Treat Yourself to a Deliciously Spiced Winter Warmer This Holiday Season

I interrupt your holiday festivities, which likely include enjoying some excellent beers, to feature yet another great seasonal beer worth trying. Imagine bottling the essence of gingerbread cookies or other spiced desserts and pouring this elyxir into a glass. That sums up what you'll experience when drinking 4 Elf Winter Warmer Ale from Dark Horse Brewing Company. This beer, and its style, go far beyond this simple comparison, and I'll break it down for you here.

4 Elf is, of course, a winter seasonal from Dark Horse, one of several from this increasingly popular craft brewery in Marshall, Michigan. Dark Horse, a family owned brewery founded in 1997, has a broad lineup of year-round and less frequent offerings, a good portion of which lean in the malt-centric direction. As a winter warmer, 4 Elf is firmly in the realm of darker, maltier, fuller-bodied beers. Winter warmers are in the same vein as English-style old ales, often stronger beers brewed with a significant amount of various malts and fermented with an English ale yeast. Winter warmers are more of a modern development compared to more traditional old ales, and brewers often take liberties with recipes by adding appropriate spices.

When pouring a glass of 4 Elf, the variety of malts used, including darker malts, is evident in the very dark brown color of the beer. It's well-carbonated, with a thin head of foam that follows the beer down the glass as you drink. The aroma consists of gingerbread, spices, clove, and dark fruits like raisins, plums and dates. While this description may indicate an overly sweet beer, the flavors don't cross this line. With each taste, there's a spicy yet sweet combination, providing flavors of cinnamon, gingerbread, spiced cake, dark fruits, and a subtle earthiness from the hops presence. There's little hop bitterness, and the profile leans heavily toward malt, but 4 Elf still manages to maintain balance. It's a great winter warmer that's stronger than many, at nearly 9 percent ABV, with a lot of flavors that are just right for the season.

If you still need a choice for which beer to savor as you ring in the new year, why not grab some 4 Elf? Now, back to your holiday cheer! I hope 2014 treated you well in so many ways, and best wishes for a wonderful 2015. 

On The Winter Solstice, We Fade to Black

The lack of daylight this time of year can be difficult to deal with in our daily lives. Darkness in the sky is quite apparent today, on the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. What better way to lift your spirit out of the dark doldrums than by sitting down with friends and sharing some delicious craft beer? A fitting beer to have on the darkest day of the year is Fade to Black, Volume 1, from Left Hand Brewing Company in Longmont, Colorado. This fantastic foreign export stout hits all the right notes for the style, offering rich roasty character along with depth and drinkability.

Left Hand releases its Fade to Black beers as winter seasonals, giving consumers a broad taste of dark malts and specialty grains. There are five beers in the series, all of which are black ales that range from more traditional styles like the foreign export stout to experimental or innovative beers like a chili pepper porter. Fade to Black, Volume 1 is also a highly regarded and awarded beer, having taken gold medals in 2010 and 2013 in the Foreign Stout Category at the Great American Beer Festival. With so many variations of the stout style - dry, sweet, foreign, oatmeal, imperial, American - it's important that the brewer get each aspect of the particular sub-style correct, and Left Hand does a wonderful job with Volume 1. Foreign export stouts have a higher gravity than most other types of stouts, with a dark and complex roasted character that leads to a bitter, dry finish.

Volume 1, which should be enjoyed at around 50 degrees, pours a deep black color with a thin head of foam. It has a rich, layered aroma of chocolate, coffee beans, molasses, and roasted bitterness. Moderate carbonation and a medium-full body give Volume 1 a substantial mouthfeel. There's a lot happening in the flavors, which encompass chocolate, espresso, a touch of vanilla, some dark fruit, and a roasty bitterness from the complex malt base and roasted barley used in brewing this beer. There's also a vinous character and some earthy undertones that add to the complexity. Volume 1 finishes quite dry with a lingering bitterness. Overall, it's a very enjoyable, smooth, creamy, roasty stout that fits the style perfectly.

Starting tomorrow, the days will get longer again, but there's still plenty of darkness for a while and lots of reasons to enjoy excellent dark beers throughout the winter. The Fade to Black series alone gives you five different ways to enjoy darker malts, so give any of these beers a try if you see them available.

Add an Authentic Doppelbock to Your List of Winter Beers to Enjoy This Season

It's only mid-December, but we're firmly in the season of winter beer offerings. From traditional winter styles to more innovative creations brimming with spices or chocolate, there's no shortage of heartier, stronger, fuller-bodied beers to help keep you warm this time of year. One of my favorite traditional winter styles is a classic German Doppelbock, and there's no better brewery to produce it than one that's truly authentic. In Denver, we're lucky to have a German-style brewery that fits the bill. Prost Brewing uses only hops and malt from Germany, and boasts large brewhouse copper kettles that were previously used for almost 50 years in Germany. Not surprisingly, every beer that Prost puts out is true to style, and very delicious.

In keeping with German brewing history and tradition, the majority of Prost's lineup are lagers, including the winter seasonal Doppelbock. Due to the nature of having such an authentic brewhouse, Prost, which was founded in 2012, has a relatively high brewing capacity. They can brew about 60 barrels of beer per batch, with fermentation capacity that includes several 80 barrel fermenters and a 120 barrel fermenter. Prost also has several large horizontal lagering tanks which hold the beer at low temperatures after fermentation in the large vertical tanks. While this is all happening behind the scenes in the Prost brewhouse, guests enjoy their authentic German-style beer in the festive biergarten taproom or patio. If you're not able to actually go and enjoy the atmosphere and beer, Prost bottles a handful of their beers, including seasonals like Doppelbock, for retail in Colorado stores.

Prost's Doppelbock, which is a traditional double bock lager, measures up to some of the best you'll find from Bavaria, such as Paulaner's Salvator or Ayinger's Celebrator. It pours a deep, rich amber color with minimal foam. Though it's dark in color, there's very good clarity from the long lagering process. Doppelbock exudes a malty, sweet aroma of bread crusts, raisins, plums, and a hint of chocolate. The flavors are a complex, delightful combination of dark fruits like cherries, raisins, plums, and prunes, some caramel and chocolate. It's a hearty, medium to full-bodied beer with a chewy mouthfeel that delivers rich flavors without being too sweet. There's no hop bitterness, but enough noble hops presence to add a touch of spice on the back end.

As you make your way through the festive variety of winter beers available to you this season, keep your eye out for traditional styles like Prost's Doppelbock. A well-made Doppelbock can help you appreciate this style's history, discover another layer of malty goodness, and satisfy your soul.

Satisfy Your Hops Cravings in a Variety of Ways With Stone's Mixed 12-Pack

For hop heads, it doesn't get much better than the beers put out by Stone Brewing Co. Since 1996, this San Diego area brewery has been satisfying, challenging, and expanding the palates of beer lovers who crave bitterness, aggressive flavors, and hops in all their glory. Stone's lineup, including their seasonals and special releases, does go beyond just hop-forward beers, but such styles are their bread and butter, and that's how they've built their widely-known name and reputation. For hops lovers who enjoy variety, like myself, Stone offers a mixed 12-pack that features four different bitter, complex and flavorful beers. The current pack includes Stone IPA, Ruination IPA, Arrogant Bastard Ale, and Sublimely Self-Righteous Black IPA.

Each beer is excellent and offers a different example of the delicious and versatile aspects of American varieties of hops. Ruination is more of an imperial IPA, very high in bitterness along with the usual hops flavors of citrus, tropical fruits and pine. Arrogant Bastard is an iconic craft beer, an American strong ale with intense hop bitterness, but balanced with a hefty grain bill. Sublimely Self-Righteous Black IPA is perhaps the one that feels most right for the season. In a time of the year when dark beers come to the fore, this one provides the bitter and flavorful hop punch that many long for in a beer, in addition to the roasty presence added by the dark and specialty malts and grains.

Sublimely Self-Righteous is a medium-bodied beer that's very black in appearance, with a thin but lasting head of foam. It has a big aroma of American hops, with elements of grapefruit, pine, and earthiness, along with some roastiness. There are loads of hops flavors on the initial taste, followed by roasty coffee and chocolate flavors. The beer's 90 IBUs ensure a bitter, lingering finish. The balance tilts more toward hops flavors and bitterness, but the complex grain recipe definitely stands out and makes this beer very intriguing. There's a lot to like in this black IPA, which is on the stronger end at 8.7 percent ABV.

