Winter Brew Fest & Boulder Beer Rave Tickets On Sale

In addition to Avery's SourFest, tickets are now available for two more upcoming beer festivals in the Denver area.  The first of these is the Winter Brew Fest on Friday, January 22nd at Mile High Station right here in town.  It will feature beers tons of great breweries including Alaskan, Big Sky, Bristol, Del Norte, Fort Collins, Left Hand, Odell, Twisted Pine, Avery, Boulder Beer, Great Divide, Oskar Blues, Ska, Upslope, Wynkoop, Breckenrdige, Blue Moon, Flying Dog, Mountain Sun, Pyramid, Stone, and Sierra Nevada.  Regular tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door for unlimited tastings and a souvenir glass, but they also have a VIP option for $10 more that includes admittance an hour early and a special beer & cheese pairing by Sierra Nevada and Avery.

Then just over a week later, Boulder Beer Company will be hosting their third annual Beer Rave on Saturday, January 30th.  For just $25 you'll get to sample rare craft beer from around the country and they promise "this is NOT your typical Colorado beer festival." Tickets are on sale for $25 at their web store.

I'm about to head out of town for the next 10 days, so this might be my last post until next year.  Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Inaugural Boulder SourFest

Avery Brewing in Boulder has recently announced that they will host a sour beer festival on February 27th (12:00pm - 5:00pm).  The fest will feature at least 35 beers from some of the leading sour beer makers in the world.  A preliminary list of all the brewers involved is expected next year, but I can confirm that all attendees will receive twenty 2oz. sample pours and a complimentary tasting snifter.

Advance tickets go on sale 12/22 at 8 AM on their website or at 12 PM on at the Avery Tap Room.

Special Releases On Tap @ Bull & Bush

Attention Denverites! Go ahead and cancel whatever plans you may have had this weekend because something a lot better (probably) just came up. Starting this Friday, December 18th, the Bull & Bush brewpub will be reaching deep into their beer cellar and pulling out five aged beers for your drinking pleasure. This includes two of my favorites, the Legend of the Liquid Brian and Royal Oil.  It'll be worth stopping by just to try those two and I'm sure the others will be excellent as well.

Special releases at Bull & Bush this weekend:

• The Legend of the Liquid Brain Imperial Stout - 2008 Vintage
• Aged in a used 23 year old Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel
• Royal Oil Barley Wine - 2008 Vintage
• Aged in a used 23 year old Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel
• Pimp My Rye - 2007 Vintage
• Aged in a Sazarac Rye Whiskey Barrel for 2 years
• Yule Fuel - 2009 Vintage
• Yule Fuel Lambic - 2004 Vintage
• Aged in a French Oak Burgundy Barrel with Brettanomyces added
• 38th Anniversary Ale - 2008 Vintage
• Belgian style Export Stout aged in a 23 year old Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel with Italian Plums

Retail Beer Releases (Week of 12/13)

With just a week till Christmas Eve the new beer list is far shorter than usual and I've already covered the only one of these that looks like standout, so I guess I'll use this post to talk about the blog.  I'm currently trying to come up with some new ideas for future posts and was wondering what you, the readers, would like to see.  I have a little poll on the right or you can just comment on this post. Additionally, I'll be going on another vacation next week, so posting may be sporadic until the new year.

New beer releases in the Denver area:

• Buffalo Bill's Blueberry Oatmeal Stout (Seasonal)
• Great Divide Barrel Aged Old Ruffian Barleywine (Limited Release) - More details here
• Green's Gluten-Free Discovery Amber (New)
• Leinenkugel's Fireside Nut Brown (Seasonal)

Breckenridge Announces Homebrew Contest Winner

A couple of months ago Breckenridge Brewery announced that they would continue the recent industry trend of professional/homebrewer collaborations by holding a homebrew competition to determine their 20th Anniversary brew.  Today, the brewery announced on FOX 31 News that winning beer was a French and Belgian style Saison from Jen and Greg Seitz of Denver.  The couple only started homebrewing 8 months ago, so this is quite the accomplishment.  You will be able to taste their winning beer sometime in mid-February at all the Breckenridge locations.


 

Great Divide Barrel-Aged Old Ruffian Release Details

Great Divide released the 2009 version of their Barrel-Aged Old Ruffian Barleywine today at both their tap room and in area liquor stores. There are 1,188 bottles of this beer available and just like last month's Barrel-Aged Hibernation most of them will be distributed to Denver stores (the two bottles above were purchased at Argonaut).  Each 750 ml bottle is retailing for $25 and I also believe there is a 2 per person limit at the tap room. The brewery expects to release the last of their barrel-aged beers (Yeti) in January.

