Tuesday, May 24, 2016
The Subtle, Surprising Tastes of Summer
Past summers have been marked by brewers taking intriguing turns with fruit beers or pulling unexpected flavors out of their hats, and 2016 is likely to see more of that. But as Memorial Day weekend rolls around, there also seems a pattern this year toward something decidedly old-fashioned - crisp, clean lagers or golden ales that don't dazzle the palate so much as they go down smoothly with a surprisingly high amount of quality.
Nothing typifies this trend as much as the new Colorado Native Pilsner from AC Golden. This is a Coors offshoot that has tried and missed with a number of bland variations on the all-Colorado lager before. But the recently released pilsner is a spot-on, authentically German-style creation that cleanses the palate and finishes with a very subtle bite of hops to remind you it's got something more.
And if AC Golden surprises with its fresh entry into the lager market, maybe an even bigger surprise comes from Rock Bottom Denver. The Burro is an exceptionally smooth Vienna lager with a straw-hued body and a hint of nutty malt. Though one of the lightest beers currently on the brewpub's menu, it's arguably the most satisfying of the bunch.
It was be inaccurate to call maibocks summer beers, as they specifically are made for the spring season. But there are a couple that bring different characteristics to the current shoulder season. Strange Craft Beer's version weighs in at a meaty 7.5% ABV, and the slight alcoholic sting adds a new-world robustness to the old-world German flavor. Bristol Brewing's take on the style is more traditional and without much sweetness, but its full flavor reflects a good use of malt. I recently debated a server at Colorado Plus (see taster picture below) about which was better; the consensus was that you couldn't go wrong.
Not everything appropriate for the warmer-weather palate has to be of the lager variety, however. Dillon Dam's Go Devil Golden Strong Ale, sampled after a recent late-season ski run to the area, comes in at a full 9% ABV and packs the punch you might expect from the Belgian-style ale. But it also has a sweet, estery smoothness that translates well to mountain porch drinking, and should be sought out as such.
The summer season is almost upon us. Luckily, the beer offerings have beaten the calendar to our door steps, and the bounty looks impressive.
Past summers have been marked by brewers taking intriguing turns with fruit beers or pulling unexpected flavors out of their hats, and 2016 is likely to see more of that. But as Memorial Day weekend rolls around, there also seems a pattern this year toward something decidedly old-fashioned - crisp, clean lagers or golden ales that don't dazzle the palate so much as they go down smoothly with a surprisingly high amount of quality.Nothing typifies this trend as much as the new Colorado Native Pilsner from AC Golden. This is a Coors offshoot that has tried and missed with a number of bland variations on the all-Colorado lager before. But the recently released pilsner is a spot-on, authentically German-style creation that cleanses the palate and finishes with a very subtle bite of hops to remind you it's got something more.
And if AC Golden surprises with its fresh entry into the lager market, maybe an even bigger surprise comes from Rock Bottom Denver. The Burro is an exceptionally smooth Vienna lager with a straw-hued body and a hint of nutty malt. Though one of the lightest beers currently on the brewpub's menu, it's arguably the most satisfying of the bunch.
It was be inaccurate to call maibocks summer beers, as they specifically are made for the spring season. But there are a couple that bring different characteristics to the current shoulder season. Strange Craft Beer's version weighs in at a meaty 7.5% ABV, and the slight alcoholic sting adds a new-world robustness to the old-world German flavor. Bristol Brewing's take on the style is more traditional and without much sweetness, but its full flavor reflects a good use of malt. I recently debated a server at Colorado Plus (see taster picture below) about which was better; the consensus was that you couldn't go wrong.
Not everything appropriate for the warmer-weather palate has to be of the lager variety, however. Dillon Dam's Go Devil Golden Strong Ale, sampled after a recent late-season ski run to the area, comes in at a full 9% ABV and packs the punch you might expect from the Belgian-style ale. But it also has a sweet, estery smoothness that translates well to mountain porch drinking, and should be sought out as such.
The summer season is almost upon us. Luckily, the beer offerings have beaten the calendar to our door steps, and the bounty looks impressive.
Labels: AC Golden, Bristol Brewing, Dillon Dam Brewery, Rock Bottom Brewery, Strange Craft Beer, Summer beers
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
The Naughty and Nice Beers List
If you are like the Beer Run Blog crew, you like to do your Christmas shopping late - specifically after Christmas, when everything goes on sale. And if that's the case, you might be able to find a good bargain among this year's Christmas beer offerings, which liquor stores are going to start pushing off their shelves soon.