The Stone variety pack is a great way to get your fix for American hops and enjoy a great mix of beers from one of the nation's finest craft breweries. It also makes a great buy when hosting or attending a holiday party, or a nice gift for that hop head in your life!

Fermaentra Gives Denver Yet Another Very Fine Brewery and Taproom

With so many craft breweries in the Denver area, you have to be a bit choosy on where to spend your time and money. Let me make the case for checking out the new Fermaentra, a brewery that opened Nov. 15 on East Evans Avenue in the University of Denver neighborhood. You want delicious, interesting, well-made beer, right? Fermaentra has that and more, including good ambiance and service. It's yet another example of long-time homebrewers who believed they were good enough to go pro, and made their dreams come true with the help of lots of hard work and planning.

Fermaentra was started by Spencer O'Bryan and Brennan Mann, two like-minded brewers with years of homebrewing experience. They chose to brew commercially on a 7-barrel system, which is located directly behind the taproom bar along with the other stainless steel vessels. Both side walls of the taproom are exposed brick from top to bottom, and garage doors are on both sides of the entrance to provide plenty of open air on a warm day. It's a fairly spacious taproom, with high and low tables in addition to counter space along the walls. There's a simple yet artistic character to the space, which is reflected throughout the brewery's theme. O'Bryan and Mann bring eclectic backgrounds to their brewery, as detailed on their website. They've given their beers fun, intriguing names like Prism, Fluence, Canticle and Meristem.

It's hard not to be impressed when a brewery launches with eight beers on tap, and still has all eight pouring two weeks later, not to mention a ninth beer released that day. It's even better when the beer measures up to the quality that's expected from a new craft brewery in Colorado. Fermaentra's styles cover a broad range, with a nice mixture of traditional and more creative recipes. I tasted all nine of their offerings on my visit, and found very few flaws or disappointing elements. The lineup is filled with very enjoyable and mostly on-point beers, and some stood out as being exceptional. The Fluence Hefeweizen, Terrarum English-style Amber Ale, and Redolent Belgian-style Blonde Ale nailed the flavors, aroma, and overall qualities associated with these styles. I was blown away by the quality of their stronger beers, Aphion Double IPA and Meristem Russian Imperial Stout, both of which shine with their immense flavor, depth, and drinkability.

With this great first visit, I experienced a lot of reasons to add Fermaentra to my growing list of Denver breweries worthy of a regular stop. It certainly meets my expectations of what a craft brewery should be, even from the start, so give it a try if you're in the area.

Winter Wheat Reflects Anchor Brewing's Innovative Spirit

Anchor Brewing Company is not your typical craft brewery. Likewise, Anchor's Winter Wheat is not your typical wheat beer. Both are unique and special in their own way, a treat to be appreciated. Anchor considers itself to be America's first and oldest craft brewery, founded in San Francisco in 1896. It's been a part of American craft brewing tradition and innovation for more than a century, helping to build the industry into what we know it to be today. Winter Wheat is a reflection of such innovation, combining a variety of malted wheat and barley to create a beer with unexpectedly complex and intriguing flavors.

New beer flavors and intricacies have always been an Anchor staple. Like some of its west coast brethren, Anchor blazed new trails from the start. Its famous Steam beer, a style also known as a California Common, was created in part because of the technological restrictions of the late 1800s, but also because of the climate of the San Francisco Bay area. The beer, brewed specifically with the Northern Brewer variety of hops that add woody and rustic flavors, is a unique American west coast classic, different than so many of the citrusy, piney west coast IPAs that have risen in the past 20 years. Anchor has kept some brewing traditions while adapting to and embracing modern techniques, and its beer lineup has also evolved and expanded. Excellent seasonal offerings like Winter Wheat add even more versatility to the brewery's catalogue.

Before I go any further, pay no attention to what you know about wheat beers, even dunkelweizens. The Winter Wheat pours a very dark color, almost black, with a thin head of foam. The aroma is subdued, but consists of cocoa, dark fruits, some roastiness, and a touch of smoke. Winter Wheat has a medium-full body and a thick mouthfeel that coats the tongue. There are rich, malty flavors of dark fruits like plums, raisins, and black cherries. Chocolate and black licorice flavors are also present. While some spiciness comes through, there's little hop bitterness, flavor or aroma. Overall, Winter Wheat is a delicious, intriguing beer that tastes and feels just right for the season.

Anchor's Winter Wheat shows the broad range that different malted grains can have in a beer. Rarely is malted wheat used to create a beer that delves this deeply into darker flavors and aromas. It's a testament to the brewing expertise and creativity that Anchor has always shown in brewing great craft beer.

Colorado is Home to the Best American Brown Ales of 2014

What comes to mind when you think of the brown ale style of beer? If a brown ale sounds boring to you, perhaps you're doing it all wrong. American craft brewers have taken this malty traditional English style and put their own stamp on it, often with a larger dose of hops. The American brown ale is an underrated and versatile style, easily paired with a broad range of foods and enjoyable during any time of the year. It's also easy to find some excellent brown ales to try. In fact, Colorado is home to the American brown ales that were judged to be the best at the 2014 Great American Beer Festival. The gold medal went to Face Down Brown Ale from Telluride Brewing Company, silver went to Braggarts Brown Ale from Diebolt Brewing Company, and bronze went to my personal favorite, Upslope Brewing's Brown Ale.

As with many American craft beer styles, some characteristics of American brown ales can vary or be interpreted by the brewer in different ways. Telluride considers its Face Down Brown to be a hybrid between an English and American brown ale, while I'd say Upslope Brown Ale, at 6.7 percent ABV and with a more pronounced bitterness, is a firm American example. Regardless of specifics, an American brown ale should be dark and roasty, with an aroma and flavors of chocolate, toffee, and toast, but not as roasty or full-bodied as a porter. A good American brown ale should also be balanced and not overly sweet, and very drinkable.

Telluride Brewing has been in operation for only four years, but Face Down Brown can be found throughout many parts of Colorado. Here's what you can expect if you get your hands on a can of it or find it on draft. The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin head of foam. It has a rich, inviting aroma of chocolate, caramel, toffee, and honey - a nice preview for delicious flavors of the same kind. There's enough hop presence to add a bit of spiciness and a slight bitterness. Face Down Brown finishes very smooth, with a lingering flavor resembling brown sugar, some roasted malt, and a nutty character.

Whether you lean more toward hops or malt in your beer styles, there's no denying that Face Down Brown and its fellow GABF winning beers deliver the kinds of flavors that are easily enjoyed. Explore the dark but mellow flavors that make the American brown ale style so delicious and approachable.

Belgian Styles Help Make Boulevard a Standout American Craft Brewery

For developed palates, Belgian strong ales have an undeniable allure. Rich in flavor, deep in complexity, and very sneaky in strength, these revered beer styles represent the upper echelons of brewing to some connoisseurs. When an American craft brewery can pull off some excellent renditions of Belgian strong ales, it's a definite sign that the brewers are doing things well. Some craft breweries have built a reputation and a growing business primarily on Belgian styles. Others may brew a wide range of styles, but also put out a selection of world-class Belgian style beers. Boulevard Brewing Company falls in the latter category, and one of their outstanding Belgian offerings is The Sixth Glass Quadrupel Ale. This rich, decadent sipping beer is the perfect answer to a cold, frosty evening.

Boulevard, which opened in 1989 in Kansas City, Missouri, made industry news in October of 2013 when it was acquired by Duvel Moortgat Brewery in Belgium. This was not a case of a craft brewery selling out to a large brewing conglomerate, but more an example of an established craft brewery being taken under the strategic wing of a larger family-owned brewery with a long history of high quality products and a commitment to artisanal brewing. Duvel Moortgat also acquired Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York in 2003, and has helped it grow into one of the most well-known and reputable Belgian-focused breweries in America. The Belgian strong ale lineup at Boulevard, which is part of the brewery's Smokestack Series, definitely shows why a Belgian brewery would be interested in partnering with it and helping it expand its reach. Such beers include Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale, Long Strange Tripel, and The Sixth Glass.

