REC

RD

Beers I Have Known and Loved 2025

§Introduction

So you're actually reading this. You aren't sick of me talking about beer all day everyday forever. ... Cool. Some people do music, some people do events, I'm gonna talk about all the beer I tried this year.

❧Things You Should Know

I've ignored counts of less than 5 in the superlatives. That is, best/worst of X only includes Xes that I have more than 5 entries for in the year. If there's a percentage in the parentheses, it's an ABV. If there's no percentage, it's a rating. I use a 0-5 rating scale that more or less corresponds to how I would describe the beer to someone asking my opinion.

  • Undrinkable (0)
  • Not That Good (1)
  • Fine (2)
  • Good (3)
  • Really Good (4)
  • Great (5)

§TL;DR

Total: 234 beers
Average Rating: 2.52
Average ABV: 5.84%

§Beers

❧Best

  1. Hammerheart Ochre and Ash (5.0, 7.2%, Black IPA, USA)
  2. Scratch Single Tree Hickory (5.0, 5.8%, Gruit, USA)
  3. Scratch Wild Grapevine-Juniper Sour (5.0, 5.5%, Sour, USA)

❧Worst

  1. Miller 64 Extra Light (0.0, 2.8%, Pale Lager, USA)
  2. 450 North Apple Smacks (0.0, 5.3%, Sour, USA)
  3. 21st Amendment Brew Free or Die - Blood Orange (0.0, 7.0%, IPA, USA)

§Months

Average: 19.5 per month
Most: March (39)
Least: September (6)
Best: February (3.11)
Worst: April (1.82)
Booziest: February (6.91%)
Soberest: November (4.72%)

§Places

❧Cities Visited

27 different cities
Best: Ava (4.0)
Worst: Augusta, WI (2.2)
Booziest: Falcon Heights (6.24%)
Soberest: London (3.73%)

❧Countries Visited

3 different countries
Best: England (2.56)
Worst: USA (2.52)
Booziest: USA (5.99%)
Soberest: England (3.73%)

❧Brewery Countries

10 different brewery countries
Best: Germany (3.17)
Worst: USA (2.5)
Booziest: Belgium (6.24%)
Soberst: England (4.05%)

§Styles

53 different styles
Most: IPA (29)
Least: Imperial Stout (5)
Best: Lambic (3.33)
Worst: Fruit Beer (2.0)
Booziest: Imperial Stout (10.84%)
Soberst: Wheat Ale (4.43%)

§ABV

❧Strongest

  1. Wild Minds Braggot (5.0, 20.0%, Braggot, USA)
  2. Dogfish Head Triple Decadence (4.0, 15.0%, Imperial Stout, USA)
  3. Surly Nineteen (2.0, 14.0%, American Strong Ale, USA)

❧Weakest

  1. Zima Kvass (2.0, 1.5%, Kvass, England)
  2. Small Beer Lager (2.0, 2.1%, Pale Lager, England)
  3. Small Beer Blanche (4.0, 2.5%, Wheat Ale, England)

§Breweries

136 different breweries
Most: Scratch (10)
Least: Little Thistle (5)
Best: Wild Minds (3.78)
Worst: Blackstack (2.67)
Booziest: Wild Minds (10.0%)
Soberst: Little Thistle (4.88%)