Things to come

So before I post my last few entries from my cross country beer romp, I'd like to announce that Bronze Age's first brew will be ready this weekend. It will be a delicious oatmeal weiss. In anticipation I have created a logo for our brand. It's a very simple art-noveau style ditty that still in the works. Let me know what you think:

Great Divide/Wynkoop Denver, CO

Many a one horse town and crappy drive after Portland, our travels led us to the wonderful town of Denver. I was pretty excited as I had heard its beer-putation was comparable to that of Portland's. Unfortunately, I only had the ability to get to two breweries but I am quite satisfied with the results.

Great Divide Brewing Co.

Apparently everyone and their mother had heard about this brewery except for me. Color me ashamed. Rated 7th in Beer Advocates 2009 "Greatest Brewery on Planet Earth" category. I can see why. This is a craft brewery for the thrill seeker (i.e. ME!). Anyone looking for beers of huge character, flavor, alcohol content and imagination will be more than delighted. Make sure to take a look at the roster on the website, few beers fall under 6%. If visiting, get there early in the day and raid the tap room. Four generous free samples await your taste buds. As you drink, enjoy friendly conversation with the beertenders and wafts of wort from beyond the brewery walls. Also, for you Bostonians, this stuff is available at the new Marty's location in Brighton, as well as pretty much every other beer ever (GET YOUR ASS OVER THERE).

Chocolate Oak Age Yeti 9.5% ABV
With a flavor as big as its cryptozoological moniker, this is by far one of the best fucking beers I've ever tasted. Just look at the damn picture and you'll get the idea. Black in appearance with a thick chocolate brown head that quickly dissipates. This beer smells of spices and coffee up front, with malty chocolate undertones. The taste is incredible. The first thing I notice is the pepper, cayenne to be exact. As a hot sauce lover, I think this is great. There is a slight bitterness to balance spice, as well as some bold coffee flavor. The feel is creamy with a fine carbonation.

Samurai 5.1% ABV
Defined as a "Rice Ale" this beer pours a cloudy gold with a light white head. Light hops and crispy spiciness in the aroma. Was hoping for something more interesting with the flavor. Goes down like your average wheat beer. Good, but unspectacular. Meh.

Honorable Mention: Claymore Scotch Ale, a must try for the scotch lover (duh).

Wynkoop Brewing Co.
wynkoop.com
An incredible Brew Pub, Denver's oldest dontcha know? Important to note: cheap eats with big portions and free pool Mon-Fri 11am-5pm (of which I took full advantage). This joint also makes their own hot sauce and employs an unusually friendly staff who will kick your ass at pool. Oh and hey, the beer is pretty good too. Andy Brown, head brewmaster, upon hearing that I was blogging his beer came out of hiding and gave me a brew, a tour and a six pack to go home with (the brewery has just begun a canning operation. The machine is pictured below and right).

Patty's Chile Beer
I'd like to meet whoever Patty is, so I can shake his or her hand and ask if he or she had me in mind when creating this delicious beverage. Drinking this beer is like biting into a fresh bell pepper, though as I came to find out, anaheim chiles and smoked anchos were the veggies of choice. Pours a nice gold color, no fizz, no head, slight cloud to it. Smells like a peppery pilsner. Light and refreshing, almost no carbonation, which I think it needs more of. Not sure if there was something going on with the keg, or if the lack of bubbly was due to the breweries air stone conditioning, but the other beers I sampled suffered the same flatness, save one or two. If this beer had the carbonation it should have, it would most likely be my favorite out of all those I have sampled on this journey.

The other beers I consumed I did not properly log. I must however recommend the B3K Schwarzbier and Wynkoops limited edition special release of their "Tut's Royal Gold." Inspired by the brewing methods and ingredients of ancient Egyptians, this beer was crafted for the Denver Art Museums new exhibit for said pharaoh. The result is delcious and original and more info can be foundhere.


Mash tun with grist hopper above at Great Divide

Bottles on pallet ready for bottling at G.D.

Newly added fermentation tanks outside G.D.

An example of the monstrous 8 dollar sandwiches at Wynkoop.

Head brewmaster Andy in the mega crampt conditioning room at Wynkoop

Brew kettle at Wynkoop

Andy and I pounding the Silverback Gorilla. Wynkoop donates proceeds of their Silverback porter to help these big guys out! Awesome!