From Great Divide:

The special release of our acclaimed hefty barely wine has been aged for nine months in Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey barrels.  The process tempers Old Ruffian's edges for a mellowed version with heady whiskey flavors and subtle oak notes.  Bottle conditioned, it'll age nicely for years. If you can resist it that long. 65-80 IBU's. 

Upcoming Events (Week of 12/13)

If you're anything like me, your wallet gets a bit thinner this time of year and the beer buying budget shrivels up. Luckily, Dry Dock Brewing is starting the gift giving a bit early with help from Joe's Dent Removal. This Wednesday, December 16th, you can head down to the brewery and get a free pint courtesy of Joe Griffith (owner of Joe's Dent Removal). Dry Dock will also be tapping a keg of their delicious Russian Imperial Stout and should have a special firkin on tap.

Other beer events in the Denver area this week:

• The Society for the Pursuit of Hoppiness @ Avery Tap Room - 12/14, 6:00pm
• Hop Lover Challenge - Contestants must first identify various hop strains in pellet form, and then identify those same hops when used to dry-hop a keg of Avery IPA. 1st place wins a $50 Avery gift certificate
• Free for Society members, $15 for a lifetime Society membership
• Great Divide Barrel-Aged Old Ruffian Release - 12/14 (I'll be posting more details about this later today)
• Recession Relief Wednesday @ Dry Dock Brewing - 12/16, 3:00pm - 9:00pm
• Sour Tapping Event @ Trinity Brewing Company - 12/16 (Looks like the moved the date on this one, still don't have many details)
• Hop Disciples Meeting @ Great Divide Tap Room - 12/17, 6:00pm (RSVP to info@greatdivide.com)
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday @ The Tasty Weasel - 12/18, 5:00pm
• Dry Dock Firkin Friday - 12/18, 3:00pm -11:00pm
• Black Fox Hiver Saison Release @ Bristol Brewing - 12/18, 5:00pm - 9:00pm
• A special holiday spiced beer
• Special Tapping @ Avery Tap Room - 12/18, 5:00pm
• They'll be tapping at 3 year old keg of Samael's Oak Aged Ale at 5:00 sharp.

If you know of any events I've missed or would like your event added please e-mail me: denverbrew@gmail.com

Retail Beer Releases (Week of 12/6)

The seasonal beers are back in a big way this week and just in time for the Christmas holiday.  California heavyweights Stone, Lost Abbey, and Port have all sent new winter beers to Denver that you won't want to miss.  Lost Abbey's Gift of the Magi is a big Golden Ale inspired by the story of the Three Kings using the bark of Frankincense and a little bit of Myrrh.  Stone's Special Holiday Ale is a collaboration with Nøgne Ø and Jolly Pumpkin that was brewed with chestnuts, juniper berry, white sage, and caraway seed (Check out Chipper Dave's review of last year's version here). Port Brewing's Santa's Little Helper is one of my favorite imperial stouts and it is so flavorful that I have difficulty describing it.  That could be because it's brewed with “everything but the kitchen sink.”  This great beer was also on tap at Falling Rock last weekend, so head down there for a taste.

Additionally, Tommyknocker's The Legend Oaked Brown Ale (covered here) has started showing up on liquor store shelves in the area.  I believe only 1,500 bottles were produced, so get it while you can.

New retail beer releases in the Denver area:

• Anderson Valley Winter Solstice (Seasonal)
• Breckenridge Christmas Ale Hand Numbered 1 liter bottles (Limited Release)
• Del Norte Luminaria (Seasonal)
• Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi (Seasonal)
• Nøgne Ø/Stone/Jolly Pumpkin Special Holiday Ale (Seasonal)
• Port Santa's Little Helper (Seasonal)
• Tommyknocker The Legend (Limited Release)
• AC Golden Herman Joseph's Private Reserve (New)
• Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti (Seasonal)
• Great Divide Old Ruffian Barleywine (Seasonal)
• Boulevard Harvest Dancer Wheat Wine (Limited Release)

New Oaked Beer from Tommyknocker

Tommyknocker Brewery in Idaho Springs has just announced a new oaked beer for their 15th anniversary on December 12th.  The brewery has been developing The Legend for over a year and it will be an oaked nut brown ale (10% abv).  I'm assuming this is a new take on their already great Imperial Nut Brown Ale, so it should be delicious.  Brewmaster Steve Indrehus used toasted Hungarian Oak in this beer with Crystal, Munich, and Chocolate malts, a little pure maple syrup, and a blend of American hops.  In the press release, Indrehus says he "used oak in this brew as an ingredient rather than just an aging vessel. Utilizing this technique has really brought out notes of spiced vanilla as well as hints of smoky biscuit, harmonized with black pepper and coffee overtones."  I'm not sure when it will be hitting stores, but it will be available in 375ml wax dipped bottles so keep your eyes open.

