On tap at Poor Henry’s, briskly clean wheated pale ale spreads light citrus spicing across grassy hop astringency, dry pale malting and slight barnyard acridity. Polite Citra-hopped tingle pervades lemony clementine, navel orange and tangerine tang as well as mild orange pith bittering above wheat cracker base in highly sessionable manner.
On tap at Beef Trust, tequila-wooded coffee liqueur sweetness enriches milk-sugared cocoa fudginess for Regular Coffee variant. Homemade coffee syrup deepens caramel latte, crème de cacao and mocha meringue illusions while tequila-like agave nectar adds further sweetness.
Dry lemony floral perfuming gains honeysuckled coriander spicing and light hibiscus sweetness to contrast resinous Noble hop herbage, leaving a prickled citrus sparkle on the tongue.
BRECKENRIDGE, COLORADO
At the foothills of Breckenridge in the quaint tan-hued Quandry Center mini mall, BROKEN COMPASS BREWING COMPANY was founded in 2014. Serving wide-ranging homemade brews with lots of cool flavor designs and profile depth, this unassuming pub will please a varied array of brewhounds.
At the front-windowed TV, several rock videos play while I venture towards the eighteen-seat, L-shaped, white pine bar on a cold March ’19 evening. Railroad tie wood and corrugated aluminum furnish the casual one-room outpost. Four community tables provide extra seating and a colorful black-boarded menu offers today’s selections. Dried hops hang from the wood trellis bar top and a few Broken Compass insignias fill the walls. In the rear, large silver brew tanks provide the sassy suds.
For starters, musky oats-dried lightweight, Czech Pilsner, brought spritzy lemon rot to biscuity pilsner malting.
Lemon-sugared ginger leaf guided Ginger Pale Ale as herbal ginger-rooted black tea dryness countered its sweet frontage.
Dewy peat mustiness seeped into caramel-spiced apple skin and brown pear for stylish moderation, Irish Red Ale. Its lovely barrel-aged version retained subtle bourbon-whiskey sweetness, subdued apple-bruised pear syruping and mild peaty dewiness to infiltrate its brown-sugared caramel spicing.
Mildly rye-spiced Red Hop Rye-Demption had a fig-dried granola likeness and tamped-down hop bittering.
Rummy Grand Marnier-like Scottish Wee Heavy went beyond its stylish intentions as bruised orange, caramelized raisin, apricot and cantaloupe cut across its dewy meadow.
Easygoing Azacca Smash IPA placed mango-skinned lemon zest and mandarin orange tartness alongside grassy hop astringency, relegating its dry pale malt spine.
Evergreen-fresh Snow Blind Double IPA let pineapple-juiced grapefruit, orange and tangerine tanginess receive honeyed floral sweetness and mild herbal nuances.
Hybridized peach liqueur barrel-aged Belgian Strong Ale received mildly sour green grape acidity to contrast its peachy sweetness.
Blackberry pureed Nitro Blackberry gained medicinal cherry coughdrop syruping to graze wispy blueberry-boysenberry tartness above peaty earthniess.
Though mellow on the tongue, daring Chili Pepper Pale Ale connected green chili, cerrano, pablano and habanero peppering to dry pale malts, leaving only a light burn.
Dry Tall Ship Foreign Export Stout let raw molasses drip into dark chocolate and dark-roast coffee tones above earthen nuttiness.
Mallomar bar-like Coconut Porter brought chocolate-coated marshmallow sweetness to toasted coconut sugaring, picking up latent almond, pecan and hazelnut illusions.
Aged for one year in bourbon barrels, Imperial Bourbon Brown Ale loaded creamy vanilla sweetness cocoa upon coconut-toasted macadamia, almond and pecan illusions.
www.brokencompassbrewing.com
SILVERTHORNE, COLORADO
At the foothills of Silverthorne inside a reasonably large freestanding building a mere three miles west of Bakers Brewery, highly respected ANGRY JAMES BREWERY opened for biz January 26, 2018. Residing in the nondescript semi-industrial area just off Route 70, this glorified cafe features modern wood-designed furnishings, a 12-seat concrete-lacquered bar and enclosed side deck with gas fire pit.
The partnered Cultivate Kitchen serves a limited smattering of ‘off beet local eats’ from veggie lovers plates to bison chili dogs to complement the delightful homemade suds crafted by entrepreneurial couple AJ and Darcy Brinckerhoff. Two electronic blackboards list the beers currently on hand and two TV’s keep sports fans at bay.
