One brewery that I haven’t ticked off my “to try” list is Crooked Stave of Fort Collins / Denver. And these two beers sound great.
YELLOW
With Red and Orange released this past fall, it’s time for more beers in the Wild Wild Brett Series from Crooked Stave. Yellow and Green will be making their way across the Colorado front range starting next week. Keeping up with the series, Wild Wild Brett Yellow is a full fledged experiment which took inspiration from the savory sweet culinary traditions of southern India. Yellow has a pronounced tropical fruit base character with a small amount of spice caring forward an aroma that is both subtle and inviting. Yellow was brewed with honey, turmeric, mango and coriander before receiving a very light spicing during months of conditioning in our oak foeder.
GREEN
Wild Wild Brett Green is our nod to absurdly hopped beers… Showcasing the Australian Galaxy hop, WWBG uses 4lbs of hops per barrel with dank, dark berry tropical fruit hop characteristics dominating the flavor and aroma. The Crooked Stave twist.. WWBG was fermented and conditioned in neutral oak which actually made it easier for us to dry hop the beer multiple times over the aging period. The result, an unfiltered “wild ale” with little wild character. The hops are so dominate like in an Imperial IPA that for now it’s hard to get any Brett character. Over time the hops will fade and our house Brett character will rouse the senses.
Christmas Beer of the Day – Northstar Imperial Porter
The Brewery– Twisted Pine
The Beer – Northstar Imperial Porter
The Details
“Northstar, which carries a 98 on ratebeer.com, is black as a moonless night and gives off an aroma of toffee and dark fruit laced with licorice. Once the porter hits the palate, the tongue dances to notes of chocolate-covered raisins which harmonize well with subtle traces of roasted nuts and molasses. The beer is dry enough to punctuate the flavors with a crisp finish, while just silky enough to leave a stamp of the epic experience behind for a while. An ABV of 9.1% provides a slight warming glow that grows up the chest as the ale drops in the glass. Northstar was awarded a gold medal at the 2010 Colorado State Fair, a silver in the 2006 World Beer Cup, and a bronze in 2008’s State Fair.”
Review – New Planet – Tread Lightly Ale
We here at Beer Search Party central return to the world of gluten-free beer thanks to a special set of beers supplied by New Planet of Colorado.
First up, I will tread lightly…
Odell Myrcenary
“Named for Myrcene, a component of essential oils in the hop flower, Myrcenary Double IPA is our tribute to those who revere the illustrious hop, and their unyielding exploit to craft hop forward beers. Brewed with a blend of hops containing the highest levels of Myrcene, this double IPA prevails with a tropical fruit-like flavor, a pungent floral aroma, and a clean getaway.”
I have recently had a couple of Odell’s beers. Both were good but didn’t blow me away, maybe this is the beer that changes that.
Beer Culture
“Beer Culture is a documentary film about the growing trend in Craft Beer set in the epicenter of it all, Colorado. Beer Culture explains the cultural phenomenon behind the growth of craft beer telling it through the stories of struggles and successes of some top brewers in Colorado including, New Belgium, Oskar Blues, Avery Brewing Company, Tommyknocker, Upslope, including much more. This film is set to debut in the Summer of 2011.”
That had better pique your antenna up. There are a slew of beer doc’s in the pipeling. Personally, I can’t wait for them to hit theaters and DVD.
Beer Culture Trailer 1 from FM Productions on Vimeo.
Thanks to Jay Brooks for unearthing this for the world
Give me a Hickenlooper
Tomorrow, Wynkoop Brewing releases “Hickenlooper’s Inaugurale”.
This new draft-only beer commemorates Wynkoop founder John Hickenlooper being sworn in as Governor of Colorado on January 11.
The beer will be sold at Wynkoop Brewing Company until they run out, and the brew will be offered at the official inauguration dinner on January 11 at Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium. I have never heard of that happening so another first for craft beer!
The beer is a mix of brown ale and winter warmer which is appropriate for the weather in Colorado and around the country. Sounds good to me. Their should be beers for special occasions all the time.
new from Upslope
Though I would have expected a brown can to match the name. I am glad that Upslope is growing their canned beer offerings.
“Upslope Brown Ale. It’s an English-style Brown Ale with an American twist in that its sweet roasted-malt base is offset by a pronounced hop bitterness and higher alcohol content — about 6.7 percent by volume — than its counterparts brewed across the pond. It has a well-balanced character with a clean, dry finish that makes it easy to kick back several in one sitting.”
Read this update from the Boulder Camera to get the full scoop on this Colorado brewery.
Oskar Blues – Liquids and Solids
Oskar Blues’ newest down home beer joint celebrates beer culture with 43 craft taps, Southern-inspired BBQ & soul-saving live music. “This is an authentic craft beer bar right down to the keg based fountains” says owner Dale Katechis. An in-house smoker, named “the Midnight Toker”, stoked with local apple wood turns out slow smoked North Carolina style BBQ pork, spare ribs, beer-can chicken, salmon and turkey.
“Liquids & Solids is like the Big Muddy flowing through the Rocky Mountains,” says Oskar Blues founder and owner, Dale Katechis. “The slow, Southern style of cooking is the perfect match for American craft beer. Both are labors of love and have mouth-watering tastes people love to enjoy and savor.”
Set in the heart of Colorado craft beer country, Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids takes both its beer and food seriously. Jason Rogers, former executive chef at Denver’s J.W. Marriott and recognized by the James Beard Foundation – the ultimate kudos in the gourmet food world – oversees the kitchen. Menu features such items as smoked salmon fish and chips and a Dale (Pale Ale), or bourbon balls and a Ten FIDY (Imperial Stout).
Sounds good doesn’t it? And after visiting the Tasty Weasel, I know for sure it is.
Let’s Tour…Asher Brewing
We finish our month of Colorado brewery tours with Asher Brewing.
Asher is all organic but you could probably tell that from the names of their beers.
Hippie Nectar Organic Wheat
Tree Hugger Organic Amber
Green Monstah Organic Strong Ale
Let’s Tour…Upslope Brewing
Are you ready for another Colorado beer tour? Let’s go to Upslope then!
Here are their specs and their signature beers…”Brewed with Patagonian hops, high quality Rahr malts, snowmelt and yeast, Upslope’s ales satisfy a wide range of beer drinkers. We have chosen to package our beer in cans because they are portable, light, crushable and the most recyclable container on the planet.”
Upslope Pale Ale
“This clear, crisp, dry pale ale is our signature beer. It’s refreshing characteristics, and signature dry finish, blends smooth malt flavors with a unique spicy hop bitterness. This will be the “go to” beer on any camping trip, fishing excursion or music festival.”
Upslope India Pale Ale
“Our IPA will appeal to the beer enthusiast who desires a bold, deep and bitter ale. With a coppery color indicative of a traditional IPA, Upslope India Pale Ale has a complex malty character and is more well-balanced than most IPA’s, but still offers that bitterness that IPA lovers seek.”
UPDATE:
I was lucky enough to sample the pale ale from Upslope in Boulder. The cans logo and design is striking and simple and that carries through to the beer. It is hoppy but it does not coat the mouth. A great beer for the beach on a summer day. I made room to bring two back home to LA if that tells you anything.