Beers in the Smokestack Series are bottle conditioned, providing a high amount of carbonation and another layer of complexity in the aroma and flavors. The Sixth Glass has a very enticing aroma of sweet dark fruits like cherry and raisins, with some banana, spice, and caramel. It has a medium-full body and a mouthfeel that's both slick and effervescent at the same time. The flavors make The Sixth Glass seem like delicious, deceptive candy for adults - with cherry, plum, caramel, clove, and a touch of alcohol. The sweet flavors, resulting from the use of various malts, the addition of sugars, and Belgian yeast fermentation, give way to a spicy finish that lingers on the tongue. This is a beer that's high in sweetness, high in fruity esters and spicy phenols, but relatively low in bitterness.

The Sixth Glass is an outstanding example of a Belgian dark strong ale, showcasing the delicious elements that make this style so beloved. Strong, complex, and flavorful, it's a beer to be sipped, savored, and respected.

Beer and Coffee Beans Blend Perfectly in Backcountry's Breakfast Stout

Beer for breakfast? Well, not usually. Although some beers really are enticing as a potential A.M. beverage, delivering flavors and elements that resemble a cold cup of Joe. A beer brewed with roasted barley will have big coffee and chocolate flavors, so the addition of actual coffee beans makes a lot of sense. Add lactose, or milk sugar, and you have a beer that's very much like a creamy, roasty, rich cup of coffee. That's exactly what you'll find in a glass of Breakfast Stout from Backcountry Brewery, one of the best beers of its kind I've had from a Colorado brewery.

Breakfast Stout is a limited seasonal release, and makes for a great beer to sip on as the days get colder and darker. Backcountry Brewery, an award winning craft brewery located on Main Street in the town of Frisco, uses coffee beans roasted at a local shop. It's a great partnership between two small businesses in this small Rocky Mountain town, and the freshness of the coffee beans is apparent while enjoying the beer. The use of lactose as an ingredient in the boil makes this a milk stout, adding a touch of sweetness along with a creamy mouthfeel. When the coffee beans are added to this beer, it goes beyond a milk stout into the realm of a breakfast stout, with all components coming together perfectly.

Black as night with a thin head, Breakfast Stout has the rich, dark look you'd expect. The aroma is a straightforward blend of dark chocolate, coffee, and cream. The beer has a medium body with a creaminess from the lactose. Big flavors of roasted barley, coffee, and dark chocolate fill the palate. Breakfast Stout leaves a somewhat dry finish to go along with a lingering roasty bitterness. It's a rich beer, yet lighter than many stouts, and comes in at only 4.4 percent ABV.

If you're looking for a dark beer that's balanced, approachable, smooth, and complex, this Breakfast Stout checks all those boxes. But be warned, it may be very tempting to crack open a bottle before noon!

Time, Effort, and Authentic Ingredients Help Märzens Shine in the Fall

We're firmly in the fall season now, but October is quickly coming to an end. It's an appropriate time to feature a classic Märzen, an iconic beer style that's a hallmark of this month. Malty, yet balanced, and very approachable, a Märzen is the beer style you'd find in each of the massive tents at Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Many American craft breweries brew their own versions that measure up to the taste and quality of a German Märzen, and one of them is Fest Devious from Epic Brewing Company. 

Part of what goes into making an excellent Märzen, also commonly known as an Oktoberfest style, is the length of production time compared to many beer styles. As a lager, fermentation happens at lower temperatures than ales, and at a lower speed. Longer storage in the fermentation vessel, or possibly lagering tank, after primary fermentation is also necessary for the yeast to settle out and clean up any unwanted flavor compounds so they don't make it into the finished product. To nail the flavors of a Märzen, the recipe must call for the appropriate types of German malt and varieties of German noble hops, and the right amounts of each. When all the aspects of the brewing process come together, a great Märzen is hard to beat this time of year.

Epic Brewing has facilities in Salt Lake City and Denver, but Fest Devious is brewed primarily at the Salt Lake City brewery and sold for retail in 22-ounce bombers. It pours a rich, clear, copper color with nice carbonation. Munich malts make up the majority of the grain bill, and they really come through in the aroma of bread crusts and molasses. There's no hop presence in the aroma, but the noble hops definitely shine in the flavors. They add a spicy, floral character to complement the prominent malt flavors of caramel, biscuit and nuts. There's a lingering sweetness in the finish, probably more than in most classic Märzen examples, but it doesn't go overboard. Fest Devious is a fine version of a balanced, clean, delicious European amber lager.

You may have had your fill of the Märzen style at Oktoberfest celebrations in late September and throughout October, but if not, you can almost certainly still find bottles of Fest Devious or many beers like it. When you enjoy one, consider the extra time and effort that went into making your beer as authentic as possible.

Two Boulder Beer Company Hybrid Styles That'll Hit the Spot

As I detailed in my recent post about Flipside Red IPA from Sierra Nevada Brewing, fall is an especially good time for beers that meld a large amount of hops with a rich, robust grain bill. Such hybrid styles are a great answer to this season of transition, offering the best of warmer weather beers and colder weather beers. Today we explore hop-forward beers with even darker, more complex malt profiles. I'm giving you a two-fer from Boulder Beer Company: Flashback India-style Brown Ale and 35th Anniversary Imperial Black IPA.

Both beers are anniversary beers for Boulder Beer, which was founded in 1979, making it Colorado's oldest craft brewery. Flashback was first brewed for Boulder Beer's 30th anniversary, but it's now brewed year-round. 35th Anniversary was brewed this year as a one-time beer, though perhaps someday it may get the same revival treatment as Flashback. These are both great examples of beers that balance big, bitter hops flavors with a significant malt presence, providing a unique beer drinking experience born out of American craft brewing ingenuity.

Flashback is a cross between an American IPA and a brown ale. Aspects of both elements really shine, but also come together really well. There's a big hop aroma, along with caramel, chocolate, and a slight roastiness in the nose. The beer feels medium-bodied, much like an IPA, with a slick mouthfeel. Flashback has a crisp, spicy hop bite right up front, with hop flavors of citrus and pine. The rich malt backbone adds flavors of caramel and toffee without being overly sweet. A bitter finish lingers on the palate, leaving an impression that this beer leans slightly more toward an IPA than a brown ale.

35th Anniversary Imperial Black IPA is a definite step up in strength from Flashback, with a darker and even more complex malt profile. It pours a very black color, and has an aroma of floral, crisp American hops, roasted barley, and coffee. Hop flavors jump out first, and then comes a rich roasty maltiness of chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, and a bit of char. 35th Anniversary is a crisp, balanced, medium-bodied, hearty black IPA. When enjoying this beer, hop lacing lingers all the way down the glass, adding a nice visual touch.

I recommend trying both of these delicious beers, or similar ones available in your area, if you have a chance anytime soon. They're sure to satisfy and challenge your palate through a variety of powerful flavors.

Platt Park Brewing Adds a GABF Medal to a Whirlwind First Year

During the first week in October, Denver again played host to the Great American Beer Festival, the largest celebration of craft beer in the United States. The competition portion of the event gives breweries large and small a chance to show how good their beer really is, at least in the eyes of seasoned beer judges. Most judging categories had dozens of entries, and some had more than 300 this year. A number of first-year Colorado breweries came away with a medal, and one of them is Platt Park Brewing Company. This south Denver brewery took a silver medal for Gump's Vienna-style Lager, and I was able to try a glass when it was re-released this weekend.

Platt Parking Brewing has had an exciting and interesting year since it opened in late spring. The brewery opened as Denver Pearl Brewing Company, but quickly ran into issues with its name. Two other breweries had claims to the words "Denver" and "Pearl," respectively, so rather than try to fight a legal battle, the owners of Denver Pearl decided to change names. The new name was unveiled in early September, and it's been smooth sailing for the brewery ever since. I had stopped in when the brewery first opened to try some of their beers, and finally made my return visit on Friday night to get a taste of their medal-winning Gump's Lager.