Portland, OR

Ah Portland, home to the most brewpubs (and strip clubs) per capita than any city in the U.S. While this rules, it poses the challenge of selecting which brewpub to go to. I decided that the best course of action would be to choose 4 within the same general area that locals had recommended to me. With that said, here we go:

Bridgeport Ale House
bridgeportbrew.com
It was my goal with this blog to spread good cheer and review the better beers a particular establishment offers rather than the bad ones. After hearing about all the hype that surrounds Bridgeport I feel it is my job to let people know that in my humble opinion, this hype is unfounded.
Their flagship Blue Heron Ale for example, is a mediocre brew. I understand that it's a lighter brew and thus is not meant to have huge flavor but it would be nice if it had some flavor. Their imperial brew, aptly named the Hop Czar, is a robust IPA at 7.5% ABV. Usually I'd love a beer like this but found right off the bat that the bitterness and wonderful citrusy character of cascade and centennials used presented themselves as merely sour, and not in a good way. This stuff is drinkable to some degree, but it needs some balancing to keep the hops in line as they weigh in at 85 IBU's. The other beers I sampled were pretty lackluster and needless to say, I'm pretty bummed about this brewery.

The Lucky Labrador
luckylab.com
AH! There is hope for my tastebuds! The Lucky Lab is a hip brewpub located just down the road from Bridgeport. The bar is beautiful, located in what appears to be an old warehouse thats full of charm and character. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, willing to chat with me and offer samples and suggestions. I feel terrible that I can't remember the name of the dude who helped me (please comment if you see this).

Solar Flare 5.9% ABV
I was told to try the Solar Flare first as it is the brewery's first fully solar powered brew. The light, crisp, thirst quenching nature of this beer was much needed, as this was an incredibly hot day in Portland. Poured on tap, this beer is gold in color and has a light bubbly head. The aroma is fresh, sweet and bready; that of wheat, and a slightly piney hop aroma. The mouthfeel is very crisp and grassy. A delicious, well balanced lighter brew. Good stuff.

Open Bridge Brown
Served on tap, this is a brown ale with a dark amber color, a big head and an aroma of apple and caramel, slight hops too. The taste is slightly more bitter than most browns, not in accordance with its sweet aroma. A decent brew, nothing too special.

McMennamins
mcmenamins.com
A varitable orgy of beers served on tap (pictured left), I had way too much to drink in this establishment, and all for free thanks to the staff. Even with its knick knacky Chili's-like decor, I got a great vibe from this place.

Purple Haze
(Pictured right) Usually I'm not a huge fan of fruity beers, but this was some good stuff. Nice to look at, it pours very cloudy with a reddish amber/purple color. Malt is dominant in the aroma, slight hops, slight fruit. Light head, spotty lacing. The beer is infused with marian berries which prove to be pretty sweet, but maltiness balances that out. It has a big sharp carbonation to it, body is a little thin and has an acidic/dry mouthfeel. Drinkable, but probably would become overwhelming after more than a few glasses.

Terminator Stout 6.4% ABV
Black to light brown in color, a brown fluffy head that quickly dissipates. Not too strong in the scent department, some roasted malt, chocolate, like any other stout.
Caramel and bitter chocolate taste up front, with alcohol finish. Smooth, wet and velvety mouthfeel and carbonation akin to Guinness but not to be compared to said brew in any other way. Incredibly drinkable. Delicious, definitely recommend.

Lompoc
newoldlompoc.com
Before I get to the beer I must mention that this brewery has their own custom embroidered snuggies for 25 bucks a pop. Awesome. There are a few locations for these brewpubs in town, this particular one was conveniently located next to the McMenamins I visited and had a homey Irish pub type feel.

LSD 6.9% ABV
Also known as the Lompoc Strong Draft. Cleverly named to fit the ever more clever anagram it is known by. It was my favorite beer of the day. Dark brown in color, light tan colored head, light lacing. Another lightly scented beer, the aroma is sweet, oats/barley are apparent, fruity hops. Crisp and smooth mouth feel, sweet and chocolatey, some spices and smoked malt, no noticeable alcohol even with its 6.9% ABV. Award winning with good reason. DRINK THIS! I unfortunately only got to try one of Lompoc's brews due to funding issues. I totally picked the right beer.

UP NEXT: Wynkoop and Great Divide in Denver, CO

Magnolia San Francisco, CA

magnoliapub.com

So I shall preface this entry in saying that more of you should be following this blog because it rules. I learned this may be due to some confusion as to how to actually do this. If you have a gmail account just click the follow button with the google logo on the upper right hand portion of the page. If you don't, get one, gmail rules all. Now for beer:

I was delighted to come across this particular brewpub in my travels as I had heard an interview with a member of the brewstaff on a beerschool podcast. Seeing it in person was thus pretty cool. The brewhouse is a 7 barrel operation that is located in the basement, endearingly referred to as the dungeon by staffers. The pub itself is a slightly upscale joint that boasts upscale beers. While the dishes are slightly expensive (all cost about 20 bucks), the restaurant has a warm inviting atmosphere and friendly staff, particularly our waitress Jeanina (sorry in advance for spelling).