So, in the spirit of always writing this column as late in the holiday season as humanly possible, it is worth giving a shout out to some of the beers that made the past month seasonally fun, especially as they start disappearing. Like searching for Santa, you'd better look quick before these are gone. And you'd better realize whether you've landed on the naughty or nice lists to figure out what you're getting.
Very, very nice - and knowledgeable about beer:
* Five Golden Rings - Saying that The Bruery's annual seasonal beer is the best on the market almost feels cliched. But when it adds pineapple juice and subtle spices to a Belgian strong golden ale to give it a hugely sweet and slightly tart feel, it's just the best thing out there.
* Tis the Saison - Denver Beer Co's offering was a thinker. You had to swirl its floral flavor around a few times before realizing that what made it unique was the peppermint and spearmint added to it. And then you ordered another one.
* Santa's Little Helper - Port Brewing makes another year-to-year top Christmas beer, but unlike The Bruery, it just stays consistent with a reindeer-butt-kicking imperial stout that warms you completely.
Quite nice
* Upslope Christmas Ale - A medium body and a bold taste made this spiced Belgian-style dubbel a full mouth experience with a slight spice to its backtaste. This Boulder brewery may just be becoming the new king of seasonal surprises.
* Hibernation Ale - Those who make the mistake of going a year without enjoying Great Divide's classic strong ale may forget how its woody, caramel-lined body backed by a strong hop backbone really is one of the most solid Christmas beers around.
* Winter Warlock - Bristol Brewing seemed to add a slight bit of sweetness to its traditionally dark oatmeal porter this year, giving it just a touch of pleasant newness.
Just plain nice
* Winter Tartan Scottish Ale - Maybe the surprise of the Christmas season was this vanilla-laced Scottish ale served up by Rock Bottom Downtown Denver, a unique addition to the holiday pantheon.
* Brr Winter Ale - The other great surprise was a hop bomb by Widmer Brothers that featured a berry-fruit taste rather than a traditional citrus fruit palate with its hops.
Naughty
* Big Shot Seasonal Ale - Fort Collins Brewery offered up a big brown ale that was malty, decently hopped on the back - and no different than a year-round decent brown ale would be.
* Newcastle Winter IPA - Yes, British IPAs are much subtler than American IPAs. But it's still extremely hard to identify the hop presence in this extremely easy-drinking caramel-base beer. It's not awful, just dull - not the kind of thing you want to put in a beer aficionado's stocking.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
If you are like the Beer Run Blog crew, you like to do your Christmas shopping late - specifically after Christmas, when everything goes on sale. And if that's the case, you might be able to find a good bargain among this year's Christmas beer offerings, which liquor stores are going to start pushing off their shelves soon.
So, in the spirit of always writing this column as late in the holiday season as humanly possible, it is worth giving a shout out to some of the beers that made the past month seasonally fun, especially as they start disappearing. Like searching for Santa, you'd better look quick before these are gone. And you'd better realize whether you've landed on the naughty or nice lists to figure out what you're getting.
Very, very nice - and knowledgeable about beer:
* Five Golden Rings - Saying that The Bruery's annual seasonal beer is the best on the market almost feels cliched. But when it adds pineapple juice and subtle spices to a Belgian strong golden ale to give it a hugely sweet and slightly tart feel, it's just the best thing out there.
* Tis the Saison - Denver Beer Co's offering was a thinker. You had to swirl its floral flavor around a few times before realizing that what made it unique was the peppermint and spearmint added to it. And then you ordered another one.
* Santa's Little Helper - Port Brewing makes another year-to-year top Christmas beer, but unlike The Bruery, it just stays consistent with a reindeer-butt-kicking imperial stout that warms you completely.
Quite nice
* Upslope Christmas Ale - A medium body and a bold taste made this spiced Belgian-style dubbel a full mouth experience with a slight spice to its backtaste. This Boulder brewery may just be becoming the new king of seasonal surprises.
* Hibernation Ale - Those who make the mistake of going a year without enjoying Great Divide's classic strong ale may forget how its woody, caramel-lined body backed by a strong hop backbone really is one of the most solid Christmas beers around.
* Winter Warlock - Bristol Brewing seemed to add a slight bit of sweetness to its traditionally dark oatmeal porter this year, giving it just a touch of pleasant newness.
Just plain nice
* Winter Tartan Scottish Ale - Maybe the surprise of the Christmas season was this vanilla-laced Scottish ale served up by Rock Bottom Downtown Denver, a unique addition to the holiday pantheon.
