Sunday, October 25, 2020
7 Colorado Pumpkin Beers to Drink in the Seven Days Before Halloween Ends
Pumpkin beers to many have long seemed like the hellish figure in the picture above (the guardian to corn maze at Anderson Farms in Erie) - a horror inflicted on the drinking world by a small number of breweries attempting to please an only slightly larger number of aficionados. But as I, one of those horrible aficionados, discovered when I want in vain to pick up my now-sold-out annual dosage of Southern Tier Pumking on Saturday at my favorite liquor store, they've become so popular during coronavirus that they're flying off the shelves.
With the knowledge that people are diving headfirst into this long-underappreciated trend this year, here then is a very short list of some of the best experiments and tried-and-true offerings that are new or returning from Colorado breweries this season. It's a roundup that not only gives a window into the efforts that make the style worthwhile but also proves that pumpkin beers themselves are evolving and becoming far more diverse in the ways they are presented.
1) Spice Trade Pumpkin Spice Latte
Pumpkin beers rarely, if ever, have used fresh-roasted coffee beans to such the advantage as this mold-breaking offering from Spice Trade Brewing. Used in combination with lactose, vanilla and ample but not overwhelming pumpkin-pie spices, it creates a beer that is both boldly roasted and supremely smooth, and its accessible sharpness is something rarely found in a genre more often defined by more-than-ample spicing.
2) Weldwerks Pumpkin Pie Berliner
No Colorado pumpkin beer comes as close as this to reproducing what makes Pumking so brilliant - creating the liquid taste not just of pumpkin-pie filling but of the graham-cracker crust and the Cool Whip on top - but then, as Weldwerks does, it gives the style its own unique twist. The tart kick at the end of this gem accents the spices in a unique way and also creates entryway into the style for lovers of the sour-beer ascetic. Wickedly creative, it is worth seeking out.
3) Goat Patch Pumpkin Patch Punch
With its silver medal at this year's Great American Beer Festival, the time for Colorado Springs' best-kept brewing secret to remain secrets should be over. This almost glowingly orange offering is another testimony to its skill - an impressively tasty mélange of true gourd taste with spice that is blended into its sweetness and generates no bitter potpourri aftertaste. You could drink this all day.
4) Holidaily Patchy Waters Pumpkin Ale
It took a gluten-free beer to show exactly how much flavor could be gleaned without any of the bitter aftertaste that too often has marked the genre. Brewer Alan Windhausen adds most of the spices here after the boil, giving them a presence without a lingering burn by extracting the flavor without extracting so many of the spices' astringent qualities. A model of big taste and smoothness.
5) Odyssey Beerwerks Fluffy Pumpkin
No beer made in Colorado brings across the quality of marshmallow so well as this, which seems an odd statement to write on a beer blog but nonetheless remains true. The dominant taste of this dark beer is cinnamon, but its bitterness is squished by an almost gooey softness that makes this truly fascinating. Neither overtly sweet nor overtly spicy, this is unique in a very good way.
6) 4 Noses Pump Action
While the bittering spices in this imperial pumpkin ale feel ratcheted up a bit from years past, it remains one of Colorado's standard bearers in this genre - a hugely flavorful beer that is the equivalent of a pumpkin churro in liquid form, with just enough sweetness hiding on the back end to make its flavor profile feel complete even as it's firing at your taste buds from every angle.
7) Twisted Pine Mr. Brown's
If you love old-school, spice-heavy brown pumpkin ales, this offering from one of Boulder's classic craft-beer makers will scratch that itch. But it also carries a sensible blend of darkness and heady malt base that reminds you that good pumpkin beers are, first and foremost, good beers first, even if they don't shy from featuring the flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg, as this does.
Labels: 4 Noses Brewing, Goat Patch Brewing, Holidaily Brewing, Odyssey Beerwerks, Pumpkin beers, Southern Tier Brewing, Spice Trade Brewing Co., Twisted Pine Brewing, Weldwerks Brewing
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Cheers to the All-Colorado Beer Bars
While Colorado Plus gets a lot of well-deserved attention from the beer geeks on the west side of Denver, there is another recently opened all-Colorado beer bar on the east side meriting the same kudos.
Stapleton Tap House, which owner Michael Kearns (above left, with fearless assistant Justin) debuted seven weeks ago in the Northfield shopping center - and which the Fearless Tasting Crew visited last night - offers up 35 Colorado craft brews on tap. Kearns adds the twist, though, that not only will he not serve you out-of-state crap, but you won't even find the likes of the state's largest craft brewers - such as New Belgium, Breckenridge or Odell - on his tap list. (Kearns acknowledged, however, that he would think about tapping a rare or one-off beer from the "big" boys if offered.)