Big Cypress Brown
Served on tap. Like other brown ales this beer is a dark brown in color, nearly opaque. Unlike other brown ales, this brew stands out amongst the many, leading to my purchasing of a growler of it. It has a light head with a pleasant chocolately aroma, delicate lacing. It has a light body and a smooth mouthfeel and hints at sweet spices and nuts. Big flavor, but not too big. Endlessly drinkable at 3.7% ABV and 15 BU. Typically I'm a guy who enjoys beers with higher alcohol content and more bitterness, but this stuff is just too good.

Tweezer Triple
Recommended by Jeanina, enjoyed by very much my bandmate sam and I. Served on tap. Dense head, amber in color, slightly hazy, heavy lace. Definite fruity aromas, peach, citrus, light hops. Very sweet, wet and juicy in taste and feel, some spices ala coriander perhaps? Sharp carbonation, the sweet flavor is balanced out by a bitter hops after taste. No noticeable alcohol.
9.5% ABV 35 BU

The beer is great here and the food is pretty damn good too. Just a quick note: with my beers I enjoyed scotch duck eggs for an appetizer, which are hardboiled and then covered in ground pork sausage then fried (AMAZING) and Magnolias fish and chips plate for an entree. Two above par dishes that worked great with the beers. If you're in the San Fran area, this delicious gastropub is a must.

Up Next: Craploads of pubs in downtown Portland, OR!

Santa Fe Brewing Company

Santa Fe, NM
santafebrewing.com

I had sampled this brewery's beers last time I was in Santa Fe and I was thoroughly impressed with the delicious liquids I had encountered. Needless to say, I was stoked to get out there. A buddy of mine was friendly with Leif, one of the brewers on the staff, who took us back to the brewhouse on this arid Saturday afternoon. I noticed there were a bunch of guys brewing small a small 6 gallon batch of beer with homebrew equipment I was quite familiar with. This is known as "Small Batch Saturday". Local homebrewers get together at the brewery and interact with the brewstaff and socialize over the thing they love. The brews made are stored there and put on tap in the tap house out front, pretty cool! This particular batch was a sassafrass barleywine (which you can see in the image below). Yum. It was not soon that I set foot in the brewery that I was offered free beer after free beer. This is when I discovered that high altitudes make for lower tolerances to alcohol. This unfortunately contributed to the fuzzy details which I will attempt to divulge to you now.

Santa Fe has a 30 bbl brewing system and a bottling system which processes about 120 bottles per minute. They're about to launch their new line of canned beers. I'm one of the lucky few to have experienced their brews from these cans. They have a crapload of beers rotating through their tasting room but only 5 flagship brews: a brown ale, a pale ale, a barley wine known as "Chicken Killer", a hefeweizen and my favorite a porter known as the "State Pen," which I assume is named that because of lewd and lascivious acts it causes one to engage in after consuming it. I'll start with this brew for a review.

The State Pen Porter
A multi-award winner (can be seen on the right fermenting in casks)! Poured from the bottle into a glass. Huge robust, dark and chocolatey, it pours thick and velvety, nearly opaque in color. Nice head on it. Slight hint of alcohol. Velvety and smooth mouthfeel, not so much in the carbonation department but thats no problem. Has a slight nutty taste, delicious.
6.4% ABV

Santa Fe Pale Ale
This is by far one of the best IPA's out there, hands down. It's the brew I tried in my previous visit to the south west and I have been fiending for it ever since. Poured from a bottle into a glass, its amber in color, has nice head retention and big sharp hop aromas. Huge piney, rounded hop flavor makes this beer. Underneath theres a nice sweet maltiness to round the beer out. Way way too drinkable. This needs to be available in the north east ASAP.
5.4% ABV

Honorable Mention: Chicken Killer Barleywine (incredibly dangerously good, given its high alcohol content)
Below: The fermentation tanks, Warehouse, Filter, Bottling line, Sam and I with Leif

Abita/The Covey

Due to lots of bumps (LOTS of bumps) in the tour road I've had to cancel on a few of the breweries I had planned to go to. The breweries I checked out instead of the ones I had mentioned though, have been beyond awesome. I'll start with just two:

Abita Brewing Co., Abita Springs, LA
abita.com
While I didn't visit the actual brewery, this beer was readily available in nearly every drinking establishment in NOLA. It sounded good, so I drank it.