* Brr Winter Ale - The other great surprise was a hop bomb by Widmer Brothers that featured a berry-fruit taste rather than a traditional citrus fruit palate with its hops.
Naughty
* Big Shot Seasonal Ale - Fort Collins Brewery offered up a big brown ale that was malty, decently hopped on the back - and no different than a year-round decent brown ale would be.
* Newcastle Winter IPA - Yes, British IPAs are much subtler than American IPAs. But it's still extremely hard to identify the hop presence in this extremely easy-drinking caramel-base beer. It's not awful, just dull - not the kind of thing you want to put in a beer aficionado's stocking.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
Labels: Bristol Brewing, Denver Beer Co, Fort Collins Brewing, Great Divide, Holiday beers, Newcastle, Port Brewing, Rock Bottom Brewery, The Bruery, Upslope Brewing, Widmer Brothers
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Colorado Kicks A** Again at the GABF
If you would have said before the Great American Beer Festival that Great Divide, Odell, Oskar Blues and Bristol would nab zero medals this year, I would have figured the rest of the U.S. had caught up to Colorado.
As it turns out, the state's just so good at making beer these days that the rest of its breweries are catching up on the seasoned experts.
Twenty-eight Centennial State breweries walked away with 35 medals at yesterday's ceremony - a total second only to California's (49) and well ahead of third-place Oregon (24). And Funkwerks scored the biggest prize of any of the locals, hoisting the trophy as Small Brewery of the Year.
No brewery had more than two individual medals, and the seven that did spanned the spectrum: Dry Dock, Funkwerks, New Belgium, Rock Bottom Westminster, SandLot, Tommyknocker and Twisted Pine. Some of the medal winners, such as Avery's White Rascal, are at this point considered classics; others, such as Keystone Light, are not.
But if you want to set up a tasting checklist for the next year, all the winners are listed in a story I wrote for my day job at the Denver Business Journal that includes good anecdotes about a few of the beers, including a gold-medalist from the crew at Equinox Brewing (pictured above). Check it out as soon as your liver recovers from this past weekend.
If you would have said before the Great American Beer Festival that Great Divide, Odell, Oskar Blues and Bristol would nab zero medals this year, I would have figured the rest of the U.S. had caught up to Colorado.
As it turns out, the state's just so good at making beer these days that the rest of its breweries are catching up on the seasoned experts.
Twenty-eight Centennial State breweries walked away with 35 medals at yesterday's ceremony - a total second only to California's (49) and well ahead of third-place Oregon (24). And Funkwerks scored the biggest prize of any of the locals, hoisting the trophy as Small Brewery of the Year.
No brewery had more than two individual medals, and the seven that did spanned the spectrum: Dry Dock, Funkwerks, New Belgium, Rock Bottom Westminster, SandLot, Tommyknocker and Twisted Pine. Some of the medal winners, such as Avery's White Rascal, are at this point considered classics; others, such as Keystone Light, are not.
But if you want to set up a tasting checklist for the next year, all the winners are listed in a story I wrote for my day job at the Denver Business Journal that includes good anecdotes about a few of the beers, including a gold-medalist from the crew at Equinox Brewing (pictured above). Check it out as soon as your liver recovers from this past weekend.
Labels: Avery Brewing, Dry Dock Brewing, Equinox Brewing, Funkwerks, Great American Beer Festival, New Belgium Brewing, Rock Bottom Brewery, SandLot Brewery, Tommyknocker Brewery, Twisted Pine Brewing
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Stop ... Lager Time
Colorado has more beer festivals than Batman has archenemies. But there are four that year in and year out stand out:
*Denver's Great American Beer Festival in late September;
*Vail's Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines festival in early January;
*Salida's Brewers Rendezvous in early July; and,
*The Manitou Craft Lager Festival, coming up this Saturday and Sunday.
Each of these brings a unique assortment of brewers from across the state and country. And each is notable because the brewers don't just show up but bring harder-to-find selections and even make unique offerings to roll out at the events.
But the Craft Lager Festival, entering its ninth year this year, earns special kudos among the group because it has played a significant role in Colorado breweries taking an outdated style of beer and spicing it up. And any event that makes the lager - the kind of beer most often associated with megaswill - special is worthy of our compliments.
And I'm not just saying that because this is the first festival at which we'll be selling my book, Mountain Brew.
