Great Divide Hibernation Ale

There's always been a particular flavor that lets me know I am drinking a Great Divide brew. I't's not a hoppy thing but more in the yeast and malt. It's a good thing. And this years Hibernation has that. It's a rich, malty English style Ale with chocolaty up front flavors. A roasted coffee taste is there as well as in the nose. And Like any good holiday brew there's a wee bit of cinnamon. It's a bit heavy, which I like, but really delicious. It has an almost warming affect. But that could just be me and the stock bubbling away next to me. There's a bit of hops when you give a whiff and a bit more when you sip. But you gotta concentrate on it. I could see this beer aging well for a year or two. It's rich enough and seems to have enough sugars to pull it off.

I highly recommend this winter warmer.

cheers

D

West Flanders, Boulder

A brewery on the Pearl St Mall is not exactly my ideal location. For one parking sucks. It's not like parking in SF kind of suck but it can be a routine. Plus any place serving alcohol on the mall can get CROWDED. Regardless, I had to try one of the newer additions to breweries in Boulder. It is beer after all. And this place is where BJ's used to be. My hope was the beer wouldn't be as bad as BJ's.

I made my way down the first night of the playoffs to watch the Giants. Yes, it was crowded as hell and the staff, like most in Boulder, were young and not very helpful. Like when I asked one of the waiters about the type of hops in one of their beers I got a "...we don't give out that info." Oh please. It's f***ing beer not an Ever-Lasting-Gobstopper! So that was a bad start. On to the beer...

As usual I will only review the brews I liked.

Third Kingdon IPA (6.7%)
This was a good intro and got my hopes up. It's a nice 'n dank IPA that has a good balance between the malt and hops with a bit of chewiness to it thanks to it being un-filtered. And like any good IPA it has a citrus hit that really made it for me. The color is perfect for an IPA. All in all a good beer with great malt flavor that cuts through all the dank.

TBD ESB
This was a classic ESB that reminded me of having a fresh Red Hook in Seattle in '91. It's a classic style ESB with a smooth and nutty taste that I really enjoyed. It didn't blow the doors off but a good brew nonetheless. The malt is nice and dry that lends itself to the beer quite nicely. The carbonation was one as well.

Conniption Pale Ale
This was pretty classic. A nice Pale Ale with a hit of hoppy dankness that works pretty well. It has a bitter touch to it with a touch of sweetness. Like any good hoppy ale I like it was the citrus notes that really got me to like this one.

All in all West Flanders serves up some pretty good beers. I was disappointed in the Belgians hence no reviews. Either way I enjoyed a few good pints and I hope they can step up to the plate a bit more and really  work on those Belgians. Especially the strong ones.

cheers

D

The Meddler

I have to say, Odells has been putting out some fine barreled brews as of late (see my last post) and The Meddler is a prime example of what they are up to. My first experience with an Oud style beer was Avery's Oud Floris which is exceptionally good. The Meddler follows as a damn fine example of how barreling and the residual yeast and bacteria in the barrel can affect the taste in so many good ways. The aroma is deep and rich with a bit or raisins and hazelnuts along with an almost peachy waft to it. The taste is pretty much the same but with that wonderful sour hit that I and so many love. The flavor is a bit sweet, sour, with back notes of caramel that really made me feel I was quaffing a damn good deal of a brew at around $15 a pop. The malt stands out with a touch of hops which is pretty characteristic of an Oud Bruin. The flavors of vanilla I particularly enjoyed as it rounded out the sourness and paired perfectly with the malt that is present in a good brown.

I strongly suggest you grab one of these beauties. I have one in the cellar and plan on getting one or two more to age. If I have the strength to keep it down in the basement.

cheers

D

Deconstructing Odell's "Deconstruction"

The cork shot like a bat out of hell and  the sound was of a fine champagne. Ok, a bit over doing it on the dramatics but holy s**t is this a good ale. As I write this the damn bottle is two feet away from me and I can smell the aromas wafting my way. I couldn't wait to get my hands on another one of these bottles just so I could blog about it. I had one last night while I made a pizza dinner for the family. Which included my dear-sainted mother whom knows her wine and naturally knows a good ale. She shared a bit with me in between her glasses of Chardonnay and she actually gasped after a sip or two. Mom's know best right? To call this a Beer sounds almost insulting as being too general. It's a barrel aged Golden Ale that...fuggit. I'll just say what it says on the bottle:

