On Tap in Hawaii: Best beer selections of the year gone by

My goal with this column has always been to share a small portion of what I think are cool, interesting and delicious beers. In seven years of writing, I’ve covered dozens of beer styles from local, U.S. and imported breweries. But the beers I write about are not always the ones I tend to drink myself. Like you, I have my favorite styles, but I’m always trying new beers and looking for those I think readers may enjoy.

Today, with 2019 almost over, I’m going to share some of my favorites of the year, a few beers that excite me and that I enjoy as frequently as possible.

Schlenkerla Helles: My personal journey with beer evolved as it did for many others, starting with mass-produced American light lagers. But I was lucky to have an older brother who introduced me to craft beers like Rogue Ales Dead Guy Ale and many others. From there I quickly became an IPA fan. But along the way, I discovered Belgian ales, with their complex yeast flavors and clean, food-friendly finish. Recently, I’ve fallen in love with German lagers, their incredible simplicity and delicate flavors.

To my great joy, a shipment of Schlenkerla Helles recently arrived in Hawaii. This truly unique beer is made by a brewery that has been following tradition since the 1600s, one of the few remaining smoke beer breweries in the world. Located in the German city of Bamberg, Schlenkerla still produces smoky beers made with malt kilned over an open fire. This allows the beers to absorb the wood and smoke flavors.

Schlenkerla Helles is a classic Bavarian-style helles lager, pale golden in color with a soft, crackery, malt profile. It is brewed without smoked malt, but in the same brewery and aged in the same tanks as its other smoked beers. The beer picks up a very delicate and soft touch of woody smoke that just tickles the palate. This beer is such a perfect balance of light and refreshing, yet flavor-rich, bold and food-worthy that I can’t get enough of it.

Augustijn Blonde: Another arrival this year that sparked an internal “yes” was this offering from Brouwerij Van Steenberge in Belgium. My love for a good, clean Belgian ale will never die! I first had this beer on a trip to Belgium and was amazed by its brightness and flavor. What shocked me was how drinkable it was, despite being 7% alcohol by volume.

The beer is brewed from a historic recipe and legendary yeast strain from the Augustijn monastery in Ghent, Belgium. The monks at the abbey now have a contract with nearby Van Steenberge brewery (maker of Gulden Draak and Piraat) to produce the beer. The blonde has a subtle pilsner malt base, layered carefully with hints of honey, peppery spice, cloves and pears. A strong, hop-driven bitterness balances out any sweetness and provides a dry finish. Strongly carbo­nated with lots of fizz, this is a beer I enjoy before, during and after any meal.

Breakside Brewery Grandmammy: I’m not a huge dark-beer drinker. It’s rare for me to open a bottle of stout or porter for myself unless it is a Guinness. It’s not that I don’t enjoy a great stout now and then, but given a choice, I prefer something else. I am, however, a big bourbon fan, particularly of wheated bourbons like W.L. Weller and Maker’s Mark. So when Breakside Brewery released Grandmammy, an imperial salted caramel stout aged in PappyVan Winkle wheated bourbon barrelsthat also onceheld maple syrup, I got very excited.

Somehow this beer pulls off the amazing act of balancing caramel and maple sweetness with a dark, burnt-chocolate roastiness and incredible soft oak tannins.

My taste buds were on overdrive with each sip — a little dessert, a touch of smooth bourbon, yet a mellow and comfortable finish that didn’t overwhelm my palate. And the best part, this beer is packaged in 12-ounce bottles instead of the traditional 22-ounce format, which makes it so much easier to open and finish a bottle by yourself in one sitting.

All three of these beers left an imprint on my memory this year. They are my favorites and I’m glad I was able to share them with you.

Tim Golden, a certified cicerone, shares his obsession with all things craft beer on the third week of each month. He is part owner of Village Bottle Shop in Kakaako.