Upcoming Events (Week of 12/6)

This week is looking like another special one for beer drinkers in the Denver area with several events you won't want to miss.  The highlights include Oskar Blues' 7th CANiversary where they'll be debuting a brand new seasonal, a Holiday Beer Dinner at the Wynkoop featuring 4 courses and 6 great Colorado beers, and the 2009 release of Avery's monstrous Mephistopheles Stout (16% abv!) complete with a 4 year vertical tasting.  However, the one event I definitely won't be missing is Twisted Pine's release party for their new sour ale.  I'm a huge fan of sour beers and I've enjoyed most of the speciality releases the brewery has put out recently, so I'm expecting great things.  They'll only have two kegs on for the initial release and they will surely go quick, but I've been told that it will be released again in 7 months on tap and in 750 ml bottles.  Can't wait to try it!

Upcoming beer related events in the Denver area:

• Great Divide Brewmaster's Dinner @ Beatrice and Woodsley - 12/8, 6:00pm ($50 per person, RSVP at (303) 777-3505)
• Oskar Blues 7th CANiversary Party @ The Barn in Lyons - 12/9, 5:00pm - 10:00pm
• Oskar Blues will have live music, food, and specialty brews on tap.  Additionally, they'll be announcing a new seasonal beer and you'll have the opportunity to hand can your own beer to bring home with you.
• Holiday Beer Dinner @ Wynkoop Brewery - 12/10, 6:30pm ($35 per person, RSVP at 303-297-2700)
• 4 courses paired with 6 winter beers. Featuring selections from AC Golden, Breckenridge, Dry Dock, Great Divide, Odell and the Wynkoop.
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday - 12/11, 5:00pm
• Dry Dock Firkin Friday - 12/11, 3:00pm - 11:00pm
• Sour Brown Ale Release Party @ Twisted Pine - 12/11, 3:00pm - 9:00pm
• Twisted Pine's first sour beer is a brown ale that was brewed with special strains of yeast and has been barrel-aged.
• Mephistopheles' Stout Release and Vertical Tasting @ Avery Tap Room - 12/11, 5:00pm-8:00pm ($15 for 5 tasters of your choice)
• Four consecutive years of Mephistopheles on tap (2006-2009)
• A keg of Straight Outta Hell will be on tap (50% Mephistopheles, 50% Out of Bounds with Coffee)
• Sour Tapping Event @ Trinity Brewing Company - 12/12
• I don't have many details on this one yet, but it's supposed to feature some of the best sour beers from around the world.

Retail Beer Releases (Week of 11/29)

It looks like we're in for a great new release week in Denver coming off the Thanksgiving holiday. For the first time in a while, we're getting new releases that aren't seasonals! You'll definitely want to be on the lookout for the Sam Adams Barrel Room collection brews (covered here). Denver is one of 4 locations to get these beers and after trying the American Kriek I can assure you they're worth the $9.99 price tag. Definitely my favorite offerings from Sam Adams.

Another "can't-miss" beer is Boulevard's Bourbon Barrel Quad. This is the latest release in their Smokestack Series and it sounds fantastic. The brewers aged an abbey-style quadrupel in various oak barrels for up to a year then carefully blended them together. The end result has "very subtle cherry characteristics, with toffee and vanilla notes coming to the fore."

Oh and a collaboration beer from two little breweries in California and Delaware has finally reached Denver.  Only a limited number of bottles of Life & Limb (from Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada, in case you didn't figure that out) were sent to Colorado, and from what I understand they are going quick. In fact, some stores aren't even putting it on shelves, so be sure to ask an associate wherever you shop.  If you miss out on a bottle though there is always the tapping party at Falling Rock tonight!

