2017 was packed with fresh discoveries

Another year has nearly passed, and the world of beer just keeps growing. We’ve never had such a selection of excellent beer in Hawaii, and it will only get better.

As the end of the year approaches, here’s a look at some of the major trends of 2017, none of which show signs of slowing. If you missed out on trying some of these beers, don’t worry — there are plenty of options to grab right now.

>> Hazy IPAs, aka New England IPAs, started as a regional phenomenon in New England and were quickly picked up by breweries across the country. In Hawaii, Beer Lab HI and Inu Island Ales are making excellent Hazy IPAs. The popularity of this new type of IPA is centered on the style’s combination of potent juicy hop aromas and flavor and incredible drinkability. While the West Coast-style IPA, which has dominated the craft beer world for the past decade, is aggressively bitter with a dry finish, Hazy IPAs have a fuller mouthfeel with a modest, almost undetectable bitterness.

The Hazy IPA trend continues to boom, with more options becoming available every month.

Case in point: the new Hoppy Hoppy Night from San Diego’s Belching Beaver Brewing. Available in a 16-ounce can (the most common package format for these types of beers), it bursts with tropical fruit and citrus aromas and flavors. At only 33 international bitterness units, you won’t pick up much bitterness at all. If the IPA style in general has been too intense for your palate, give this beer a try. And don’t be put off by its cloudy appearance. If you’ve ever had a German hefeweizen, you’ve had a cloudy beer before.

>> Light and refreshing sour beer started as a trend a few years ago, but it exploded in 2017. It seems that almost every brewery started to make a gose- or Berliner-weisse-style beer, and for good reason: People are loving them. The addition of fruit to these tart beers makes them appealing to non-beer drinkers as well, especially white-wine fans. The growth in popularity of fruited tart beers won’t slow in 2018, and we’ll see even more options and variations.

One recent release that is perfectly timed for the holiday season is North Coast Brewing’s Cranberry Quince Berliner Weisse. This is a tart German-style ale with a beautiful pink salmon hue and a spritzy pink head of foam. Its intense acidity is balanced out by slightly sweet cranberry and quince flavors, which give it an almost ciderlike quality. These qualities make it a great beer to pair with holiday meals.

>> Big, bold, boozy barrel-aged beers are also sticking around. In fact, many breweries are increasing the amount of beer they are aging in barrels. And it’s not just about using whiskey barrels anymore. Tequila, mezcal, cognac, port wine, scotch and oak barrels are now part of the mix. We are in a golden age for these beers, with ever-improving quality, great accessibility and increasing affordability.

Ballast Point Brewing has spent years expanding its barrel program and just released its first barrel-aged beer in bottles, High West Whiskey Barrel Aged Victory at Sea. This bold imperial porter has been a fan favorite for many years, and the barrel-aged version has been limited in quantity on draft. Now it is available in four-packs of 12-ounce bottles. At 12 percent alcohol by volume, this is not a beer for the faint of heart. Aged in High West bourbon and rye barrels, the initial booziness of whiskey gives way to heavy roasted chocolate and espresso notes, followed quickly by sweet vanilla and caramel.

Tim Golden, a certified cicerone, shares his obsession with all things craft beer monthly. See his blog, “Beer in Hawaii,” at beerinhawaii.com.