Gravity Brewing

I have been waiting for a brewery to spring up close to home for some time. For a long time the closest 'good' brewery was Avery. And as of last September that has changed with the presence of Gravity in old town Louisville. It's a funky location of shared space with the VFW divided by the  bathrooms and a kitchen. There's plenty of space to belly up to a gigantic bar with some odd shapes here and there. You'll have to see it for yourself. And the beers are VERY good. Leaning more on Belgian styles along with some small batch barrel aged beauties that I always get the info on when they will be coming out. At times they even run out as they are having a bit of struggle with keeping up with demand. A good problem to have. Being a regular and inquisitor of fine ales I have gotten to know the brewers and employees pretty well. It's a super cool group of folks. Julius is part owner and brewer and his father started Boulder Brewing. So it's in the blood. But this beer is light years ahead of anything Boulder Beer has ever put out.

My favorite by far is the Mendacious. An extremely delicious Belgian Blonde redolent with banana and vanilla flavors that makes you just want more and more. It's clean and has a nice crispness to it as well. In fact, that's what I dig about all of their beers. There's a clean aspect to each one that allows all of the flavors to be pronounced. And the Mendacious is probably the best example of that. It's my 'go to' every time I go there. Which says a lot about my love for it considering what else they offer.

The Barrel Aged Mendacious, when available, is as good as the regular Mendacious but more deacdent with flavors of banana nut bread. I find myself staring into the glass and sticking my nose in it in silence when I drink this. It's a treat when it's around.

Next on my list is the Ebb and Flow Red Rye. I don't know how they got so much toffee flavor in there but it marries perfectly with the perfect, crisp rye flavors. They used quite a bit of it along with roasted malts to make a heavy 9.3% brew that is good enough to be an after dinner quaff. It has nutty flavors of hazelnuts and chocolate toffee goodness. A bit of raisin and it's sticky as all hell.

The Barrel Aged IPA in a word is 'smoooooth'. Some of the danker hop flavors mellow out quite a bit and a thickness is created along with subtle barrel flavors that makes this another one of my favorites. It's a big one at about 9.8% I believe but like all of their big beers almost no heat what so ever.

Their IPA, which they call the 'Regular',  is not only good but it's what I would consider a near perfect IPA. The hops are very well balanced with the slightly sweet malt. I put them down pretty fast because it's so damn quaffable. This is a good one for growlers at home.

I could go on and on about their brews. There's a few more that are normally around which are damn good. All of them are. But you should head down there yourself.

cheers

D

'The Bomba' at Shine in Boulder

I am going to keep this post short and sweet as I have already posted 4 times tonight. Shine in Boulder is about as Boulder as you can get for a resteraunt. See my review in an earlier post. And they do pour some pretty good beers. The Bomba I tried last week was really good. It's a Belgian Golden style with a sweetness that is right on. It's around 8%-9% depending on the batch from what I was told. It has a great spice that tastes very genuine for a Belgian 'style'. It's rich and thick with banana and a bit of vanilla. And really clean tasting. A pro brewed this.

Shine is off the mall on 13th in Boulder.

cheers

D

Avery 'The Czar' Russian Imperial Stout

This is probably my favorite stout on the planet. I can't think of any other stout that even comes close. Except for maybe Andersen Valley's Oatmeal Stout when it poured around '92 at the brewery. There were some 'moments' in there. Anyway, this is another Dictator Series from the Avery folks and it friggin' rocks. It's got some nice black roasted malt aromas and flavors but not too much which can turn me off on a stout sometimes. A nice deep sweetness envelopes your mouth all then while the yeast and malt give this great rustic bread flavor. Again, delicious.This is another slick-ery brew that leaves a trail of sugars on your tongue. Love that. Your lips stick together while drinking this. And considering it's over 10% it does have some heat but the big bold flavors mask it pretty well. I like to drink the Czar a bit on the room temp side as it makes all the deep caramel and roasted sweet flavors come out. I find my nose deep in the tulip glass in between sips. It smells that good.

