The Abyss appears in Denver

Another great seasonal release arrives in the Denver area this week as the 2009 version of the Deschutes Brewery's highly acclaimed imperial stout, The Abyss, has begun showing up on shelves.  Part of the brewery's fantastic Reserve Series, this is one of my favorite stouts and given it's high ratings on the review sites (100 on Rate Beer and A+ on Beer Advocate) I'm not alone. Unfortunately, it's also a limited release that will definitely not be around long.  Additionally, the beer will only improve with age and Deschutes recommends picking up a couple of bottles to try one now and cellar one for the future, so stock up while you can.

From Deschutes Brewery:

The Abyss: Stout brewed with licorice and molasses with 33% aged in oak and oak bourbon barrels. It’s dark. It’s deep. It’s mysterious. Aged in French Oak and Bourbon barrels, this special brew has immeasureable depth inviting you to explore and discover its rich, complex profile. The flavor of molasses and licorice draw you in further and further with each sip. The Abyss beckons. Enjoy the journey.

Upcoming Events (Week of 11/8)

After all the events this past Saturday, this week seems like a relatively tame one for beer drinkers.  The highlight looks to be Friday night's Fade to Black release party at the Left Hand tap room up in Longmont.  The first in a new series replacing their Snow Bound Spiced Ale, Fade to Black is a Export/Foreign Stout that weighs in at a hefty 8.5% abv.  Perfect for a cool winter night.  It's about a 40 minute drive from Denver, but it should be worth it to get an early taste of the brewery's latest offering.

Tasting Notes from Left Hand Brewing:

Pours black with licorice, espresso beans, mollassses, and black cardamom notes that give way to a feeling of self loathing, burnt opportunities, and smoked relationships.

Other beer events in the Denver area this week:

• Oskar Blues one-of-a-kind Keg Tapping @ Tasty Weasel - 11/10, 5:00pm
• Elysian Pumpkinfest @ Falling Rock Tap House -11/10, 5:00pm
• Dry Dock Firkin Friday - 11/13, 3:00pm -11:00pm
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday @ Tasty Weasel - Dry Hopped Dale's Pale Ale - 11/13, 5:00pm
• Fade to Black Release Party @ Left Hand Brewing - 11/13, 5:00pm - 10:00pm
• Oskar Blues Beer Dinner @ Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House - 11/13 ($65, Call (303)796-0100 for reservations)
• Cask Ale @ Bristol Brewing - 11/14, 12:00pm - 9:00pm
• Colorado Cheese Festival @ Embassy Suites Denver Tech Center - 11/14, 10:00am - 6:00pm ($20 for General Admission, $79 for All Day Pass) - Featuring beer from Great Divide

Vine Street Pub approved to brew

Earlier this week, the Denver City Council unanimously voted to approve a request to change the zoning regulations at Vine Street Pub to allow brewing on the premises.  All that remains is for Mayor John Hickenlooper to sign off on the request, which could be done as early as today.

Vine Street is the Denver branch of the Mountain Sun brewpub chain (along with Mountain Sun and Southern Sun in Boulder) and the change will allow them to increase production to 3,500 barrels annually with future plans to expand to 5,000-6,000.  They hope to have the Denver pub brewing within a year with the plan being for Vine Street to brew their eight year-round offerings, Southern Sun to handle small-batch beers, and Mountain Sun to focus on experimental beers.

It sounds like this change will be beneficial for both Mountain Sun and the Denver craft beer scene, so I hope it goes through without a hitch.

Odell Brewing Tasting @ Lukas Liquors Today

Today, November 6th, Lukas Liquor in Lone Tree will be hosting a special Odell Brewing beer tasting from 4:00pm to 7:00pm.  This week they'll be sampling four great beers including Odell's seasonal Isolation Ale and their brand new Mountain Standard Reserve.  This is the perfect opportunity to try new beers at a great price, FREE!

These four Odell offerings will be available for tasting:

• Isolation Ale

Ever been in a warm, cozy cabin and had a secret desire to get snowed in? To celebrate the winter season, we offer our Isolation Ale – a traditional winter brew made with premium malts imported from England. It’s just one of the reasons Isolation Ale stands alone.

• Mountain Standard Reserve

This is more than a limited edition offering. It’s an enigma in liquid form. At first it looks like a deep mahogany ale, then you take your first sip and notice its distinct hoppy character. We begin with a ridiculous amount of Cascade and Chinook hop varietals from Western Colorado and bring out their flavor with the hop back. Then we double dry hop for even more of that aroma you love. The result is an unforgettable beer from the forgotten time zone.

• Levity Amber Ale.

Levity is our lighter take on the amber ale. Munich and honey malts give it a full-bodied flavor and a happy-go-lucky personality. Then we let the finishing hops shine, for a beer that’s crisp instead of bitter. Levity was named by our brewers partly for its light color – and partly for the way it just refuses to take itself too seriously. Hey, we could all use a little levity once in a while.

• Easy Street Wheat

Light and refreshing, Easy Street Wheat is an unfiltered American-style wheat beer. Leaving in the yeast gives the beer a nice, smooth finish and a slightly citrusy flavor. Easy Street Wheat gets its name by brewers “taking it easy” and not filtering the beer. However, for ultimate enjoyment, we encourage you to work just a little harder in pouring it: pour 2/3 of the beer into a glass, swirl what’s left to stir up the yeast, then pour the rest and enjoy.

