Best of Springs: The Beer Scene

Best of the Springs is here! Here are our Best of the Springs picks for the region's beer scene. For all our picks, go to gazette.com/bestof

Best Beer: Bristol Skull & Bones Cuvee. You can read my thoughts in Go! Friday. But I'll just say this in summary: There is no more daring, complex beer that has been made in the city than this sour ale. If at first it shocks you because it is so startlingly different than other beers, swirl it around slowly and let it touch every taste bud. What arises is not just an appreciation for this beer for the craft of brewing beer as a whole.

Best light pilsner: Bristol Edge City Pilsner. This remains a crisp and smooth yet still bold beer for its kind.

Best dark pilsner: Judge Baldwin's Cascade Amber Lager. The most drinkable beer at the brewery, this is slightly sweet and slightly caramely, but overall it is very refreshing.

Best wheat: Arctic Wheat. John Dunfee's take on the style is thicker and bolder with a slight tinge to it but is the one wheat in town that will not let you forget it.

Best lighter ale: Phantom Canyon Queen's Blonde Ale. A hint of a slightly sweet body adds to the nice patch of malt and elevates the most drinkable beer that Phantom serves.

Best red/Scottish/Irish ale: Bristol Laughing Lab. Yeah, I know I should be shot for trying to squeeze all these styles into one category, but the fact is that the perennial Great American Beer Festival medal winner rises above them all with its initial chocolate taste followed by a hefty, dusky staying power.

Best brown ale: Rock Bottom Tankbuster Brown. A lighter body with an infused chestnut taste treats your taste buds smoothly.

Best pale ale: Bristol IPA. First you're greeted with an immediate sock of bitterness. Then the hop-flower taste mellows in your mouth, begging you to try more. This is the hop celebration of the city.

Best stout: Arctic Milk Stout. What's brilliant about this beer is that it sends several different strains of flavor at you at once: The milk, the cocoa, and the slight smoke. Mmmm . . .

Best porter: Arctic Vanilla Porter. The new kid on the block steals it again with a thick, dark concoction that is complimented by, rather than overwhelmed by, the vanilla.

Best sweet beer: Arctic Peach Lager and Rock Bottom Railside Rye (tie). Arctic's eye-opening lager is a twist on the style and a starter beer for those wanting to try things more adventurous, while Rock Bottom's seasonal brew is easily its most complex offering.