Friends Drinking Beer

A blog about beer told by friends

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Dank IPA (Pint Can) – Dad & Dude Breweria, Aurora CO

ABV – 6.5%, IBUs – 65?

This aptly named Colorado brew pours a rich golden hue. Made from a mix of Columbus and Summit hops, the beer has mild, yet interesting aroma. A malty nose is characterized by apple and pear notes; similar to a strong cider. At first taste the beer is rather sweet and malty, with a distinct apple flavor. Similar to a maple brown or English ale. The beer ends a bit somewhat abruptly with a classic pang of hops –fairly pleasant, if not a little jarring. Overall, this is a bit of an odd beer… not one of my favorites, but certainly a well-crafted beer.  

Ranking: 2.75/3.00

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Arvada Beer Company - Irish Red Nitro

"Irish Red Nitro" - Rating 2.5/5

This beer gets major brownie points for being on Nitro. This brewery has gone against the "only stouts and porters can be Nitro" mentality and I think it is great. The initial taste is smooth with a slight amount of malts up front. From there the presence is short and the texture is light. The presences was so short in fact there wasn't time for any carmel flavor to develop and I was left wanting more malts and body. The creaminess from the Nitro was definitely the highlight but unfortunately not enough to make this beer amazing. I look forward to seeing what beers are to come from this place.

(left to right) Double IPA, Irish Red Nitro, Lemon Shandy

-Matt

[friendsdrinkingbeer]

Arvada Beer Co. Double IPA

Arvada Beer Co. Double IPA – 8.8% ABV, 88 IBU’s.

Like many local small batch microbrews I suspect that consistency is an issue. Unfortunately this was the case with Arvada Beer Company’s Double IPA. I was promised a high alcohol, floral nosed IPA, but received a rather flat disappointment. The Double came in a tulip shaped glass and had a pleasant amber color. Though it had a nice aroma, it was very faint. The taste was bland; the beer was watery, lacking depth and imagination. I don't know how they measure their IBUs, but the beer was too smooth to be considered a double IPA (or an IPA for that matter). Odell’s 90 Shillings (27 IBUs) would give it a run for its money on the hop spectrum. All things considered… this beer was less than ideal. Now, I don’t want to slag “Arvada Beer Company” as a whole. Local Breweries are wonderful extensions of the community. I suspect that consistency is playing a major role here. I simply may have just gotten a bad batch. Good beer recipe’s take a long time to perfect.

In general, I liked the vibe of Arvada Beer Company. The waitress was friendly, and there were free snacks on each table! ABC is in a great section of town; I just think they need a few more years to fully fledge.

Rating: 2.0/5.0

[friendsdrinkingbeer]

Great Divide - Lasso IPA (Bottle)

Great Divide - Lasso IPA (Bottle) - American IPA, ABV: 5.0%

To be frank, I was a little underwhelmed by this beer, and I don't quite know what to make of it. The beer itself has all of the defining characteristics of a classic IPA. Good color, head, and smell. Lasso is brewed with a mix of Columbus, Centennial and Cascade hops. I was first struck by the low alcohol content of the beer. Most IPA's hover in the 6% to 7% ABV range; however, Lasso is only 5% ABV. Upon further research I learned that this is Great Divides first foray into the "sessional IPA" realm. A "sessional IPA" is a bit of an oxymoron. Firstly, "session" refers to a lower alcohol content beer (around 4%). Secondly, a lower alcohol IPA is simply called a Pale Ale. I get what Great Divide was going for, a more drinkable Titan IPA (7.1% IPA), but I am a bummed by the result. I wanted to like this beer, but it was too watery and carried with it a bitter finish that was simply unnecessary. Not a bad beer, but I would reach for a Shift Pale Lager (5% ABV, New Belgium) first.

Zac's Ranking: 3.25/5

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Boulder Beer Company - Shake

“Shake” - Chocolate Porter, ABV: 5.9% Rating 3.5/5

Extremely delicious chocolate nose, smells amazing. Subtle start with a punch of chocolate. Very smooth with a light texture. Medium presence but the chocolate flavor dies away quickly. Even though the chocolate is very present it is not an overly sweet beer. More along the lines of dark chocolate since it still has enough bitterness to keep it drinkable. Would have liked a heavier texture. Yes, I did drink the beer out of that blender for the hell of it.

-Matt

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Our Mutual Friend - Brown Ale & Dry Coffee Stout

"Brown Ale" - Brown Ale, ABV: 6% Rating 3.25/5

Starts off with an oaky nose, almost like you are about to sip a glass of whiskey. Initial taste is smooth with subtle flavors nothing stands out. I felt this beer was missing complexity that I was waiting for with such a great nose. The oak flavor never came through. Short presence on the tongue with a light texture.

"Dry Coffee Stout" - Stout, ABV: 5% Rating 3.6/5

Amazing coffee notes, I almost forgot I was drinking a beer. It is almost like they are pouring it half and half with real coffee. That may or may not be your thing, but the fact they were able to add that amount of flavor to this beer was impressive. There is a medium presence on the tongue and a light texture. This beer was very well done.