"A Golden Ale created by blending the final recipe with it's own barrel aged pilot-beers fermented with wild yeasts and lacto. Each individual barrel contributes a unique flavor from the wood chosen and the cultures resident to achieve subtle complexities that develop over time"

If this gets better over time I can't imagine how good it will be in a year, two years time. It pours like a perfect Belgian and quickly gives off aromas of a fine Chardonnay that married a smooth Saison and then had a 5 Barrel for a child. The esters are very pronounced and leave a fruity flavor of pineapple and apricot as it fades in your mouth. Damn, that aroma keeps filling up the space around me with a confidence that says "You want some of this beer guy?! Then here you go!" And like any good wine it just gets better as you let it breathe. When first opened it's the aroma more than the taste that impresses. 15 minutes later it evolves into a whole new beer. Tart stone fruit, a touch of caramel, hops, citrus, and even a bit of champagne. Like many breweries you can taste flavors of other beers they make. As stated on the bottle I quoted above there is pilot-beers in there to nudge it into the O'Dell direction of flavor. But it's pretty subtle. It has a character all on it's own. The malt is very well balanced with the tartness the wild yeast gave it. And the barreling gives it a sophistication that stands out all the while balancing the aforementioned flavors.

Granted it's a sour beer of sorts so if your not into that kinda thing then move on to another post. But if you are into sours do yourself a favor and grab this beauty while it's available. At roughly $14.99 a bottle it ain't cheap. But damn worth it.

cheers

D

Great Divide Belgian Style Yeti Imperial Stout (2011)

Last year I grabbed a bottle of this brew in hopes I would let it age for a while. The in-laws came in to town, from Petaluma, and I kind of got into a 'mode' of beer sharing. This was one of the first we dug into. I am not sure on how many Yeti's are out there these days. It's gotta be over a dozen. Right? This bottle was a 2011 bottled in July. The pour was what you would expect from any good Imperial Stout. Nice head, freakishly dark, and inviting. The smell was what really grabbed me. It has that nostalgic stout whiff but a hint of Belgian yeast which brightened it up a bit. Coffe came through and some chocolate. Again, like a classic good stout.

The taste, again nostalgic, was of a familiar stout that one loves and rememb ers from times past. But the capper is that Belgian hit that lingers on the finish. To the point where banana comes through granted you really pay attention and geek out and pay attention. Dates, raisins and also a bit of balck licorice. It only gets better as it warms up too. But not too warm...

git it

D

Funkwerks 'Scepter' Golden Ale

The wife and I just came home from Oskars. Not the Weasel but the resteraunt (Liquids and Solids). I imbibed on the Funkwerks Belgian IPA which was absolutely delicious. But this post is not about that. On the way home we promised to grab a bomber of Racer 5, which is great and cheap, but as fate would happen on the front range I noticed a new Funkwerks selection I have not tried. In fact, from what the dude told me at the liquor store they just released it to the masses. As of today...or something like that.

Like most Funkwerks concotions this is pretty damn smooth. With a nice hit of malt up front, which can be unusual with 'funk' brews, it really balances out. It's a good looking Ale, barrel aged with a cellar longevity of 3 years according to the bottle. Regardless, it's a Belgian beauty that has the expected spice and a smooth mouth feel that hits home. It's a biggin' too at 9.3% but with no heat or boozy taste whatsoever. It's always a bit of BS when I review beers that can cellar for time due to the fact I don't know what it will taste like 3 years from now. But then again it's what I have now and it may be what you grab for the night. And I highly recommend it.

git it

D

A day of Belgians at Mt. Sun

I won't go into how long we have been eating and imbibing at Mt Sun but let's just say many years. We know the owners and managers well enough to say hi and have conversations with. Whether at a Phish show or the brewery itself. Good folks who play by their own rules. I like that. On to the Belgians....

Currently Mt Sun has a handful of Belgians to choose from. This is not really like them to do so. But since new Brewer Jeff Ramirez from Ironworks in PA took over, things seem to be changing a bit for the better in terms of spreading their wings a bit. Don't worry, it's still the beloved hippie brewery serving delicious beers and food. Just more adventurous it seems. When I spoke to Jeff about the newer brett brews soon to come he said they brew offisite at a warehouse off of Arapahoe. So I think they may keep the Belgians coming considering Jeff's taste for these types ans styles. Good on him.

