Odell's Cutthroat Porter

Odell’s Cutthroat Porter

Doug Odell, founder and owner of Odell Brewing Company, started his passion for brewing in Seattle and in 1989, took it to Fort Collins, Colorado, to start his brewery, Colorado’s second microbrewery. Odell is a true do-it-yourself-er and innovator in the craft brewing community. In the beginning, Odell recalls having to deliver the kegs to restaurants himself in his old Datsun pickup. As the demand for his beer grew, so to did the brewery. Undergoing upgrades in 1994, 1996, and again, in 1997. In 1994, Odell’s brewery nearly quadrupled in size, going from a 15-barrel brewhouse to a 50-barrel brewhouse. In 1996, Odell Brewing Company added a bottling line and in 1997, a smaller 5-barrel pilot system to do their single batch series, like the Imperial Stout or the Double Pilsner. Odell Brewing Company brews about 40,000 barrels annually and is on the forefront of the green movement, which I found incredibly honorable and interesting. They harvest all of the electrical needs from wind energy. They invest in, use, and promote the use of biodiesel and other renewable energy sources. Now, I know what you are thinking, did I drink the beer or not? I did and it was delicious.

Odell’s Cutthroat Porter is your typical porter. It has a rich, dark brown colour that fades to a lighter tan at the edges. This beer pours very nicely with about a finger of head that stayed remarkably fresh for a couple of minutes. Like with any other porter, the nose is going to be big. This porter doesn’t shy away from that fact. Coffee, coffee, and COFFEE… this beer was so fragrant with roasted malts and chocolate, I could have easily confused it for my Vente Mocha Frappuccino that I had this morning, only this tasted so much better. This beer has a good mouthfeel, with a velvety aftertaste that lets the hints of coffee and chocolate linger on your tongue for your taste buds.

Character: 18. Reviewing this many porters back to back, it will be difficult to find enough descriptive words to replace “rich”… a fantastic dark coloured beer is like a bell to Pavlov’s dogs for me… mouth-watering… the brief but nice retention of head, allowed the beer and all of it's aroma and flavour to stay hidden from me for only a couple of minutes.

Nose: 18. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine that this beer’s aroma includes coffee, chocolate, cocoa, roasted malts, and the slightest hint of nuttiness.

Character: 17. A good bitterness to sweetness makes the Odell Cutthroat Porter a representative of what porters are supposed to taste like. It’s smooth with a great mouthfeel and a great aftertaste. This beer is very drinkable.

Originality: 17. Odell didn’t have to spice up this porter with fancy flavours or anything. He just brewed a damn good beer and let it speak for itself.

Versatility: 16. Porters are best drank after a meal, but in this case, drink one with the meal, too. So when you go to build your six-pack, pick up two…

Overall: 86/100. This beer is good. If it were an amp, it would be turned to “10” and you just wished it could go to “11”, meaning I just wish everything about this beer was just a little more.


Beer: Odell’s Cutthroat Porter
ABV: 4.8%
Brewer: Odell Brewing Company (Fort Collins, CO)
Availability: Year-round
Reviewed by: Jeffrey Ward

Breckenridge Vanilla Porter

Friday April 18, 2008

A Flurry of Porters (Part 1):

• Breckenridge Vanilla Porter

“To ski all day and drink great beer every night…” To some this is a pipe dream… well for Richard Squire, founder of Breckenridge Brewery, this soon became life and could you really ask for a better one? Squire started on his passion by home brewing and in February 1990 his pet project took off, opening the first, of three, restaurants and brewpubs in Breckenridge, Colorado. But it wasn’t until May of 1996 that the brews that Squire created were available outside the restaurants. That year, Breckenridge Brewery expanded to a full bottling line to ease the growing demand of their beer. Over the past decade, Breckenridge Brewery went from a small 3,000 barrels-a-year brewpub to 30,000 barrels-a-year, becoming one of the most successful craft breweries in America.

The Vanilla Porter is the first review from Breckenridge Brewery by BeerGenius and I will admit it, not my favourite beer from Breckenridge (Small Batch 471 IPA… just so you know). What this beer does have is an exceptionally dark brown body that lightens out around the edges. I didn’t get too much foam out of my pour, I would say about a half inch of head, with minimal retention. The aroma of the beer is simply great. It was like Starbucks… only with alcohol. The chocolate, coffee, and roasted nut aromas rose out of this beer with a hint of the vanilla that was promised in its name. Aroma and bouquet matched the taste almost perfectly. It started with a full-bodied dark chocolate taste and finished with a creamy hint of vanilla. So I guess it was worth the trip to Madagascar and Papua New Guinea to get the vanilla beans they used to finish off the flavour of this beer. A good way to describe this beer to friends is silky and smooth, and who doesn’t like that.

