February and March were jam-packed months for me with the height of college basketball season, Queen City Brewers Festival, Brewsology, 3 bottle shares, and trips to Puerto Rico, Greer, and Wilmington for Feast! Over the course of all of those adventures I tried 189 beers in February and March, and here were the best of the best:
Lunar Handshake from Lesser-Known Beer Co in Winston-Salem, NC
Lunar Handshake is a Czech-inspired Dark Lager open fermented and conditioned for five weeks. A visit to Lesser-Known is always full of stellar beers, and Lunar Handshake certainly blew me away.
Yodel: Riwaka; Primordia 3; Signet: Gin from Freak Folk Bier in Waterbury, VT
In January’s top beers post I said I couldn’t wait to see what came next in Freak Folk’s new single hop Yodel series, and the next version absolutely lived up to the hype! Yodel: Riwaka is a double dry-hopped double IPA with all Riwaka hops. Primordia 3 is an ale fermented in oak puncheons with mixed culture that was brewed in January 2021. Signet: Gin is a mixed culture bier aged for 18 months in Tom Cat gin barrels and conditioned on marigolds. Freak Folk continues to absolutely crush it!
Bring the Ruckley (2024) from Transient Artisan Ales in Bridgman, MI
Bring the Ruckley is an Imperial Stout aged in Eastern Kille Rye Whiskey barrels with vanilla, Tugboat coffee and Michigan maple syrup. Transient is a fantastic brewery for Stout lovers and continues to impress.
Abiding Cycles from Sante Adairius Rustic Ales in Capitola, CA
Abiding Cycles is a barrel aged Saison with fresh pressed pear juice. If you’ve been around here for a while you know I love a pear Saison, so it was no surprise that this SARA brew was absolutely phenomenal!
Nelson Sauvin Cutting Tiles from Trillium Brewing Company in Boston, MA
The Cutting Tiles series from Trillium has definitely made my top beer lists before, and when Pop The Top had this new Nelson Sauvin version on tap I knew I needed to try it! This is a Double IPA with raw wildflower honey.
Brew 6000 (2022) from Fremont Brewing in Seattle, WA
Brew 6000 is an English-Style Barleywine Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels. Fremont used to be all the hype in the dark beer game, but you haven’t heard much excitement around them as of late. Brew 6000 was a good reminder of just how fantastic their beers can be.
Amburana and Vanilla Bourbon Barrel Temple of Minerva from Jackie O’s Brewery in Athens, OH
This brew is an Imperial Stout aged for 20 months in bourbon barrels and conditioned on Amburana wood and vanilla beans. I wasn’t quite sure what to make out of a beer with Amburana wood but of course Jackie O’s created another banger. This was a remarkable brew and I can’t wait to try my coconut version of it!
Ammo Can: Double Coconut and February Drill Double Barrel Maple Leaf 2025 from Forgotten Road Ales in Graham, NC
Ammo Can: Double Coconut is an Imperial Stout loaded with delicious coconut. February Drill Down Barrel Maple Leaf 2025 is a Barleywine-style Ale aged 25 months in 15 year old bourbon barrels then aged and additional 4 months in American single malt barrels with maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon. I enjoyed both of these delicious beers at the Brewsology festival and look forward to my next visit up to FRA!
Triple Rose from Fidens Brewing Company in Albany, NY
Triple Rose is a Triple IPA with Citra and Galaxy hops. A delicious Fidens Triple? Color me shocked.