The first taste was the Ciel Lumineux Belgian Ale. Considering Mt Sun doesn't filter their beers too much this one was an exception. It looked and tasted almost pils like. It is a nice beer that is dry with all of the Belgian ale flavors one has come to expect here in the US. Hints of coriander, a bit of funk, spicy, etc. Or what the day manager called '...that wet horse blanket smell'. I can dig it. Anyway, the aroma didn't have much which the flavor made up for in this nice Belgian Ale.

The Bavarian Wheat had huge funk when whiffing along with some citrus notes. It looks like cloudy champagne which as you might guess it's un-filtered. The flavors are nutty, of all things, and a bit sour. But not too much. I think it's the smoothness of it all that made me like this one. But like many beers so un-filtered I wouldn't spend a night drinking this one. Live yeast can wreak havoc on ones innards. If you catch my drift.

Pater's Belgian Ale is perfect in appearance for what it is. Deep golden colors, perfect carbonation, and an impressive bleach white creamy head that you could float a quarter on. Love that. I'll dmit though I didn't get much aroma off of it. The taste is very biscuit-y with the mouth feel of an English Ale. Delicious. The hop presence is really mellow which makes it more of a malt lovers type. And it's damn easy to drink which I always like. I would love to see this in a firkin. Unfortunately Mt Sun doesn't do firkins. Well, they should. Just sayin'.

This last one is loved by the Mt Sun crew so I ad some high expectations going into it. It was good...but not great. Which of course is fine. It's just that it was chatted up quite a bit. Regardless, the Rouge de Brugges Belgian Red is nutty and malty with a beautiful red amber color that just makes you want to drink it by sight alone. It's fairly dry, almost to dry for my taste, with a slight note of blackberries. Actually, it had slight flavors of their Blackberry Wheat. Hmmmm. I think this one hs much potential but could use a bit more of everything. There I said it.

And then there's the FYIPA......

cheers

D

Tasting at Boulder's 'Shine'

The location of Shine has gone through more ownership's and resteraunts than any other location I know of in Boulder. Remember Red Fish? It's that location. And it's the same Brewer which I'll admit I was a bit hesitant going into tasting these beers in terms of liking them. I was never that big of a Red Fish fan. Shine (so Boulder) is owned by the 3 sister's who owned/ran Trilogy which closed a couple of years ago. I don't know them personally but they seem to know what they're doing by running an establishment that just screams Boulder. For better or worse. Let's just say it seems appealing to the 'rich-boulder-mom-hasn't-worked-in-years-lunching-around-town-with-baby-in-tow' type. Anyway, on to the brews.

The first taster was a gluten free beer (so Boulder), which for me is never good, called the Liberation. It's actually not bad. Slightly malty with a bit of coriander on the taste as well as a tad fruity. But like many gluten free beer it has that something missing. Regardless, it was refreshing on a 95 degree day.

Next up was the American Wheat. This is a seasonal. I have never been a huge fan of American wheat brews so going into this one I had to have an open mind. Mind open I gave a whiff. Not much there. I gave a taste...surprisingly good. Crisp, highly filtered, and a nice natural lemon hit. It has a sweet aroma to it that's quite nice as you whiff the brew while it's sipped. Without a doubt it's a wheat. Straightforward and not pretentious. So as far as an American Wheat mission accomplished.

Onto the Shine Pale Ale. More of my neighborhood. When smelling the brew you don't get much floral going on but when you taste is all comes out quite nicely. It has the bitter dankness of an IPA which actually impressed me. The malt and Pacific hops are balanced well with a big floral hit that had a faint back note of rose water. No, seriously it id. And it worked. This was one of my favorites.

Trilogy IPA didn't have that hop hit that most IPAs have when you give a whiff. But like the Pale the taste was dank and bitter but at the same time fairly mellow for your standard front range IPA. I'll admit I don't have much to report on this one as it didn't take me to places that would otherwise make me write more about it. 'Nuff said.

I have always loved a good Pils. Especially those brewed in the Czech style which what the Pohoda is. It has a big Pils taste with big biscuity flavors. And in front range fashion it's really hoppy. Like Oskar's Yella Pils hoppy. Which I really liked. It's dry, as it should be, with a nice toasted malt flavor that I really got into. Damn quaff-able. Concentrating on the flavors I tasted chamomile of all things. This taster I finished.

The Imperial Porter is a seasonal that I almost didn't try due to the fact that out of fairness I am not a big Porter guy. But, the bartender talked me into it as he himself stated he wasn't big on Porters but liked this one. I did too. It has that classic Porter taste but not as dry as most. It was almost stout-ish but had a certain brightness to it that made it manageable to drink on a super hot day. It's a bit sticky and weighs in on 8.7% yet was not boozy one bit. This is a good Porter.