My wife and I plus long-time friend Dennis take seats at one of the community tables near the side-decked overhead door to consume all ten brews on hand this sunny March ’19 afternoon.
Easygoing sugary pale-malted opener, Jake’s Pils, gained a musky wet-grained herbal hop pungency to contrast its caramelized lager yeast setting.
Just a tad beyond typical German pale ale styling, efficiently light-bodied Bavarian Blonde utilized gooseberry-soured, tangerine-sweetened Mandarina hops to engage its dry cereal-grained bottom.
Candi-sugared Belgian blonde, Pali Wog Pale Ale, stayed dryer than stylistically expected as herbaceous white-peppered spicing saddled lemon meringue tartness, lemon rind bittering and lemon-candied sugaring, gaining tertiary banana, peach and green apple illusions as well as possible sage-thyme passages.
Sour lemon-drop candy draped phenol banana-clove soaping above creamed wheat flouring of moderate Alpen Weisse, a dryer stylistic take on a German-styled hefeweizen.
Dry Imperial Red Ale, The Emperor’s Red Robe, sufficed with its dewy moss sweetness contrasting resinous pine tones alongside sweet orange-spiced grape juicing before mild sarsaparilla bark adds tea-like residue.
Straight-ahead Terrifica Double IPA brought tangy citrus spicing to mild piney juniper bittering and sticky pine resin.
Briskly vibrant grapefruit-peeled orange juicing enlivened Tricentric IPA, bringing light caramel spicing to the fore as spritzy lemon, tangerine and tangelo undertones flutter.
Sinewy honeyed Scotch malts and dewy rye breading inundated Norwegian Farmhouse, an offbeat saison with mild green grape esters and orange-lemon liqueur enticement gaining a briny vodka snip.
Creamily soft-toned Two Tone Footer Stout – Nitro let cinnamon-toasted coconut sweetness and dark chocolate malting rub up against Graham Cracker-like wheat sugaring, changing the complexion of the richer, carbonated, coffee beaned Two Tone Footer.
At nearby competitor Bakers Brewery, sipped serene wheat wine, Gin-U-Wine, a unique ginger-spiced hybrid with mild juniper berry bittering skewing its lemon-peeled grains of paradise tartness and pine-needled lavender and rosehips illusions.
angryjamesbrewing.com
VAIL, COLORADO
Right off Route 70 at a nondescript maroon-paneled mini-mall in the ski-bound town bearing its name, VAIL BREWING COMPANY opened its doors during 2014. Next door to a marijuana dispensary, this glorified cement-floored barn house features a small metal-furnished patio, garage-like overhead door, and L-shaped laminated wood bar.
Right side brew tanks serve a continuously changing beer selection, including a smattering of one-offs, seasonals, hybrids and wondrous India Pale Ales. Edison lights hover above the bar stools and the left-walled tie rod design adds serene Rocky Mountain rusticity. A sofa and chairs are arranged near the brick hearth and several community tables fill out the expansive one-room space.
After snowmobiling up a fabulous Vail-Breckenridge trail, my wife and I and friend Dennis stopped in for a few samplers. Each brew available this beautiful March ’19 afternoon had a completely accessible, easygoing temperament.
Crisply clean light-bodied opener, Crystal Lite Kolsch, let sour lemon-candied tartness pick up peaty compost moisture, maize-dried pilsner malting and cucumber watered freshness.
Lemony floral-daubed Pete’s Stash Pale Ale caressed dried pale malt spicing with grassy hop astringency with sheer lucidity.
Tart light-bodied Raspberry Blonde let washed-out raspberry compost override mild fennel-rhubarb influence and soapy wheat-honeyed base.
Sharp woody hop bittering consumed dry ‘mellow citrus’ moderation, Hot Mess Blonde, leaving vegetal herbage in the distance.
Lemony cranberry, raspberry and blackberry tartness gained vinous green grape tannins for Jam Session Sour, where lightly salted oaken cherry dryness aided the mouth-puckering acidic sourness.
As for the amazingly varied IPA’s, brisk champagne yeast-affected Simultaneous Release Hazy Brut IPA brought Muscat grape tannins and grapefruit rind souring to barley-floured milled graining.
Similarly stylized Mosaic Brut IPA upped the champagne sparkle for its mandarin orange, yellow grapefruit and gooseberry tartness, gaining a slight metallic sheen.
Dry tropical hybrid, Deck Daze Wheat Ale with Passionfruit got infused with white tea herbage, picking up mild floral-perfumed sweetness to contrast its spritzy lemon-soured passionfruit tartness.
