GABF Report, 2nd edition

The Great American Beer Festival was a few weeks ago now, but my memory is pretty good when it comes to beers. Props to first-timer Dan for joining Kate, Jim, and I this year, and sorry to the many people that could've gone on Friday night had we gotten tickets sooner. Apparently I was in the mood for uniquely overpowering brews this year, because that's definitely what caught my eye:

• Avery's 15th Anniversary Ale wins my award for uniqueness. Hibiscus and white pepper are strange beer ingredients, but it makes for a surprisingly drinkable (and just plain surprising) brew.
• Rocky Mountain Brewery's Smoked Hefe is wickedly intense. It's nearly as smoky as the last bottle of mezcal that I bought. Liquid smoke.
• Speaking of smoky, Arbor Brewing's Engine #9 is a bit more palatable than Rocky Mountain's Smoked Hefe. Smoked Hefe is like putting a campfire in your mouth. Engine #9 is like cooking smoked bacon in your mouth. Mmmmmmm, bacon.
• Twisted Pine's Oak Whiskey Red picks up a huge alcohol taste from aging in bourbon barrels for 3 months. It tastes a helluva lot like Maker's Mark... I really want to find out where they get their barrels.
• Despite the mildly sexist name, Bull & Bush's Man Beer was one of my favorites of the night. Crisp, intensely earthy hops; like licking grapefruit juice off a pine tree (if you can imagine that being a pleasant experience).
• And to round out the list, Tröegs Brewing's Hopback Amber is quite possibly the most balanced ale I've ever tasted. Nothing overpowering here, just straightforward flavors that stand up to each other nicely.

So there you have it. Another year, another beer fest. Lesson learned this year: If you show up right when the doors are about to open, don't follow the arrows to the end of the line. You'll just end up walking around the entire convention center. Literally.

-Jon

The Maharaja (bottle) - 4.1

The Maharaja
Imperial India Pale Ale
Avery Brewing
Boulder, CO
ABV: 10.54%

Jon:
Smells of burnt orange and... intensity. Tastes a tad sweet, like molasses, plus a burny taste similar to the aroma. Interesting approach, good complex brew.

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

Mark:
This is intense! It starts out with a huge hop burst with lemony and floral flavors coming through. There's almost a sweet raisin-type thing going on, trying to balance out those hops. Of course, at 10.54% ABV, there's a warm mellow alcohol taste and fairly warm finish with a nice bitter aftertaste.

4.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 9/10 3/5 7/10 3/5 5/5 8/10

Jere:
Raisins, you say? Here?! I must warn the others--oh no, I've been shot!! By a 10.54% beer, that is. I've heard of 3.2 beers, but this is ridiculous. Not a good idea for a productive night of band practice.

4.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 8/10 4/5 8/10 2/5 5/5 8/10

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.

3.2	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 2/5 6/10 3/5 7/10 3/5 4/5 7/10

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

Avery IPA (bottled) - 3.8

Avery IPA
India Pale Ale
Avery Brewing
Boulder, CO
Alcohol Content: 6.3%

Jon:
This beer has a little bit of the IPA sourness that I'm not a huge fan of. Other than that, this is a pretty good hop-fest, and big props for Boulder breweries.

3.7	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 7/10 3/5 7/10 5/5 3/5 8/10

Mark:
Obviously, I love IPA's and this one is no exception. I love that this beer is brewed right here in Boulder, Colorado. YEAH, IT IS! It just tastes fresh. No long ride in the beer truck here. This is another light, hoppy IPA with citrus (lemon and grapefruit) overtones and light golden color. This IPA is a bit mellow, by my standards, but very enjoyable. All together, a very acceptable IPA. By the way, this beer (along with every other beer) tastes quite different on tap. If you have the option of draft, go for it.

3.8	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 8/10 4/5 7/10 5/5 3/5 7/10

Jere:
Avery, Avery, Avery. Always a good buy, and I especially like the color. The cirtus-ey taste also adds to the overall experience. The only drawback I can see is the buzz factor, which isn't quite as high as I'd prefer. I always appreciate the locally brewed beer though so that's why this one rates 8 out of 10.

4.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 8/10 4/5 8/10 5/5 3/5 8/10