I don't think I really have anything bad to say about this beer. I stashed two in the cellar with intentions of cellaring more. At around 8 bucks a bomber I should be gathering at least a couple a week. I just know this is gonna age well.

cheers

D

oSKAr the G'Rauch Smoked IPA - Collaboration with Oskars and Ska

'Toked with Eldorado Malt hops' it says on the can. I had this beer for the first time at the Oskar's Canniversary in Lyons at the beginning of the winter. Not only was it a great party, my buddy Eric the Viking played some tunes, but I discovered Oskar the Grauch and drank nothing but the Grauch the rest of the time we were there. You can only get it while it lasts at either The Tasty Weasel or Liquids and Solids. The can is funky as can be with bare aluminum and a sticker/label slapped on the can. I am not a smoky beer guy but I bought the brew just for the can alone. But to my surprise it just has a whif of smoke and lots of perfectly crafted IPA. It's a bit of a big beer at 8.5% . The smell is smokier than it tastes and has a nice IPA aroma rounding it all out. And it looks like an IPA. Some IPAs are reddish like a Pale Ale. I like the deep yellow golden styles. Same color as something like an Avery IPA. The flavors are big and somewhat complicated. There's this great tangerine flavor with some black pepper and then the hint of smoke. And of course it all floats on some great IPA flavors. It's a bit dank but balances well with the sweetness the malt gives it. As it warms up a bit the smoke becomes more pronounced. But so damn quaffable. I could drink one after the other which is exactly what I plan on doing while watching the 49ers play this Sunday in the playoffs. Glorious!

cheers

D

Avery Maharajaha - it's that time of year

All of the Dictator Series brews are outstanding in my opinion. The Maharajah is especially good and when this time of year rolls around I think I speak for all beer lovers on the front range that we search it out. Especially on draft. The bombers are fairly easy to find on the front range.

Here's the details on why this beer is so damn good. The Maharajah is a DPA weighing in at 10.4%. The red color is deep. It does  have a bit of booze hit to it. So I would call it a 'sippin' beer. The aromas are big. It smells intensely hoppy so you gotta love to burp the flowers to dig into this one. You can get some sugars in the aroma along with some citrus. Typical for a DPA but uniquely Avery. The hop and malt flavors are really well balanced. It's a bit chewy and leaves a nice slick on the tongue that makes the bitter/sweet linger for quite a while. I have been drinking this brew for a handful of years now and it's always had a rye flavor to it that makes it stand out. But no rye in it. Nice.

In two words I would call the Maharajah 'hopalicious' and 'smooooth'. Oh, this is a brew you want to drink last if you plan on drinking more than one kind of beer. The flavors hang out and don't leave. Nice.

cheers

D

Funkwerks 'Deceit'

I think this bottle came out around 3 months ago. At least that's the first time I tried it and I have good enough liquor stores nearby that keep up with the latest and greatest for CO beers. The first time I tried Deceit was on tap at Oskars in Longmont. It has that common funk that us Saison lovers enjoy along with some pineapple and citrus. Nothing shocking or out of the ordinary really. But a good quaffable Saison for sure. The texture is what I really enjoy. It has that cloudy, chewy feel from all of that active yeast swimming around. The color is perfectly golden. It's a big Saison weighing in at 9.4% but without the boozy flavor and/or feel. It's a bit hoppy which gives it a more familiar flavor like a hoppy Belgian Blonde.

It has a 2 year cellar time. I'll crack my stash in 2 years...if I can wait and they don't run out.

cheers

D

Crooked Stave 'Vieille Artisinal' Saison

This little bugger comes in a 12 oz bottle and has the flavor and characteristic deserved of a bomber. The Vieille Artisinal is an oak aged Saison that has delicious spice notes common in a not-too-funky Saison. It weighs in at only 4.x percent alcohol but has flavors of a much bigger beer. The taste lingers for quite a while giving off notes of lemon, a bit of oak, and a touch of that yeasty funk. It's very non-offensive to those who don't dig the more sour beasts out there. But pleasing to those who do as well. Think of it as a mellow Petit Sour. Which with some age and time will just get better. I stashed a couple away.

cheers

D

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