The GABF judges are not obligated to award medals in each of the 90 beer categories if they don't think enough entries are worthy of such prestige, so a silver medal means that Gump's Lager really is an excellent beer. As a Vienna-style lager, it pours a clear golden brown with a prominent white head of foam. It has an aroma of cracker, biscuit, and earthy, floral hops. Gump's Lager has a very clean lager taste, with malty flavors of bread and biscuit, and a strong noble hop flavor that gives it a spicy, earthy quality. Substantial bitterness comes through on each sip, along with a clean, dry finish. It's a balanced, crisp, delicious lager that would go well with many different foods, or is just fine on its own.

Along with Gump's Lager, Platt Park Brewing has a really nice variety of beers on tap right now. Several others I sampled on this visit are a smooth and creamy pumpkin ale on nitro, a sour Berliner Weisse that's more tart than most of its kind, an excellent schwarzbier, a very tasty barrel-aged amber ale, and an imperial IPA that's loaded with crisp citrus hop flavors. Platt Park Brewing is located in the heart of a hip, historic Denver neighborhood, and its taproom that's friendly for families and dogs makes for a great place to spend a couple hours socializing and enjoying some great beer. Give it a try soon if you have the chance!

A Balanced Dose of Hops & Malt Helps Define Great Fall Seasonals

When it comes to craft beer, a taste of the season is very personal and subjective. We all have different preferences, so it's a good thing fall seasonal beer choices cover a wide range of styles and flavors. Like a lot of people, I often have more of a taste for big citrus hop flavors in the summertime, and go to the maltier side of beer in colder months. It makes sense, then, that an appropriate fall seasonal, or even a spring seasonal, combines such elements into a crisp, hearty, well-balanced beer. Flipside Red IPA by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is a fall seasonal release that does just that, providing thirst-quenching hop flavors with a healthy dose of malt to back them up. It's one of many Sierra Nevada beers that showcases the wonderful qualities of American hop varieties.

There's so much that can be said about Sierra Nevada's history and contributions to the craft beer industry. The brewery, based in Chico, California, opened in 1980 and was considered to be a pioneer and key player in the craft brewing revolution. With its iconic Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada helped start the trend of brewing aggressive, bitter beers with large amounts of American hops. Unlike many breweries, Sierra Nevada brews using only whole-cone hops, rather than hops pellets. While the hops flowers are still dried immediately after they're harvested to lock in their oils and essence, the whole cone goes into the wort boil, and possibly the fermenter if the beer recipe calls for dry-hopping. Sierra Nevada also utilizes a combination of traditional hop varieties and experimental hops, creating unique new flavor profiles with their beers. Each brewing ingredient is important, but Sierra Nevada seems to give extra attention to hops, and this emphasis is reflected across the majority of their lineup.

Despite this attention to hops, Sierra Nevada makes sure their beers have the malt presence to maintain balance and superb drinkability. With Flipside, you get a truly American beer style that lets each element really shine and come together beautifully. It pours a deep amber color, with an aroma of fresh hops, grapefruit, pine, and toffee. A crisp, zesty character comes through on the first drink, with citrus flavors of grapefruit and lemon, a bit of pine, and a balance of malt that tastes like caramel and toffee. Sweet, bitter, and very satisfying, Flipside unleashes a variety of flavors that seem just right for the season. As a seasonal release, Flipside can be found only for a limited time. With Sierra Nevada's nationwide presence, chances are you can pick some up if you look hard enough.

Flipside is just one example of a beer with a complex grain bill that complements a big load of hops. Keep an eye out for features on the blog about beers that show even more depth and intensity on the malt scale while also delivering a pronounced hoppy bite.

Hop Harvest Season Gives Way to Fresh Hop Beers in Local Taprooms

This time of year yields a special type of beer from craft breweries. I'm not talking about a seasonal style that's traditionally served in the fall, but instead a category of beers that can be brewed only at a specific time of the year. If you walk into any number of craft breweries right now, you can probably find a beer that's been brewed using fresh hops, or wet hops. When hops are harvested, they're typically dried and then pelletized to be used year-round. They can also be used right off the vine when they're fresh, going into the batch wet and whole. Hop harvest occurs in the late summer, so hops that were picked and used fresh this year are currently getting their chance to shine in fresh hop pale ales and IPAs.

Colorado isn't historically known for growing hops, and most of the hops used by Colorado craft breweries come from outside the state. That's one reason fresh hop beers are special for Colorado craft breweries. It gives them an opportunity to use home-grown hops and support local farmers. Colorado hops growers celebrated a record harvest this year, thanks to an increasing number acres being used for this purpose, mostly on the Western Slope. That means more fresh hops to go around for any craft brewery who wanted to purchase them for immediate use.

I had a chance to enjoy a delicious fresh hop beer recently at Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery, an excellent downtown Denver brewery that's been open for nearly a year. The beer, Hop Sponge I, is one of several fresh hop beers Jagged Mountain brewed for tappings that coincided with the 2014 Great American Beer Festival. Hop Sponge I is a Fresh Hop Belgo-American IPA that called for 37 pounds of fresh Cascade hops, all from Paonia, Colorado, in a full batch on Jagged Mountain's 10 barrel brewing system. It pours a beautiful dark orange color, and has an aroma of fresh citrus and lemongrass. With one sip, you can tell this beer was made with fresh ingredients. There are flavors of orange, lemon, pine, grass, and some subtle fruity esters derived from Belgian yeast. Hop Sponge I has a bitter bite up front, but the fresh fruit flavors overtake the bitterness for very pleasant and smooth finish. It's a crisp and refreshing yet substantial beer, at 7.5 percent ABV.

Fresh hop beers like Hop Sponge I won't last long, so stop into Jagged Mountain or another fine local craft brewery soon to try them. It's a chance to get a taste of the local land, support both local brewers and farmers, and enjoy unique flavors that come around just once a year.

An Avery Fall Seasonal Double Feature

Today I'm giving you a double shot beer feature with two fall seasonal releases from one brewery. The first is a big beer, and the other is undeniably massive. Avery Brewing Company certainly brews its share of tame and sessionable beer styles, but an ever-growing list of beers that edge up to and go well north of 10 percent ABV give it even more clout in the national beer scene. The Kaiser and Pump[KY]n are two such burly and strong beers from this outstanding Boulder brewery. The Kaiser is an imperial Oktoberfest lager that's released annually in August. Pump[KY]n, a new beer from Avery, was just released as part of the barrel-aged series. It's an imperial porter brewed with pumpkin and spices and aged in bourbon barrels.

There's a lot of ground to cover between these two beers, so let's jump right in. With The Kaiser, Avery elaborately combines an array of German malt and hops to create an Oktoberfest that hits all the usual notes but on a whole other level. It pours a dark copper color with plenty of clarity from the lagering process. A rich aroma includes earthy noble hops, Munich and Vienna malts, and a sweetness like maple syrup or honey. The sweetness is more restrained in the flavors, which feature a subtle hop spiciness and a biscuity malt character. The 9.5 percent ABV strength is apparent in the taste, giving it a slightly boozy element. Despite that, The Kaiser is a delicious, well-balanced beer that finishes clean.

The Kaiser may seem rather tame compared to the monster of a beer known as Pump[KY]n. I enjoyed this 17.2 percent ABV sipper on draft at Parry's Pizza, one of the Colorado beer bars lucky enough to get a keg of it. Pump[KY]n is black as night with a medium body, and has a huge aroma of bourbon, roasted barley, and pumpkin spice. An aggressive bourbon flavor hits the palate up front and lingers on the finish, accompanied by flavors of sweet dark malt, subtle pumpkin and spices, coffee, and chocolate. While this beer is a unique and excellent example of a barrel-aged pumpkin beer, it's definitely not for the faint of heart. Pump[KY]n is relatively smooth for its enormous strength, but it takes a developed and seasoned palate to truly enjoy this kind of beer.

If you're so inclined, these are two special fall seasonals worth trying while you can find them. On the other hand, you can also scale back on the alcohol content and try a very tasty Gored Pumpkin Ale from Avery. Whatever suits your festive mood this fall, Avery has you covered.

Grimm Brothers Elevate Old World Brewing With Styles Like Munich Dunkel

The world is full of lesser known beer styles, and American craft brewers are introducing these styles to beer drinkers in cities and towns across the country. Sure, it's amazing to travel to the places in which historic beer styles originated, but such a trip isn't necessary to expand your beer knowledge and enhance your palate. The European beer culture, including Germany and the surrounding area, holds so much history and tradition going back centuries, and some craft breweries focus primarily on the many styles associated with this culture. One such brewery is Grimm Brothers Brewhouse in Loveland, Colorado, and one style they brew is a Munich Dunkel lager called The Fearless Youth.