Lastly I tasted the Down Dog (so Boulder) Imperial Red which threw me back to the days when Oasis was in town serving the Scarab Red. Spicy, a bit sweet, malty, and a great color and body to it. This may have been my favorite. It weighs in at 9% which surprised me when I was told as such. Again, not boozy. This red is worth digging into.

All in all I was satisfied with what I tasted at Shine. There was a few bland moments but in the words of Primus 'They can't all be zingers'. So true.

cheers

D

'Pond Hopper' Collaboration - Odelle's/Thornbridge

Pond Hopper is a very tasty collaboration between Odelle's and England's own Thornbridge Brewing. It's a stylishly smooth Double Extra IPA that weighs in around 8.9% yet has very little boozy taste. The collaboration among the two breweries on different continents is dictated by the presence of English malt an American hops. When first giving a sip the first I got was of honey and hoppy/flowery goodness. It has that perfect deep golden IPA color that is present in bigger IPAs. There is a nice nutty and vanilla aroma that hits your nose which compliments the sweet malty taste that really stand out. As is sipped more an more I noticed the citrus flavors coming out from the hops which gave it a real brightness which then mellows into the aforementioned caramel malt flavor. The taste lingers for a while and hits of caramel really start to stanbd out as it warms in your glass. Cheers to that. Git it.

cheers

D

What's at Oskar's Blues Tasty Weasel (tap house)

The offerings at the Weasel as of late are solid. I mean, they always have been but I am seeing more exploration as time goes on. This review is about 3 beers that I really dug into this last weekend at the Weasel. First up 'The Golden Ale'.

Golden Ale
This beauty is right up my alley. A Belgian style that is creamy as the day is long. It hovers in around 7% but doesn't have a whiff of heat to it. To me it's a classic front range Belgian style. A bit 'o hop, thick, quaffable, and most importantly those classic spice notes of coriander, clove, and just a touch of cinnamon. That last flavor might be a stretch but I call e'm like I taste 'em. There is a nice honey flavor that comes from the bright malty goodness that surrounds the mouth. The hops and malt are really well balanced. I loved this one on a 90 degree day at 2:00pm. Which for those not from the front range, that's mighty hot.

Dave's Pale Ale (not Dale's)
First off, this deliciously un-offensive Pale Ale is nothing like Dale's. This is much lighter in body, taste, and over-all character. The recipe came from the head brewer Dave Chichura (i hope I got that right) whom accomplished exactly what he set out to achieve it seems. The crew at Oskar's call it 'lawn mower beer'. I can see that. It's crisp, a bit dry, hoppy, and reminds me of drinking a craft Pale Ale in the Bay Area in the early 90's. Old school is what I am saying. It has great flavor all around with some nice biscuit notes that is all to familiar for a classic pale such as this. Nicely done Dave.

Ten Fiddy Aged in Jack Daniels barrels
Holy s*** is this delicious. Which wasn't what I expected before taking a sip. I love the Ten Fiddy. Don't get me wrong. But I loathe the taste, and the mornings, of Jack Daniels. So going into this beer I decided just a 4 oz taster would do. The first sip was like having warm Rocky Road melted ice cream slide down your gullet. I'm not kidding. The bar tender laughed when he saw the expression on my face after the first sip. 'Damn god, eh?' Yes, damn good. There so many things going on. Chocolate, hazelnuts, vanilla, caramel, coffee....Must....have....another. Give me a 10oz please!

cheers

D

Crooked Stave - Surette Chardonnay Barrel Aged Reserva

This bottle was consumed over two weeks ago but luckily I just came across some notes I wrote while drinking it. The Reserva is a Chardonnay barrel age farmhouse that I had pretty high expectations for and they were pretty much met. The Reserva is a wonderful sour but not too funky or offensive to frighten away the 'sour haters'. My wife being one of them. That's fine, more for me. It has a wonderful peach smell that's nice 'n bright. At the same time you can get that sour whiff which I love. Without even concentrating too much on the flavors as it swirled in my mouth I caught this great pineapple taste with some citrus. Really satisfying. Coats the mouth, as most Saisons will, with a great bread/cereal flavor that seems to rise from the yeast which gave it a lingering finish. I really enjoyed this bottle. Enough to throw one in the cellar. Grab one.

cheers

D

Great Divide 'Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti'