Vail’s year-round staple, Gore Creek IPA, pitted yellow grapefruit-peeled orange pith bittering plus bark-dried pine tones against less enthusiastic caramelized pale malt sugaring.
On the dark side, velvety Midnight Romance Porter loaded raspberry puree upon dry dark chocolate malts, musty cocoa powdering and dewy grains.
For midday dessert, local Breckenridge whiskey validated dry bourbon mocha-toned Barrel Aged Stout, rallying creamy chocolate resonance past tertiary rum, anise and molasses notions.
vailbrewingco.com
SILVERTHORNE, COLORADO
Inside a freestanding blue-and-gold brick edifice just off Route 70, Silverthorne’s BAKERS BREWERY opened March 2015 (and closed a decade hence). Formerly the historic Village Inn, Bakers Brewery’s café-styled dining space at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains offers not only a friendly assortment of beers, but also homemade pub-styled dishes, creative cocktails and freshly baked goods.
Doing a fine job creating a ‘contemporary brewpub experience,’ Bakers Brewery centers around its stellar granite-marbled beetle wood bar (with rusted corrugated tin siding). An open kitchen serves the bistro-like tables and chairs sidling the bar while TV’s line all corners. Semi-private back seating’s available near the 15-barrel brewing system and a small outside patio offers further space.
Working at nearby Dillon Dam for 15 years prior, experienced brew master Corey Forster crafts a full range of popular local faves, everchanging one-offs and infused concoctions. During my relaxing two-hour afternoon perusal, March ’19, I sampled eight of Forster’s delightful potions while looking out at the snow-covered Colorado mountain range.
First up, zestful Cotton Mouth Killer Session IPA laced lemony grapefruit-orange peel bittering with dainty floral herbage above caramelized pale malting.
Next, citrus-spiced dark fruiting engaged Belgian Rebellion Pale Ale, loading fig-apricot-plum niceties alongside lemony orange tanginess and peppery herbal hops atop caramelized rye malting.
Perhaps Bakers’ finest offering, durable Double Diamond Imperial Red Ale brought caramel-spiced honey nut sweetness to tropical citric hop fruiting and tertiary fig-prune notions.
Leathery red wine tannins pervaded Bourbon Barrel Sour Saison, a dry farmhouse ale forwarding vinous bourbon-aged burgundy tones to puckered lemon lime acidity.
Sharply dry Winter Is Coming Imperial Dark Saison placed plum, prune and date illusions beside its spruce-tipped chai tea spicing, picking up caramelized wheat sweetness over time.
Brown-breaded earthen grains consumed spot-on Barking Dog Brown Ale, an English-styled Mild Ale with lightly seared nuttiness and dark cocoa snips pervading brown-sugared molasses malts.
Merrily mocha-infused Tag-Along Sweet Stout allowed rich chocolate, cocoa and coffee tones to engage nutty pecan-almond notions slightly embittered by walnut-charred blackened hop oiling.
Lustrous Sumatra coffee beans detailed lovely French Silk Stout, a creamily mocha-heavy full body with smoky dark chocolate and powdery cocoa undertones gaining mild earth-scorched hop bitterness.
thebakersbrewery.com
IDAHO SPRINGS, COLORADO
Preserving Colorado’s pioneering spirit while showing off sophisticated modern Industrial splendor in the olden Route 70 mill town of Idaho Springs, WESTBOUND & DOWN BREWING COMPANY came to fruition during December ’15.
Becoming Idaho Spring’s second brewpub more than a decade after Tommyknocker hit the scene just down the road, Westbound & Down serve a creative menu of rangy brews (leaning on the IPA side) to go alongside a fabulous pub menu by historic cohabitants, Buffalo Restaurant & Bar.
After passing by the famous wolf man, a locally popular canine rescuer with a leashed wolf, my wife and I enter the pub and grab the Mac & Cheese as well as a tzatziki-sauced falafel sandwich (with sun-dried tomato, roasted peppers and chickpeas).
Connecting the rustic pre-prohibition Old West era to nuevo-designed architecture, Westbound’s prominent left side features a sprawling buffalo stomp wall design, lively buffalo mural and trio of buffalo heads, retaining the entrepreneurial frontier tenor of the Centennial State (see below). An exquisite 1860-built, L-shaped wood bar with 18 tap handles centers a few community tables and a huge couch (with a rear 15-barrel brew system). An antique bronzed tin ceiling also captures the essence of yesteryear.
