Top 5 of '09 Finale

“They are nothing but cheap, lazy, pandering journalism.”

-Ian, PortlandBeer.org (regarding “best of” lists)

Okay, so there’s some truth in that, but we promised our final 5 of 2009. Thanks to all of you who chimed in with your faves of the past year. And, what a year it was.

In some ways, 2009 seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, and in others, it seems that events in the earlier part of 2009 happened eons ago. Taking this into account, our final lists might be somewhat myopic. After all, there were a lot of great memories and delicious brews. Here’s our lists before we change our minds:

Margaret’s Top 5 of 2009

In no particular order

Caldera Rose Pedal Imperial Golden Ale

Schneider Hopfen-Weiss

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA

New Glarus Belgian Red

Alaskan Baltic Porter

Angelo’s Top 5 of 2009

In no particular order

The Bruery Hottenroth Berliner-Weiss

Barley Brown’s Roadside Fresh Hop IPA

Cascade Five Thread

Upright Five

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

Our Honorable Mentions: Snipes Mountain Harvest Ale, Cascade Bourbonic Plague, Cascade Sang Noir, New Belgium Tart Lychee, Goose Island Sofie, New Glarus Berliner-Weiss, Double Mountain Devil’s Kriek, Lucky Lab Pavlov Imperial Porter, BridgePort Hop Czar, Alameda Yellow Wolf, Hopworks Bourbon DOA, 21st Amendment Back In Black, Russian River Temptation, Lagunita’s Hop Stoopid (cask), Deschutes Fresh Hop Mirror Pond, Full Sail Pleine Voile, Pelican Tsunami Stout, Pelican Storm Watcher, Upright Four, Lucky Lab Bourbon Barrel-aged Irish Red, New Old Lompoc Cherry Flechter, New Old Lompoc Barrel Fermented Centennial IPA, Lucky Lab Super Dog, Speakeasy Big Daddy IPA, Alameda Papa Noel Moonlight Reserve, Caldera Ginger Ale, Standing Stone Wet-hop Amber, McMenamins Roseburg Station Hopqua Fresh Hop Pale, Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA, Deschutes Cinder Cone Red, Firestone-Walker Union Jack IPA, Firestone-Walker XIII, Terminal Gravity Festive Ale, Dogfish Head Peche, Dieu du Ciel! La Solstice d’hiver Barleywine, Oakshire Overcast Espresso Stout, Deschutes Black Butte XXI, Lazy Boy Misteltoe Bliss (special spiced barrel), New Glarus Cracked Wheat, Laurelwood Vinter Varmer, Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws, Barley Browns WTO IPA, Fort George XVI Chapel, Cascade Summer Gose, Double Mountain Bohemian Pilsner, Beer Valley Gone Fishin’, Full Sail Wassail, Bear Republic Clobber Skull, Hair of the Dog Fred From the Wood, MacTarnahans Amber Ale, BridgePort Highland Ambush, Widmer ’10, Big Horse MacStallion Scotch Ale, Snipes Mountain Coyote Moon Brown, Pelican Heifer Weizen, Pyramid Lipstinger Saison, Pyramid Grifter, Vertigo Cream Ale, Deschutes Abyss, Deschutes Red Chair, Green Flash West Coast IPA, Bear Republic Olde Baba Yaga, Hopworks Ace of Spades, Hopworks 7 Grain Survival Stout, Hopworks Red Ale, Hair of the Dog Matt, Widmer X114 IBA, Seven Brides Drunkel, Full Sail Colesch, Full Sail Old Boardhead, Cascade Apricot Ale, Pelican Kiwanda Cream Ale, Double Mountain Fa La La La La, Beer Valley Fresh Hop Black Flag Imperial Stout, Hopworks Lager, Double Mountain Killer Green, Beer Valley Leafer Madness, Trade Route Pandan Brown, Oakshire Ill Tempered Gnome, Bear Republic Racer 5, Double Mountain Hop Lava, Widmer 84/09, Walking Man Homo Erectus, Upright Reggae Junkie Gruit…and more we obviously forgot.

Top Five Things We’re Looking Forward to in ’10

Brewpublic Division Street Pub Crawl (details coming soon)

Pyramid Brewing line-up of sour beers from Seattle pilot brewery

New breweries and pub opening (Alchemy, Migration, Apex, Abraxus, Cascade’s SE Portland location, etc)

New England beer adventures

New beer festivals coming to the Northwest