I don't even know how many versions of the Yeti Great Divide has. It's gotta be their most popular beer/series of beers. Today I am writing about the Chocolate Yeti that I am imbibing on as I write this at Freshcraft. It's a stout, of course, with great flavors right off the bat. Sticky as all hell with plenty of sweetness that surrounds your mouth. Great hits of vanilla as well. Almost Rocky Road-ish. The color is deep deep deep with a head that rivals a dark milk shake. It's a bit boozy on the nose but certainly not on the taste. Black licorice comes through as well which is fairly typical of bigger stouts. Damn thick too which leaves a killer slick/coating all over the mouth. Including that sticky lip thing I am always mentioning. As it gets a bit warmer some wonderful coffe flavors are present. Which goes great with the chocolate malt. A damn fine beer. But a mood beer for me. I am not always in the mood for something so rich and dark. And this falls in this category. Good on ya Great Divide.

cheers

D

Denver Beer Co.

I finally made it down to Denver Beer Company. Cool neighborhood (Lo Hi area) and great atmosphere. It's pretty close to my work so I decided to walk down last Friday and grab a couple of growlers for the team (work) before we all took off for the weekend. I had heard great things about the place. I love breweries where the brewing happens right in front of your face as you quaff a freshy. Carter's in Billings, Montana comes to mind. And Denver Beer Co. is like that.

As I write this their menu has changed. They had about 6 brews on tap so I went for the tasters since I had never even looked at one of their beers. I started out with the Hop To It Pale Ale which reminded me of a West Coast style pale. More malty than hoppy with that citrus hit you get from west coast hops. Honestly I don't what they use. Nonetheless quaffable. A bit bitter and dry. To be honest not a ton going on. But not bad either.

Next I had the Rauchbier which was a stout that smelled and tasted of black licorice and coffee. This one I liked as it was big and fairly complex. Hints of un-sweetened chocolate and a bit sweet. Kinda like burnt caramel. Also some cereal in there. It got better as I drank it.

Cartman's Ginger Saison I had a bit of trouble with in terms of deciding whether I liked it enough to blog about. At first I didn't think too much of it. But as I sat back and concentrated on the lemony flavors and subtle sourness I started to warm up to it. It's only slightly gingery and has more lemon if anything. A tad bit of funk which is usually present in any Saison or brett beer. It hangs in your mouth for quite a while too which is pretty impressive for a lighter beer. The thing I didn't like was the slight taste of sulfur which frankly almost made me not like the beer at all. For some reason I was able to look past it. Probably because it was 95 degrees out which made it refreshing.

The Rye It So Hot was pretty typical of a rye. Dry, biscuity, and that presence of rye. Which is nice to taste considering some ryes don't even have that come through. I got nice flavors of graham cracker. It was a bit hoppy which added some bitterness. I did like this beer.

So those were the beers I did think were good enough to share. My rule is I don't blog about beers I don't like. Why bother. I have no intentions of lambasting any brewery for any reason whatsoever. If they suck I just won't write about. My goal is to tell about beers that I find worth seeking out on the Front Range.

cheers

D

Avery Barrel Series #12 - Oud Floris

For the record I/we spent over $100 on a 12 pack of 12 oz bottles. Why? Great question. And quite frankly it's hard to justify unless you are a fanatic about specialty beers like I am and thousands of other folks across the globe. The wife and I got to the tasting room about 2 hours before they released the beer for sale. It was quite fun. They had some special barrels available that were leftover from Sour Fest for that day and that day only. Which included Ross' Mom, Bad Apple, and Grapes of Wrath. So waiting in line suited us just fine. I am talking about Avery's Oud Floris which is a barrel aged sour. When I say barrel aged I mean 4 different types of barrels. Here's the run down on time spent in barrels over a 3 year period:


67% Cabernet Sav
17% Bourbon
8% Rum
8% Chardonnay

I tend to be a bit suspicious when I see beer being brewed with such complication. But wholly cow is this beer special. It comes in at 9.39% with no heat to it whatsoever. The smell is chocolatey and deeply complex. As stated above the Cab barreling stands out more than anything else. Yet the combo of it all gives off a wonderful raisin smell and taste. The first sip was explosive and sticky right off the bat. As with many sours it's quite tart but incredibly balanced with the flavors mentioned above. I even get a nice taste of cherry popovers. So good. It's really effervescent. Like a champagne as I have compared others to before. And it has that signature sourness that most Avery barrel series have. Which is amazingly good compared to other breweries and their barreled sours. Not being a shill. It's just true IMO.