Really, take a look at some of the offerings that will be available this year. Odell Brewing is rolling out a pilot kolsch beer. Rock Bottom Colorado Springs is bringing a chili pepper Mexican lager. And AC Golden, known largely for its Colorado Native lager, is bringing a German-style pilsner that you can't find on store shelves.
And, of course, that doesn't even count the fantastic offerings from smaller breweries that aren't available statewide, such as Pug Ryan's Helles Bock or Rocky Mountain Brewery's Smoked Hefeweizen.
The only complaint that patrons have had in the past about the festival is that it's grown so fast that breweries run out of beer too quickly. But organizers have always responded strongly to feedback, and there are great hopes that the beer flows until close to closing time this year.
So, cheers for the Craft Lager Festival, which runs from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. And I hope to see a number of you down there celebrating this unique take on the Colorado brewing tradition.
Labels: AC Golden, Manitou Springs, Mountain Brew book, Odell Brewing, Pug Ryan's, Rock Bottom Brewery, Rocky Mountain Brewery
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
This Week in Colorado BeerI've come down sick and can't drink beer at the moment, but that doesn't mean you can't ...
The Ranger Is Rolling
*New Belgium's Ranger IPA, which I wrote about a week ago, finally hits stores and bars this week. Falling Rock Taphouse offers a public kickoff of it Friday at 5 p.m., and Trinity Brewing in Colorado Springs is holding its own release party for it at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
New Tappings
*Thursday, 6 p.m.: Rock Bottom Brewery Downtown rolls it its latest, a Subzero Winter Ale. The tapping is part of the Apres-Ski Party associated with the SIA Snow Show over at the Colorado Convention Center, so expect an even more festive atmosphere than usual.
*Friday: Fort Collins Brewery unleashes its Scotch Lager, yet another intricate non-ale from the brewery that arguably leads Colorado in lager experimentation.
*Friday, 5 p.m.: Trinity taps its Stop Making Sense Eis Bock, a doppelbock aged and frozen before it's tapped. It comes in at 11% ABV, so bring a driver.
New Offering
*Right around now, Left Hand Brewing has been set to release its 400 lb. Monkey, an IPA it had been testing since June. This new creation adds an almost bubble-gum sweet tinge to the classic bitter hops. The taste is a bit more atmospheric and maybe just a bit more aged than a bite-your-buds fresh hop. But it's definitely another classic in the Longmont brewery's collection.
Labels: Falling Rock Taphouse, Fort Collins Brewing, Left Hand Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, Rock Bottom Brewery, Trinity Brewing
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Answering yesterday's question . . .
The Anniversary Ale created by Rock Bottom Downtown is a raspberry porter.
As a reporter, I hate not knowing things, especially in regard to subjects about which I write. So, the Beer Geekette and I made a trip over to RB to find this new ale and discovered something that we both termed as interesting.
A strange scent from the dark concoction is prevalent, but until the helpful bartender identified it for me, it was reasonably hard to determine whether it was a fruit or a spice. The raspberry characteristic is more obvious on the taste, though the medium-bodied porter certainly steals the flavor, with the fruit a pleasant, but not overwhelming, additive on the top.
This is at least the second raspberry experiment coming from the brewery this year, and it is much better than the overly fruited Jazzberry Ale that came out in June. This feels more like a sweet addition to cold-weather beers, and while it won't be mistaken for a classic English porter, it's a noble experiment in the style.
The Anniversary Ale created by Rock Bottom Downtown is a raspberry porter.
As a reporter, I hate not knowing things, especially in regard to subjects about which I write. So, the Beer Geekette and I made a trip over to RB to find this new ale and discovered something that we both termed as interesting.
A strange scent from the dark concoction is prevalent, but until the helpful bartender identified it for me, it was reasonably hard to determine whether it was a fruit or a spice. The raspberry characteristic is more obvious on the taste, though the medium-bodied porter certainly steals the flavor, with the fruit a pleasant, but not overwhelming, additive on the top.
This is at least the second raspberry experiment coming from the brewery this year, and it is much better than the overly fruited Jazzberry Ale that came out in June. This feels more like a sweet addition to cold-weather beers, and while it won't be mistaken for a classic English porter, it's a noble experiment in the style.
Labels: Rock Bottom Brewery
Friday, November 06, 2009
This Week in Colorado BeerOh, it's a good weekend for beer lovers . . . .
Beer Festivals
Saturday: The All Colorado Beer Festival is on for a third year in Colorado Springs at Mr. Biggs' Family Fun Center. About 30 brewers are expected to be dishing out some 70 beers, all for the price of $30. There are two sessions: Noon to 4:30 and 5:30 to 10. Though the festival is certainly a place to indulge in the best that the Springs has to offer, brewers come in as well from all corners of the state as well. I'd suggest the earlier session if you're planning to go.