Instead, patrons get to choose from the likes of smaller gems, such as Trinity or River North, or even breweries you won't find at a lot of places yet, such as Copper Kettle or Echo. Upslope IPA is as mainstream as you get at Stapleton Tap House - and while that's a tasty brew, Kearns noted that he doesn't sell much of it, because people are keen to try things they haven't quaffed before.
Stapleton Tap House also eschews food trucks, but for a more practical reason - there's a half-dozen restaurants within steps of its front door happy to serve up to-go plates for you to bring back to the bar. While many are larger chains, one is Jim ' N Nick's BBQ, whose local owner, Paul Bestafka, is a big supporter of craft beer.
In its first visit, the tasting crew enjoyed a variety of quality beers that included Crabtree Cezanne Apricot Saison, Trinity Soleil Farmhouse Saison, Elevation Little 'Mo Porter and Twisted Pine Hoppy Boy IPA. The night was complete only when Stapleton kicked a keg of the excellent Copper Kettle Mexican Chocolate Stout but stifled our tears by replacing it with River North Hoppenberg Uncertainty Principle, arguably the tastiest beer made in Colorado.
One can question the business sense of opening a craft beer bar in shopping center surrounded by chains; several times we were shocked to see that there were a number of open tables at the taphouse on a Friday night. But you've got to give credit to what Kearns and his staff are doing, and it gives you a reason to head east for craft beer for a change.
While Colorado Plus gets a lot of well-deserved attention from the beer geeks on the west side of Denver, there is another recently opened all-Colorado beer bar on the east side meriting the same kudos.
Stapleton Tap House, which owner Michael Kearns (above left, with fearless assistant Justin) debuted seven weeks ago in the Northfield shopping center - and which the Fearless Tasting Crew visited last night - offers up 35 Colorado craft brews on tap. Kearns adds the twist, though, that not only will he not serve you out-of-state crap, but you won't even find the likes of the state's largest craft brewers - such as New Belgium, Breckenridge or Odell - on his tap list. (Kearns acknowledged, however, that he would think about tapping a rare or one-off beer from the "big" boys if offered.)
Instead, patrons get to choose from the likes of smaller gems, such as Trinity or River North, or even breweries you won't find at a lot of places yet, such as Copper Kettle or Echo. Upslope IPA is as mainstream as you get at Stapleton Tap House - and while that's a tasty brew, Kearns noted that he doesn't sell much of it, because people are keen to try things they haven't quaffed before.
Stapleton Tap House also eschews food trucks, but for a more practical reason - there's a half-dozen restaurants within steps of its front door happy to serve up to-go plates for you to bring back to the bar. While many are larger chains, one is Jim ' N Nick's BBQ, whose local owner, Paul Bestafka, is a big supporter of craft beer.
In its first visit, the tasting crew enjoyed a variety of quality beers that included Crabtree Cezanne Apricot Saison, Trinity Soleil Farmhouse Saison, Elevation Little 'Mo Porter and Twisted Pine Hoppy Boy IPA. The night was complete only when Stapleton kicked a keg of the excellent Copper Kettle Mexican Chocolate Stout but stifled our tears by replacing it with River North Hoppenberg Uncertainty Principle, arguably the tastiest beer made in Colorado.
One can question the business sense of opening a craft beer bar in shopping center surrounded by chains; several times we were shocked to see that there were a number of open tables at the taphouse on a Friday night. But you've got to give credit to what Kearns and his staff are doing, and it gives you a reason to head east for craft beer for a change.
Labels: Copper Kettle Brewing, Crabtree Brewery, Elevation Beer, River North Brewery, Stapleton Tap House, Trinity Brewing, Twisted Pine Brewing
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Three Cool Notes from the Colorado Brewing Scene
Just catching up on a few tidbits from today that will make you want to raise a pint glass:
1) Black Fox Is Back
Black Fox Brewing was Colorado's first all-saison brewery, adroitly churning out farmhouse-style ales with ingredients like ground gingerroot, black peppercorns and red chilies, even before saisons were cool. Then John Davidson left Bristol Brewing, in which Black Fox was housed while he also made beer for the Colorado Springs brewery, went to work for Dry Dock and put his side project on hiatus.