-Matt

[friendsdrinkingbeer]

Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew

I've been wanting to try a new brewery, Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew (OMF), for some time. Their website is so hip, it doesn't even list their beers. Basically, it was going to be a surprise until I looked at their Instagram and found a pic of their beer list (below). There was a good mixture of beers for all types of drinkers. Also, all of their house roasted malts are grown in Colorado.

Upon telling a group of friends that we were going to Our Mutual Friend, they immediately got confused and tried to think of possible friends we had in common... until they googled it and realized that was the brewery.

The first thing I noticed was that the place was super hip (although I was already preparing for this after looking at the website). We sat at a table and my view was mustache artwork... almost too much. Some terrible trumpet solo music was playing, but that eventually faded out into something else much more tolerable. It's also dog friendly like most bars in RiNo.

The beers on tap were: 

I got a sampler of the Proletariat Session Ale, Brown Ale, Cottonwood Rauchbier, Chinook Red Ale and Winter Warmer. The samples weren't labeled, and was already sitting down before I realized. Being lazy, I just drank them and assumed they were in order of the sign. 

As you can see, the beers were pretty dark (with the exception of the Proletariat). OMF specializes in malty guys.

1. Proletariat: Flavorful blonde ale. Crisp and clean. Good for the no-frills beer drinker.

2. Brown ale: Nice color. I thought it tasted similar to the Chinook, but others disagreed with me.

3. Cottonwood: The most noticeable flavor, as it was a smoked beer.

4. Chinook Red: A bitter red.

5. Winter Warmer: Very dark. Definitely warming at 10.4%

Matt got the Dry Coffee Stout, which basically tasted like cold coffee. If you're a coffee lover, it's a must-try.

@prideofphilly was also there. I got the 50/50 Burger - Half ground beef, half ground bacon patty with cheese in the middle. This made for a good burger. I'll have to remember to throw some sausage in my burger meat this summer.

Overall, the place is ultra hip/ hipster central. It's new, so they are still tuning their craft beers. I'd like to see how their beers and flavors evolve over time. I also want to go back in the summer because the patio looks chill.

I'm definitely going to go back to try the Flemish Sour coming in March... it's one of my favorite types of beer.

-Charissa

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Avery Brewing - The Maharaja IPA

Beer Style: Imperial India Pale Ale Hop Variety: Simcoe, Columbus, Centennial, and Chinook Dry Hop Variety: Simcoe, Centennial Malt Variety: Two-row barley, Victory, Caramel 120 OG: 1.090 ABV: 10-12% IBUs: 102 Color: Deep Amber

Zac's Rating: 4.15/5

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Southern Tier Unearthly Imperial IPA

All the label on this beer says is that it is brewed with 3 different malts and 4 different hop varieties.  It is only sold in 22 oz. bottles, and it clocks in at a solid 9.5% abv.  On the nose, it is quite dank, grungy, and piney (I suspect Simcoe is heavily involved, but I could be wrong).  The palate is gentle for its alcohol, with fresh pine and citrus flavors.  The finish is dry and medium-long.  Overall, this is a fine IPA, but it suffers from the plight of east coast IPA's.  It is an Imperial IPA that impresses, but not for what its priced.  I wanted more from this one; if it were $10/6 pack, I would keep it in my fridge often, but it isn't priced there, so it will probably be a one time deal.

Food Pairing: Like most IPA's, this goes very well with spicy foods, such as southeast Asian cuisine, Cajun food, or Mexican food.

Phil's Rating: 4.2/5

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Hop Odyssey: Cedar Plank Pale Ale - Green Flash Brewing Co

Style: Pale Ale

Abv: 6.3%

IBUs: 45

Cedar bass notes with a cracked black pepper overtone. The beer is an interesting mix of hops, lemon grass, and wood. A surprisingly dry beer that leaves the pallet parched; similar to a nice glass of Prosecco or a Gin and Tonic. The black pepper flavor is a bit jarring at first, but it is tempered by a subtle cedar core. Hops used: Warrior, El Dorado, and Cascade. I really enjoyed this beer; in fact, it is the most exciting beer I have tasted this year. The Cedar Plank Pale Ale is definitely unconventional, and not for everyone. Solid beer, thanks Green Flash.

Suggested Food Pairings: Cajun Chicken, Blackened Salmon, Pad Thai

Musical Pairings: “Lemonworld”, The National

Zac’s Rating: 4.0/5

[friendsdrinkingbeer]

Colorado Plus - Matt's Assorted Beer Sampler

Bristol Brewing: "Old 23" - English Barley Wine, ABV 11.25%       Rating 4/5

Notes: Has an almost whiskey taste but finishes without the alcohol burn. Smooth, very good for sipping on. Had to get this just because it is so different.

Elevation Brewing: "Little Mo' Porter" - American Porter, ABV 6.2%          Rating 3.8/5

Notes: Great amount of chocolate with a smooth finish. Medium presence without any noticeable hops or bitterness.