New beer releases in the Denver area this week:

• Birrificio Montegioco Demon Hunter (New)
• Birrificio Montegioco Draco (New)
• Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad (Limited Release)
• Goose Island Pere Jacques (New)
• Sam Adams Barrel Room American Kriek (Limited Release)
• Sam Adams Barrel Room New World Tripel (Limited Release)
• Sam Adams Barrel Room Stony Brook Red (Limited Release)
• Southampton Cuvee des Fluers (New)
• Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Life & Limb (New/Rare)

Oskar Blues Beer Tasting @ Lukas Liquor

This week's tasting at Lukas Liquor in Lone Tree will feature beers from the Oskar Blues Brewery including their amazing Ten FIDY Imperial Stout (the best beer you'll ever have from a can).  As usual, the event will take place from 4:00pm to 7:00pm and a representative from the brewery will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.  Oh and on your way back to Denver don't forget to stop at The Rackhouse Pub and try the Stranahan's Whiskey Barrel-Aged version of Ten FIDY.  It's a rarity that you won't want to miss.

Oskar Blues beers available for tasting:

• Mama's Little Yella Pilsner

This German-style Pilsner (Lager), is the perfect antidote to the mass produced, cornfed versions of an American light lager. This sessionable brew has a big malt backbone and a clean crispness that lends to superior drinkability.

• Dale's Pale Ale

Dale's Pale Ale is Oskar Blues' flagship beer and America's first hand-canned craft beer. It's an assertive but deftly balanced beer (somewhere between an American pale ale and an India Pale Ale) brewed with hefty amounts of European malts and American hops. 

• Old Chub Scotch Ale

Old Chub is a Scottish strong ale brewed with hearty amounts of seven different malts, including crystal and chocolate malts, and a smidge of US and UK hops. Old Chub also gets a dash of beechwood-smoked grains imported from Bamburg, Germany, home of the world's greatest smoked beers. Equivalent to a lightly smoked single malt scotch, or your favorite dark chocolate. 

• Ten FIDY Imperial Stout

This ridiculously big Imperial Stout is immensely vicious and loaded with neck-deep flavors of chocolate, malt, coffee, cocoa and oats. It's the beer equivalent of decadently rich milkshake made with malted-milk balls and Heaven’s best chocolate ice cream. Ten FIDY is about 10% ABV and is made with enormous amounts of two-row malts, chocolate malts, roasted barley, flaked oats and hops. Its huge-but-comforting flavors hide a whopping 98 IBUs that are deftly tucked underneath the beer’s mountains of malty goodness. 

Dry Dock Brewing's First Bottled Beer

Tomorrow, December 4th, Dry Dock Brewing (GABF winner for Small Brewery of the Year) in Aurora will release their first bottled product onto the public. The Immolator Doppelbock was the winner of last Saturday's HO HO HO Slapdown (a competition between three Dry Dock brewers) holding off the Three Heavy Scotch Ale and Vixen's Cherry Ale in heated race. The winning beer is a big, malty lager (8.3% abv) that was bottled on Monday, labeled today, and will be available in the brewery tomorrow. Talk about a quick turnaround!


The 22 oz bottles will retail for $13 and will also be available at Chambers Wine & Liquor in Aurora.

Upcoming Events (Week of 11/29)

Sorry about the lack of updates, I went on vacation during the holidays and have just been getting back into the groove of things.  I plan on resuming my normal posting schedule next week, but here is a quick post with a few events coming up this weekend that should tide you over.  The highlight looks to be the release party that Falling Rock is hosting this Friday, December 4th, for the new Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada collaboration, Life & Limb.  This dark heavy weight (10% abv) supposedly defies all style guidelines and is a unique rarity.  It is a true joint effort between the two renowned breweries using pure maple syrup from the Calagione family farm (Sam Calagione is owns Dogfish Head) in Massachusetts and estate barley grown on the Grossman "farm" (Ken Grossman is Sierra Nevada's founder) at the brewery in Chico, CA.  Additionally, Falling Rock will have Limb & Life on tap tomorrow.  This is a low gravity (5% abv) session beer brewed using the second runnings of Life & Limb.  It's only available on tap, so this may be your only chance to try it in the Denver area.

Upcoming events in the Denver area:

• Dry Dock Firkin Friday - Anthony's Milk Stout - 12/4, 3:00pm - 11:00pm
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday @ Tasty Weasel - 12/4, 5:00pm
• Life & Limb Draught Release Party @ Falling Rock Tap House - 12/4, 5:0ppm
• Edge City Christmas Ale Release Party @ Bristol Brewing - 12/4, 5:00pm - 9:00pm