Black Fox announced via Facebook Thursday that is has made its comeback beer, "Cracked," and expects to have it on tap in 10-14 days at Dry Dock. A lot of breweries have specialized in and made some great saisons over the past four years, but Black Fox's John Schneider turned out head-turning creations, including a chocolate chili saison one that was the talk of Vail Big Beers 2011. It will be good to have the brewery back.
2) Patty's Chile in Your Living Room
Patty's Chile Beer, the longtime Wynkoop Brewing gem, is neither the best chile beer in Colorado (that's Billy's Chilies from Twisted Pine) nor the best beer from Wynkoop (that's Belgorado). But it is the most intriguing beer to quaff before a summer Rockies game, that subtle but fiery touch of Anaheim chiles and smoked Ancho peppers perfectly complementing the German-style ale to be both light and complex.
On Thursday, Wynkoop announced it is now canning and distributing Patty's Chile Beer, making it one of the most interesting of the brewery's products available for take-home enjoyment. And unlike the Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, which is sold only in two packs, you can get four of these at a time.
3) BDG2C Ups Its Game
I'm a bit behind on finally poring over the 7th edition of the Beer Drinker's Guide to Colorado, which was released on July 31, but I have to say it's pretty extraordinary. The map now includes 224 operating and soon-to-open breweries, including some in towns that even us beer geeks didn't realize offered a brewery.
What Mike Laur has done so well in crafting this map - aside from including $300 in free beer coupons in a product that retails for $14.95 - is capturing the constant growth of the beer scene throughout the state. It lists breweries, beer bars, homebrew shops, recommended glassware, even national monuments. And it is well worth the investment to pin this puppy up to your wall and thumbtack your conquests, so you can stay ahead of the game - at least until the 8th edition comes out with 300 breweries on it.
Just catching up on a few tidbits from today that will make you want to raise a pint glass:
1) Black Fox Is Back
Black Fox Brewing was Colorado's first all-saison brewery, adroitly churning out farmhouse-style ales with ingredients like ground gingerroot, black peppercorns and red chilies, even before saisons were cool. Then John Davidson left Bristol Brewing, in which Black Fox was housed while he also made beer for the Colorado Springs brewery, went to work for Dry Dock and put his side project on hiatus.
Black Fox announced via Facebook Thursday that is has made its comeback beer, "Cracked," and expects to have it on tap in 10-14 days at Dry Dock. A lot of breweries have specialized in and made some great saisons over the past four years, but Black Fox's John Schneider turned out head-turning creations, including a chocolate chili saison one that was the talk of Vail Big Beers 2011. It will be good to have the brewery back.
2) Patty's Chile in Your Living Room
Patty's Chile Beer, the longtime Wynkoop Brewing gem, is neither the best chile beer in Colorado (that's Billy's Chilies from Twisted Pine) nor the best beer from Wynkoop (that's Belgorado). But it is the most intriguing beer to quaff before a summer Rockies game, that subtle but fiery touch of Anaheim chiles and smoked Ancho peppers perfectly complementing the German-style ale to be both light and complex.
On Thursday, Wynkoop announced it is now canning and distributing Patty's Chile Beer, making it one of the most interesting of the brewery's products available for take-home enjoyment. And unlike the Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, which is sold only in two packs, you can get four of these at a time.
3) BDG2C Ups Its Game
I'm a bit behind on finally poring over the 7th edition of the Beer Drinker's Guide to Colorado, which was released on July 31, but I have to say it's pretty extraordinary. The map now includes 224 operating and soon-to-open breweries, including some in towns that even us beer geeks didn't realize offered a brewery.What Mike Laur has done so well in crafting this map - aside from including $300 in free beer coupons in a product that retails for $14.95 - is capturing the constant growth of the beer scene throughout the state. It lists breweries, beer bars, homebrew shops, recommended glassware, even national monuments. And it is well worth the investment to pin this puppy up to your wall and thumbtack your conquests, so you can stay ahead of the game - at least until the 8th edition comes out with 300 breweries on it.
Labels: Beer Drinker's Guide to Colorado, Black Fox Brewing, Dry Dock Brewing, Twisted Pine Brewing, Wynkoop Brewery
Thursday, July 11, 2013
The Best Beer Day of 2013?
Yes, that distinction normally goes to opening night of the Great American Beer Festival, with its pageantry and pre-parties and expectations. But the truth is, if you're in downtown Denver - and your liver is prepared - you can catch most of the action in that 24-hour period.