Body: 16. The Vanilla Porter was rich and dark in colour. The head dissipated for the most part in about two to three minutes.

Nose: 18. Porters have a distinct coffee and chocolate smells to them, now throw in some subtle vanilla notes to the aroma and it just gets better. I did a little more research into the hops that compose this beer, which are; Chinook, Tettinang, Perle, Goulding, and found out most of these are aroma-cultivating hops, which explains the intense nose from this beer.

Character: 18. I have to admit, I really hoped that this beer didn’t turn out like the Grape Pale Ale, where it promised to have a flavour and it didn’t deliver… at the same time, I was afraid that adding something like vanilla would over-power the taste and turn this beer sickly-sweet. Breckenridge put just enough flavour for you to know, but not so much that it over-whelms your senses. It also had a good hop bitterness to malt sweetness.

Originality: 16. How do you make a porter better? Breckenridge Brewery’s idea was to add vanilla beans from halfway across the world during the brewing process.

Versatility: 17. Due to the nature of a porter, it is best to enjoy it after the meal. In fact, the Breckenridge Brewery website, http://www.breckenridgebrewery.com/, suggests making a milkshake out of the Vanilla Porter by adding ice cream. Now doesn’t that sound good!!!

Overall: 85/100. This beer looked good, it smelled good, and it tasted good. Too bad I don’t have an extra one to make that milkshake because I am about ready to make dinner…


Beer: Vanilla Porter
ABV: 4.7%
Brewer: Breckenridge Brewery (Breckenridge, CO)
Availability: Year-round
Reviewed by: Jeffrey Ward

Sorry guys. I got sick and didn’t get a chance to finish the porter post. I will get more of it up next Monday and Wednesday. Thanks.

Samuel Adams "Long Shot" 2007

Tuesday April 2, 2008

The 2007 winners of Samuel Adams “Long Shot” Home Brewers Contest:

• Mike McDole’s “Imperial IPA” originally brewed in California
• Rodney Kibzey’s “Weizenbock” originally brewed in Illinois
• Lili Hess’s “Grape Pale Ale” originally brewed in Hawaii

Since 2006, Samuel Adams Brewery in Boston, Massachusetts has been encouraging home brewers across the nation by sponsoring American Homebrewing Contest called “Long Shot”.

In 2006, over 1500 beers were submitted to five different regions for judging. Winning brewers got the opportunity to have their beer brewed by Samuel Adams and be a part of the first “Long Shot” mix pack. The 2006 “Long Shot” was an exceptional year; it contained “Boysenberry Wheat” by Ken Smith, “Old Ale” by Donald Oliver, and “Dortmunder Export” by Bruce Stott.

In 2007, more entrants equaled more beers. Judges sifted through more than 1900 beers by more than 1300 home brewers… as Samuel Adams founding brewer, Jim Koch, said, “this is proof positive that Homebrewing is alive and well!” The winners for 2007 were Mike McDole with his "Imperial IPA”, Rodney Kibzey with his “Weizenbock” and Lili Hess with her “Grape Pale Ale”. Unfortunately, due to hop shortages, Samuel Adams won’t be able to brew Mike’s "Imperial IPA” until 2009.


I started with Kibzey’s “Weizenbock”. Remarkable in color and the head that was produced with what I deemed a perfect pour. The first thing I noticed about this beer truly was the color, a dark, unfiltered brown, almost amber. The head of this beer stuck around for a good ten to fifteen minutes and provided a balance of fruit and spice aromas. I picked up a bouquet of dark fruits and allspice, with a dominating factor of clove. Weizenbocks typically have more alcohol than their cousin, a Dunkel Weizen, but as far as being able to smell the increase in alcohol was not there. Taste on the other hand, you could tell that it had more alcohol than your average beer at 7.2%. Continuing with taste, sweet wheat with fruit and spice is a great way to describe it. Fruits that I managed to pick out include banana, coriander, and dark fruits. The mouthfeel of this beer was pretty exceptional. A creamy, medium to full body with almost a caramel malt taste. The only thing that detracts from it is it leaves a chalky after-taste.

Body: 15. The Weizenbock has a beautiful, unfiltered amber color.