Menu for the day

Getting there early with no line and plenty of rare beers to taste

Waiting in line. Yes, we were 1st

Getting ready for the sale.

Oud Floris will not be easy to find. If you are curious I would call ahead of time and ask your favorit good quality liquor store. Some of them don't put rare beers on the shelves but rather in the back. So you gotta ask!

So as not to create another post I'll go into some of the specialty brews we got to have while waiting for the sell of the Oud Floris:

Ross' Mom
Super tart with tastes of cherries. Even sweet-tartish. The yeast stood out nicely as well without it being too sugary. A classic in your face sour. Those who don't like sours will hate this.

Bad Apple
Friggin delicious. Most folks flocked to this one. It has hints of Apple Jolly Rancher yet smells of fresh apples. New Zealand Sauv Blanc flavors. Champagne like taste and feel that is also cider like. Incredibly refreshing for the 100 degree day we had.

Grapes of Wrath
Very dark in color with tastes of Cabernet standing out as it was aged in those barrels. Fairly tart but refreshing with hints of dark cherries, Mellow carbonation. Delicious.

cheers

D

Chaka

My geek-dom for beers has increased dramatically from even a year ago. I am into cellaring brews as well as finding rare ones only found on the front range to throw into my library. I discovered The Chaka while at the Tasty Weasel one afternoon while imbibing with Heather about two months ago. A guy was leaving as we walked in holding his baby in a portable car seat in one hand and 2 four packs of the strangest damn cans I had ever seen. They looked like energy drinks. 'Hey man, is that beer?', I asked. 'Dude, this is not only beer but one of the best I have had in a while!' Provocative. We bellied up and I asked one of the bartenders where I can get a can of...what did the guy call it? Chaka! They told me they only sell 4 packs and they are going quick. "I'll take two four packs please!"

Chaka is a Belgian Style Ale as it is advertised on the can. It's a collaboration with Sun King out of Indiana. Whom I don't know much about. It comes in around 8% of sweet malty goodness along with the traditional Belgian sour hit that's so common. It has a nice carbonation to it that literally fizzes in yo face as you sip. The nutty flavors from the malt compliment the slightly hoppy aromas and taste. And as I have mentioned more than once when reviewing bigger brews it's pleasantly sticky on the lips signifying a fair amount of sugars. The temperature changes the beer quite a bit. Cold, it's not as sugary. A bit warmer and the malty goodness stands out with hits of hazelnuts. It's really easy to drink in terms of not having much alcohol taste or feel. I had one last week on Father's Day, which was blazing hot at around 90 degrees. I stuck a Chaka in the freezer for about 20 minutes and I have to say it was really refreshing.

Oskars has canned another batch and is currently selling 4 packs at the Weasel. I suggest you make the trip and buy some.

cheers...couldn't resist the pic of Chaka from Land of the Lost.

D

Oskar's Deviant Dales

Not only am I a huge fan of Oskar's Blues Dales Pale Ale but I might be an even bigger fan of it's grown up sibling Deviant Dales. It's Dales on steroids. Deviant is a 8% India Pale Ale that is not shy about it's massive citrusy hop flavors and slightly rich malt. I'd say the flavors stand at about 80% hops and 20% malt that you can more or less taste while it swirls in your mouth. Once it's gone though the after taste is burping pine-y flowers. It's a tad boozy but mellows as it gets warmer. Which is what I generally do. Pour....cradle in both hands....wait for the temp to rise a few degrees...drink. Being a bigger and bitter beer it coats your tongue with wonderful hop resins that lingers for a loooong time. I don't suggest pouring a Hefewiezen or any other lighter beer after quaffing a Deviant. The flavors just consume your face in the best way. And it comes in a 16oz. can which rules. A bit pricey but well worth it.

If you get the chance head down to the Tasty Weasel (Oskar's tasting room) and order a fresh one from the source. It's friggin' delicious.

cheers

D

Funkwerks Fruition

Funkwerks Saisons are brews you either like or you don't. That goes for any Saison. But what Funkwerks does with theirs can be pretty special in terms of bending the boundaries a bit. This latest Saison is brewed with apricots and peppercorns. The smell has a bit of the fruit while the taste has more of the peppercorn. It has the funk on the nose but really mellow in terms of ales brewed with brett or wild yeasts. I even catch a whiff of pineapple and peppermint. The peppermint I think comes from the peppercorns. The taste is slightly spicy, with a hit of lemon, and the peppercorns I mentioned above. It sits in your mouth quite dry with perfect carbonation. It leaves a nice slick on your tongue after a few gulps and leaves quite a bit of stickiness which I would assume is the apricot considering it's a 6% Saison. They recommend aging it for 6 months max which I tend on doing. I'll probably crack what I have in the cellar during the holidays.