Beer Events
Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m.: Wynkoop Beers of the Year. This mini-festival features 24 different kegs of the downtown Denver brewpub's offerings, including some rare ones. It's a buck a sample or $25 for unlimited tasting.
Saturday, 2 to 6 p.m.: Upslope Brewing, the plucky Boulder company that took home two medals at this year's Great American Beer Festival hosts its first anniversary party at the brewery. Six beers will be on tap, including two new ones: Pumpkin Ale and First Anniversary Stout.
New Tappings
*Rock Bottom Downtown tapped its Anniversary Ale last night. Try as I can, I can't find a description of what exactly this is. But they've been on a roll lately, so it's probably worth a look.
Beer Construction
Friday: And finally, the strangest e-mail I got this week was an invitation from Oskar Blues for people to come see the installation of two 200-barrel fermentation tanks and a 200-barrel bright tank at its new Longmont canning facility. I can only imagine what kind of thirst this can whip up.
Labels: All Colorado Beer Festival, Oskar Blues, Rock Bottom Brewery, Upslope Brewing, Wynkoop Brewery
Thursday, October 08, 2009
This Week in Colorado BeerAnd in this strange, new post-GABF world, we have to search out events . . .
New Brewery Restaurant
*Monday: Oskar Blues throws open the doors to its new beer joint/restaurant, Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids, in Longmont. Offering southern BBQ and the live music that for which the still-operating Lyons brewery is known, the eatery will be easily distinguishable by the giant silo-sized rendition of a Dale's Pale Ale can attached to the side of it.
New Tappings
*Rock Bottom Brewery downtown just tapped its Dunkelweizen on Thursday; if it's anywhere near the quality of the beers that it offered during Denver Beer Fest, it will be worth stopping by the restaurant to try some. Also, Rock Bottom Westminster taps its Harvest Moon Rye at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
*Bristol Brewing of Colorado Springs released its Winter Warlock on Friday, which stands not only as one of the earlier release of a holiday beer in the state but as one of the darkest, thickest, finest local Christmastime beers on which you can get your hands.
Beer/Food Pairing
*Wednesday, 5 p.m.: Trinity Brewing, also of Colorado Springs, is having a rare beer dinner at its place . . . with another brewery. Not sure what exactly is involved with the Ska Beer and slow food event, but I do know this: I hope Ska brings its new Merlo Stout #12, an oak-aged (presumably in merlot barrels), dark-as-night creation that was entered in this year's pro-am competition at the Great American Beer Festival.
Craft Beer Education
*Thursday, 6 to 9 p.m.: Scott Kerkmans, who has the dream job as Chief Beer Officer (yes, that's his real title) for Four Points by Sheraton hotels, will offer a class on craft beer education at Cook Street School of Fine Cooking in Denver. The price is $59, but you get to taste six beers.
Labels: Bristol Brewing, Oskar Blues, Rock Bottom Brewery, Ska Brewing, Trinity Brewing
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Rock Bottom's Finest HourAfter a slightly disappointing week of Denver Beer Fest events that so far has included restaurants not serving the beer dinners they've advertised and bars blowing special kegs 10 minutes before I walk in, I found the event I was waiting for tonight.
Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Denver broke out 11 specialty, limited-time beers for the festival, and the featured menu ranks as likely the best ever seen at the restaurant. Several in particular shined as brewmaster John McClure's finest creations.
There were saisons and the infamous Silver Mullet, but the two that deserve the highlighting are a pair of whiskey-barrel aged concoctions with similar backgrounds but definitively different personalities to show off.
One was the 5W30, an 11% ABV barrel-aged imperial stout matured for eight months on Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey barrels. It comes at you with the oaky heartiness you'd expect but offsets any belligerence with a whiskey sweetness sometimes lacking from this style. The scent is of a complex chocolate/oak combination, and the bourbon tinge gives way to a more chocolate fullness as it advances. Rarely are beers this ass-kicking also this drinkable.
Its brother in arms is Woody Bomb, a 10.6% ABV Hop Bomb IPA aged in a Woodford Reserve Bourbon barrel for nine months. This features a more assertive whiskey sharpness, which seems to grow in taste when mingled with the hoppy beer. It's more prominent on the nose and on the tongue. And though it may be lower in alcohol, it comes at you more strongly and sticks around longer as well.