This Saturday, however, even Superman couldn't fly fast enough to get up and down the Front Range and soak in all of the beer celebrations going on. Here's a quick look at your choices, all of which are happening over an 11-hour period in what might be the best beer day of the year.
* Colorado Brewers Rendezvous, Salida
From 1 to 5 p.m., Riverside Park will be flooded with 73 brewers, from both craft breweries big and craft breweries small, to celebrate the Colorado Brewers Guild. And for $35 at the door, you too can get in.
This is one of the finest Colorado festivals of any given year, both because of the breadth and depth of who is serving and the good quality of the beer that brewers bring to impress each other. But also, there's just a spirit of collegiality at what is essentially a CBG rally that you don't find at a lot of other festivals. This is where the Beer Geekette and I will enjoy the day.
* American Homebrewers Association rally, Left Hand Brewing
Those who haven't been to an AHA rally are missing out on a great collection of beer geeks hanging out, commenting on the massive tanks at the host brewery and just chilling. This particular rally, scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Longmont brewery, is free to AHA members and costs only the price of AHA membership to anyone else wanting to get in (though RSVPs are preferred here.)
Plus, host breweries always break out the good stuff for the AHA crowd. In this case, Left Hand will be tapping a vintage Wake Up Dead (rumored to be circa 2010) and holding a q-and-a with everyone present.
* Breckenridge 23rd anniversary block party, Denver
Seriously, the guys who make 471 IPA and Vanilla Porter are old enough to drink and almost old enough to rent a car. And from noon to 6 p.m., they're closing down the roads around their Kalamath Street location and celebrating in style.
A $23 ticket gets you four full beers, unlimited tasters of rare and unique beers, barbecue and music. And those rare beers include Belgian Double IPA, Barrel Aged Belgian Oatmeal Stout, Double Belgian Agave Wheat and "471 on the Moon" - three-quarters 471 IPA and one-quarter Oatmeal Stout, aged in a Cabernet barrel.
* Twisted Pine 18th anniversary, Boulder
As far as anniversaries go, this one is a little more celebratory. Twisted Pine beers can now vote, go to R-rated movies and date their former teachers without legal consequences.
To celebrate, they'll have samples of more than 30 beers, including their 16th anniversary barleywine and 10 small-batch experiments. Tickets are $25, and the party goes from 2 to 7.
* 17th Annual Biergarten Festival, Morrison
This one actually starts Friday night and extends through Sunday, so it gives you a little flexibility. Colorado's German American Chamber of Commerce serves up German music, a German buffet (plus a bratwurst-eating contest at 4 p.m. Saturday) and beer from the likes of Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr.
Eight bucks gets you in Friday (4-10) or Saturday (11-10), and the Sunday (10-2) festivities at TEV Edelweiss Pavilion are free. And if you're ambitious, you can wake up from one of the other four Saturday events and shake off your hangover here.
Yes, that distinction normally goes to opening night of the Great American Beer Festival, with its pageantry and pre-parties and expectations. But the truth is, if you're in downtown Denver - and your liver is prepared - you can catch most of the action in that 24-hour period.
This Saturday, however, even Superman couldn't fly fast enough to get up and down the Front Range and soak in all of the beer celebrations going on. Here's a quick look at your choices, all of which are happening over an 11-hour period in what might be the best beer day of the year.
* Colorado Brewers Rendezvous, Salida
From 1 to 5 p.m., Riverside Park will be flooded with 73 brewers, from both craft breweries big and craft breweries small, to celebrate the Colorado Brewers Guild. And for $35 at the door, you too can get in.
This is one of the finest Colorado festivals of any given year, both because of the breadth and depth of who is serving and the good quality of the beer that brewers bring to impress each other. But also, there's just a spirit of collegiality at what is essentially a CBG rally that you don't find at a lot of other festivals. This is where the Beer Geekette and I will enjoy the day.
* American Homebrewers Association rally, Left Hand Brewing
Those who haven't been to an AHA rally are missing out on a great collection of beer geeks hanging out, commenting on the massive tanks at the host brewery and just chilling. This particular rally, scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Longmont brewery, is free to AHA members and costs only the price of AHA membership to anyone else wanting to get in (though RSVPs are preferred here.)
Plus, host breweries always break out the good stuff for the AHA crowd. In this case, Left Hand will be tapping a vintage Wake Up Dead (rumored to be circa 2010) and holding a q-and-a with everyone present.
* Breckenridge 23rd anniversary block party, Denver
Seriously, the guys who make 471 IPA and Vanilla Porter are old enough to drink and almost old enough to rent a car. And from noon to 6 p.m., they're closing down the roads around their Kalamath Street location and celebrating in style.
