Saturday morning saw us drive over to Stapleton where we looked at some of the homes and toured model homes. It was quite an interesting experience, especially since I had never looked at brand new homes before, and since it was the first time we had ever seriously look at houses. After a busy morning, Sarah and I headed to Aurora, where we grabbed some lunch and then spent a few hours at Dry Dock Brewing Company (http://www.drydockbrewing.com/).
 |
| Our Tasting Flight |
 |
| The Tap List |
Hand-Pulled Old Ale--HMS Bounty Old Ale pulled from a Hand-Pump. 6.5%
USS Enterprise IPA--Golden-colored American IPA that's hopped to the gills, yet balanced. Dry-hopped with Amarillo hops. 6.4%
HMS Victory ESB--This amber ale has rich toasty and bready character with English hop bitterness. 5.8%
URCA Vanilla Porter--Over 2 pounds of Tahitian and Madagascar Vanilla beans are used in this brown porter, leaving a smooth, rich flavor. 5.5%
Paragon Apricot Blonde--Fermented with shiploads of fruit, this easy-drinking ale is sure to refresh you on a warm, spring day. Prevents scurvy, arg! 5.3%
Dockside Dubbel--no description available. 6.9%
U-Boat Hefeweizen--A traditional cloudy German wheat ale with a HUGE banana nose and hints of bubblegum and vanilla. 4.3%
Shallow Draft Blonde--no description available. 5%
Breakwater Pale Ale--Aggressively hop-forward American Pale Ale. This straw-colored ale is dry-hopped with Cascade hops to give the beer a pleasant floral and citrus nose. 5.8%
Seven Seas Double IPA--no description available. 8.5%
HMS Bounty Old Ale--This malty, brown ale Strong Ale is rich with caramel malt complexity and good balance. 6.5%
J-9's Oatmeal Stout--no description available. 6.9%
Breiss Carabrown--no description available. 5.4%
Nitro Naked Porter--This robust porter is the same base recipe as the URCA Vanilla Porter, just without the Vanilla! A rich, full-bodied ale with hints of chocolate and coffee. Real Smooth and on Nitro. 5.3%
Following our afternoon at Dry Dock, we headed back to the hotel before having dinner with a couple of Sarah's perspective new colleagues.
On Sunday we decided to explore the beer scene in downtown Denver. We walked from our hotel down the 16th Street Mall and ended up at Wynkoop Brewing Company (http://www.wynkoop.com/).
 |
| Partial Taster Set |
 |
| Our Taster Set |
While at Wynkoop we were able to sample all the beers that were on tap.
Wixa Weiss--An unfiltered wheat beer, weiss beer is a Bavarian tradition. This version is an immensely refreshing and authentic, delivering the classic weiss aromas of cloves and bananas. 4.8%
Two Guns Pilsener--A Czech style pilsener, Two Guns is golden in color with a soft malt character derived from Bohemian barley and just enough spicy bitterness to make another taste desirable. 5.0%
Light Rail Ale--This blonde beer has a very light body and mild flavors of hops and pale malts. A hint of caramel malt gives color to this popular choice for craft beer newcomers. 4.2%
Patty's Chile Beer--A light German-style beer with Anaheim chilies and smoked Ancho peppers. 4.2%
Railyard Ale--The flagship brew is a smooth, amber beer that combines the malty goodness of an Oktoberfest lager with the slight fruitiness of an ale. Hearty but refreshing. 5.2%
St Charles ESB--A British-style session beer is cask conditioned and dry hopped. Tea colored with a toasted malt flavor, it's an easy drinker with a light mouthfeel and elegant hop nose. 4.5%
B3K Schwarz Bier--This German-style black lager has a deep color and gently roasted flavors balanced by an understated hoppiness. A thirst-quenching version of dark beer. 5.3%
McKenzie's Milk Stout--(listed as Cowtown Milk Stout) A semi-sweet stout with flavors of chocolate, coffee and sweetness thanks to a hint of milk sugar. A creamy body and modest alcohol make it a thrilling and sessionable dark beer. 4.8%
Mile HIPA--This Denver-style India pale ale is a hop head's dream. Assertive flavors of pale malts and an intense bouquet courtesy of whole leaf hops in their Hopinator device. 6.5%
Triple Hopped English IPA--(London Calling IPA) This India pale ale style hails from Britain and the 1800s when soldiers and sailors savored its extra hoppy charms. A classic English IPA, cask conditioned and dry hopped. 5.9%
Barley Wine--no description available. 10.4%
While tasting the beers at Wynkoop, we enjoyed some delicious pretzels served with beer mustard and beer cheese.
