Best West Virginia Beers 2018

Brilliant Stream asked a group of learned, local beer enthusiasts from around the state what were the most memorable beers from West Virginia breweries they drank during 2018. The results tell us much about the current trends in craft beer and about the West Virginia breweries that are doing the best job in the popular style categories.

(This is the third article in a series on the best from WV breweries in 2018)

2018 West Virginia Beer Honor Roll

This 2018 honor role recognizes the beers that created the biggest buzz, made the strongest positive impressions, and were brews that craft beer enthusiasts would love to drink again.   

There are some real gems here that would compete favorably anywhere in the nation. Most of these beers are still in production or will be brewed again as seasonals or rotational brews. You owe it to yourself to seek them out and sample some of the best of West Virginia brewers’ art.
(Presented in style categories, listed alphabetically by brewery.)

Juicy Hazy IPA

Mirroring the strong positive reception this new style category has received nationally, these murky beers from West Virginia brewers created a high level of excitement from Bluefield to Chester and Harpers Ferry to Kenova.

• Overcast, Big Timber
• Dank Williams Sr., Chestnut Brew Works
• Two for the Show, Short Story
• Multiple Hopgasms, Stumptown
• Six Legged Frog, Stumptown
• Cobalt Blue, The Peddler
• Silt Sucker, The Peddler
• Haggard, Weathered Ground
• More Haggard Than Haggard, Weathered Ground
• Stop and Smell the Citrus, Weathered Ground

India Pale Ale (traditional, non-cloudy)

IPAs continue this year as the nation’s most popular craft beer style. The non-cloudy American IPAs have a he following. IPAs come in many stripes: single, double, imperial, white, black, session, etc. West Virginia brewers put out some superior beer in this category in 2018.

• Hellzahoppin’, Bad Shepherd
• IDK, Bad Shepherd
• Ninja Dust, Bad Shepherd
• Double Bit, Big Timber
• IPA, Big Timber
• Flip Flop, Brew Keepers
• Your Best Option, Chestnut
• Devil Anse, Greenbrier Valley
• Mothman, Greenbrier Valley
• Citrus Tsunami, Parkersburg
• Fibonacci Dossier, Parkersburg
• Hoo’s Your Daddy, Screech Owl
• Working Title, Short Story
• Big Boy Pants, Stumptown
• Holy Citra, Stumptown
• Holy Galaxy, Stumptown
• Legendary Backside, Stumptown
• Sassy Mojo, Stumptown
• Scrappy, Weathered Ground
• Tallahatchie, Weathered Ground

Imperial Stouts

Again mirroring the national love for big bold stouts, we found a lot of enthusiasm for beers from this category. The good news is that West Virginia brewers are extremely competitive here, and they produced some monster good imperial stouts in 2018.

• Barrel-aged Bear Fight, Bad Shepherd
• Woke Up Like This, Short Story
• Over the Tip Top, Stumptown
• Struggle Street & BA Struggle St., Weathered Ground
• Barrel-aged Ada, Weathered Ground
• Sum It All Up, Weathered Ground

Regular Stouts and Porters

For those not chasing the biggest and boldest flavors, standard stouts and porters are a great drinking category. In 2018, West Virginia brewers showed they could make standard stouts and porters that kept people talking about just how tasty these styles can be.

• Porter, Big Timber
• Irish Pirate Stout, Brew Keepers
• Moxxee Coffee Stout, Bridge Brew Works

Lagers

Nationally, craft lagers continued their fast climb in popularity among craft beer drinkers. In 2018, WV breweries produced some beautiful lager styles that proved these brews can also wow the taste buds of local craft beer enthusiasts.

• Schwartz Lager, Bad Shepherd
• Logger Joe, Big Timber
• Logger Lager, Big Timber
• Tmavy, Brew Keepers
• Old Ran’l Pilsner, Greenbrier Valley
• Lamplight Pilsner, Short Story
• Cool Ridge Lager, Weathered Ground

Saisons, Farmhouse & Sours

While these styles have not been as broadly popular with the general craft beer public, they are often the darlings of more discriminating and experienced beer enthusiasts. They are difficult beers to make well. In the past, this area has not been a strong suit of WV brewers, but things are beginning to change. Here are some WV beers that knocked it out of the park in 2018.

• Hoppy Saison, Abolitionist 
• The Funky Beet, Abolitionist
• Plum Fight, Bad Shepherd
• Sera Serena, Bad Shepherd
• Tequila Barrel-aged Iapetus Gose, Bridge Brew Works
• Crispy Hundos, Morgantown
• Voice of Reason, Stumptown
• Gardening Angels, Weathered Ground
• Rad Roots, Weathered Ground
• Sour on the Mountain, Weathered Ground
• Yokel Shindig, Weathered Ground

Blondes, Ambers, Browns 

Some call them gateway beers, but don’t let that characterization fool you. These styles can still create an enthusiastic following when done well. Here are the WV beers in these styles that put the biggest smiles on faces during 2018.

• ForestFest, Big Timber
• Nate’s Nut Brown, Chestnut
• Cardinal Red and BA Cardinal, Greenbrier Valley
• Cell Block 304 Brown, Parkersburg
• From Ash & Ember, Parkersburg
• My Friends Call Me Red, Short Story
• Easy Blonde, Stumptown
• Lefty Lucy Amber, Stumptown
• Bringdown Brown, Weathered Ground
• Nail City Porter, Wheeling

Miscellaneous Styles

You don’t have to make an IPA or a Stout to make a beer that creates a strong buzz. Just make it real good, whatever it is. These WV beers proved that in 2018.

• West By Quad, Abolitionist
• Corten and BBA Corten, Bridge Brew Works
• Pumpkin Spice ForestFest, Big Timber
• Sin Nombre Table Beer, Brew Keepers
• Ye Olde Ale, Brew Keepers
• Halleck Pale Ale, Chestnut Brew Works
• Wild & Wonderful Strawberry Ale, Screech Owl
• Cave Dweller Pale Ale, Stumptown

Brewery Buzz Quotient

Just why certain breweries create passionate followings among craft beer enthusiasts is not always easy to say. Some breweries just catch on and some don’t. Craft beer fans can be a very fickle crowd. In general though, breweries with the buzz are ones that get the most respect and have the most passionate fans, whether or not they sell the most beer. From the favorite beer selections of some of WV’s leading craft beer enthusiasts, here are the WV breweries that had the most success creating exciting beer in 2018. (Listed in alphabetical order)

Outstanding Achievement in Brewing, 2018

• Big Timber Brewing, Elkins
• Chestnut Brew Works, Morgantown
• Stumptown Ales, Davis
• Short Story Brewing, Rivesville
• Weathered Ground Brewery, Cool Ridge

Strong Buzz Creators, 2018

• Bad Shepherd Beer Company, Charleston
• Brew Keepers, Wheeling
• Greenbrier Valley Brewing, Maxwelton
• Parkersburg Brewing, Parkersburg
• The Peddler, Huntington

Honorable Mention, 2018

• Abolitionist Ale Works, Charles Town
• Bridge Brew Works, Fayetteville
• Screech Owl Brewing, Bruceton Mills

---

The friends of Brilliant Stream participating in this best West Virginia beers 2018 survey included selected, well-seasoned craft beer enthusiasts, homebrewers, bar owners/bartenders, beer buyers, beer festival organizers, and craft beer retailers from many parts of West Virginia.

For a different perspective, see how Untappd users rated 2018’s best from WV breweries, check out this article link.