Beer of the Weekend @16

Beer of the Weekend can now drive.

It is BotW’s sweet 16—which blows my mind. I have been doing this for 16 years. Damn! It felt like it took me forever to reach 16. Though these last 16 years have not flown by, they have passed faster than my first 16, which, eager get my driver’s license, I waited for has hard as I could. These past 16 years, though, have been tastier than my first.

I reviewed 61 beers over the last year in beer, which is more than one beer per week. Not too shabby since I reviewed less than 20 a few years ago. Here is the list for 2023–2024:

#1,014: DDH Dr. Dank (B+)
#1,015: Rhinelander Lager (B-)
#1,016: TV Dinner (C+)
#1,017: Wolf Shirt (B)
#1,018: Feline Peachy (C+)
#1,019: Wizard Lizard (C)
#1,020: Cran-Orange Wheat (C+)
#1,021: Dunkel Donuts (B)
#1,022: Rock 108 Maibock (A-)
#1,023: Lemon-Lime Cheesecake Bar (B)
#1,024: The Real Slim Shandy (B+)
#1,025: Nordic Pilsner (B-)
#1,026: Red Zeppelin (B)
#1,027: After Two Hazy IPA (C+)
#1,028: Des Moines Challenge IPA (B+)
#1,029: V-I-Pilz (B+)
#1,030: People Pleaser (A-)
#1,031: Up North Wisconsin Lager (C+)
#1,032: Cream City Brix (C)
#1,033: Vactionland (C+)
#1,034: MVP (C+)
#1,035: Easy Float (A-)
#1,036: Clean Up Crew (C-)
#1,037: Go USA (B)
#1,038: No Half Measures (A)
#1,039: Blue Corn Lager Con Chiles (C)
#1,040: Legally Blond (B+)
#1,041: Camp ShandyShore Lemon (B-)
#1,042: Tiki Sour (B+)
#1,043: Lake Time Grapefruit Radler (C+)
#1,044: Summer of _____ (C)
#1,045: Redside Ale (B+)
#1,046: Cara Cara Orange Tangerine Bohemian: (C+)
#1,047: Balance of Time (C-)
#1,048: Uplift (B)
#1,049: Keg Creek Oktoberfest
#1,050: Odell Oktoberfest (B)
#1,051: No Imitator (A)
#1,052: Brick Red Ale (C+)
#1,053: Yard Yacht (C+)
#1,054: Swarm (B+)
#1,055: Linalool IPA (B-)
#1,056: Brav (C)
#1,057: Mount Trashmore Trail Mix (A-)
#1,058: Prowl (B-)
#1,059: Czech Dark (B+)
#1,060: Captain Lee (B+)
#1,061: No More Tears (A-)
#1,062: mOATer bOATer (B+)
#1,063: Frail (C+/B-)
#1,064: The Sixth Glass (2017) (A)
#1,065: Olde Dirty Kent’s (A)
#1,066: Fox Head Beer (C)
#1,067: Stay Oatful, Dream Big (C+)
#1,068: Back in Black (B)
#1,069: Take Me Out to the Ball Game (C)
#1,070: Czech Dark (B)
#1,071: Whole Latte Love (C+)
#1,072: Thumbwise (C-)
#1,073: Tiny Dancer: (B+)
#1,074: Builder the Bob (C+)
#1,075: Trippin' (A-)

In past BotW retrospectives, I resolved to branch out, be more adventurous, try beer I might perceive to be “bad.” While I did not do it on purpose, I feel like I did that this year—at least in terms of bad beer. Many of the beers I reviewed this year were lackluster and unimpressive. They were dumpers. There was a particularly bad stretch earlier this year, when the quality of the beer did not meet the price I paid. I avoid beers that are too expensive (four-packs from a certain brewery are eye-popping expensive at John’s), but after this year, I wonder if it is a stance I should reconsider. Price is not synonymous with quality, but it can certainly be an indicator.

Anyway, on to the awards.

The Primo Island Lager BotW@16 Worst Beer Award: Clean Up Crew. It was weird all around, likely because of the thiolized yeast.

“It’s Just a Little Taste of Heaven” BotW@16 Best Beer Award: The Sixth Glass (2017). It was good, complex stuff. An honorable mention goes to No Half Measures.

The BotW@16 Ultimate Six-pack: No Half Measures, No Imitator, The Sixth Glass (2017), Olde Dirty Kent’s, No More Tears, Rock 108 Maibock.

(The post pic is of the Neighbor Beer I enjoyed while camping near Decorah last summer.)