Following Wynkoop we continued on our exploration of downtown and walked towards Coors Field and ended up at Breckenridge Blake Street Pub (http://www.breckbrew.com/).
At Breckenridge, we sampled
Agave Wheat--This true American-style unfiltered wheat has something a little special - the nectar of the great Salmiana
Oatmeal Stout--Rich, round and roasted, this Oatmeal Stout is satisfaction in a glass. It's a bold, smooth-bodied concoction that oozes dark-roasted coffee aromas and flavors of espresso and semi-sweet chocolate. These heady pleasures are rounded out with a dose of flaked oatmeal for a creamy body and a semi-dry finish. Unforgettable. 4.95%
Vanilla Porter--Who would have thought deep in the jungles of Papua New Guinea and Madagascar grew the perfect ingredient to brew an extraordinary Porter in Colorado? An ale that has all the chocolate and roasted nut flavor of a classic Porter, with an enigmatic surprise thrown in for good measure, real vanilla bean. A vanilla kiss in a rich, dark sea. 4.7%
Lucky U IPA--This is an ale for everyone who believes you make your own luck. The result is a well-balanced, soulful IPA with just the right amount of hoppiness. An even keeled ale that goes down clean and refreshing , but still let's you know its been doted-on by the brewmaster. It's true to it's IPA heritage, but also highly drinkable. 6.2%
Pandora's Bock--Desire coupled with curiosity can drive you to many foolish things. Once it is released, a wealth of flavor and complexity will spill out into the world. With a traditional bock flavor profile and a hint of hoppy goodness, there's a reason it's spoken about in mythical terms. 7.5%
Christmas Ale--The chill of a Colorado high-country winter calls for a beer with extra flavor and warming characteristics. At over 7% alcohol, with a sturdy texture and rich flavor of caramel and chocolate, this holiday seasonal is the fermented equivalent of a good fire. 7.4%
Avalanche Amber--Subtlety. That's what makes the Avalanche amber such a treat. Pale and caramel malts are blended, with a kiss of bittering hops, to create a refreshing-but-flavorful, anytime beer. Aromas of pale grains, a semi-sweet middle and a clean-as-Colorado-snow finish make this a best-selling beer. 5.41%
Trademark Pale Ale--Demanding beer for demanding beer drinkers, that's the Pale Ale. This American craft ale is crafted with hearty amounts of pale and Munich malts, then balance it lofty amounts of hops throughout. It's a finessed version of hop-head fun, a black diamond beer without the bumps and dangerous curves. 5.7%
471 IPA--Hoppy? 471 IPA redefines hoppy. 471 is a small batch, limited edition ale that was created by the brewmaster to separate the weak from the strong. 471 is a double IPA, that combines Pale, Munich, Caramel-30, Carapils and Torrified Wheat malts, with Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, and Fuggles hops. It has a big sweet mouthfeel, followed by more hoppiness than you've ever had at one time. 9.2%
Thunder Stout--no description available
Mighty Brown--This is a towering behemoth of a brown ale, rich, robust and full of personality. And it will go well with every other big event, meal or day in your life. Savor it. And ration it accordingly. 7.5%
Porter Porter--Roll up your sleeves and get back to work on this deep, complex beer. Named after the 18th Century luggage porters in London, it's been a well-deserved reward for the laborer for over 200 years. A mouthful of sweet chocolate balanced by hints of roasted coffee. This is a big beer. Job well done, folks. Job well done. 7.5%
After leaving Breckenridge, we wondered over to Falling Rock Tap House (http://www.fallingrocktaphouse.com/), Denver's premier beer bar with over 100 craft beers on tap. While at Falling Rock, we struck up conversation with the couple sitting next to us in the bar. It happened to be Marty Jones of Wynkoop and his wife. Marty is a legend in the Denver beer scene, so it was quite awesome to meet him.