A $23 ticket gets you four full beers, unlimited tasters of rare and unique beers, barbecue and music. And those rare beers include Belgian Double IPA, Barrel Aged Belgian Oatmeal Stout, Double Belgian Agave Wheat and "471 on the Moon" - three-quarters 471 IPA and one-quarter Oatmeal Stout, aged in a Cabernet barrel.
* Twisted Pine 18th anniversary, Boulder
As far as anniversaries go, this one is a little more celebratory. Twisted Pine beers can now vote, go to R-rated movies and date their former teachers without legal consequences.
To celebrate, they'll have samples of more than 30 beers, including their 16th anniversary barleywine and 10 small-batch experiments. Tickets are $25, and the party goes from 2 to 7.
* 17th Annual Biergarten Festival, Morrison
This one actually starts Friday night and extends through Sunday, so it gives you a little flexibility. Colorado's German American Chamber of Commerce serves up German music, a German buffet (plus a bratwurst-eating contest at 4 p.m. Saturday) and beer from the likes of Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr.
Eight bucks gets you in Friday (4-10) or Saturday (11-10), and the Sunday (10-2) festivities at TEV Edelweiss Pavilion are free. And if you're ambitious, you can wake up from one of the other four Saturday events and shake off your hangover here.
Labels: American Homebrewers Association, Breckenridge Brewery, Colorado Brewers Guild, Left Hand Brewing, Twisted Pine Brewing
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Top 10 Colorado Beers of 2012
In thinking back on the past year that was for Colorado brewing, what stands out is the lack of standouts - but in a good way.
Looking back on last year's list, the top two beers were a 14-brewer collaboration that sold for $40 a champagne bottle and a beer that was introduced at one of the most hyped Great American Beer Festival press events of all time. And that's OK.
This year, however, Colorado's finest beers seemed to happen almost when you weren't looking, sneaking into liquor stores and taprooms and even one-time events with great subtlety. And so, without further ado, here is one man's thoughts on the best that the Centennial State offered in 2012:
10) Black Swan - Twisted Pine Brewing
The most interesting beer of the summer was a saison that oscillated in taste from peat moss to mellow licorice to slightly sweet ester, making you rethink what is happening with each sip. What's more, it represented the maturing of a Boulder brewery that has produced good beers for years but is now pushing itself to create one-offs that are likely to redefine it again.
9) Saison du Tomme - Trinity Brewing
Jason Yester never fails to produce fascinating tastes, but it was where he produced his best beer of 2012 that exemplifies the Colorado Springs brewmaster's willingness to experiment. Saison du Tomme rolled out as part of Focus on the Beer's fantastic Beers Made by Walking series, in which brewers go on hikes and produce something original with ingredients found on the way. This saison included rose hips, lemongrass and grains of paradise, and its pixie-stick goodness should come back in future years.
8) Wild Wild Brett Green - Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
The lines that clogged the Crooked Stave booth at the GABF - and if you didn't see them, they were impressive - went there for pure sour concoctions. But the best thing Denver experimenter Chad Yakobson rolled out this year was a daring crossover blending his wild yeast with a traditionally hopped beer. What came out of it was a yet-undefined new style on which Crooked Stave hopefully will continue to push boundaries.
7) NBB Love Felix - New Belgium Brewing
The best sour-beer creators in Colorado pumped out another talk-worthy creation and GABF medal winner this year with their blond sour ale aged in oak foeders. Not as bristling as wonderful creations of theirs such as the Le Terroir, this offering stung the tongue just mildly before letting citrus flavors roll over it. In what was a great year of experimentation for the Fort Collins masters, this was one of their best.
6) Mick Jaggery - Wit's End Brewing
The terms "Top 10 beers" and "ESB" rarely cross. But when you combine a seriously hopped ESB with the Indian cooking sugar Jaggery (hence the name), the result was a bitter and sweet melange of tastes that literally stunned the entire Fearless Drinking Crew one night earlier this month. Scott Witsoe's beers are all a little bit off of any style description, but this one pushed definitions far enough to let the Denver brewery truly stand out.
5) Zora Rosemary Pale Ale - Strange Brewing
Of all the unusual ingredients that have been added to Colorado beers in 2012 - from Hawaiian black lava salt to bull testicles - none of them has made as positive a difference as the rosemary that Strange brewers Tim Myers and John Fletcher decided to drop into a pale ale earlier this year. The woodsy herbal taste combined with the natural floral overtones of a heavily hopped pale was like an awakening in a glass. Frankly, it's surprising that more brewers haven't realized how good this flavor combination is. Until they do, however, Strange should endeavor to keep this on tap constantly.
