Aggressive light brown pale ale framed by pleasant hop bittering and pale mocha sweetness, but too homogenized to be competitive Colorado microbrew. Thin lightweight bottle must be less expensive to transport so check the price to see if it’s cheaper.
Category Archives: Beers A-Z
FLYING DOG WILD DOG WEIZENBOCK ALE
Complex 8% alcohol dark amber wheat-based bock surrounds initial yellow grape waft with floral yeast tangent, melon-y fig-prune-banana snip, and pivotal clove-cinnamon spicing. Aggressive bruised orange midst builds above Belgian candi sugar-like sweetness ’til barleywine-bourbon warmth surpasses sour mocha torrent.
FORT COLLINS MAJOR TOM’S POMEGRANATE WHEAT
Smooth moderate-bodied pearly-headed straw blonde ale lacks syrupy pomegranate expectancy. Instead, narrow spice-hopped tingle and fragile lemony grapefruit pucker embitter frail grain backdrop. Plainly tart finish ensconced with soured peach, apricot, and green apple illusions.
(FRANCHES-MONTAGNES) CUVEE DU 7′EME
Dryly vinous bottle-conditioned amber-hued ‘rousse de garde’ weaves sweet honeyed malts through floral-hopped rose-daisy-violet illusions and earthy hay-horsehide parch. Pulpy orange tang enhances complex finish daubed by deferred cinammon-clove-coriander wintry spicing.
(FRIENDS) HELENBOCH HOLIDAY ALE
Nutmeg, toasted nut-grains, and cocoa nibs provide heady combination for impressive bubbly-headed tutti-frutti ‘cherry red’ ale. Well carbonated and not overbearingly sweet like some holiday ales, allowing aromatic herbs to entice pumpkin-spiced cherry-berry merriment. But what are we doing drinking rich winter ales in the month of May? Brewery defunct: 1999.
FULL SAIL HALF PIPE PORTER
Ice coffee smoothness and brown chocolate sweetness closer to creamy milk stout. Mellow nuttiness and vinous fruiting embitter clean mocha finish of smoke-scented black body.
GEARY’S PALE ALE
Frothy amber-hazed ale with conspicuous sugary malts, sharp hops, and acrid alcohol pungency goes down easy. Watery texture has crisp frisk of Canadian ales, but squandered grains meander and weak caramel finish lacks creaminess. ’09 re-tasting: dark spice-hopped mildness, dry orange tartness and slight grapefruit bittering overcome cider-soured acidity.
GEORGE KILLIAN’S WILD HONEY
Tepid honey essence never fully realized; cloying nature annoys; clean water texture deteriorates and unassuming 5.2% alcohol content wavers. Plus, sweet malt finish subsides too quickly.
(GOLDEN VALLEY) CHEHALEM MOUNTAIN I.P.A.
Pleasant floral-fruited sweetness envelops Cascade-hopped peach-gourd sash and soft-watered purity of well-balanced medium body.
(GOOSE ISLAND) PERE JACQUES
Silky smooth copper-hazed Trappist-inspired Belgian strong ale (first released winter ’05) features chewy honeyed butterscotch thickness and syrupy overripe peach-cherry juiciness. Soured raisin-date, tangy pineapple, and clove-induced banana illusions add depth to dried fruitcake finish.
GRAY’S BLACK & TAN
Pert roasted hop impression greets dry chocolate malt sweetness and receding cocoa hint. Though better than most bottled B&T’s, oily finish disturbs deep mocha assertion.
GREAT DIVIDE ST. BRIGID’S PORTER
Robust dry-bodied Irish-styled lactic porter gains enticing coffee bean roast above black chocolate bittering. Fizzy hop char dulls char-coaled walnut coarsing, soured raisin-plum undertones, and lilting burgundy tease. Rich mocha malting permeates bittersweet mocha-chalked finish.