Our last stop of the day took us to the original Rock Bottom Brewery (http://www.rockbottom.com/denver-downtown) on the 16th Street Mall. Surprisingly I had never been to any Rock Bottoms throughout the country, so I was curious to see how the beers were. We ordered a sampler of the core beers and then I had a Pint of the Subzero Winter Ale. The sampler consisted of the following six beers:
Bottoms Up Kolsch--This beer is a very refreshing German-style ale, native to the city of Cologne. It has a light golden color, soft rounded mouthfeel and a slight fruitiness, deftly balanced by the subtle, spicy hop character. 4.3%
Buffalo Gold--No commercial description
16th Street Wheat--A crisp, clean beer with a sweet, honey malt flavor. 16th Street is well-balanced and deep gold in color with subtle, flowery, hop finish.
Falcon Pale Ale--This pale ale offers a strong unimposing flavor. Light crystal and Munich malts create a rich, medium body.
Red Rocks Red--An Irish-style red ale showcasing British Pale and crystal malts. This smooth, medium-bodied ale is balanced with English-style earthy hops. Red Rocks Red is easy drinking, yet full of flavor.
Molly's Titanic Brown--no commercial description
Subzero Winter Ale--no commercial description
As we wrapped up our trip to Denver, Sarah had an informal interview on Monday morning. We headed downtown and had lunch at Ling and Louie's on 16th Street. I had their Lemongrass Wheat beer. It was quite different, but tasty. Following lunch, we stopped by the Great Divide Brewing Company (http://www.greatdivide.com/) before returning to the airport and heading back to San Diego.
We were able to sample everything on tap at Great Divide and try a few bottled samplings too. Here's what we imbibed:
Yeti Imperial Stout--An onslaught of the senses. It starts with big, roasty malt flavor that gives way to rich caramel and toffee notes. Yeti gets its bold hop character from an enormous quantity of American hops. 9.5%
Claymore Scotch Ale--Named for a medieval Scottish sword, this beer is a tribute to the legendary "Wee Heavy" beers of Scotland. This malty, deep-ruby beauty features lots of caramel sweetness, a reserved hop profile, and a subtle warming character. Unlike its namesake, this beer only requires one hand, but it'll still make you feel like nobility. 7.7%
Denver Pale Ale (DPA)--This is a world-renowned, classic pale ale with a malty middle and an equally hearty complement of hop aroma, flavor and bitterness. 5.4%
Samurai--This beer is an easy drinking, unfiltered ale that changes the status quo for unfiltered beers. The addition of rice gives Samurai a slightly fruity, crisp, refreshing and clean taste. This is definitely not your everyday unfiltered beer. 5.1%
Hades--This beer is Belgian-Style golden ale brewed with a rare Belgian yeast strain that gives a complex spicy flavor and aroma. Noticeable hops and medium malt character make it a very well balanced, crisp ale. 7.8%
Oak-Aged Yeti--This is Yeti Imperial Stout's sophisticated sibling. From the same clan, they have different personalities. Oak aging gives a subtle vanilla character, rounding out Yeti's intense roastiness and huge hoppy nature. Who says you can't tame a Yeti? 9.5%
Saint Bridget's Porter--St Bridget's is a smooth and elegant brown porter. Brimming with coffee and chocolate characteristics from dark malts, St Bridget's is carefully hopped to provide the perfect complement to its malty robustness. This beer is a "must have" for all porter lovers. 5.9%
Old Ruffian--This beer is a hefty, hop-forward Barley Wine-Style Ale. Seemingly mellow at the start with subtle fruit aromas and complex caramel sweetness, it quickly becomes aggressive with its bold hop flavors and huge hop bitterness. Ultimately, the big body, succulent sweetness and massive hop character come together to work wonders on the palate. 10.2%
Hercules Double IPA--Not for the faint of heart. It is, however, fit for the gods. Hercules delivers a huge amount of hops from start to finish. Its hefty backbone of nutty, malty sweetness balances its aggressive hop profile. 10%
Titan IPA--A big, aggressively hopped India Pale Ale brewed for hop disciples. It starts out with piney hop aromas and citrus hop flavors, and finishes with a nice, rich malty sweetness that is balanced with crisp hop bitterness. 7.1%
Wild Raspberry Ale--A unique, thirst-quenching ale fermented with real red and black raspberries. Its balance of malt and fruit flavors make it a beer lover's fruit beer. 5.6%
 |
| Great Divide's Offerings |
No comments:
Post a Comment