Nose: 17. This beer is very fragrant. No two doubts about it. The head ensures that your first smell is the clove and allspice, once this dissipates, the banana among other fruits take over.

Character: 15. It is not like I didn’t like the taste of this beer. I liked the initial taste… the complex malts mixing with the fruits and spices. The after-taste left something less than desired, a chalky and bitter taste, so much so that I needed to cleanse my palate before thinking about anything else.

Originality: 20. Let’s face it. Almost every beer has been done. But this beer was originally brewed at home and beat out some 1900 others to be included in Samuel Adam’s “Long Shot” mixed pack.

Versatility: 16. I am at an impasse here. I liked, not loved, this beer. It would probably be great more towards the end of a meal, specifically dessert, like chocolate fondue with an assortment of fruits, that way you magnify the highlights of this beer, its intense caramelized malts and fruit aromas.

Overall: 83/100. Like I said, I liked, not loved, this beer. The flavour stays with you a long time after you drink it. It is has characteristics that I enjoy, but some that I don’t. With that being said, congratulations Rodney Kibzey on your fine beer!

Beer: Weizenbock
ABV: 7.2%
Brewer: Rodney Kibzey (original brewer)
Brewed and distributed by: Samuel Adams Brewery (Boston, MA)
Reviewed by: Jeffrey Ward


Grape Pale Ale… first of all, the name intrigues me. The past two reviews I have done have been pale ales, and if it is not apparent, I like pale ales. The first notes for this beer is how clear and filtered it is. The head on the Grape Pale Ale dissipates very, very quickly (15 seconds, maybe), leaving you to admire a light-bodied golden ale. The bouquet for the beer was slightly floral and grassy, typical of pale ales. If it looks and smells this good, then it must taste this good… but looks can be deceiving. After tasting it, I took a huge yawn, which is a metaphor for its taste… boring. It tastes more like a light beer, than pale ale. Again, I must emphasize the lackluster attempt at flavour for this beer. I barely tasted the supposed grape infusion, unless it is that millisecond of sweetness right when the beers hits your mouth and taste buds. After about half of the beer, I could taste a little bit of fruit, green grapes and orange zest, specifically, but I really had to concentrate and swirl a little to get that. Upon reading the label more closely (and some other reviews), apparently maple syrup was added sometime during the brewing process, so maybe that is why I got the sickly sweet flavour that I couldn’t exactly grasp. I sit here at my computer, still with half this beer left, not really wanting anymore of it…

Body: 13. The Grape Pale Ale was a light-bodied golden ale. Looks good…

Nose: 13. The Grape Pale Ale aspired to be a lot. The bouquet was light, grassy, and slightly fruity. In my opinion, its floral aspects and fruity smell/taste was not well protected because the head dissipated too quickly.

Character: 7. I think I would have liked this beer better had it tasted more what I envisioned… a pale ale mixed with a couple of grape Jolly Ranchers in it. Instead, I got a light beer that supposedly had grape flavouring. The maple syrup not only confused me, it confused this beer. Pale Ales are hoppy and pop on your tongue and taste buds. This one just sat there lifeless and too sweet for my taste. I hate to say it, but this beer failed at taste factor from the first sip to when I decided to not drink anymore. If you want a strong fruit flavour with your beer, try a Lindeman’s Lambic beer.

Originality: 15. I feel like I might be unfair in this score because the other “Long Shot” beer, I gave an automatic 20 to… but if Samuel Adams Brewery thought this was the best beer that one of their employees could come up with and brew, then I fear what they will make next…

Versatility: 12. If you want to taste the grape, then I suggest eating a bunch of grapes with this beer. Other than that, this beer would probably fit at the start of the meal with a light salad with a fruit infused vinaigrette or at the end, with a dessert with berries.

Overall: 60/100. Not every beer I will like. Samuel Adams Grape Pale Ale a testament to what I don’t like in beers. I need flavour, this beer didn’t have it, and I need to want to actually finish it, and I didn’t.

Beer: Grape Pale Ale
ABV: 5.35%
Brewer: Lili Hess (original brewer)
Brewed and distributed by: Samuel Adams Brewery (Boston, MA)
Reviewed by: Jeffrey Ward



Next Week: I will try to get together two, hopefully four posts. Expect beers from Breckenridge Brewery, O’Dells Brewery, Avery Brewery, and Great Divide Brewery… oh yeah, and it will be a flurry of porters…

Well Kids...