Satsuma:
I was curious as to how this brew received its name and found that it refers to satsuma oranges, which wikipedia describes as a "seedless, easy peeling citrus mutant of Japanese origin." Mutants? Sweet. Poured into a glass from bottle. The beer is a remarkably delicious, light, citrusy and refreshing witbier, no doubt containing the zest or extract of the mutant which bears its name. Pours a pale amber color, slightly cloudy, little to no head and a delicate lacing. There are subtle hop aromas, obvious citrus aromas. The beer has a light body, and is slightly bready. The citrus is nearly unnoticeable, pops up when you look for it. Lightly hopped, light carbonation, no noticeable alcohol. Definitely recommend this perfectly balanced brew to anyone who can get their hands on it.
5.1% ABV 17 BU

Abbey Ale:
Oh sweet lord in heaven, this stuff rules. Poured into glass from bottle. As its name boasts, huge flavor, huge alcohol content. Nearly opaque in color, this beer boasts a very sweet, caramel flavor. Big and rounded with a creamy body, it has light notes of spices and an incredibly smooth mouthfeel. No hints of its alcohol. BUY THIS!
8.0% ABV 32 BU

The Covey, Ft. Worth, TX
thecovey.com
The Covey is an upscale brewpub/restaurant, the last place I thought would be welcoming to a smelly dude in a cut off metal shirt who'd been stuck in a van for 6 hours. Jamie, the brewmaster (and the man), upon hearing I was there to write about his beer, came out immediately introduced himself and gave me a tour of the brewhouse (below and to the left you can see the mash tun). The output of the brewery is 7 barrels and from what I could gather there are usually about 7-8 different brews on tap. I sampled all of these delicious concoctions and will thus choose my favorites for my in depth reviews.

Cowboy Lager
Pours a light amber color, very clear. Slight head with delicate lacing. Subtle amount of hops in the aroma, more noticeable in the taste, this beer acts as if its a light pale ale. It has a very light and dry mouth feel with an acidic bite. This would act as a great session beer I would imagine assuming it lingers around 4% ABV.

Regalement
"Highly drinkable: taste buds rejoice, motorskills digress" is the description this trippel has been granted. I'm prone to agree. A bready and spicy aroma, this pours maple in color with a light head. The definitely noticeable alcohol in the taste adds to the vivaciousness of this brew. There's also some subtle floral notes thrown in the mix. It's 9.5% ABV goes down light, making this beer mildly dangerous.

Honorable mention:
HopPodge IPA and Aduro Porter


At The Covey: The fermenters (left) and the grist hopper (upper right hand corner)

Also at The Covey: from left to right: me, Jamie, Sam

Victory/Legend

VICTORYBEER.COM
LEGENDBREWING.COM


Friday night marked day one of my bands tour and my beer odyssey. I started it out at the fantastical Victory Brewing Company. I didn't get there in time for the brewery tour, but they have a beautiful brew pub (which was absolutely packed) next door, all their beers freshly on tap and available for sampling. I started out with a pint of Storm King stout. Think of it as a Guinness with a thicker body and slight hoppiness to it. Not my favorite type of beer, but still delicious. My favorites that I sampled were the Old Horizontal, a sweet and delicious barley wine (surprisingly light given its nature) and their seasonal Hollertau, which I purchased a growler of. I almost went back the next day for seconds but could not convince my compadres to do so.

Saturday led us to the Legend Brewery in Richmond, VA. Their flagship beers are mainly English style. They had a Hefeweizen as their seasonal (which was my favorite). Again, because of our travel time, we missed out on the brewery tour. Legend, like Victory has a brewpub though. It featured an outdoor patio with live music, surrounded by overgrown hops and grape vines. I would definitely recommend this joint for the atmosphere alone. The food was great as well, typical pub food with some surprises. I had a dozen oysters on the half shell, which paired great with the Hefeweizen I ordered. Every beer I sampled was solid, robust in taste and character, aside from the pilsner which obviously wasn't so loud in flavor, but still delightful, dry and round. It had the perfect amount of body. My other favorite I tried was the Pale Ale. It was super hoppy and sharp with a crisp carbonation. I would simply like to see some more adventure and risk in the brews that legend produces. Nonetheless, good stuff is to be found here.


Victory!

Me and the boys at Legend

TOMORROW: We hopefully hit up Sweetwater Brewing Co in Atlanta and Moon River in Savannah. Only time will tell!