This Belgian dubbel, provided by Andy Mitchell of New Belgium Brewery, has an aroma of toasty malt with dried dark fruit and background subtle clove and pepper phenols.

Whether aiming for soft and hazy or lean and bitter, successful brewers rely on some bedrock strategies for building higher-strength IPAs with sneaky drinkability.

It’s not easy to prioritize the planet and its people alongside the product, but even small steps taken by small breweries can have a big impact. Water use is one area where breweries can make an outsized difference.

__Aroma:__ “High hops aroma that’s grapefruit/orange/lemon. Somewhat dank and piney with an earthy floral note. Light malt sweetness. There’s a toastiness in the malt that kind of reminds me of peanut butter.” __Flavor:__ “The hops profile showcases lemon, some melon, pineapple, and a bit of pine and onion. Body is slightly light. Some nice balanced sweetness to bitterness.” __Overall:__ “Well centered for the style. Big West Coast hops aroma with a bit of malt to support it.”

Aroma: “Roast, toasted bread, biscuit, slight burnt caramel-malt aromas. Very subtle noble-hops aromas. Some woody and spicy hops are in the background with light fruit esters.” Flavor: “Sweet melanoidin malt character up front, middle roast notes. Decent amount of body to support the flavors. Slight floral and soapy noble-hops flavors. Sweet dark bready malt, toffee, and coffee.” Overall: “Nice well-balanced dark bready malt complexity. Super-clean and drinkable lager. Enough pronounced roasted malt for the malt lover and a clean easy drinkability for the lager lover.”

Past research has shown that more extreme dry-hopping regimens can reduce IBUs in beer made with kettle hops bittering, New Belgium Brewing’s Ross Koenigs suggests that dry hopping without kettle additions can add far more IBUs than previously thought.

We were busy this past year tasting beers that were sent to our office, shared at a bar, brewery or pub, and poured at festivals around the world. It’s difficult but rewarding work and we’re pleased to present our editors picks for top beers of 2018.

Ross Koenigs explains why homebrewers may want to consider cannabis as a flavorful ingredient—even if they’re not trying to extract THC—and how to evaluate its aroma for beer.

**Aroma:** “Straightforward banana aroma with light vegetal notes and a very sub- tle grainy malt. Light floral hops aroma and peach esters. Slight sweetness and phenolic with a touch of alcohol.” **Flavor:** “Sweet malt, coriander, banana, lemon esters, and clove phenolics. Floral, spicy hops character. A Great classic tripel profile that’s ester-driven, light-bodied, and effervescent. Beautiful dry finish is the perfect segue to another sip. Low candy-like sweetness as it starts to warm.” **Overall:** “Nice example of the style with coriander added. Nothing too out of the ordinary, just a good, solid, basic tripel that does what it’s supposed to. Look for a classic pairing such as moules frites or put it next to some chicken fajitas. This can handle it.”

Ross Koenigs, founder and brewmaster at Second Dawn in Aurora, Colorado, explains the science and practicalities of making beer at home with hemp and marijuana.

From New Year’s Eve to breakfast to making new best friends, New Belgium’s Lauren Woods Limbach guides us through six beloved beers that represent excellence as well as those moments that remind you what it’s all about.

While the original gravity of this pale ale is right in line with American pale ale, the hops load is more akin to American IPA.

Strawberry, peach, mango, guava dominate aroma. Low bitterness up front allows the complex berry and stone fruit to play without interference. Almost like hopped fruit nectar. Soft mouthfeel. Finishes dry and clears your palate quickly, inviting you to take another sip.

__Aroma:__ “Citrus (lemon, orange) and herbal with a touch of pine balanced with a slight honey note. A touch of alcoholic heat.” __Flavor:__ “Light and well-balanced with a substantial bitterness to balance the nice honey sweetness with some bready malt character. Hops are a complex blend of orange, lemon, and pine with some herbal complexity in the finish. The alcoholic heat from the aroma isn’t nearly as present. Hops bitterness lingers, and the hops flavor lingers lightly into the aftertaste.” __Overall:__ “Light and drinkable with just enough malt complexity to pull things together. The hops complexity is very inviting and the really nice honey malt character provides a pivot point. Very fresh and bright flavors, nice carbonation. Smooth and balanced (not words often associated with IIPAs!).

The past decade has witnessed an explosion in the amount and variety of craft beer aged in wood, from hefty sours to bourbon-barrel beauties.

These festive variety packs are perfect for holiday parties or simply stocking the fridge this season.

Beer as a whole may be navigating rough seas in 2024, but New Belgium has found a map to growth with flavor-forward hazy IPAs in their Voodoo Ranger family. In this episode, lead R&D brewer Kelly McKnight sheds light on the team and process behind these industry-changing beers.

“A pleasant, clean, and lemony aroma gives way to an enjoyably complex flavor combination of sweet wheat malt, floral, citrus, and soapy hops, and lightly spicy coriander and fermentation-derived notes. Wonderfully clean and complex.”

Aroma: “Like a fruit orchard in spring. There’s moderate bready malt with very light bread crust. Slight grassy, citrus, and herbal hops. Very clean.” Flavor: “Simple but balanced. It starts off with moderately low sweetness and blossoms into a low hops bitterness but with a dry finish that’s crisp and refreshing. There’s a lot to like from citrus and melon hops, toasted malt, apple and pear esters, somewhat mineraly bitterness, and a mildly cloying sweet finish. Moderate carbonation gives it a bit of bite.” Overall: “This is your classic summer refresher. Simple but very drinkable. Balance of light bready malt and Old School grassy and herbal hops. We’ll say it again: well-balanced and well-crafted.”

**Aroma:** “Hops express as citrus and pine with some fruity orange notes. Malt is subtly bready, hiding behind the hops. Very fresh like a spring herb garden. Soft, well-rounded hops aroma. Nice blend of tropical fruit (papaya, mango, light pineapple) and spicy hops character. Hints of Thai basil and oregano. Very intriguing.” **Flavor:** “Earthy, wet, piney, and herbal. Flavor picks up where the nose left off. Similar elements here, with the spiciness more in the fore, adding some lemongrass to the other herbal elements. Light bitterness doesn’t distract from the hops flavor.” **Overall:** “A balanced, pleasant, and quaffable brew. The mix of hops rounds out the rough edges, and hops bitterness is lower than some other examples making this beer very approachable. Body has good depth but minimal character. Overall, a pretty good session IPA.