At the beginning of the year I like to take a look back at the BeerAdvocate’s Top 100, see what’s moved up and down the charts, what’s new new on the list, and how many I’ve been lucky enough to try over the past year.

No surprise, Heady Topper is still number one and Hill Farmstead takes the most spots on the list. Cantillon, Three Floyds and Russian River still dominate here, and I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon, same with Alpine’s excellent hoppy offerings. The new Bourbon County variants have made a huge splash since their release, all landing on the Top 100.

Newcomer Toppling Goliath has taken a few spots with their PseudoSue, Morning Delight, and KBBS. Nice to see Jester King, Prairie and Perennial show up this year, and I’m sure Cory King’s Side Project will make an appearance next year as more of the product gets in the hands of BAs.

Beers highlighted in bold are beers I’ve had in the past:

1. Heady Topper – The Alchemist 4.7 5274
2. Pliny The Younger – Russian River Brewing Company 4.65 1797
3. Pliny The Elder – Russian River Brewing Company 4.64 7920
4. Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout – Goose Island Beer Co. 4.64 3160
5. Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout) – Founders Brewing Company 4.62 6142
6. Zombie Dust – Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub 4.61 4521
7. Trappist Westvleteren 12 (XII) – Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren) 4.61 3708
8. Bourbon Barrel Aged Vanilla Bean – Dark Lord Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub 4.6 661
9. Parabola – Firestone Walker Brewing Co. 4.58 3288
10. Double Sunshine IPA – Lawson’s Finest Liquids 4.57 1069
11. Cantillon Fou’ Foune – Brasserie Cantillon 4.56 1204
12. Bourbon County Brand Stout – Goose Island Beer Co. 4.55 6008
13. Supplication – Russian River Brewing Company 4.54 3556
14. Abner – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.54 992
15. The Abyss – Deschutes Brewery 4.52 3796
16. Citra DIPA – Kern River Brewing Company 4.52 910
17. Founders Breakfast Stout – Founders Brewing Company 4.51 9336
18. Bell’s Hopslam – Bell’s Brewery, Inc. 4.51 7212
19. Trappistes Rochefort 10 – Brasserie de Rochefort 4.51 5650
20. Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout – Cigar City Brewing 4.51 1791
21. Duck Duck Gooze – The Lost Abbey 4.51 741
22. §ucaba (Abacus) – Firestone Walker Brewing Co. 4.5 2502
23. Bell’s Black Note Stout – Bell’s Brewery, Inc. 4.5 1886
24. Black Tuesday  – The Bruery 4.5 1799
25. Dark Horse Bourbon Barrel Aged Plead The 5th – Dark Horse Brewing Company 4.5 1217
26. Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Fourth Dementia – Kuhnhenn Brewing Company 4.5 1124
27. Bourbon County Brand Barleywine Ale – Goose Island Beer Co. 4.5 1094
28. Abrasive Ale – Surly Brewing Company 4.49 2135
29. Beatification – Russian River Brewing Company 4.49 1317
30. Cantillon Lou Pepe – Kriek – Brasserie Cantillon 4.49 896
31. Ephraim – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.48 550
32. Trappist Westvleteren 8 (VIII) – Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren) 4.47 1374
33. Barrel-Aged Abraxas – Perennial Artisan Ales 4.47 342
34. St. Bernardus Abt 12 – Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV 4.46 5779
35. Darkness – Surly Brewing Company 4.46 1909
36. Cantillon Saint Lamvinus – Brasserie Cantillon 4.46 1104
37. Everett Porter – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.46 1104
38. Double Galaxy – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.46 441
39. Consecration – Russian River Brewing Company 4.45 2855
40. Permanent Funeral – Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub 4.45 870
41. Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout – Goose Island Beer Co. 4.45 253
42. Mornin’ Delight – Toppling Goliath Brewing Company 4.45 203
43. Temptation – Russian River Brewing Company 4.44 2254
44. Cantillon Gueuze 100% Lambic – Brasserie Cantillon 4.44 1632
45. Chocolate Rain – The Bruery 4.44 965
46. PseudoSue – Toppling Goliath Brewing Company 4.44 546
47. Cable Car – The Lost Abbey 4.44 487
48. Adam From The Wood – Hair of the Dog Brewing Company / Brewery and Tasting Room 4.44 408
49. AleSmith Speedway Stout – Bourbon Barrel Aged – AleSmith Brewing Company 4.43 828
50. Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout – Toppling Goliath Brewing Company 4.43 149