Rock Bottom's offerings have at times been hit and miss. This one's all hit. And it couldn't have come at a better time if you're looking for something to spice up your week while it's on tap.
Labels: Denver Beer Fest, Rock Bottom Brewery
Thursday, July 16, 2009
This Weekend in Colorado BeerIt's just a lazy, dog-dangling summer . . .
Beer Festivals
Saturday, 1 to 6 p.m.: Breckenridge Beer Festival at the Main Street Station in the heart of town. Twenty-six breweries will be giving out their wares, and there's a good chance that Sam Adams will ask your opinion on its latest experiments. Be sure to wear sun screen; I will. $30.
New Tappings
Friday, 5 p.m.: Falling Rock Taphouse in LoDo cracks open a keg of Stone's deliciously hoppy, new 13th Anniversary Ale. But the real prize for those who venture down is the same brewery's Cali-Belgique, one of the leaders in the new Belgian IPA movement.
Friday, 5 to 9 p.m.: In Colorado Springs, Bristol Brewing will roll out the fourth release from Black Fox Brewing, an aggressively hopped saison by the name of Gusto.
Saturday, 4:20 p.m.: Boulder's Southern Sun Pub and Brewery and Denver's Vine Street Pub will tap St. Amos Belgian White, a Belgian-inspired white brewed with lemongrass, coriander and orange peel. I don't think you should read anything into the tapping time, but I could be wrong.
Almost Gone
Rock Bottom in downtown Denver may be just about out of its American Dream IPA, which it tapped on July 2. Very easy and light for its style, it has only a slow, lurking bitterness that doesn't bite as much as stick around longer than you might expect. But while it might be slightly heftless on its own, it actually blends well when combined with food, welcoming and then dispensing the grease while leaving a flavor that tinges but doesn't burn. Not the worst thing you could pair with a hot summer night munching on the 16th Street Mall patio.
Labels: Bristol Brewing, Falling Rock Taphouse, Festivals, Rock Bottom Brewery
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
This Week in Colorado BeerHelp a Brewer Out
Sunday: Dry Dock Brewing Company, the Aurora rags-to-riches story that went from start-up brewery to World Beer Cup medal winner a few years ago, is moving to bigger digs. They're looking for a little help in the move and are willing to ply faithful servants with kegs of CB & Potts Frambozen and Great Divide's Belgica and Titan IPA. (Their beer is being moved, of course.)
Beer Pairing Dinner
Thursday, 6:30 p.m.: Oskar Blues is hosting a dinner at Castle Rock's Barking Goat Tavern. The menu includes salmon, pork medallions . . . oh, and some Gordon Double Red and Ten Fidy Imperial Stout. Cost is $42 and reservations are appreciated.
New Tappings
And you'll excuse me if I'm a little behind on some of these . . .
*Odell Brewing has released its St. Lupulin Extra Pale Ale, a dry-hopped tribute to the scientific name of hops given by that legend, Pliny the Elder.
*Trinity Brewing has put out its Root Saison, a Belgian-style farmhouse ale brewed with beets, quinoa and dreadlock hops.
*Gordon Biersch in Broomfield has given the world its Sommerbrau, a light Kolsch-style ale.
*Thursday: The Rock Bottom in downtown Denver rolls out its Liquid Sun.
Mmmm . . . kegs
Friday: Oskar Blues taps a firkin of Farmhouse DPA, a Dale's Pale Ale fermented with Belgian farmhouse yeast.
Saturday, noon to 9 p.m.: It's time for another tapping of a cask IPA at Bristol Brewing.
Labels: Bristol Brewing, Dry Dock Brewing, Odell Brewing, Oskar Blues, Rock Bottom Brewery, Trinity Brewing
Thursday, June 04, 2009
New Brew: Rock Bottom Jazzberry AleSummer has always meant lighter beers, as well as a cacophony of beers imbued with the taste of a fruit that doesn't go quite naturally with your average hops and malt.
And if that's your thing, then you really should introduce yourself to the newest beer at Denver's downtown Rock Bottom Brewery, the Jazzberry Ale that just rolled out tonight.
Jazzberry, a lightly hopped ale with a strong taste of raspberry, introduces itself lightly. But quickly, the slightly acidic, very lingering fruit taste takes over your taste buds, and it sits just a bit too sweetly on your palate.
Raspberry is clearly a flavor that can be melded into very good beers, as anyone who has sipped New Glarus' Raspberry Tart or Lindemans Framboise can tell you. But the fruit in both of those creations is blended with Belgian yeast that weaves seamlessly with the sharp taste.