Well kids (I mean those above the age of 21, because why else would you be here, naturally...), it looks like it will only be me posting for a while. Jameson has taken refuge in Iraq for the next year doing something with computers and non-alcoholic beer. Let us laugh in unison at him for a moment... He swears he is working for the Marines, but we all know what he is really doing... making sand castles, professionally, of course!

In attempts to keep our pet project going, I, Jeffrey Ward, have agreed to drink twice as much beer and blog two times as much... which if our track record proceeds us, will be four times this year... kidding. Anyways, I just had a get together with a lot of our friends in which I called "Beergenius.net presents: Beer-ster Egg Hunt 2008". I bought almost 80 different varietals of beer for my guests to hunt for and enjoy! (The idea is copyrighted... don't even think about it... once again, kidding) So let's get this ball rolling, this beer drank (drunk?), and get you all trying what I thought was intriguing enough to buy!!!

The next post will actually be a beer review(s)... I promise!!! In fact, I'll give you all a head start... I purchased the "Sam Adam's Long Shot Ale 6 pack" which contains Rodney Kibzey's "Weizenbock" and Lili Hess's "Grape Pale Ale". Was it worth it? Will I be disappointed? Post coming tomorrow!!!

Boulevard Lunar Ale

I'm not going to lie to you - I've always been a bit of a fanboy of local breweries. Call it tradition. A brewery was often the cornerstone for towns and cities. The Germans do it. The Czech do it. The English definitely do.

In the middle ages, breweries were often the center of town for a number of reasons. First and foremost, beer was far safer than water, as the water was boiled during the brewing process. It can, in fact, be argued that beer is the primary reason people began to settle down into villages in the first place.

"...beer was the driving force that led nomadic mankind into village life...It was this appetite for beer-making material that led to crop cultivation, permanent settlement and agriculture."
    
  - Alan Eames

So in doing the best I can to continue the tradition of supporting local breweries, I'm going to begin a review stint with the breweries that are within an arm's length of me (Kansas City/Lawrence area). With that said, when people associate beer with Kansas City, Boulevard Brewing Co. most often comes to mind. So they're going to be review number one.

Yes, I know - I already reviewed Boulevard's excellent Pale Ale in an earlier glance at the country's 10th largest regional microbrewery. What you may not know is that Boulevard offers a total of six beers at any given time. Nutcracker Ale is their current seasonal - a classic spiced winter brew. They offer five all-season beers, including their flagship Pale Ale, their Unfiltered Wheat (which makes for 73% of their sales), the Dry Stout, the excellent Bully! Porter, and their Dunkelweizen (dark wheat, auf Deutsch) Lunar Ale, released just last March, of which we'll be taking a look at this time.

A couple friends and I always make it a point to take the Boulevard tour a couple times a year. We've started a bit of a tradition - we'll take the tour, enjoy the free beer at the end, and then head to one of dozens of excellent mexican restaurants in the immediate vicinity. It's always a blast, and usually nets me quite the headache the next morning.

It was last December that we were on a tour, and Jeffrey, my partner in crime, spotted some label art for the not-yet-released Lunar ale.
"WHAT is LUNAR ALE!?" he flipped out as he pointed to the obviously Boulevard-esque artwork.

Our tour guide told us it was a new year-round beer that Boulevard would soon release - the first since Dry Stout appeared in the mid 90's. "Think of it as our Unfiltered Wheat, but dark..." he began to explain. The collective "ooooh" of our tour group was as if we were witnessing the discovery of a new planet. Or the unveiling of the moon. Or something. Needless to say, I was a bit stoked to try Boulevard's new heavenly

With the recent surge in popularity of wheat beers in this country, it's surprising to me to see such a lack of Dunkelweizen, or dark wheat beers that are easily found. Part of the problem is most certainly the aversion to 'dark beer' by the general public. The concept of the Dunkelweizen is simple: make a malty sweet beer that is balanced with the body of the wheat adjunct, and top it with a touch of citrus.

Pretty different from a stout or a porter, but people don't seem to understand that quite yet. It's my job to change this gross misconception.

Lunar is a project by Boulevard that seems geared toward getting people more interested in darker-colored beers. It's a bit of a cloudy, murky brown with a slight deep amber touch that gives it some depth, and keeps it away from the 'river water' designation. Hints of sweet malt and orange peel shine through, with other citrus notes typical of a hefeweizen.

They call these wheat beers 'fruit loop' beers, but I'm not sure this one necessarily falls into that category. The fruit is balanced out by the malt, more so than in a normal hefeweizen. And that would make perfect sense, because this one isn't normal.

