Elegant German-styled autumnal pilsner receives soft lemony grapefruit tang to propel brisk hop flow sitting gently on tongue. Brewery defunct: 2007.
All posts by John Fortunato
ROCKY RIVER MAD WOLF INDIA PALE ALE
Sweet mocha and dry Scotch anoint slight spiced IPA, but piney bottom lacks propulsion and weak finish voids initial promise. Brewery defunct: 2007.
ROCKY RIVER HEIDELBERG HEFEWEIZEN
Traditional unfiltered German wheat offers up-front floral citrus esters and sour lemon tang backed by soft wheat tranquility. On second passing, banana balm affects hazy pale body a tad. Brewery defunct: 2007.
ROCKY RIVER COPPERHEAD RED ALE
German-styled altbier slips tamped down hops across candied malt insistence for mild off dry nullity. Brewery defunct: 2007.
ROCKY RIVER BEAR BOTTOM STOUT
Maroon-hued Irish-styled dry stout furnishes dark chocolate drift and bitter coffee caress with charcoal smokiness resonating to acrid black cherry sedation. Brewery defunct: 2007.
(ROCKIES) SUNDANCE AMBER ALE
Subtle nut swell, mild mocha flutter, and muffled barley roast offer fragile frontage further debunked by murkily hopped phenol astringency.
(ROCKIES) SINGLETRACK COPPER ALE
Musty dry-hopped copper-toned ale gains citric hop zest, toasted grain inertia and sweet cereal malt surge to offset overt fig frolic. Drab ester-y phenol finish spoils orange oil latency, barren marzipan snip, and piney dash.
(ROCKIES) PASS TIME PALE ALE
Casual wheat-cracked barley-flaked sweetness mellows to ancillary mocha midst, but minor diacetyl tinge lessens potential of sketchily hopped light-bodied simplicity.
(ROCKIES) MOJO INDIA PALE ALE
Arguably the best of Rockies’ brews, viscous amber-hazed IPA segues from perfumed honeysuckle nectar sweetness to thrusting citric hop bitterness, enveloping piney finish with orange-peeled grapefruit luster. Sweet cereal- grained cracked wheat center absorbs herbaceous snip, adding to fruited red ale-like sentiment.
(ROCKIES) HAZED & INFUSED DRY-HOPPED ALE
Serene pine forest waft matches bitter orange peel tang and floral hop zip of mannered dry-bodied pale ale. Discernible piney mouthfeel picks up earthen resin countering sugar cookie decoy as swarming plethora of grapefruit-ripened apricot-pear fruiting and ester-y green grape rasp perk up sweet ‘n sour lemon-limed red apple pucker.
(ROCKIES) BUFFALO GOLD PREMIUM ALE
Perhaps closer to a mild sourdough-breaded lager, this swanky mineral-grained premium sells like crazy in serene Colorado foothills despite barren flavor profile. Sugar-malted corn syrup slurp and almond-toasted Challah breading overlaid by sharp lemon hop bitterness of sessionable working class ale.
ROCKHOPPER LAGER
Named after local Andes penguins, roughhewn pale-toned Chilean fades hop-grained corn malted astringency into barest wood burnt intonation, retaining no head or body to sulfuric finish.