Thompson Island brew makes Beer Connoisseur’s best 100 list

Beer Connoisseur Magazine named Once Around the Sun to its 2020 list of the 100 best beers. Thompson Island Brewing Company makes the bourbon barrel-aged stout in Rehoboth Beach.

“This is an incredible achievement for our team and brewmaster Jimmy Valm,” said Matt Patton, director of operations for SoDel Concepts, which owns Thompson Island Brewing Company and 11 other coastal Delaware restaurants.

“After aging for nearly a year in bourbon barrels, Once Around The Sun exhibited the perfect balance. There were roasted notes from the stout, and delicate vanilla and fig notes from the bourbon,” said Patton, who oversees the hospitality company’s beer program. “We thought it would be the perfect submission for the wood-aged beer category.”

The beer, which comes in at 9.2 percent ABV, earned an impressive 92 total score on the judges’ rating sheet. It received six out of six points for appearance and 37 out of 40 for flavor.

For more information, go to thompsonislandbrewing.com and beerconnoisseur.com.