2018 Polkie Awards - Into the Darkness Again (Porters and Stouts)

 The first two days of my annual look back on the past year is a sprint through over 30 different styles of beer and while I don't give short shift to anything I drink, as the 4th Annual Polkie Awards go Into the Darkness Again, we are approaching some of my very favourite things. Dark and roasty, I have long been a fan of porters and stouts, heavy and beautiful. The balance of coffee, dark chocolate and a host of other, smaller notes bring me joy and I have finally started to really appreciate a lot of the subtle nuances that can and do occur between batches and years. This year brings a new category because I finally was able to try enough really good Barrel Aged porters to justify splitting that category in half. Work has me frazzled, but talking about the best of 2018 in Ontario Craft beer brings me nothing but pure happiness!

Here. We. Go!

Porters

1. Great Lakes Brewing Harry Porter

  My love for GLB is well known and while their hoppy gems are always around my glass, it is this 6.5% American style Porter that captured my heart early in 2017 and never left. Harry Porter is all the rich and dark roasted chocolate and coffee with a nice hop presence that gives it a little something extra. It's popped up from time to time and the variants (cherry, bourbon soaked vanilla bean, etc.) are a beautiful way to explore this amazing porter. Excelsior!

2. Clifford Brewing Porter

  I'm not sure if it's that Brad Clifford has his own brewery now as opposed to contract brewing this award winning Porter but it was a staple in our house all year round! More on the dark chocolate side with some espresso and bitter coffee, it lives here fresh on a weekly basis. Bravo!

3. Muddy York Porter
4. Collective Arts Brewing Swedish Baltic Porter
5. Collective Arts Brewing Stranger than Fiction

Imperial/Barrel Aged Porters
1. Shacklands Brewing 2017 Bourbon Barrel Porter

  A cellar shining star as this 2nd place finisher from last year aged beautifully and grew into an even more impressive finisher. Smooth and balanced with a warming but not overly boozy finish, loaded dark roasted notes of chocolate and coffee were met with a fine vanilla and oak touch. Sad to see it go but happy to have been able to share it with Lady Polk, who loved it just as much as I. Wow!
2. Muddy York Tawny Port Barrel Aged Plank Road Baltic Porter

  The aging of a few months brought a more balanced dark malt and sweet port to an already fantastic beer. Loads of cherry, wine tannins, a touch of coffee and some warming booziness made this a beer I would love to see again. I'm always a fan of what MY does but these special releases are not to be missed and with their online ordering, you never have to again. Salud!
3.Clifford Brewing Bourbon Barrel Porter 
4. Collective Arts Brewing Imperial Barrel Aged Porter
5. Fairweather Brewing Wishing Well

Stouts
1. Blood Brothers Black Hand

  A late in the year find in the back of Polk Manor's cellar, this Toronto brewery is known more for their funk and hops but this straight up stout was not to be missed. Rich an dreamy with bittersweet dark chocolate and a smokiness that was balanced within the entire slow sipping evening. My only regret was that I bought just one bottle. A dream, perchance to love! Prost!

2. Left Field Brewery Mocha Marshmallow

  The 2017 champ drops a spot but still remains one of the finest stouts I had all year. The thick lactose addition and vanilla note balanced into the rich and dark roasted coffee and chocolate make it a memorable sip every time. A beer I would love to see again and again as the years go by. Gorgeous!

3. Anderson Brewing Stout

4. Henderson Brewing Studio Two

5. Sawdust City Brewing Skinny Dippin' Stout

Imperial Stouts
1. Sawdust City Long Dark Voyage to Uranus

  A 3 time winner in this category, this year was perhaps the closest decision I've ever had to make. The game is changing and more and more Ontario Craft brewers are bringing great things to this slow sipping, long time thinking category. One of the earliest loves of my craft beer life, this rich and dark roasted gem has a balance that has me laying down the cash to keep it in stock here all winter long. The variants from Sawdust (available online for ordering) such as Titania and the Vanilla Coffee one blew me away as well. Champion!

2. Amsterdam Brewing Tempest

  Returning to the world as part of the Flight pack from Amsterdam Brewing, this legendary Imperial stout was neck and neck for the top spot with LDV. My only complaint, and believe me it's a small one, is that you couldn't purchase it on it's own. From what this Old Polk hears, that will not be the case next year and with a better availability, this rich and smooth dark roasted chocolate and coffee Imperial could scale to the top of the charts! Ascension!

3.Sawdust City Brewing Blood of Cthuhlu
4. Wellington Brewery Imperial Russian Stout
5. Collective Arts Brewing/Kex Imperial Stout

Barrel Aged Imperial Stouts

1. Nickel Brook Brewing 2016 Kentucky Bastard

  I know, I know. How does an almost 3 year old beer keep popping up on my best of lists? It's simple really....it's that damn good. One of the few BA stouts I've managed to save for this long, the smoothing out of the heat and growth of balance between the boozy bourbon and rich dark malts is perhaps the finest I've seen in my 4 years of drinking and writing about beer. While we consumed our final bottle during the August heatwave, it changed nothing. This Bastard gives you everything a champion should and drinks almost like perfection from start to finish. There are a few bottles left at the Brewery and at $26.50 for a 750ml bottle, it's something you need to add to that Beer Bucket list. Love!!

2. Bellwoods Brewery 2017 Bring out Your Dead

 The first time I tried this beer, it caught my attention. When I was finally able to sit down and enjoy every last drop, it had my heart. Aged in cognac barrels, it is smooth and boozy but not in a hot way. Warming the sub cockles of this old fella's heart, the coffee, chocolate and vanilla with that cognac note was simply beautiful. Sublime!!
3. Sawdust City Brewing 2017 Titania
4. Merit Brewing Nowhere
5. Nickel Brook Brewing 2016 Café del Bastardo

   That wraps up today's look back and I'm feeling all roasty and warm just thinking about all the amazing porters and stouts to pass through my glass in 2018. I am sure the next 12 months will bring some surprises and perhaps something I have never seen before...
  Check back tomorrow for All the Hops, my favourite Pale Ales, IPAs and more. Followed on New Year's Eve by My Least Favourite Beers of 2018 and then by The Ten, my most memorable ones.

Cheers!
Polk