cheers

D

Oskars Blues G'Knight

Oh, The Gordon! Er, G'Knight. Oskars declined to get in frivolous lawsuits with a not-so-great beer corp  due to the name of the beer. Gordon->G'Knight. So be it. This is easily in my lib of favorites for reasons other than just being fine tasting, consistent, and a bigger (8.7%) beer. The watering hole I choose is Freshcraft  in Lodo and I almost always order a G'Knight. Freshcraft is a stones throw from my office which makes waiting for the L line up north a great way to pass time. The bartenders are incredibly knowledgable and know their beer. I could sit for hours talking to any of them about the multitude of beers on their list (24 taps and a mega fridge of the best) and what I am drinking in the moment. And damn fine folks too. Friends of mine. That's another post. 

Cory from Freshcraft showing off a few beers in their epic beer fridge

G'Knight is an Imperial Red that floods you with caramel, hops, and a bit of oak all the while being sticky. When it warms up it gets really intense. The sugar takes over the otherwise boozy feel when you got a mouth full. It's just on the edge of being too hot (boozy) tasting which adds to it's character. Again 8.7%. The carbonation works perfect in tandem with the full bodied taste. And a damn fine looking beer too. Like a perfect English Ale poured from a London pub. I have had it many times fresh at The Tasty Weasel (Oskars tap room) and that includes the Stranahan's Whiskey Barrel Aged version only available at the tap room every once in a while. As I write this they tapped one a couple weeks ago and ran out in a heart beat. For good reason. It's one of those beers that makes me feel lucky as all hell just to be part of this community that continuously gives us better and better beers and ales. Cheers to that.

G'Knight is a nostalgic beer for me. Not sure exactly why in terms of past memories that include taste or smell. But it just does. 

cheers, er G'Knight!

D

What's at Avery

On any given Saturday or Sunday I tend to head down to Avery and see what they have special in the tasting room. It's a 15 minute drive, if that. Which makes life even sweeter when you enjoy the brews like I do. I went last Friday by myself and bellied up to the bar which was lucky as hell considering it was a barrel tapping night of the infamous Trogdor. This particular tapping was the Bourbon Barrel aged version that quite frankly was intense enough to remind me of a mouthful of Red Man chew. Doesn't sound good does it? In the beers defense I have never really been that big on smoky tasting beers. Like Scotch ales and such. And this was no different. In fact it was so intense the dude next to me loves smoky beers and he couldn't handle it. That's not to say it's not good. Just not my style.

Next was the Erimita the 3rd. or just Erimita III. A beautiful sour barrel aged ale that tastes of cherries and Cabernet. Which makes sense since it was aged in Cab barrels. It's not too sour and has a nice whiff of oak on the nose if you really dig deep into your olfactory blues. As it warmed up the mouth feel got even more intense and chewy. A great one and one of my favorites.

Every summer Avery comes out with the Lillikoi / Leopoldo which is a lighter ale, crisp yet un-filtered with nice subtle hints of passion fruit (Lillikoi). I really like this one. It's got some nice sourness to it along with a yeast hit that really makes it nice n bread-y. To me it's more Grapefruit then Passion fruit. But who cares. Cuz this one is worth quaffing on any given Front Range day.

Then came the Simcoe / Chinook version of their IPA. Hot damn was this good. I already love the IPA (always in our fridge) but the twist with these West Coast hops made it something special. It is a bit 'catty', or what I like to call dank, but that doesn't remove any of the delicious hop aromas that have consistently been in the original IPA. And really smooth too. It just kinda hangs in your mouth for a bit with a head full of flowers.