I'm mixed on this beer. The first time I tried it, I was hoping to see God. The idea of a beautiful mesh between rich, sweet malt, wheat as an adjunct to the malt, and the citrus subtleties sounded like the ultimate beer.

Well, that didn't happen. It tasted plain. Dull. Almost lifeless. The yin overtones that I expected were cancelled out by the yang. They didn't exactly work together. All the nuances that come from rich malt and other traditional wheat beers were just not there. And then I realized something - Boulevard wasn't TRYING to create a crazy complex and beautiful beer. That quality is reserved for other things - namely their smokestack series, and on occasion, their seasonal beers. What they were trying to do is create a darker beer that more inexperienced drinkers would really enjoy.

Look at Boulevard's Wheat - it's a good beer by any standard. Certainly not the best I've had, no. But it encompasses nearly three quarters of Boulevard's overall sales. People like it. When someone asks for a "Boulevard" at the bar at which I work, my first instinct is to ask 'well, which one?' It's the wheat that brings people into the world of good beer. It's not busy. It's easy to drink. It's beautiful in its own right. Boulevard, I believe, is trying to do the same with Lunar and dark beer. And I support them 100%.

Body: (19) - This baby has quite the mouth feel. It's full and rich - there's a lot to it. I'm not referring to the complexity, but the viscosity. It's not too much - you don't feel like you're drinking heavy cream. But you're not drinking water, either. Call it 'Goldilocks' style, for being just right.

Nose: (16) - I smell malt. Lots of it. Sweet malt. It's nice, but some people will most certainly raise their eyebrows.

Character: (12) - This is where Lunar falls on its face. Despite Boulevard's assumed goal of creating a dark beer that more inexperienced drinkers can cope with, I'm flat-out disappointed.

Originality: (19) - A Dunkelweizen. I dig the idea. Now let's hope some of the other bigger microbrews catch onto the idea.

Versatility: (18) - There's no reason this beer can't be drank year-round. Boulevard apparently thought the same. Goes fantastically with a dish along the lines of a citrus and pepper chicken.

Total: 84 out of 100. Give it a shot.

Beer: Boulevard Lunar Ale
Style: Dunkelweizen
ABV: 4.5%
Brewed By: Boulevard Brewing Co. - Kansas City, Missouri
Reviewed By: Jameson Huckaba

Sierra Nevada's Anniversary Ale

2007 Anniversary Ale from Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico, California

How I choose which beer I review next is like a game to me. I get a mixed six-pack from a local liquor store (Jensen’s or Mass Street Beverage in Lawrence or Lucas Liquors in Overland Park, are some of the ones I go to) and I randomly assign numbers to the beers. I have Jameson pick a number and I drink and review the beer that corresponds. I wish I had a cooler way of figuring out which beer got reviewed next, like Johnny 5 in “Short Circuit” prints out a slip with a beer’s name on it. But I digress…

This past year Sierra Nevada produced its 27th incarnation of their autumn seasonal, the Anniversary Ale, and finally bottled it to bring it to the consumer. Before this year, this gem of a beer was only available at their brewpub. In a press release, Sierra Nevada Brewery was surprised that some people had driven 3 hours from San Francisco to taste this beer. Imagine if Jameson and myself made the day-long-plus trek from Lawrence, Kansas to Chico, California, where the brewery is located, just to taste it…

Sierra Nevada is the second largest craft microbrewery in the United States, second only to Sam Adams of Boston. They have won numerous gold medals and first place awards for their four-year-round beers (Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Porter, Sierra Nevada Wheat, and Sierra Nevada Stout) as well as for their two other regular seasonal beers (Summer’s Summerfest Ale and Winter’s Celebration Ale) and their limited supply beers (Bigfoot Ale, a barleywine ale, and Harvest Ale, a fresh hop ale, of which is also available for the first time in the brewery’s history in 24-oz. bottles).


Body: 17. The Anniversary Ale is a light and bright American India Pale Ale that opens itself up tremendously after a few minutes.

Nose: 17. I picked up grassy and earthy undertones as well as a slight citrus aroma. This is primarily due to the Chinook hop varietals used to bitter it and the Cascade hop varietals to finish and dry hop it.

Character: 18. This American IPA did not have that sharp, bitter first taste that I was expecting. Instead, it left you with that quandary of whether or not it truly was an IPA and left you with the desire to take yet another sip. With that being said, it was a nice balance of hop bitterness to malt sweetness.

