* Black Note Stout. Nobody makes more varieties of stout than Bell's of Michigan, and this one might be its best. Ranked the No. 3 beer in the world by RateBeer.com, it's a blend of Bell's Expedition and Double Cream stouts, aged for a year in oak bourbon barrels. Although it's been available in very limited supplies on draft, there's word this year that the brewery may begin bottling it for slightly wider distribution.
* Brux. A collaboration between Sierra Nevada and Russian River breweries? That's like pitchers Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee on the same team. They've joined to brew a wild ale brewed with a dose of funky Brettanomyces yeast.
* Bud Light Platinum. OK, maybe this will be just another macro lager, but you've gotta give it a try. Why? It's a strong (6 percent alcohol by volume), low-calorie (137 calories) beer. Yes, it sounds like a contradiction of terms, but Anheuser-Busch Inbev nonetheless will put its muscle behind its first new Bud offering since Bud Light Golden Wheat in 2009.
* Coolship Balaton. A couple of years ago, Maine's Allagash Brewing began experimenting with ales that are spontaneously fermented in a shallow, uncovered pan called a coolship. It's the same process used to make authentic Belgian lambics. Although samples have been poured at special events, there's hope it'll finally show up in stores in 2012. I'm hoping this one, flavored with Balaton cherries, finds its way to a glass near me.
* Courage Imperial Stout. A direct descendant of the original 18th-century Russian imperial stout, this dark-as-espresso brew has been MIA since it became a victim of a corporate takeover in the '90s. England's Wells and Young has recreated it, and it begins showing up on shelves this month.
