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...
Hoptober was caressing my palate as I read the blog description, and I am now hooked on the idea of comparing notes with the authentic brew. I have to admit that I love hops, so Hoptober will be on my preferred stock list for a while. Also of note, I have the Colorado connection of living in Fort Collins with its wealth of fine craft brews. Keep it coming.
ReplyDelete-Growler
Thanks for the note, you can bet there will be much more to come!
ReplyDeleteCheers!