4) Oud Floris - Avery Brewing
Here's how to push the limits: Combine beer aged in Cabernet, chardonnay, whiskey and rum barrels and produce a tart sour that not only is complex but shockingly has a softer side to it, an almost buttery peach taste. Avery can make beers that scorch the palate; Oud Floris stands out for being a ridiculously approachable effort that is as good as anything that has come out of the Boulder brewery's barrels.
3) Super IPA - New Belgium Brewing
Every year, it seems, one more beer gets added to the repertoire of phenomenal Colorado double IPAs. What is so surprising about this year's addition is that it came from a brewery whose reputation was not for mastering the hop. But in a collaboration offering with San Diego's Alpine Brewing, New Belgium amped up flowery goodness to new levels while keeping the body of this limited release so easy-drinking that you have to rethink the hop presence.
2) Ambassador Barrel-Aged Sour Ale - Dry Dock Brewing
A personal story: It was the day after GABF, and the last thing that the Beer Geekette and I planned was to drink beer. But when we stumbled across this in a Highlands buffalo-wing restaurant, we had to try it. And even the shattered liver could appreciate something so tart that it lit up the sides of the tongue while being so peach-cherry-citrus-forward that every sip was an adventure in discovering what wild yeast could add to a medium-bodied masterpiece. As Dry Dock goes big-time with its expansion next year, it would do well to think about making more of this sour that adds to its constantly growing resume of world-class beers.
1) Hoppenberg Uncertainty Principle - River North Brewery
When you define a year in beers, the question must be asked: What beer did you go back to over and over again? The answer here is: A Belgian-style double IPA made by a brewery that is now just 11 months old but has crafted such daring products (featured in picture above) that it must be mentioned in the same breath as Denver's finest breweries. The beer formerly known as Hypothesis (a name apparently bogarted by a California winery) pushed styles in two ways, taking the brewery's signature ester-ful yeast and mixing it with a hop-laden beer that swirled over the taste buds like a one-two punch of grass and citrus-clove. The beer may help to redefine the Belgo-IPA style. And the crew is looking forward to drinking much more of it in 2013.
Looking back on last year's list, the top two beers were a 14-brewer collaboration that sold for $40 a champagne bottle and a beer that was introduced at one of the most hyped Great American Beer Festival press events of all time. And that's OK.
This year, however, Colorado's finest beers seemed to happen almost when you weren't looking, sneaking into liquor stores and taprooms and even one-time events with great subtlety. And so, without further ado, here is one man's thoughts on the best that the Centennial State offered in 2012:
10) Black Swan - Twisted Pine Brewing
The most interesting beer of the summer was a saison that oscillated in taste from peat moss to mellow licorice to slightly sweet ester, making you rethink what is happening with each sip. What's more, it represented the maturing of a Boulder brewery that has produced good beers for years but is now pushing itself to create one-offs that are likely to redefine it again.
9) Saison du Tomme - Trinity Brewing
Jason Yester never fails to produce fascinating tastes, but it was where he produced his best beer of 2012 that exemplifies the Colorado Springs brewmaster's willingness to experiment. Saison du Tomme rolled out as part of Focus on the Beer's fantastic Beers Made by Walking series, in which brewers go on hikes and produce something original with ingredients found on the way. This saison included rose hips, lemongrass and grains of paradise, and its pixie-stick goodness should come back in future years.
8) Wild Wild Brett Green - Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
The lines that clogged the Crooked Stave booth at the GABF - and if you didn't see them, they were impressive - went there for pure sour concoctions. But the best thing Denver experimenter Chad Yakobson rolled out this year was a daring crossover blending his wild yeast with a traditionally hopped beer. What came out of it was a yet-undefined new style on which Crooked Stave hopefully will continue to push boundaries.
7) NBB Love Felix - New Belgium Brewing
The best sour-beer creators in Colorado pumped out another talk-worthy creation and GABF medal winner this year with their blond sour ale aged in oak foeders. Not as bristling as wonderful creations of theirs such as the Le Terroir, this offering stung the tongue just mildly before letting citrus flavors roll over it. In what was a great year of experimentation for the Fort Collins masters, this was one of their best.