Jazzberry is a strange combination of mellow ale and harsher fruit that, to put it bluntly, just doesn't feel natural after a good amount of sips. About the time this thought hit me, I looked down at the glass and saw a strangely colored liquid that looked less like beer and more like lemonade with a shot of Tabasco in it.
Jazzberry, mind you, isn't an awful concoction, and its sweetness may very well render it a nice starter beer for someone who's been used to slogging fruity mixed drinks. But you spend so much time pondering the odd combinations that don't seem to work together that there's just not enough time left to enjoy it.
Labels: Lindemans, New Glarus, Rock Bottom Brewery
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
This Week in Colorado BeerI swear I'm going to have to start drinking prune beer, so I can get more regular at this blogging thing . . .
Festivals
Friday and Saturday: Snowmass Chili Pepper and Brew Fest. Take a heavy heaping of bands, add two hours per day of beer and chili, and you've got this rollicking weekend. More than 50 breweries are expected to attend.
Big Parties
Saturday, 2 to 7 p.m. Great Divide's 15th anniversary celebration might not be a festival just yet, but at $20 a pop, it's cheaper than any tasting ticket you can buy to Snowmass. And in addition to food and a sampling of the Denver brewery's beers, you get to be among the first to try the oak-aged 15th Anniversary Double IPA. If you go, find me and say hi: I'll be the short, curly-haired guy drinking a lot of the new beer.
New Tappings
Thursday: Head to a Rock Bottom nearest you. The Downtown Denver location rolls out its Jazzberry Ale, presumably to the sounds of smooth jazz. The Orchard Town Center location taps a Sunset Steam.
Already out: I'm a little late on this one, but Left Hand recently released its St. Vrain Tripel Ale, a 9% ABV whopper available in 22-ounce bombers. Anyone tried this one yet?
New Tap Rooms
Just when you thought I was running out of categories . . .
Upslope Brewing of Boulder, the newest addition to Colorado's microbrewery scene, opened its tap room about a week ago. It's still operating on limited hours - 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday - but any new brewery willing to make a go of it in these economic conditions needs a little support.
Labels: Festivals, Great Divide, Left Hand Brewing, Rock Bottom Brewery, Upslope Brewing
Monday, March 30, 2009
This Week in Colorado BeerOK, seriously that was the last time I go away for weeks on end. I mean it. Let's drink some good beer. And I've got a lot to say in the coming days and weeks about new beers, beer events and even beer books . . .
New tappings
*Tuesday, 5 to 9 p.m.: Bristol Brewing taps its fifth-edition Grand Cru. I personally believe that no one in the state of Colorado does sour and slightly sour beers better across the spectrum than the boys from Colorado Springs. Here's a chance to test that theory.
*Thursday: Dying for a new Rock Bottom beer? Then take your pick. The Downtown Denver location will be breaking out its Catcher in the Rye. Meanwhile, the Orchard Town Center facility rolls out its Anniversary ESB. Wait, are anniversaries supposed to be bitter?
Beer and food pairings
*Tuesday, 5 p.m: Great Divide breaks out its monthly allotment of non-government cheese, this time with five pairings from St. Killian's Cheese Shop (which is located in the Highlands, not in a Coors brewery). Ten dollars gets in you in.
*Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.: Wynkoop hosts an April Fool's Day beer dinner in honor of Dr. Suess. I haven't found details about the $35 menu, but let's assume Lorax lasagna is not on it. Oh, the places your tastebuds will go!
*Thursday, 6:30 p.m.: Avery is pairing its beers not just with Scotch food but with a selection of Scotch brews as well. The event is $35 and is at the Scotch Corner Pub in Boulder. No kilts necessary. Here's the menu.
This one may be sort of a tease . . .
*Friday, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.: New Belgium Brewing hosts a membership rally for the American Homebrewers Association. I'd go on about how cool this events are, but unfortunately, the website says it's already RSVP'd out. So, if you were smart and thought ahead (unlike some of us), hoist a La Folie for the rest of us. Oh, and tell them to let more people in.
Labels: Avery Brewing, Bristol Brewing, Great Divide, New Belgium Brewing, Rock Bottom Brewery, Wynkoop Brewery
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
This Week in Colorado BeerFirst, I want to apologize to anyone who may have come here over the past 3-1/2 weeks looking for what's going on in Colorado brewing. It's been a tumultuous time for me, what with my newspaper closing and me having to find a new job. I've been drinking a lot of beer, but not all of it necessarily was in conjunction with tasting it for reviews.