51. Cantillon Blåbær Lambik – Brasserie Cantillon 4.42 473
52. Double Citra – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.42 462
53. Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier – Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan 4.41 4895
54. Enjoy By IPA – Stone Brewing Co. 4.41 4244
55. Samuel Adams Utopias – Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) 4.41 1327
56. Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Lord Imperial Stout – Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub 4.41 436
57. Sculpin IPA – Ballast Point Brewing Company 4.4 6263
58. Dreadnaught IPA – Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub 4.4 3904
59. Nelson – Alpine Beer Company 4.4 1472
60. Mother Of All Storms – Pelican Pub & Brewery 4.4 1061
61. Imperial Eclipse Stout – Elijah Craig (12 Year) – FiftyFifty Brewing Co. 4.4 866
62. AleSmith Speedway Stout – AleSmith Brewing Company 4.39 3546
63. Péché Mortel (Imperial Stout Au Cafe) – Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel 4.39 2931
64. Prairie Bomb! – Prairie Artisan Ales 4.39 766
65. Hoppy Birthday – Alpine Beer Company 4.39 407
66. Society & Solitude #5 – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.39 393
67. Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze Vintage – Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen 4.39 345
68. Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout – California Brandy Barrel Aged – Cigar City Brewing 4.39 323
69. Victory At Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter – Ballast Point Brewing Company 4.38 2841
70. Duet IPA – Alpine Beer Company 4.38 1253
71. Melange No. 3 – The Bruery 4.38 974
72. Exponential Hoppiness – Alpine Beer Company 4.38 833
73. Cascade Sang Noir – Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub 4.38 708
74. Cantillon Lou Pepe – Framboise – Brasserie Cantillon 4.38 599
75. Susan – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.38 533
76. Tröegs Nugget Nectar – Tröegs Brewing Company 4.37 5028
77. Lagunitas Sucks Brown Shugga Substitute Ale – Lagunitas Brewing Company 4.37 4691
78. Matt  – Hair of the Dog Brewing Company / Brewery and Tasting Room 4.37 488
79. Society & Solitude #4 – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.37 365
80. Backyard Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout – Goose Island Beer Co. 4.37 347
81. Ten FIDY – Oskar Blues Brewing Company 4.36 5332
82. Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break – Evil Twin Brewing 4.36 1551
83. Edward – Hill Farmstead Brewery 4.36 1082
84. Cantillon Lou Pepe – Gueuze – Brasserie Cantillon 4.36 486
85. Bad Boy – Alpine Beer Company 4.36 338
86. Imperial Russian Stout – Stone Brewing Co. 4.35 5506
87. Founders Imperial Stout – Founders Brewing Company 4.35 3858
88. Lunch – Maine Beer Company 4.35 1828
89. Drie Fonteinen Schaerbeekse Kriek – Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen 4.35 591
90. Atrial Rubicite – Jester King Brewery 4.35 286
91. AleSmith Speedway Stout – Kopi Luwak (Bourbon Barrel-Aged) – AleSmith Brewing Company 4.35 280
92. Murda’d Out Stout – Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub 4.35 219
93. Baudoinia – Goose Island Beer Co. 4.35 215
94. Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock – Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG / Brauerei Aying 4.34 4260
95. Double Jack – Firestone Walker Brewing Co. 4.34 4135
96. Blind Pig IPA – Russian River Brewing Company 4.34 3223
97. Wisconsin Belgian Red – New Glarus Brewing Company 4.34 1795
98. Fat Head’s Head Hunter IPA – Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon 4.34 1696
99. Pure Hoppiness – Alpine Beer Company 4.34 1515
100. Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze – Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen 4.34 1471

As for how many of these beers I’ve actually been able to try? Last year at this time I had 47 out of the beginning of 2013’s Top 100. Today, I stand at 90 out of the beginning of 2014’s Top 100. A respectable jump in numbers. I’m sure I’d be saying otherwise this time last year but I don’t think the last 10 would be that hard to try if I really was interested in getting my hands on them (although I shudder to think about the amount of Hill Farmstead I’d have to give up to do so).

How many on the list have you have you had?