, with hints of orange and hops. Dry, light bitter finish. Great with pasta and seafood. Still a top beer of 2009.

Hoepfner Maibock - A 2008 World Beer Cup Gold Medal beer. A clear gold colored medium-bodied maibock beer. Aromas of sweet malt, herbs, and grain. Flavor is malty, sweet, lightly grainy with a slightly hoppy bitter finish.

Port Brewing Company and The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA

http://www.portbrewing.com/

http://www.lostabbey.com/

In 2005 the owners of Pizza Port bought the former Stone Brewing Co. facility and formed a new brewing entity. The new brewery facility immediately started producing larger quatities of Pizza Port's best beers. Within this expansion, an entirely new brewery entity called The Lost Abbey was formed as a nod to Belgian Abbey-Style Ales.

The Lost Abbey began producing Belgian-style ales under the direction of Head Brewer Tomme Arthur in 1997. In 2008 The Lost Abbey won the World Beer Cup Champion Brewery Small Brewing Company Category and in 2009 won two GABF Gold Medals. Truly one of the best breweries in the world in 2009.

Cuvee de Tomme - 2008 World Beer Cup Gold Medal winner. A Belgian-style strong ale brewed with several sugar sources, oak, sour cherries, and three strains of wild yeast. Aromas of sour cherry and wood. Flavor is tart, lots of cherries and nice sweetness. Full-bodied, smooth with a long finish. Best served chilled but not overly cold.

Red Poppy - 2008 World Beer Cup Silver Medal winner. A reddish-brown sour ale brewed from a brown ale base. Aromas of sour cherries and light wood. Flavor is sour cherries throughout with notes of berries, plum, and lemon. Starts with acid flavor and mellows with a tart finish. You may find yourself drinking this top beer repeatedly.

Carnevale - 2009 GABF Gold Medal winner. Saison style beer. A bubbling clear gold beer spiked with Brett. Aromas of lemon, grass, yeast, fruit sweetness, wheat, brett, and pepper. Flavor starts with lemon and yeast with flavors of coriander, bananas, and citrus at the finish. Smooth, light bitter finish. Very sweet.

Duck Duck Gooze - 2009 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal winner. A limited release sour ale blended from young and old barrel aged beers. Hazy gold colored beer. Aroma is tart, lemons, grass, and maybe a hint of grape. Flavors of lemon, grass, and very acidic. A sour beer from start to finish. A best beer of 2009.

Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR

http://www.pelicanbrewery.com/

Pelican Pub & Brewery opened on May 4, 1996 as an oceanfront microbrewery. It quickly began producing awarding winning beers. In 1998 they won their first Great American Beer Festival medals. They've continued to win GABF medals with two Silver Medals in 2009 and a World Beer Cup Gold Medal in 2008. In 2008 they also won the World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery Large Brewpub Category. A top brewery of 2009.

Doryman's Dark Ale - 2008 World Beer Cup Gold Medal beer. A clear dark red color with complex aromas and flavors. It has heavy malty aroma with suggestions of chocolate, caramel, and pine. Flavors initially are of roasted malt and chocolately caramel. It has a light roasted chocolate with light bitter finish.

Kiwanda Cream Ale - A 2009 GABF Silver Medal winning beer. A pale gold colored beer with a light to medium body. It has aromas of light hops, corn, citrus, and light yeast. Flavors of corn, light citrus, and bread. Citrus finish.

Surfer's Summer Ale - A 2009 GABF Silver Medal winning beer. A summer seasonal beer with a clear gold color. It has aromas of floral malt, hops, and lemons. Tastes of citrus, light grains, fruit, and bread. Has a sweet, light bitter finish.

Bend Brewing Company, Bend, OR

http://www.bendbrewingco.com/

Bend Brewing Company opened its doors in Bend, OR in February of 1995. It quickly became a local's favorite and started producing award-winning craft beer. It's now one of the top breweries in the US. In 2008, it won the World Beer Cup Champion Brewery Small Brewpub Category. At the 2009 Great American Beer Festival it won a Silver Medal. Many of it beers have won awards and are considered top beers.

Outback X - A 2009 GABF Silver Medal winning beer. A hazy amber colored beer with fruity, sweet malty aromas. Flavors of caramel sweetness, fruit, and nuts. A medium-bodied beer with a light bitter finish.

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