That said, my new reporting position with the Denver Business Journal actually includes the brewing industry as part of my beat, so I should not only be able to litter this site with my opinions about beer from now on but with news as well. And with that said . . .
Brewing news
Beer drinkers seemed to come down all over the spectrum on a bill that would have allowed grocery and convenience stores to sell full-strength beer. That measure died, due in large part to efforts of craft brewers against it. Here's the story: http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/03/09/daily55.html
St. Patrick's DayYour favorite brewpub will be serving drinks. And there will be a whole bunch of amateur drunks there, swearing at the bartender because he can't just pour them a Bud Light. But there are some good reasons to go out today as well:
*Shamrock Brewing opens the day with a 7 a.m. Irish breakfast. If you're in Pueblo and you're reading this, stop and go there now.
*CB & Potts, at its five Colorado locations, is one of two places advertising itself as making a beer specifically for the occasion. Ole St. Nick's Dry Stout has been on tap for almost two weeks, but today seems the perfect day to try it.
*The other? Wynkoop Brewing broke out its Irish Milk Stout over the weekend.
New Tappings
*I'm a few days late on this, but Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Denver cracked open an Uberwit last Thursday.
*Dry Dock Brewing, meanwhile, will tap its Paragon Apricot Blonde on Monday at 3 p.m. First round is on the Aurora brewery. No kidding.
Beer to Go
*Those of you who have been to Trinity Brewing before and, like me, been told that you couldn't buy a growler on a particular day because the brewery didn't have the proper license can go in there again without fear of further frustration. The Colorado Springs brewery is filling them seven days a week now.
Labels: CB Potts, Dry Dock Brewing, Rock Bottom Brewery, Shamrock Brewing, Trinity Brewing, Wynkoop Brewery
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
This Week in Colorado BeerSpecial events
*Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m.: Bristol Brewing in Colorado Springs is throwing a Firkin Rendezvous. Roughly 20 Colorado microbreweries will be bringing cask-conditioned ales to tap. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.
*Saturday, 2 to 5 p.m. Wynkoop hosts its annual Beerdrinker of the Year finals, in which a panel of judges grill three finalists from across the country to see who deserves the prestigious title. Venzke Weizen, a smoked dunkel named for last year's winner, will be served during the event.
New tappings
*Tonight, 5 to 8 p.m.: Avery releases Brabant, a barrel-aged stout with heavy emphasis on the bourbon influence. The release party is free and head brewer/legend Adam Avery will be signing bottles for people who buy them.
*Saturday, 4 to 7 p.m.: Dying to get to an Avery release party but can't make tonight's soiree? Head up to the Boulder brewery again for the release of its Maharaja double IPA, complete with Indian food. (This one costs $15, however.)
*Tonight: Trinity Brewing in Colorado Springs cracks out its Chi Belgian Golden.
*Thursday, 6 p.m. Rock Bottom restaurants across the state debut their Fire Chief Ale, which helps to fund firefighter-related charities.
*Friday, 5 p.m. Ska's new Modus Hoperandi makes its debut. For those of you in the Denver area, Falling Rock Taphouse starts pouring it at this time.
Labels: Avery Brewing, Bristol Brewing, Falling Rock Taphouse, Rock Bottom Brewery, Trinity Brewing, Wynkoop Brewery
Thursday, January 15, 2009
This Week in Colorado BeerNew Beers
*CB & Potts in Westminster has gone against the dark-and-alcoholic winter trend and recently tapped its Colorado Blonde Ale.
*BJ's (that's in Aurora, Boulder and Westminster) has stayed more true to typical winter boldness and broken out a Grand Cru. For $4.95 you get a special glass.
*And Bristol is once again tapping an IPA Cask Ale on Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. to help all of you in Colorado Springs start your day right.
Beer Pairing Dinners
*Monday, 6:30 p.m.: Bristol puts on a soiree at its next-door neighbor, the Blue Star, for a $55 fee. There's no menu listed, but previous experience at the Blue Star says this will be creative.
*Tuesday, 7 p.m.: BJ's in Boulder hosts its Winter Warmer dinner, complete with the aforementioned Grand Cru, for $30. Call (303) 402-9294 for reservations.
*Wednesday, 6 p.m.: Rock Bottom' Orchard Town Center location hosts a chef and brewer dinner. Details unavailable because I can't get the web site to open at this very moment.
Labels: BJ's, Bristol Brewing, CB Potts, Rock Bottom Brewery