6) Mick Jaggery - Wit's End Brewing
The terms "Top 10 beers" and "ESB" rarely cross. But when you combine a seriously hopped ESB with the Indian cooking sugar Jaggery (hence the name), the result was a bitter and sweet melange of tastes that literally stunned the entire Fearless Drinking Crew one night earlier this month. Scott Witsoe's beers are all a little bit off of any style description, but this one pushed definitions far enough to let the Denver brewery truly stand out.
5) Zora Rosemary Pale Ale - Strange Brewing
Of all the unusual ingredients that have been added to Colorado beers in 2012 - from Hawaiian black lava salt to bull testicles - none of them has made as positive a difference as the rosemary that Strange brewers Tim Myers and John Fletcher decided to drop into a pale ale earlier this year. The woodsy herbal taste combined with the natural floral overtones of a heavily hopped pale was like an awakening in a glass. Frankly, it's surprising that more brewers haven't realized how good this flavor combination is. Until they do, however, Strange should endeavor to keep this on tap constantly.
4) Oud Floris - Avery Brewing
Here's how to push the limits: Combine beer aged in Cabernet, chardonnay, whiskey and rum barrels and produce a tart sour that not only is complex but shockingly has a softer side to it, an almost buttery peach taste. Avery can make beers that scorch the palate; Oud Floris stands out for being a ridiculously approachable effort that is as good as anything that has come out of the Boulder brewery's barrels.
3) Super IPA - New Belgium Brewing
Every year, it seems, one more beer gets added to the repertoire of phenomenal Colorado double IPAs. What is so surprising about this year's addition is that it came from a brewery whose reputation was not for mastering the hop. But in a collaboration offering with San Diego's Alpine Brewing, New Belgium amped up flowery goodness to new levels while keeping the body of this limited release so easy-drinking that you have to rethink the hop presence.
2) Ambassador Barrel-Aged Sour Ale - Dry Dock Brewing
A personal story: It was the day after GABF, and the last thing that the Beer Geekette and I planned was to drink beer. But when we stumbled across this in a Highlands buffalo-wing restaurant, we had to try it. And even the shattered liver could appreciate something so tart that it lit up the sides of the tongue while being so peach-cherry-citrus-forward that every sip was an adventure in discovering what wild yeast could add to a medium-bodied masterpiece. As Dry Dock goes big-time with its expansion next year, it would do well to think about making more of this sour that adds to its constantly growing resume of world-class beers.
1) Hoppenberg Uncertainty Principle - River North Brewery
When you define a year in beers, the question must be asked: What beer did you go back to over and over again? The answer here is: A Belgian-style double IPA made by a brewery that is now just 11 months old but has crafted such daring products (featured in picture above) that it must be mentioned in the same breath as Denver's finest breweries. The beer formerly known as Hypothesis (a name apparently bogarted by a California winery) pushed styles in two ways, taking the brewery's signature ester-ful yeast and mixing it with a hop-laden beer that swirled over the taste buds like a one-two punch of grass and citrus-clove. The beer may help to redefine the Belgo-IPA style. And the crew is looking forward to drinking much more of it in 2013.
Labels: Avery Brewing, Beers of the Year, Crooked Stave, Dry Dock Brewing, Focus on the Beer, New Belgium Brewing, River North Brewery, Strange Brewing, Trinity Brewing, Twisted Pine Brewing, Wit's End Brewery
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
Tuesday, October 02, 2012
One Last Callout: Best Beers of Summer 2012
With rumors flying that the Denver area could see a light dusting of snow this week, it's time to declare this seemingly endless summer finally over. But before that happens, it's worth reflecting on some of the finest gifts that breweries gave to beer drinkers in what was an unusually tasty season that more often is known for light, forgettable offerings.
So, while most of this six-pack of special beers are off shelves or taps by now, let this serve as a call for these breweries to bring them back again - in summer 2013 or, preferably, even sooner.
* Black Swan by Twisted Pine
A big beer in most every sense of the word, this sixth offering in the Boulder brewery's 2012 Artisan Ale series combined the tastes of peat moss and licorice, mellowing into a slightly sweet ester with an alcoholic kick. It was a black saison complex enough to make you think about what was going on in your mouth as you reach for sip after sip.
* Saison du Buff - a Dogfish Head/Stone/Victory collaboration
Employing parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme as key ingredients in a beer sounds like a gimmick - right until the inital earthy spices, combined with the citrus body of a classic saison, leave an unforgettable original taste. This was first released in 2010 before coming back for a limited run this summer; here's hoping it becomes an annual seasonal.