Grimm Brothers, which was founded by avid homebrewers, appropriately melds the European beer styles they love so much with the folk storytelling of Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm. The famous Brothers Grimm were German academics who, throughout the first half of the 19th century, collected and published the many iconic folk tales that we're all familiar with today. The Grimm Brothers Brewhouse categorizes their beers into three different series, with the names Legends, Fairytales, and Fables. Each beer name or piece of label art ties into an element of Grimm storytelling, so the marketing theme runs cohesively throughout the entire beer lineup. Grimm Brothers Brewhouse isn't just a fun marketing gimmick though. Their beer is quite excellent, and has been recognized as such with several medals at the Great American Beer Festival in recent years.

The Fearless Youth, which falls into the brewery's Legends series, is an approachable and delicious dark lager. It's a Munich Dunkel, a style of brown lager that originated in Munich, Germany. Its rich, dark color and malty profile is most influenced by the toasted Munich malt used primarily in the grain bill. Fearless Youth features an aroma of Munich malt sweetness, bread, and toast. Flavors are rich and malty, like molasses, bread crusts, and biscuit. Hop bitterness is low, but prominent enough to keep the sweetness and rich character in check. It's a medium-bodied beer with a creamy mouthfeel and a clean lager finish. While Fearless Youth isn't considered a fall seasonal, it definitely pairs well with a cool, crisp fall afternoon.

Much like a related style, the Oktoberfest, a Munich Dunkel is an example of straightforward German lager brewing that highlights the complexities of German malt. Lagers take longer than ales to produce due to the time dedicated to cold conditioning, but great lagers like Fearless Youth are proof that some things are definitely worth the wait.

At Diebolt Brewing, Craft Beer and Family Go Hand In Hand

There's something very appealing about the concept of a neighborhood brewery and taproom - the kind of small, independent business that not only fits well into its surrounding area, but also enhances it by bringing people together for a common interest. Diebolt Brewing Company in northwest Denver is just that type of craft brewery, with a focus on producing great beer and positively impacting the local community. It's also a family owned and operated brewery, and much of this family's heritage is reflected in their beer offerings.

Diebolt Brewing opened in September of 2013, and recently celebrated its first anniversary with a weekend-long party. Dan Diebolt, a long-time homebrewer, and his son, Jack, had the dream of opening a brewery in Colorado, and chose to set up shop in the Sunnyside neighborhood. Their space is in an old warehouse property that has character but remains simple and unassuming, much like the older homes and commercial spaces in Sunnyside. The Diebolts also decided to brew on a 15-barrel system, more robust than the systems that many other newer, small breweries use. A larger system, though a more expensive initial investment, gives Diebolt Brewing the capacity to brew more beer per batch, as well as the flexibility to brew on their own schedule.

When Diebolt Brewing opened their doors, they featured a lineup of straightforward beer styles. But it was their intent to also offer beers that reflected the family's French heritage, and they definitely fulfilled that intent in their first year of business. They've become known as a craft brewery with an emphasis on French-style beers, which helps them stand out even more in Denver's bustling beer scene. On my recent visit during the anniversary weekend, I observed a lineup that covered a vast selection of styles. The tap list included nearly ten beers, with another handful of barrel-aged beers offered to celebrate the anniversary.

I ordered a selection of tasters, as I often do, to get a thorough taste for Diebolt's beer. What I found was excellence across the board, with flavors and attributes that matched each beer style very well. A French ale featured earthy hop flavors, prominent malt, some fruity esters, and a dry finish. A Bière de Garde, or French farmhouse ale, had similar flavors to the French ale, but was a bit maltier and sweeter. I tried the saison, which was a delicate, refreshing version with crisp fruit flavors. The weizenbock delivered rich, sweet flavors of cherries and other dark fruits. An IPA, called Diebolt International Ale (DIA), featured a simple malt profile and unique hop flavors contributed by three different continental varieties of hops. It was spicy and bitter, with flavors of lemon and grapefruit. One barrel-aged offering I tried was the bourbon barrel À Votre Santé, a dark Bière de Garde. Very rich and decadent, it exuded flavors of bourbon, malty sweetness, and caramel.

I could go on about the other beers I tried at Diebolt Brewing, but you should stop in and try some for yourself. Neighborhood charm, personal service, and great beer make this a destination in Denver for beer lovers to explore.

Smaller Bottles Mean Big Value for Funkwerks Fans

The saison style is everywhere these days, and now Colorado craft beer lovers have more options for enjoying two great versions from a notable Fort Collins brewery. In the past month, Funkwerks, Inc. began packaging its Tropic King Imperial Saison and its standard Saison in 4-packs of 330 ml, or 11.2 ounce, bottles. Both beers were previously available in 750 ml bottles only, and I applaud the move by Funkwerks to offer the smaller format.

When compared to a 22 ounce or 750 ml bottle for a higher-end beer, customers can almost always find value in smaller formats like 4-packs of that beer, if they exist. The cost per ounce is lower, sometimes substantially, and smaller bottles mean that the consumer can drink a smaller quantity in a sitting if they choose. Tropic King, a stronger and very complex imperial saison, is a particularly great value to have in 4-packs, much like the recently featured barley wine from Crazy Mountain Brewing Company that's also now available in this format.

Funkwerks was incorporated in 2009, and opened its taproom in late 2010. It specializes in versions of the saison style, and branches out from there to other intriguing Belgian styles. The saison style, also known as a farmhouse ale, originated in the Wallonia region of Belgium. It was brewed in the cooler months to be served to farm workers throughout the warmer months. Its popularity in Belgium dropped off for some time, but has resurged in recent decades, due in part to the boom of American craft beer culture.

I like to compare the rise in popularity of saisons to that of IPAs. Both are styles that leave a bit of leeway for different interpretations, so flavor profiles may vary widely. Like IPAs, many breweries have at least one different version of a saison, with varying strength and character. In short, beer drinkers love saisons, though for reasons other than why they love IPAs. Saisons are heavily hopped but lack a pronounced bitterness, and have substantial fruity flavors derived from the yeast. IPAs, though quite bitter, also deliver fruit flavors, but this is usually from the hop oils and components, and not as much from the yeast.

Tropic King is a wonderful example of a stronger, or imperial, saison. It pours a bright orange color with a big frothy white head of foam. In the nose, aromas of Belgian yeast, orange, melon, and a spicy, peppery character come through. The flavors that follow are an intricate blend of citrus and tropical fruits, pepper, and an appropriate amount of funk. Tropic King is a sturdy beer with a medium body, somewhat creamy mouthfeel, and a dry finish. The yeast strain used for fermentation works very well with all the beer's ingredients, creating delicious and complex esters and phenols. Like everything I've had from Funkwerks, Tropic King is a great Belgian-style ale that would give many Belgian imports a run for their money.

Alaskan Pumpkin Porter is a Deliciously Dark Fall Seasonal

I held out as long as I could, but I finally gave in this week. The temptation was just too great! Yes, I'm talking about the onslaught of fall seasonal beers that have been hitting the market since early August. Don't get me wrong - I love all varieties of fall beers, but I like to keep seasonal beers in their proper season. Now that we're in the second week of September and it's starting to feel a bit like fall in Colorado, I decided to crack open a bottle of Pumpkin Porter from Alaskan Brewing Company.

Pumpkin beers have evolved over the years, and range from lighter and very sweet to robust, strong and quite complex. Regardless of where it falls in this regard, a pumpkin beer should very pleasantly unify the base beer style with fresh pumpkin and usually a mixture of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. The Alaskan Pumpkin Porter is a fine example of letting the base beer, in this case a porter, speak for itself while adding another layer of depth and drinkability with a huge addition of pumpkin and other ingredients in the brewing process. August marked the first time Alaskan released Pumpkin Porter, which is a rotating seasonal beer for the brewery. Alaskan Brewing, located in the capital city of Juneau, was founded in 1986. Pumpkin Porter is just the latest great beer released by this iconic brewery.

