Swampy grain presence frustrates concealed mocha tartness. For a Colorado brew, this is nowhere near as refined or organic as local competition and its tepid roasted finish seems dirty and cheap. Brewery defunct: 2006.
All posts by John Fortunato
IRONS CHERRY WHEAT ALE
Natural cherry presence doesn’t necessarily offer recognizable first impression, yet stone-fruited tartness gains strength by malted wheat finish. Heavy carbonation initially disguises bold fruit character, but ultimate dilemma is paper-thin watery texture too feathery for serious guzzlers. Brewery defunct: 2006.
IRONS LONG IRON BOHEMIAN PILSNER
Explosive carbolic flow mires bland mineral graining while mild citric-hopped tartness wavers. I don’t know… tastes closer to Pez than pils, and a weak one at that. Brewery defunct: 2006.
(IRONS) AMERICAN IRON AMBER ALE
Decent, if unassuming, mineral-grained ale goes down smooth and creamy, leaving lingering barley wheat imprint but in need of better up-front fruited hop luster. Brewery defunct: 2006
IRON HILL THE CANNIBAL
Herbaceous medium-bodied Belgian pale ale places mellow lemon rind bittering above white ale spicing (clove-allspice-lemongrass-peppercorn). Dry cork-like midst picks up simmered lemon custard and key lime pie illusions.
IRON HILL RAUCHBIER
Capacious smoked oak chip frontage settles to chocolate-cocoa nicety, safeguarding sweet beechwood-aided butterscotch warmth. Seared wood proclivity tones down roasted barleymalt restraint without sacrificing mocha-vanilla subtlety.
IRON HILL OAK AGED QUAD
Challengingly impressive prune-hued slow sipper aged in Bordeaux wine barrels and secured by toasted oak chips during 2006. Belgian yeast imparts creamy maple-sapped molasses-cocoa-toffee frontage immediately garnished by bittersweet raisin puree abundance, port-like red-purple grape ripeness, and burgundy-sherry-barleywine warmth. Oncoming buttery Chardonnay subtlety lingers through spiced hop cinnamon, cardamom, and clove illusions. Latent bruised orange-cherry-banana impressions resonate forever alongside candied caramel apple serenade.
IRON HILL BARLEYWINE
Rust-clouded taupe-headed Belgian-styled barleywine places innate moldy yeast dankness above hefty chocolate malting and stewed prune swoon. Chewy butterscotch midst upends baked apple, bing cherry, and blackberry sweetness countering sun-dried raisin and grapefruit rind sourness. Tertiary cinnamon-gingerbread spicing latently crests.
IRON CITY LIGHT TWIST BEER
Steeltown’s I.C. light beer gets South of the Border “twist” from Acapulco lime, sustaining soft hop fizz, light banana hint, and funky grain mesh.
(IRON CITY) EAGLE MALT LIQUOR
Palest yellow pearl-headed crud with dried maize waft suffers from slick corn syrup flow, cloy malt stickiness, and dismal finish. Slim barley-wheat base, mild carbolic hops, and sour candy whim don’t suffice.
(IRON CITY) AMERICAN LIGHT LAGER
Impossibly pale corn-based lo-cal derivative matches astringent straw wheat dryness to wafting barnyard-hay-straw component and sharply carbolic hop fizz. Laid-back grapefruit scamper barely registers.
(IRON CITY) AMERICAN LAGER
Patriotic moniker aside, this clear golden lightweight merely dupes statewide macro-brewed yuck of yore. Slight diacetyl nature depletes sugared lemony grapefruit opening and prickly hop carbonation, leaving a badly exposed acrid grain backbone.