Retail Beer Releases (Week of 11/1)

The holiday beer season is officially in full swing with no less than 12 seasonal beers hitting shelves in Denver liquor stores this week.  Additionally, Odell has released the newest beer in their Single Serve Series, Mountain Standard Reserve.  This deep mahogany ale was brewed with 400 lbs of locally grown, organic Cascade and Chinook hops from Rising Sun Farms in Paonia, CO.  Odell then double dry hopped the beer to create an even hoppier aroma that just sounds fantastic.  It's currently being sold in 750 mL corked bottles for about $15 and they are planning on brewing it once a year after the hop harvest.  I'm definitely looking forward to trying this one.

New beer releases this week:

• Breckenridge Christmas Ale (Seasonal)
• AC Golden Winterfest (Seasonal)
• Delirium Noel (Seasonal)
• Dupont Avec Les Bon Voeux (Seasonal)
• Gouden Carolous (Seasonal)
• Lagunitas Brown Shugga (Seasonal)
• Odell Mountain Standard Reserve (Limited Release)
• Rouge Santa's Private Reserve (Seasonal)
• Sam Adams Winter Lager (Seasonal)
• Samichlaus Classic (Seasonal)
• Shiner Holiday Cheer (Seasonal)
• Sierra Nevada Celebration (Seasonal)
• Tommyknocker Cocoa Porter (Seasonal)

Sam Adams barrel-aged beers are coming to Denver

Last week, the Boston Beer Company announced that they will be releasing three new beers in a series called the Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection including a tripel, an American kriek, and a red ale. All three beers have been aged at the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery in Eastern European oak barrels originally used to age brandy in Italy.  This process has added a sweet, toasty flavor to the beers that sounds delicious.

The kicker is the the 750 mL bottles will only see a very limited distribution.  Luckily for us, Denver is one of the four locations where the beers will be available according to Sam Adams' press release (along with Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire).  No word yet on when they will be in area liquor stores, but keep your eyes open.

The Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection includes:

• Samuel Adams New World Tripel: Pale gold in color, this ale is big, flavorful and complex. A special Belgian yeast strain adds tropical fruit and spice notes to the crisp dry ale, while Saaz hops add a subtle herbal note. (~10%ABV)
• Samuel Adams American Kriek: The intense black cherry character in this beer comes from Balaton cherries, which were discovered in Hungary and are now grown in Michigan. These special cherries are prized for their depth of flavor. The tartness from the cherries is balanced by a rich, malty characterwith toasted oak notes added from the barrel aging. (~7% ABV)
• Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red: This unique brew defies traditional beer style definition. The rich, malty brew combines notes of tart fruit from the yeast with a toasty oak character from the barrel aging. The long dry finish is almost wine-like. This is a beer that is satisfying on its own and also pairs well with many foods such as braised or roasted meats, beef stews and strong salty cheeses. (~9% ABV)

Upcoming Events (Week of 11/1)

This week is jam packed with beer related events in the Denver area highlighted by a vertical tasting at Twisted Pine and three big events this Saturday.  On Thursday, November 5th, Twisted Pine will be hosting a 5 year vertical tasting of their Northstar Imperial Porter.  Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door and include five 6 oz samples of different Northstar vintages from 2004-2009, a commermative glass, and a 1.5 hour educational session with owner Bob Baile, brewer Eric Mosiman and brewer Jeff Brumley.  Space is limited, so try to get your ticket early.

Then on Saturday, November 7th, you'll have to choose between the 3rd Annual All Colorado Beer Festival in Colorado Springs, Upslope Brewing's 1st Anniversary Party in Boulder (featuring 6 beers on tap including their First Anniversary Stout), and perhaps the biggest event this week, Wynkoop's Beers of the Year party here in Denver. From 1:00pm to 5:00pm, the Wynkoop will be pouring 25 different beers including all their 2009 specialty beers and a few from 2008.  Four ounce samples are just a dollar each, or you can get unlimited samples for $25.

This week's beer events in the Denver area:

• Mountain Standard Reserve Release Party @ Odell Brewing, 11/2, 5:00pm
• Sisterhood of the Hop - Inaugural Meeting @ Avery Tap Room, 11/3, 6:00pm - 8:00pm (Free, Women Only)
• Northstar Imperial Porter Vertical Tasting @ Twisted Pine Tap Room, 11/5, 6:00pm - 7:30pm ($20 in advance, $25 at the door)
• Oskar Blues Firkin Friday @ The Tasty Weasel, 11/6, 5:00pm
• Dry Dock Firkin Friday - Belgium Bounty Old Ale, 11/6, 3:00pm - 11:00pm
• Beers of the Year @ Wynkoop Brewing Company, 11/7, 1:00pm - 5:00pm ($25 for unlimited samples, 25 different brews available)
• 3rd Annual All Colorado Beer Festival @ Mr. Biggs Event Center, 11/7, 12:30pm & 5:30pm ($25 in advance, $30 at the door) - Check out my write up here
• Upslope Brewing 1st Anniversary Party, 11/7, 2:00pm - 6:00pm