Pumpkin Porter has the kind of medium body and moderate carbonation that's consistent with the porter style. In the aroma, appetizing smells of sweet and dark malts, a slight roasty character, and pumpkin pie spices prepare you for what's to come. The taste is filled with flavors of chocolate, spices, raisins, plums, pumpkin, and a hint of smoke. This is a delicious, multi-layered pumpkin beer that's unlike most, and makes an excellent dessert-like treat to sip on during a fall evening.

Fall is just beginning, much to my pleasure as a craft beer lover. Fall seasonal beers take on many different forms, from traditional offerings like Marzen Oktoberfest to pumpkin beers, black IPAs, and more. If there's a fall beer you'd like me to feature, drop me a line!

With a Great Salmon Recipe, Try a Scottish Ale Like Laughing Lab

There's a beer out there to go with every meal. Pairing beer with food has its guidelines; for example, matching comparable flavors, like a sweeter beer with a sweeter dish, or choosing a beer that has contrasting flavors to balance out the meal. Ultimately, there's a lot of room for creativity and experimentation to come up with a pairing that pleases your palate. A great food and beer pairing should enhance both parts of the dining experience, and my latest pairing experiment did just that. I paired Laughing Lab Scottish Ale with my wife's cedar plank salmon recipe, successfully complementing the wide array of flavors in the food and beer.

Laughing Lab is the flagship beer of Bristol Brewing Company in Colorado Springs. This year-round beer has been brewed since 1994, the year Mike and Amanda Bristol founded their brewery. Over the years, Laughing Lab has racked up numerous medals at the Great American Beer Festival. Its malty, balanced, and sessionable nature, in addition to fun and iconic label art, has helped make it a favorite among craft beer lovers all along the Colorado Front Range. These aspects also make it great to enjoy with food of all kinds.

Our meal included fresh wild-caught salmon with a dipping sauce and a sweet potato. The salmon was topped with a glaze of honey mustard, olive oil, dill, salt, and pepper, and the dipping sauce was made up of plain yogurt, dill, horseradish, scallions, salt, and pepper. Obviously, a lot of spicy, herbal flavors to go along with the light yet meaty richness of the salmon. The sweet potato was topped with butter and brown sugar to give it some sweetness. As a medium-bodied beer, Laughing Lab provided the right balance in terms of mouthfeel - sturdy enough to match the food, but not overpower it. The flavors were also the perfect answer to the complexities in the meal. The beer's maltier profile features nutty, biscuity flavors with a slight sweetness, followed by a hop crispness on the finish. These pleasant malt flavors matched the more rich aspects of the meal very well, and the hop presence was enough to complement the spicy flavors from the horseradish, dill and honey mustard.

This is definitely a pairing that's worth trying again. On the other hand, maybe I'll go in another direction with a beer pairing the next time I have this dish. The endless possibilities are a big part of what makes enjoying food and beer so much fun.

For Strange Craft Beer Company, Life After Litigation is Good

The buzz and chatter surrounding trademark disputes in the brewing industry is getting loud lately, especially in the Colorado craft beer scene. Denver Pearl Brewing Company, which opened in the spring, is announcing its new name this Saturday, Sept. 6th. After pressure from Pabst Brewing Company, which owns Pearl Brewing in San Antonio, and perceived pressure from a fellow local brewery bearing the name "Denver," Denver Pearl chose to forgo a legal battle with either brewery and will brew under another name going forward. It's an apt time for me to shine a spotlight on another Denver craft brewery that underwent its own name change this year, Strange Craft Beer Company.

Strange Craft, formerly known as Strange Brewing Company, was started by head brewer Tim Myers in 2010. In the fall of 2012, Strange was hit with a threatening legal letter on behalf of a shop in Massachusetts called Strange Brew Beer & Wine Making Supplies demanding a name change. The letter cited confusion for its customers with the existence of a company called Strange Brewing, although more than 2,000 miles separate the two businesses. Strange responded with an offer to help promote the supply shop, while retaining its name, but the shop's lawyers rejected the offer and dug in their heels. After months spent fighting the dispute, Myers and his team settled with the shop and changed their name to Strange Craft in March of this year.

Fortunately, the name change was a rather minor tweak that didn't really affect Strange Craft's branding and reputation. Though it started small as a one-barrel brewery, Strange Craft has grown a bit in the last several years and is known in the Denver area for its great beer and friendly attitude. Strange Craft has garnered some major awards already, including two medals at the Great American Beer Festival, and a 2014 World Beer Cup gold medal in the fruit beer category for its Cherry Kriek. Speaking of that delicious fruit beer, Strange Craft also collaborates with Epic Brewing Company to conjure up an amazing blended beer called Strangely Epic. The blend combines Cherry Kriek with Epic's Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout, creating one heck of a beer drinking experience.

I had a chance to try a wide selection of Strange Craft beer on a recent visit to the taproom, which is located near downtown Denver at 13th and Zuni. Myers and his team dabble in a full range of styles, from hop-forward pale ales and IPAs to Belgians, to darker styles like porters and stouts. The quality is high across the board, with some creativity thrown in as well. The ZORA Rosemary Pale Ale is a very enjoyable herbed beer with a depth of crisp flavors. Others that really stood out are the Le Bruit Du Diable Farmhouse Ale and each of the IPAs on tap. The Breakfast Grapefruit IPA, IPAphany IPA, and 1000 Barrel Imperial IPA are all intricate and different in their own way, highlighting the unique hops varieties used in each. Honestly, you can't go wrong here with whatever style fits your mood.

Though their situations aren't quite the same, I'd say Denver Pearl can look at Strange Craft and rest assured that a trademark issue won't derail its brewing hopes and dreams. Strange Craft has achieved success with its excellent beer and by embracing the local craft beer community, and there's no reason why the soon-to-be-former Denver Pearl can't do the same.

Crazy Mountain Adds a Big Offering to Its Lineup of Cans

Big beers packaged in cans are nothing new, but it's always nice to hear of a brewery going this route. As cans continue to be a popular packaging option, some breweries aren't afraid to put some of their higher end, more decadent beers in cans. One older example is Ten FIDY Imperial Stout from Oskar Blues Brewery. This beer has been available in cans seasonally since 2007. The almost cult-like status Ten FIDY has achieved is proof that many consumers will purchase great beer regardless of its package. The latest big beer in a can to hit shelves in Colorado is a barley wine ale called Lawyers, Guns & Money from Crazy Mountain Brewing Company in Edwards, Colorado.

Most of the beers that Crazy Mountain has brewed for distribution have been packaged in cans, so canning a beer like Lawyers, Guns & Money was the natural progression for the brewery. They also recently released in cans their Old Soul Strong Belgian Ale. Both beers had been brewed and released previously, but their availability in cans is new for the brewery. Crazy Mountain was founded in 2010 by Kevin and Marisa Selvy, who moved from San Francisco to the Vail Valley with the dream of starting a brewery. Their tasty brews, which cover a wide variety of ales, have quickly caught on in Colorado and beyond, thanks to high quality and the draw of craft beer in cans. More portable and ideal for the outdoors, cans are a great packaging option for any brewery.

Lawyers, Guns & Money is an American take on the barley wine style, with a big focus on complex hop flavors. It's a hefty and strong beer, at 10 percent ABV, that hits on all the right notes as a barley wine. The beer features a robust and complex malt profile that's balanced well with a large dose of American hop varieties. Crazy Mountain ratchets up the hop flavor and aroma by dry-hopping during fermentation, and their use of Belgian candi sugar adds another layer of malty richness. As you'd expect, this beer is like a huge party on the palate - sweet, bitter, intricate, intense, and very satisfying. It's a strong ale that's big on character and drinkability.

Do yourself a favor, if you get the chance, and grab a 4-pack of Lawyers, Guns & Money. While this beer tastes great fresh, it's also the kind of beer that can be aged in the can, so maybe save one to enjoy during the colder months.

Deschutes "Fresh Squeezed" Exemplifies the Evolution of American IPAs

It's safe to say that American craft beer drinkers love hops. The American IPA style is arguably the most popular beer style in the nation, with thousands of versions produced from craft breweries large and small. Yes, they're bitter, but American IPAs, including stronger imperial versions, are packed full of complex flavors that always beg for another sip. American hops varieties like Centennial, Amarillo, and Cascade have helped define American IPAs with their citrus, grapefruit, and other tropical fruit qualities. As craft brewing has evolved, so has the base of brewing ingredients, and new hops varieties are being bred and engineered all the time.

