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.