Twilight in Arizona

So I must say there are benefits to living in Arizona, you know 70 degrees in February, plentiful supply of cacti, over 300 days of sunshine. But there are a few downsides, 115 degree days and what always seems to be a too short summer beer season. Honestly folks, even though it is mid-September it is still 100+ degrees here. So you can imagine my delight at trying Deschutes Twilight Ale and finding it to be a truly awesome brew! Then to figure out it is a summer brew and will require a search party to find left over stock in the stores - quite sad.

Ok, about the beer. It was balanced, refreshing, amazing, well hopped and I wanted more. It had a sweet malty flavor that lulled you into your comfort zone before an explosion of floral hops. This might be the perfect summer beer. I know, my enthusiasm is a tad over the top I was just in a moment of beer bliss with this session brew. So, run, don't walk to your store to see if you can pick up Twilight in it's twilight.

Hoptober at the Hub

Our trip to Colorado ended in the best way possible: a trip to the New Belgium Hub. We made the trek across the airport and down the long hall of Terminal B just to enjoy a tasty brew. Our efforts were rewarded when we found out that the new fall seasonal, Hoptober was on tap!

Mmmmmm, Hoptober was delicious in a way that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I could taste the Cascade Hops like in Skinny Dip but also the Sterling like in 2 Below. Add to that an unusually creamy mouth feel for this style I must say I was stumped. So I turned to my friendly bartender, Jake and asked to see the sell sheet. Well Jake went above and beyond and clearly knew his beer (so proud) and told me about the FIVE different hops in the brew, including both named above plus Willamette, Centennial and Glacier. Add on to that FOUR grains: Pale and Wheat malts with rye and oats for fun explained the creamy mouth feel.

After learning all of this, the flavors became a little clearer and made each sip an adventure to see what I could pick up next. This should hit stores any day now and will most certainly be served at Tour de Fat.

I must apologize for the photo, our priority was the beer and we closed the place down, as you can see...

Ahhh, Colorado land of good beer

I am happy to say I just returned from my home state and mecca for good beer, Colorado! Mick and I headed up for the long weekend to enjoy some quality family time and a few good beers too. Our adventures started with a hometown favorite, Colorado mountain pies (pizza) at Beau Jo's. This place takes it's pizza seriously, you order by the pound and eat the extra thick crust with a drizzle of honey....perfection!

Now it would be just fine with just great pizza but when you add great beer it is turns into the perfect experience. Your brew comes in a mason jar, just adds to the ambiance of a place that serves it's salad bar from old bathtubs. We had two great beers ther - Mick got a New Belgium Blue Paddle and I ordered a Tommy Knocker Pick Axe Pale.

Fair warning, I worked for New Belgium and therefore am a tad biased as I love this brewery!! When you pick up a bottle of Blue Paddle you see a lovely canoe scene on a lake. Little do you know that Blue is named for the paddle that an NBB coworker got smacked on the behind with for stealing sips of beer. The beer itself is a good Czech style pilsner. Very drinkable and a good fit for those that dig a traditional pilsners like Pilsner Urquell or other imports like Stella Artois.

So being a former NBBer I had to get my hands on something new (don't worry I indulged in plenty of the NBB goods while up there). Tommy Knocker brewery was located just a few doors down from Beau Jo's in Idaho Springs. I have heard about Tommy Knocker but since they don't distribute to Arizona haven't had a chance to try it...until now. The Pick Axe Pale was delicious, it had a bright hoppy flavor to it that reminded me of Anchor Liberty Ale. It was smooth and well balanced and paired perfectly with the pizza.

Karma, Beer Style

May the birthday beer tasting continue with a little Avery Karma. A seasonal from this Boulder, CO based brewery that already has a wide variety of beer. Karma looks like it should be inspired from India but in fact is based on a Belgian Farmhouse style of beer. It tastes like a mellow Saison to me, still has the delicious fruit ester quality without being sweet.

So Saisons are a fun style of Belgian beer. They originate from the farm houses in Belgium they are brewed during planting, fermented during growing and enjoyed at harvest. It seems that no two Saisons are alike and that adds to the uniqueness of this style of beer.

Ok, back to Avery's version. When compared to a Saison I find it to be a mild version of the style but still quite enjoyable. I love that it is a unique seasonal that doesn't conform to the big four in craft beer seasonals: hoppy spring beer, light summer lager, octoberest followed by spicy holiday brew. If drinking more Karma gives you good "Karma" then I'll be sitting down with a six pack of this very drinkable brew.