Many craft breweries want to push the envelope on innovation, and routinely embrace the use of newer and experimental hops varieties. Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon uses the relatively newer varieties of Citra and Mosaic as the core aroma and flavor hops in their exceptional Fresh Squeezed IPA. Deschutes formed in 1988, and has consistently put out a wide variety of great beer throughout the years. It's not surprising that Fresh Squeezed is so delicious given Deschutes' reputation, but it really does stand out in an American IPA market that's closing in on saturation.

When Fresh Squeezed is poured into a glass, a thick head of foam is accompanied by an aroma of grapefruit, orange, and tropical fruits. It's a very pleasant preview of the thirst-quenching flavors to come. The key to this beer is balance, as the sturdy malt presence melds very well with the hops flavors. The Mosaic and Citra hops impart flavors of grapefruit and lemon, with slight bit of pine. While bitterness is low for the style, it's there on the finish but gives way to zest and spiciness. Smooth and easy drinking, this excellent American IPA shows more depth than most of its kind. Fresh Squeezed is a refreshingly different kind of IPA, and definitely one to seek out.

Coda Brewing Brings Creative and Delicious Beer to Aurora

Craft breweries in Colorado continue to open, and some can be found in rather unlikely places. One such brewery is Coda Brewing Company, located in northwest Aurora in a development that's adjacent to the northern edge of Anschutz Medical Campus. Coda opened in May with the focus of brewing experimental beers, some with unconventional ingredients, and pairing their beer with music.

In many ways, setting up shop next to a massive medical school and hospital complex makes plenty of sense. The campus and surrounding area, where I work for my full-time job, continues to grow. It's a huge employer from which to draw customers to try Coda's elixirs. It's also very close to the RTD Light Rail line that's being built and will connect lines from downtown Denver, the southeast part of the metro area, and Denver International Airport. I recently stopped in to see what Coda's all about, and had a very enjoyable brewery experience. The service is friendly and personal, and the beer is definitely up to par.

The Coda taproom is medium-sized, with seating for roughly 50 people, and includes a small patio. It's a simple environment, with a cement ceiling, floors and beams, and exposed piping. Wooden tables, chairs, and a nice sealed wood bar give it a rustic charm. There's also a stage built in, allowing for live music at any time. According to Coda's Facebook page, brewer and co-founder Luke Smith is a former microbiologist and researcher, and also a musician who performs with a band based in the town of Golden. Connecting beer to music is a priority for Smith and co-founder Scott Procop, and some beers have been named in honor of Smith's musical collaborations with different bands.

During my visit, five beers were on tap - a Munich Helles lager called The Black Seeds, a Belgian wit called Wit 10, a red ale called Dogcatcher, along with a nitro version of that beer, and a double IPA called Elwood. I tried all five as tasters, which came in small Pyrex beakers. The Helles is crisp and refreshing, with a light, bready malt character associated with the style. The use of New Zealand hops adds an extra spicy and peppery character that enhances the beer. The wit, brewed with lemongrass, coriander, and orange peel, is equally as refreshing, with a flavor combination of lemon, citrus, and other fruity esters from the Belgian ale yeast. The red ale is brewed with orange blossom honey, and the standard version is a robust beer with a hefty malt presence and substantial hop bitterness. Its great balance makes it fairly smooth and very drinkable despite its initial aggressive nature. In the nitro version, the nitrogen gives the red ale a different complexion - sweeter malts, less hop flavors, but just as bitter. The double IPA features big citrus and tropical fruit flavors, with lighter malts to balance it out. It's strong, delicious, and goes down easy.

These beers comprise just a selection of the ones Coda has brewed in the past and plans to brew, but they show that this new brewery should be taken seriously. Coda Brewing combines innovation, creativity, and brewing expertise to create finished products that truly shine.

Big Belgians and More From Elevation Beer Co.

At its best, the beer style of Belgian tripel ale is a mesmerizing enigma: complex, yet approachable; strong, but very smooth and pleasant. It packs a punch with its higher alcohol content, but goes quite easy on the palate with its lack of bitterness or aggressive character. Belgian tripel ales are relatively easy to find as well. In addition to some great tripel ales from Belgian breweries widely available, many American craft breweries distribute their own versions of the style. One excellent tripel I picked up recently is Third Base Belgian Style Tripel Ale from Elevation Beer Company in Poncha Springs, Colorado.

In existence for only two years, Elevation has made a big push to become one of Colorado's notable up-and-coming craft breweries. Part of their focus includes barrel-aged and other specialty beers, and their complete lineup covers a wide range of styles. Elevation brews other Belgian styles as well, two of which are the equally outstanding Apis IV Quadrupel and a barrel-aged farmhouse ale called Signal De Botrange. Third Base is one of Elevation's spring seasonal releases. Its smooth and refreshing character makes it a lovely treat on a warm afternoon or evening, and the 750 milliliter bottle makes it easy to share with friends.

Third Base pours a translucent golden color with a medium head of foam. From the glass come aromas of Belgian ale yeast, pale malts, fruit, and spices. Taking a sip, the beer feels medium-bodied, moderately-carbonated, and creamy. Esters, which are flavor compounds from the yeast, are everywhere in the taste - fruit flavors of pineapple and pear, with a subtle spiciness. The use of candi sugar in the brewing process also adds some sweetness and complexity, while noble hops play in the background without adding much bitterness. Like many great tripel ales, it's hard to believe Third Base contains 9 percent alcohol by volume.

Elevation Beer Company has impressed me so far in the short time they've been brewing commercially. With well-crafted beers like Third Base, they stand out fairly well in an artisanal Colorado beer market that's becoming increasingly crowded. Check out Elevation's beer if you get a chance at your local beer bar or store.

Reimagining the Traditional Pairing of German Beer and Pork

A good German wheat beer, called a hefeweizen or weissbier, has distinct characteristics that make it unique. Anyone who has become familiar with this style will recognize its cloudy, unfiltered appearance, and the aroma and flavors of banana, citrus and spices. A hefeweizen is a delicious, refreshing beer that's great for enjoying any time of the year. Its darker sibling, the dunkelweizen, offers all the elements of a hefeweizen, but with another layer of malty depth.

Like a hefeweizen, at least 50 percent of the grains used in a dunkelweizen recipe must be malted wheat. The remainder of the grains used are Vienna or Munich malts, giving it a richer, maltier character and darker appearance. Noble hops provide bitterness, but their influence is minimal and hard to detect. Fermentation with weizen ale yeast gives this beer its signature fruity esters and spiciness, and the finished product is an approachable, easy-drinking darker wheat beer. Dunkelweizen is perfect on its own, but also pairs very well with a wide variety of foods due to its complex, yet tame, flavor profile.

I recently paired one dunkelweizen from Germany, the Erdinger Weissbrau Hefeweizen Dunkel, with a favorite light and flavorful recipe that brought out the best in the food and beer. The meal, which my wife, Kris, makes often, is a salad that features a bed of spinach and anjou pears that's topped with pieces of pork tenderloin. The pork has been cooked with a mixture of dried cranberries, shallots, Dijon mustard, thyme, garlic, and several other ingredients. The dunkelweizen complements the meal perfectly - the spices cooked into the pork are met with the beer's subtle spiciness, the pear and cranberries are balanced with the fruity esters from the yeast, and the darker malts stand up well to the pork's flavors. This is the kind of food and beer pairing that's sure to please and satisfy a wide range of palates.

Many American craft breweries have embraced the dunkelweizen style, either in regular rotation or as a seasonal offering. Seek them out and give them a try at breweries and taprooms. If you're looking to enjoy one at home, I don't often see dunkelweizens packaged for distribution, so German imports from breweries like Erdinger, Ayinger, Schneider Weisse and Hacker-Pschorr are probably your best bet.

Smoke Jumper Revels in the Depth and Elegance of Smoked Malts

When you think of a summertime beer, a description like "dark, rich, robust" doesn't usually come to mind. With its limited release beer, Smoke Jumper, Left Hand Brewing Company shows that these qualities and the complex flavors associated with them really can make perfect sense on an evening in July. Smoke Jumper is a Smoked Imperial Porter - a style that can sound both intriguing and daunting to the usual craft beer drinker. While smoked beers have been around for centuries, a beer like Smoke Jumper is an innovative and delicious take on smoked malts.