Originality: 20. So this is the first time (granted it is only my second review) I will have bestowed the prestigious score of “20”, but Sierra Nevada deserves it. For 27 years, beer enthusiasts and connoisseurs would have a difficult time getting this beer. It was only available in their restaurant. The only unfortunate thing is that since this beer is one of their seasonals, so it may not be available by the time you read this. This may not be the best American-style IPA I have had but it certainly ranks in the top 10.

Versatility: 16. IPAs tend to busier on the tongue and have a bitter mouth-feel, but the Anniversary Ale is subtle in its appearance and taste, which could make it more appealing to the average consumer. Sierra Nevada recommends pairing this with something spicy, like Southeast Asian or Indian cuisine.

Overall: 88/100. This beer was a great adaptation of the India Pale Ale process. Its availability is limited so pick one or a six pack up if you see it.

Beer: Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale
Style: American India Pale Ale
ABV: 5.9%
Brewer: Sierra Nevada Brewery (Chico, CA)
Reviewed by: Jeffrey Ward

Rocky Mountain IPA

The Rocky Mountain India Pale Ale is my first review here with Beer Genius, so bear with... wait, you don't even know who I am. Well, in that case, let me introduce myself. My name is Jeffrey Ward, friend and fellow drinker of fine beers to Jameson. I went to and graduated from University of Kansas with a degree in Genetics and have plans of going back, shortly. Anyways, we here at Beer Genius will strive to bring you news and reviews about all things beer. Thank you and on with the review.

Now, before I get anywhere in this review about the Fort Collins Rocky Mountain IPA, a big “Thank You!” to George Hodgeson, because without you, we never would have had the recipe for a fantastic beer, which would henceforth become known as an India Pale Ale, or IPA for short.

The IPA style was created in the mid 1700s for the sole purpose of getting fresh beer from England to India around the Cape of Good Hope (75th Street Brewery, you will get your review soon enough). The first official IPA was “Hodgeson’s India Ale”, a variation of his pale ale recipe from the 1750s, and was brewed and shipped around the 1780s, and it set the market on fire with other breweries, like Bass, attempting recreate it for the locals. They never achieved the same flavour of Hodgeson, due to the 6-month fermentation process the beer took in the barrels during the voyage.

Modern versions of the IPA recipe have been done by many of craft breweries in United States, but do not reflect the Hodgeson recipe, and are classified American India Pale Ales. Anchor’s Liberty Ale or Victory’s HopDevil Ale, are some of the more notable forms of the American India Pale Ale. Hops used in American IPAs are citric in nature and are most commonly the Cascade, Chinook, and Columbus varietals. The focus on the hops for IPAs is to give the beer that strong bitter start, with a crisp finish.

Fort Collins Brewery, located in Fort Collins, Colorado, is your typical microbrewery. They brew 6 year-round beers (Major Tom’s Pomegranate Wheat, Rocky Mountain IPA, Kidd Lager, Z Lager, Retro Red, and a Chocolate Stout) as well as 3 Seasonal Beers (Spring: Spring Bock, Fall: Doppelbock, Winter: Big Shot Ale). Some of these our in our fridge, waiting their time in the spotlight to be drank and reviewed by the team here at Beergenius. FCB has a fairly wide distribution range, predominately in the mid-west, but can be found on the east coast in states like New York and Pennsylvania.

Body: 16. A golden, amber ale that presents an excellent color at first pour. Head dissipated fairly quickly leaving a very floral beer to drink.

Nose: 18. First whiff of the beer, you will get a very floral nose and a wonderful aroma.

Character: 19. First quaff of the beer, an intense hop flavour kicks you in the mouth, as most IPAs will give you. The flavor of the beer has edge to the hop bitterness over the malt sweetness. A lingering finish and mellow aftertaste stays with you long until your next drink. Because of the mouth-feel of this (and most) IPAs, solid cleansing of the palate is recommended if you will be sampling other types of beer.

Originality: 15. IPAs have a deep back-story as told in the article. Now, Fort Collins Brewery does their best at replicating a fantastic recipe for beer, but I have certainly had better IPAs.

Versatility: 15. IPAs tend to have higher alcohol and are a lot busier on the tongue than your traditional pilsner or lager, drink this one (and other IPAs) if you can stand the bitterness that the intense hops give.

Overall: 83/100. The Rocky Mountain IPA from Fort Collins Brewery was good beer to be challenged with for my virgin review.


Beer: American India Pale Ale
ABV: ~6.2%
Brewer: Fort (Fun) Collins Brewery (Fort Collins, CO)
Reviewed by: Jeffrey Ward