Lastly was a good beer that ultimately made my stomach do back flips for the rest of the day/evening. Good tasting, but almost painful. It's the Boulderweisse. Barrel aged in Cab Sav barrels for up to 3 years yet with no distinct colors of doing so. Hugely sour, almost too much for my taste, with hints of green apple which is really nice. It almost saves the beer in my opinion. It's got that live yeast funk as well which is what made me blow away the household, as it were. My suggestion is if you go for a full glass, at $10, drink with caution. Maybe down a Kambucha beforehand!

cheers

D

Great Divide 'Rumble' Oak Aged IPA

I went searching tonight after work for the GD Collette which seems to be going fast around here. And for good reason. But that's another story and beer review to come soon. Tonight I want to talk about the Rumble IPA that just hit the stores as of this week. I'll admit I didn't have very high expectations from GD for a few years strong. I just didn't think the beers were that great. But ever since the Yeti series has been available, probably much sooner than that, I have been smitten by what the brewers have been producing. The Rumble is an IPA worthy of much appreciation. Deep in caramel flavors with a subtle hit of hops. I know, it's an IPA that should be big on hops. But this is more than likely due to the barreling process. Regardless, I personally don't care whether it's an IPA, BPA, RCA, or an MCA (nod to Yauch). It's delicious. The vanilla hits are so nice. And very smooth as well. I hate to use the term 'friendly' but it is a beer worthy of satisfying those afraid of bigger beers as well as hoppy ones. The nose is vastly different than what goes down the gullet. Barley-ish when dipping your nose into it and then the aforementioned vanilla and caramel when going down. Not bad.

cheers

Dry Dock Double IPA (AKA Seven Seas)

I'll admit my expectation on this DIPA was to be knocked over sideways with a rugby tackle of hops. I guess mostly due to the nature of how things are brewed around here. The flowers that I burp are there but mostly I get flavors of bright barley followed by a citrus hit that is the best part about it IMO. After a few sips you get that nice sugar affect (9% ABV) that makes your lips sticky as if you just downed a taqueria tongue (lengua, try it. It's great) taco. And like anything that Dry Dock makes the color is perfect for an IPA style brew. As I sit here and it gets a bit warmer some nice esters are starting to kick in that reminds me a bit of Avery's Maharaja. And man is it getting smooth. Not boozy at all for a bigger brew. I have a feeling this would be an amazing out of a firkin. Like hop juicy good with no bitterness as is characteristic of hoppier beers out of firkins. Maybe they have already done so at the tasting room. I'll have to inquire about that one. This is a good'n to have around when you feel inclined to have something hoppy but not too 'in your face'. Git it.

cheers

D

Dry Dock Apricot Blonde (Seasonal)

My experience with Dry Dock so far has been solid. Every beer I have had of theirs has not disappointed and this beauty is no different. I usually get whatever Dry Dock is pouring at my favorite pubs and as of late the Apricot Blonde has hit the kegs and shelves. As I write this it's a pretty hot day on the range so my first sip should be a good'n. Yes, it was/is good. The nose smells like a split open apricot shoved in your face. Common to other good brews with fruit adjunct it's a bit chewy as well. Kind of like the Pyramid Apricot Wheat. Yet this is not as un-filtered as that. There are subtle notes of coriander which is not un-typical for any type of Blonde. But it's the fruity goodness of the apricots that take center stage. It's quaffable obviously at a mellow ABV of 5.1%. Other beers made with stone fruits tend to bring out a nice bready flavor in the malt. Maybe it's a pectin thing. Not sure. Regardless, it's damn good. Enjoy it if you get the chance. They're going quick!

Napa has wine. We have beer!

Growing up in the Bay Area I was able, and still do, to enjoy many fine wines straight from the source. That's not to say I lived in the wine country but the access was always there. As accessible as a drive to the coast. When a good year amounted to stellar bottles coming out, many of them cheap bottles, the wife and I would enjoy some really great wines and pontificate on them. The nose, the color, taste, the source, etc. Well, after moving to Boulder, CO in 2001 we soon picked up on the bourgeoning craft beer scene that surrounded us and still does to this day at an ever-growing pace. I love beer and living on the Front Range has it's advantages for sure. I know the craft beer scene is all over the nation these days but it almost seems factual when I say the BEST beers just may come from where the Rocky Mountains end. Hence the name 'Front Range'. From Fort Collins up north to Colorado Springs down south. And I'll even throw in a review or tasting room experience from the Western Slope where such fine breweries as Ska Brewing come from.  

My goal is to catalog my experiences and the tastes I come across while enjoying craft brews in my surrounding area. Considering how many breweries there are and how many beers are produced I should be able to stay busy for many years to come. I just hope I can maintain the interest. I have confidence considering the subject matter. So I guess this first post is a quick intro as to what my intentions are and hopefully you'll come back once in a while to read up on what I think is good now, where it's available, and any other bits of knowledge I can share. Plenty of photos will be posted whether they be of beer or candids in a tasting room.

cheers

D