Meanwhile, the mod-decked opposing space contains a square peg-wooded central bar (with exposed pipes and wood-paneled floor) serving several contemporary aluminum-wood tables. Multiple TV’s take up all corners of the cozily pristine expanse.
On a cool March ’19 Friday afternoon, general manager Josh Young plays host as I quaff eight samplers and purchase another six homemade brews for outside consumption.
Demure eggshell-headed moderation, Don’t Hassle The Hefe, let stylish banana-clove-bubblegum sweetness receive a tart lemon-soured spritz and dry plantain reminder.
Serene smoked helles lager, Kleine Keller Rauch Party, gently placed applewood-seared peat moss next to crisp pilsner graininess, leaving Band-aid-like astringency at the citric-snipped ‘green malt’ finish.
Dryly Belgian-styled table beer, Soberish Monk, allowed lemon-rotted orange desiccation to prosper alongside tart orange meringue piquancy, peppery herbs, floral flourishes and mild wood-toned Amarillo hop bittering.
Another stylistically sinister Belgian-designed elixir, Vers l’Ouest Tripel, coalesced candi-sugared lemon meringue tartness with black-peppered herbage and tingly pale malt spicing in a soft-toned manner.
On the sour side, bold Hiver Noir Dark Burgundy Sour sought to elevate its oaken Flanders Brown lactic vinegaring with green grape-derived Sauvignon Blanc barrel aging, picking up dry burgundy, oaken cherry and leathery barnyard nuances.
Softer thirsts should seek out mild sour ale alternative, The Curse of Lono Saison, a rustic farmhouse ale given vinous white grape tannins and salty lemon-limed bittering to contrast its sidled red wine sweetness.
Dry Seven Sisters Stout evoked espresso, dark chocolate and black cocoa bitterness contrasted by barley-sweet Maris Otter malts.
Heavenly Absence Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout brought sweet bourbon licks to syrupy dark chocolate malting and cinnamon-spiced coconut respite.
These were the six take-out crowlers quaffed in Breckenridge the next day:
Conformist Czech-styled lightweight, Den’var Pilsner, maintained brisk corn-husked dryness, peaty wet-grained musk, musty citric-spiced perfuming and herbal Saaz hop rusticity above biscuity pilsner malts.
Pleasantly centrist Colorado Pale Ale placed easygoing orange-peeled grapefruit rind bittering alongside grassy hop astringency and sweet pale malts.
Easygoing candi-sugared citrus zest serenaded Trappist yeast-derived Belgian Pale Ale, where fig-dried lemon meringue tartness and bittersweet orange peel tanginess reached spicy pale malts.
Spruce-tipped tropical fruiting engaged Hop Blender, providing sunny zestfulness for dank piney hop oiling and earthen grain musk.
Bursting with tangerine goodness, approachable moderation The Other IPA picked up lemony grapefruit zest wrangled by aspirin-like hop astringency above bready pale malts.
Dry-wooded grapefruit rind bittering bum-rushed Double IPA, leaving tangerine, papaya, mango and pineapple tropicalia upon lightly pungent hops and biscuity malts.
On tap at Beef Trust, frothy whipped cream head settles atop milk-sugared French roast coffee sweetness of orange brandy-barreled Regular Coffee derivation. Soothing Grand Marnier illusions promote sharp citrus bruise and mild grape tannins to envelop vanilla-dipped cappuccino, caramel latte and crème de cacao riffs. Just a tad too liqueur-sweet for perfection, but a wonderful brandy nightcap alternative nevertheless.
On tap at Curley’s Corner, sweetly creamed bourbon vanilla-glazed dark chocolate syruping drapes brown-sugared dried fruiting and mild oak-charred hop bittering. Massive molasses-sapped mocha surge allows cocoa nibs, ground coffee, toasted coconut, anise and pecan illusions to surface.
On tap at Ambulance, bold bourbon-aged porter doubles the chili pepper heat of original Mole for more demandingly robust vanilla-chocolate nature. Brown-sugared dark rum spicing regales bourbon vanilla continuance to counter chili burn. Hefty cinnamon stick, cocoa nibs and chocolate molasses cookie influence deepens intensity.
On tap at Ambulance, sappy maple syrup drapes milk-sugared coffee, chocolate and vanilla spicing over peaty earthen dew. Fudgy chocolate center picks up mild burgundy sway plus tertiary muscovado, coconut, almond and espresso illusions to fill out chewy full-bodied winter warmer.