* India Pale Lager by Great Divide
The so-called "IPL" is another gimmick that a smattering of breweries have tried in limited runs, often at summer beer festivals. But the hop masters at Great Divide seems to have hit just the perfect balance on it, producing a sweet and grassy beer whose body takes on the thickness of its flavors while still remaining shockingly refreshing for summer crowds. This year it was available only in the tap room. Next year, please bottle it.
* Kaffir Lime Wheat by Denver Beer Co.
You know that Charlie Berger and Patrick Crawford realize they've hit on something good when the Denver Beer co-conspirators actually decide to put a beer in seasonal rotation rather than make it a one-off. The Kaffir Lime Wheat had the tart, powdery quality of a well-made sour, but the citrus was held in check enough to make this widely appealing. Even Fearless Tasting Crew members who tend to eschew fruity wheat beers gobbled this up.
* Snarling Badger Berliner Weisse by Grand Teton Brewing
With the growing popularity of berliner weisses, there appear to be two camps on how to make the German sour - low-alcohol and light or bold and big. Grand Teton's Cellar-Reserve series take on the style was loaded full of both the banana and clove typical to its hefeweizen yeast and the sharp mouthfeel of the Lactobacillus of the secondary fermentation. And it was bold and big. It may, in fact, be the new flag-bearer for the style.
* Trade Winds Tripel by The Bruery
One of the greatest things about the too-soon-departed District Tavern restaurant in LoDo was its offering of this spectacular seasonal on tap. It's likely the Orange County brewery will offer this Belgian golden ale spiced with Thai Basil in the future. Let's hope more Denver bars will be willing to serve it up.
With rumors flying that the Denver area could see a light dusting of snow this week, it's time to declare this seemingly endless summer finally over. But before that happens, it's worth reflecting on some of the finest gifts that breweries gave to beer drinkers in what was an unusually tasty season that more often is known for light, forgettable offerings.
So, while most of this six-pack of special beers are off shelves or taps by now, let this serve as a call for these breweries to bring them back again - in summer 2013 or, preferably, even sooner.
A big beer in most every sense of the word, this sixth offering in the Boulder brewery's 2012 Artisan Ale series combined the tastes of peat moss and licorice, mellowing into a slightly sweet ester with an alcoholic kick. It was a black saison complex enough to make you think about what was going on in your mouth as you reach for sip after sip.
* Saison du Buff - a Dogfish Head/Stone/Victory collaboration
Employing parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme as key ingredients in a beer sounds like a gimmick - right until the inital earthy spices, combined with the citrus body of a classic saison, leave an unforgettable original taste. This was first released in 2010 before coming back for a limited run this summer; here's hoping it becomes an annual seasonal.
* India Pale Lager by Great Divide
The so-called "IPL" is another gimmick that a smattering of breweries have tried in limited runs, often at summer beer festivals. But the hop masters at Great Divide seems to have hit just the perfect balance on it, producing a sweet and grassy beer whose body takes on the thickness of its flavors while still remaining shockingly refreshing for summer crowds. This year it was available only in the tap room. Next year, please bottle it.
* Kaffir Lime Wheat by Denver Beer Co.
You know that Charlie Berger and Patrick Crawford realize they've hit on something good when the Denver Beer co-conspirators actually decide to put a beer in seasonal rotation rather than make it a one-off. The Kaffir Lime Wheat had the tart, powdery quality of a well-made sour, but the citrus was held in check enough to make this widely appealing. Even Fearless Tasting Crew members who tend to eschew fruity wheat beers gobbled this up.
* Snarling Badger Berliner Weisse by Grand Teton Brewing
With the growing popularity of berliner weisses, there appear to be two camps on how to make the German sour - low-alcohol and light or bold and big. Grand Teton's Cellar-Reserve series take on the style was loaded full of both the banana and clove typical to its hefeweizen yeast and the sharp mouthfeel of the Lactobacillus of the secondary fermentation. And it was bold and big. It may, in fact, be the new flag-bearer for the style.
* Trade Winds Tripel by The Bruery
One of the greatest things about the too-soon-departed District Tavern restaurant in LoDo was its offering of this spectacular seasonal on tap. It's likely the Orange County brewery will offer this Belgian golden ale spiced with Thai Basil in the future. Let's hope more Denver bars will be willing to serve it up.
Labels: Denver Beer Co, Dogfish Head, Grand Teton Brewing, Great Divide, Stone Brewing, Summer beers, The Bruery, Twisted Pine Brewing, Victory Brewing