Odyssey Beerwerks: "Phantom Oatmeal Stout" - Stout, ABV 5.2%        Rating 4.3/5

Notes: Deep chocolate and coffee on the nose. Extremely well balanced flavors and great finish. Short presence with a heavy texture. Absolutely delicious, very well done!

Upslope Brewing: "Foreign Stout" - Stout, ABV 6.9%                                  Rating 2/5

Notes: Light flavor, no real notes of chocolate or coffee.  Short presence with a light texture. For a stout, much too light for my liking.

Grist Brewing: "Spiced Russian" - Imperial Stout, ABV 11.5%                  Rating 3/5

Notes: Christmas spices in the nose. Smooth start, mild flavors. Short presence with a subtle bitterness to the finish. Light texture which I wish would have been heavier and creamier. Dare I say nitro?

[friendsdrinkingbeer]

Colorado Plus - Zac's Assorted Beer Sampler

Strange Brewing: “1000 Barrel IPA” – Dbl Dry Hopped IPA. 8.3%, 100 IBU, Ranking: 4.0/5

Notes: Very smooth for a 100 IBU beer. Excellent flavor, best beer of the night. I might be wrong, but I think its comparable to Avery's "Twenty"... (haven't had it in awhile, but it would be a good head to head comparison).

Colorado Plus BrewPub: “Evil Bread” – Spiced Porter. 7.4%, 30 IBU, Ranking: 3.95/5

Notes: Similar to Yak and Yeti's "Chai Porter", but a little lighter. Some pumpkin spiced notes with a very smooth finish. I really enjoyed it.

Renegade Brewing Co: “Azacca” – Red IPA brewed with #483 Hops. 6.8%, Ranking: 3.28/5

Yak and Yeti: “Rye Ask Rye” – Rye IPA. 6.4%, 65 IBU, Ranking 3.25/5

Colorado Plus BrewPub: “Stay Puft” – Marshmellow Porter. 7.3%, 31 IBU, Ranking: 2.95/5

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Bell's Special Double Cream Stout Style: American Stout | ABV: 6.10% | IBU: 50 Where dis be from? Bell's Brewery, Inc. Kalamazoo, MI Cracked open a bottle of this tonight and was extremely pleased. I'm not generally a go-to stout kinda girl; mostly because I view them as "lead sinker" heavy and am ready to go to sleep after one. Upon pouring, you could see the contrast in the very dark (Guinness-like) body of the beer with a caramel colored head. Solid combination of flavors that pulled though: chocolate and coffee, as well as very strong on the malt side. I like. On the contrary, it was not at all overly hopped, bitter or super smoky. Which isn't a bad thing -- just a head's up. Great balance of having a creamy, slightly carbonated consistency. I'd suggest this as a beginner's brew for Stout 101, as it would be enjoyed by most. Tiff's Rating: 3.8 'Spinnage Pairing: "C'Mon" - The Soft Pack

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Avery New World Porter

Style: Porter

Avery Brewing Company- Boulder, CO

ABV: 6.7%

Smooth start without a single flavor jumping out at you. I did not notice coffee or chocolate notes but there is a nice malty taste at the front.This beer has a larger amount of hops which take over on the finish. Great color and nice head. Having only tried this in the bottle I cannot say if draft is noticeably better. The hops are very fragrant in the nose. This would be a great porter to drink with spicy food due to the amount of hops. Clean finish with a short presence, very enjoyable.

Manliness Level: Stubble

Matt's Rating: 3.5/5

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BSB Red Saison

A local Denver beer characterized by “bright orange/tangerine aroma with a hint of pear and apricot that compliment the spicy, earthy yeast”

I have to agree—this beer has the scent and start of the fruit it refers to but a slightly bitter aftertaste for a Belgian-style. This would be a hit for even a non-saison drinker… and as you can see, I’ve already drank most of it.

ABV: 7.85%   IBU: 34 Charissa’s Rating: 3.6/ 5

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Back Bay IPA (Boston Beer Works)

Boston Beer Works is the brewpub where I tend bar, and our house IPA, the Back Bay IPA, is the best IPA in Boston.  Samuel Adams and Harpoon have nothing on this quality west-coast IPA.  Typically hopped to about 70 BU’s with Simcoe and Citra hops, the Back Bay yields a great balance between sweet citrus notes, and drying citrus notes.  Few IPA’s come through with the complexity that the Back Bay does.  If you can drink just one, then you’re not me.

Food Pairing: Anything blackened, like fish or chicken.

Phil’s Rating: 4.6/5

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Left Hand Milk Stout (Nitro)

Style: Stout

Left Hand Brewing Company - Longmont, CO

ABV: 6%

By far the closest thing we have in the U.S. to Guinness and well deserving of the title “America’s Stout”. The nitro gives it creaminess from the start with balanced notes of coffee and chocolate. Finishes smooth with a long presence. Great choice for a cold snowy day.

Best Way to Enjoy: Draft and Bottle

Manliness Level : Full Beard

Matt’s Rating: 4.5/5