Rocky Mountain IPA (bottled) - 3.3

Rocky Mountain IPA
India Pale Ale
Fort Collins Brewery
Fort Collins, CO
Alcohol Content: ?

Jon:
Foamy head, with a somewhat sour nose that detracts from the smell by itself, but enhances a nice bitter orange flavor. Maybe I just haven't had enough IPA lately, but I like it.

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Mark:
I always love a good IPA--this one is great in its slightly hop-sided balance.

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Jere:
After a few Guinness pints, the IPA-ness of this really stands out. Perhaps next time a palate cleanser would be a good idea, but right now I'm not in the tasting mood for bitter.

2.4	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 2/5 5/10 3/5 5/10 1/5 3/5 5/10

Powder Hound (bottled) - 1.9

Powder Hound
English Strong Ale (Winter Seasonal)
Big Sky Brewing Company
Missoula, MT
Alcohol Content: 6.2%

Jon:
Looks like tea, tastes like coffee. Bad coffee.

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Mark:
I gotta agree with Jon: Coffee--watery, bitter coffee. This was a little disappointing. And it gave me heartburn.

1.5	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 1/5 3/10 1/5 3/10 2/5 2/5 3/10

Jere:
Not as opposed to the tea/coffee taste as Jon, but it is pretty foul. Cocoa was suggested as an alternative taste, but I disagree... Won't be drinking any more of this one, though. Bah! Humbug.

1.9	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 1/5 4/10 3/5 5/10 1/5 2/5 3/10

First Bite Boulder

Last weekend, Kate and I partook from the West End's offering in the annual First Bite Boulder event. I had the recommended beer flight with my meal, and I fell face first into the best beer pairing of my life so far:

Warm basil & roasted red pepper goat cheese dip
---paired with---
New Belgium's Mothership Wit

The tangy goat cheese mingled brilliantly with the slightly sour citrus flavors of the wit. I had it 4 days ago and I still can't get over it. And that was only the first course--the rest of the meal was wonderful as well. I was served a Stone IPA with the second course and Avery's Ellie's Brown Ale with the third, but nothing could quite match such a superb beer and cheese pairing.

I washed the meal down with a Buffalo Trace on the rocks, which was an okay choice for after dinner, but I wouldn't recommend it otherwise. It's very fruity, heavy on apple and pear flavors, and just isn't quite what I'm generally looking for in a bourbon.

All in all, it was quite an amazing meal. I'm definitely inspired to experiment with some beer and cheese pairings now. Be sure send any good suggestions my way.

-Jon

Old Jubilation (bottled) - 3.4

Old Jubilation
English Strong Ale (Winter Seasonal)
Avery Brewing
Boulder, CO
Alcohol Content: 8.0%

Jon:
This is a dark and bitter ale, with an underlying chocolatey taste mostly masked by roasted coffee. The finish is really bitter, and the alcohol taste is a bit overpowering. Not a bad choice, but this is the type of beer that requires the right mood. I wish I could try it cellared like Avery's website suggests.

3.4	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 7/10 4/5 6/10 3/5 4/5 6/10

Mark:
This beer looks like Coca Cola. Usually I'm not horribly fond of dark ales. They taste like chocolate and coffee. Not that I don't like chocolate and coffee (not together, thank you very much), but I like my beer to taste like beer and my coffee to taste like coffee--nothing else. This is nice and bittery though. A little clearer than most--it's almost like it's a dark ale mixed with an IPA or cola mixed with beer. Not my favorite, but not half bad, not half bad at all.

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Jere:
Sausages! That's what this one tasted like at first, but that quickly faded. As Jon says, it is a meaty beer. If we didn't have some single malt scotch to try, I would have had another. Ye Olde Jube!

3.5	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 7/10 4/5 3/10 4/5 5/5 7/10

2° Below (bottled) - 4.2

2° Below
Extra Special Bitter (Winter Seasonal)
New Belgium Brewing Co.
Fort Collins, CO
Alcohol Content: 6.6%

Jon:
What a great way to transition to more wintery brews. This perfect seasonal has enough hoppy flavor to keep this hophead happy, but also has enough balance and substance to get me prepared for the cold nights ahead. There will be at least one of these in my fridge for the entire season.

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Mark:
I have been waiting for this... This stuff is like Fat Tire on steroids. Crisp, clean, and balanced with a warm alcohol afterglow. Perfect for that cold, blustery day.

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Jere:
Every spring when this disappears from the shelves we always mourn its passing and long for the fall when it reappears, so much so that Mark had to call us on the way to a hunting trip, no less, when he saw it on sale once again a few weeks ago. This is what gets us through those long winter nights.

4.2	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 8/10 4/5 9/10 5/5 4/5 8/10

Deep Blue Eyes

I'm not sure why, but this has become one my favorite songs lately. When I first wrote it, I had trouble hitting the low notes, had trouble singing with enough intensity at the end, and just wasn't crazy about it for some reason. This is far from a perfect recording, but Jere's awesome piano part and my renewed fondness for the lyrics make me enjoy it quite a bit. Hopefully you agree.

Download the MP3