Left Hand is an iconic Colorado craft brewery that was founded in 1993 in Longmont. It brews Smoke Jumper as a tribute to brave firefighters called Smokejumpers, those who parachute into wildfires to combat the fire on the ground. Smoke Jumper is the official beer of the National Smokejumper Association. Colorado, a state hit hard in recent years by wildfires, knows all too well the importance of Smokejumpers' contributions. These professionals deserve an excellent beer in their honor, and Left Hand delivers on many levels. Left Hand's brewers take the time and effort to hand-smoke the malted barley themselves, making sure it'll meld perfectly with the rest of the grain bill and all other ingredients used.

Smoke Jumper is a fuller-bodied beer, but maintains a thinner mouthfeel that doesn't quite coat the tongue like an imperial stout might. In the aroma, dark roasted malts and smokiness comes to life, almost like a campfire. The smoked malt presence blends very well with other flavors of chocolate, espresso and spices. It's a complex, smooth flavor profile that packs a punch but stops well short of overwhelming the palate. Left Hand also recommends enjoying this beer at 55 degrees, which helps unlock everything that's happening in it. At 8.8 percent ABV, Smoke Jumper is most appropriate as a sipping beer, but could pair very well with a variety of foods like grilled meats, aged cheeses and some desserts.

The recent cool, often rainy evenings we've experienced in Colorado create the perfect opportunity to enjoy Smoke Jumper. It would also make a great beer to share with friends around a campfire in the Rocky Mountains. Pick up a bottle and raise a glass to Smokejumpers everywhere!

Firestone Walker Double Jack: American Hops at Their Best

Like many American craft beer drinkers, I'm a huge sucker for the complex, flavorful, often fruit-like characteristics of American hop varieties. It's no surprise that some of the highest rated American craft beers are very hop-heavy IPAs. Summer weather especially makes me want to grab an American IPA with enough hop crispness and complexities to satisfy my palate. There also has to be a balanced malt presence for it to be a really well-crafted beer. Many big IPAs fit this profile, and the latest one I enjoyed is Double Jack from Firestone Walker Brewing Company.

Double Jack, a dry-hopped double IPA, is just one fantastic entry in a large lineup filled with innovative, intriguing and very high-quality beers. Firestone Walker, located in Paso Robles, California, was founded in 1996 by Adam Firestone and David Walker. It's grown into a very well-regarded and notable craft brewery known for being on the leading edge of positive brewing trends and creativity. One example of such creativity is the system of oak barrels Firestone Walker uses to ferment many of their ales. They've also won their share of awards, including one for Double Jack, which took home a bronze medal in the Imperial IPA category at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival.

Double Jack, part of the Firestone Walker Proprietor's Reserve series, is a truly special and world-class beer. In addition to bittering hops used early, then hops added for flavor late in the boil, the beer is also dry-hopped during fermentation with a great blend of American hop varieties. Dry-hopping adds a ton of flavor from the hops and their oils without imparting much bitterness. In the glass, huge aromas of grapefruit, tropical fruits, and light, bready malts come alive. The flavors in the beer match the aroma, with so many complexities of the hops and malt playing on the tongue. To say this beer is incredibly drinkable doesn't quite do it justice. At 9.5 percent ABV, look out for how smoothly Double Jack goes down.

In the grand scope of American craft beer culture, are IPAs dominating the market a little too much? That's a debate left for another day. As long as craft brewers like Firestone Walker continue to elevate the standard for quality and creativity, keep the excellent IPAs coming!

Brewing in Colorado? That's Just Living the Dream

Summer is in full swing in Colorado, with brewery anniversaries and openings dotting the calendar, in addition to a slew of beer festivals all around the state. The latest craft brewery to open its doors is Living the Dream Brewing in Highlands Ranch, just east of Chatfield State Park. Living the Dream, which held its grand opening on Saturday, had somehow eluded my watchful eye on soon-to-open breweries. I read about the brewery last week, and decided to check it out.

Living the Dream sits in a somewhat remote industrial warehouse space off Santa Fe Avenue, and includes a taproom in front and production space toward the back. Reclaimed wood, metal, old skis and snowboards comprise the decor around the taproom and bar. The owners, Jason Bell and Carrie Knose, are Colorado transplants who share a love for the mountains, the outdoors, and beer. According to the LTD website, both have extensive experience working in and around the craft beer industry and brewing many different styles of beer themselves. LTD brews on a seven-barrel system, a nice size to help keep the taplines and beer coolers fully stocked. They served five beers on Saturday, with two of them available on nitro as well.

Two of the selections are Belgians, a wit and a dubbel. The wit is brewed with New Zealand hops, has a nice balance of flavors, and makes a very refreshing summer beer. The dubbel is quite impressive, with the rich dark fruit flavors that are expected, without being overpowering or too sweet. Next is the dry-hopped pale ale, a beer that exudes more complexity and bright, crisp hop flavors than most American pale ales. A brown ale is also featured, and this one is a bit stronger and slightly more bitter than most. It's also available on nitro, and I'd suggest trying this version as the nitrogen really brings out the nutty, caramel and chocolate flavors from the malts. Last is the Helluva Caucasian Stout, a cream stout brewed with chocolate, espresso, and peanut butter, and it's available on nitro as well. A reference from "The Big Lebowski," The Dude's Helluva Caucasian aims to resemble a White Russian drink with its flavors, and it just about pulls it off. It's a roasty, complex and full-bodied stout with a bit of sweetness and high drinkability.

The LTD website lists a lot of different intriguing beers Bell and Knose plan to offer at the taproom. From this opening day experience, I can certainly say they brew some darn good beer, and I look forward to trying more in the future. Living the Dream definitely adds quality and character to the booming south Denver metro area beer scene.

Exploring Alaskan Beer, Part Two

My Alaskan vacation is at an end, but I have so many memories of the amazing things I did and the people who experienced them with me. One day toward the middle of the trip was jammed full of fun that included touring a glacier, viewing wildlife at a preserve, and hiking seven miles through an Alaskan rainforest. We capped it off with dinner and beers at the Glacier Brewhouse in downtown Anchorage.

Known for its wide variety of meat, fresh seafood and great craft beer, Glacier Brewhouse is a very popular upscale brewpub. I love all kinds of fish and seafood, so I made sure to order something that represented a broad taste of Alaska. Glacier Brewhouse offers about ten beers at any given time, with a wide spectrum of flavors that go well with the food they serve. Several I tried that impressed me were the black rye bock, the double IPA, and the barrel-aged eisbock. With rich, strong flavors of caramel and oak, the 10 percent ABV eisbock makes a nice sipping beer for after dinner. The black rye bock is an extremely easy drinking, velvety dark lager with big flavors of chocolate and roasted malts. The double IPA, pictured below along with the eisbock, delivers big citrus hop flavors with a nice balance of malts.

The second weekend of the trip featured a visit to the town of Homer, located on the southwest side of the Kenai Peninsula on the Kachemak Bay. With mountain and glacier views across the bay, boat rides, fishing charters, art galleries, beautiful hikes, and so much more, this part of Alaska is an absolute gem to experience this time of year. Upon our return to Anchorage Sunday evening, we headed to Midnight Sun Brewing Company, a brewpub we also visited on our first day of the trip. Founded in 1995, the award-winning Midnight Sun has gained a reputation for creative, bold, and always excellent beer, along with a great menu of fresh, flavorful food. They keep a large selection of beers on tap, frequently rotating seasonals and specialty beers in and out. Pictured below are two I enjoyed, the Sockeye Red IPA and a nitro smoked stout. Midnight Sun is especially good at brewing Belgian styles as evidenced by the spot-on quality of the wit, golden strong ale, tripel, and Belgian double IPA.

Alaska is the type of enchanting place that satisfies the souls of those seeking adventure, tranquility and nature. There's no shortage of ways to explore its wonders, whether you're looking for a rugged challenge or want to take it in more leisurely. Fortunately, there's plenty of great Alaskan craft beer available to complement all those things that make this state so special.