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Crown Brewing; Crown Point, IN: North Pole Tree Frog

7% ABV 72 IBU

There was something off about this beer from the moment I cracked open the bottle. Usually the aroma of an IPA makes me smile, but this one hit me the wrong way. The beer poured out flat, with hardly any head. The flavor was off, sweet and strongly boozy tasting, burning warmth into my chest reminiscent of the effects of a glass of whisky, but without the great flavor. For a higher IBU beer, it wasn’t really hoppy; just bitter, like rancid orange peel. I’m going to give Crown Brewing the benefit of the doubt and call this a bad bottle.

#crown brewing #ipa

Living the Dream; Littleton, CO: Empty Trophy Case

6.5% ABV

I generally favor citrusy West Coast IPAs over their resiny East Coast counterparts, but lately I’ve been exploring the skunkier side of things. The nose on this IPA was all skunk and pine, with a little hint of grain. It was slightly more bitter tasting than I prefer, but still good.

#living the dream brewing #ipa

Resolute Brewing; Centennial, CO: APA

5.75% ABV 81 IBU

It was hard for me to separate the aroma of this beer from the diesel exhaust wafting in from off the street, but some malt and hops made it through the smoke. It really tasted more like an IPA than an APA, despite the strong malt backbone, with a hoppy, bitter aftertaste.

#resolute brewing #american pale ale

Resolute Brewing; Centennial, CO: Belgian Golden Strong

10% ABV 30 IBU

The nose on this Belgian was intriguing: the traditional esters imparted sweetness, but there was a salty note in there as well, almost like opening a bag of Chex Mix. The mouthfeel was strictly Belgian, bubbling and hitting all the corners of your mouth. There were notes of biscuit and cereal, with a nice hop balance. For a 10% beer, it went down dangerously smooth. A pretty impressive start for the newest brewery on the block.

#resolute brewing #belgian golden strong

The Post Brewing; Lafayette, CO: Ol’ Zippy

5% ABV

The aroma of this ale was wonderfully grainy, like sticking your nose in a bucket of spent grain. The flavor was lighter by comparison, with a gentle balance of malt and hops. It finished clean, with very little aftertaste. Overall, a pleasant, easy companion for reading out in the sunshine.

#the post brewing #american ale

Blake’s Hard Cider; Armada, MI: Cata-Wampus

6.5% ABV

Not being a fan of fruity drinks, I was skeptical of this hard cider, sent from a lovely friend in the Midwest. That it was dry hopped intrigued me; sure enough, Blake’s says Cata-Wampus has “an identity that resembles beer.” Turns out, it was delicious! The nose was fragrantly hoppy, with hints of apple underneath. The mouthfeel was crisp and dry, with earthy hops balancing out the traditional cider flavor and bringing forth all the aroma of the apples with little of the sweetness. This cider may have just made me a convert!

#blake's hard cider

Black Sky; Denver, CO: Ryemageddon

4.2% ABV 12 IBU

A super malty pint with a nice rye bite to balance things out.

#black sky brewery #rye beer #dark beer

Paulaner Brauerei; Germany: Oktoberfest Marzen

5.8% ABV 20 IBU

It’s far too late in the season for Oktoberfest, but sometimes that means the bar has a keg to empty, and they let you have two for one and take the glassware home with you. Prost!

#paulaner #oktoberfest #marzen

Half Acre Beer Co; Chicago, IL: Daisy Cutter

5.2% ABV

The last of my GABF week exclusive beer, and what a lovely note to end on. Daisy Cutter reminds me of a lite version of my beloved Surly Furious. The nose is pure hoppy goodness, leading to a flavor that is wonderfully hoppy without any bitterness. We’re definitely going to have to stock up on this one next time we’re in Chicago!

#half acre beer #daisy cutter pale ale

Elevation Beer Co; Poncha Springs, CO: First Cast

6% ABV 60 IBU

A fine IPA. The nose was bursting with piney hops. All that resiny goodness came through strongly in the flavor, with a nice malt backbone. Also, at $3 a pint as the craft beer special, it couldn’t be beat.

#elevation beer #ipa #parry's pizza

Parry’s Pizzeria; Castle Rock, CO: Parry’s IPA

6.2% ABV

There was absolutely no nose on this beer. None. I’ve never encountered that before, and it didn’t bode well. Fortunately, the taste was better than the smell! That said, it tasted nothing like an IPA. It was creamy and mild, with very light hop flavor. I’d classify it more as a pale ale.

#ipa #parry's pizza #pale ale

Crooked Stave; Denver, CO: Sourless IPA

6% ABV

Mmm beer shake! The nose on this IPA was a wonderful marriage of citrus and hops. It had a creamy mouthfeel, with very low carbonation. The pour tasted more like a cask beer despite coming from a traditional tap. There was a nice note of bitterness, reminiscent of orange juice pulp. Delicious.

#crooked stave #parry's pizza

Pug Ryan’s; Dillon, CO: Peacemaker Pilsner

5.8% ABV 21 IBU

Free beer, during working hours? Life is good.

#uncorked kitchen #pug ryan's #pilsner

Dead Hippie Brewing; Sheridan, CO: Shawnee Pale Ale

5.9% ABV 41.3 IBU

The best part about drinking this beer was having that poster of Christopher Walken watching over me. The nose had a lot of biscuity malt and cereal, with nary a trace of hops. The flavor was a little bitter, with a lightly creamy mouthfeel and a bitter finish. Their menu described Shawnee as being citrusy, but if there were citrus notes in there, they were deeply buried.

#dead hippie brewing #american pale ale

Ballast Point; San Diego, CA: Big Eye IPA

7% ABV 84 IBU

I seem to be reaching for Ballast Point frequently in my build-you-own six packs, but it’s hard to argue with their track record of flavorful, quality beer. That being said, can’t say I cared for this one. The nose was malty sweet, unusual for an IPA, especially since the flavor drank strong and bitter. It was brewed with Columbus and Centennial hops, making it the rare combination of C hops I didn’t enjoy.

#ballast point #ipa

Firestone Walker; Paso Robles, CA: Pale 31 California Pale Ale

4.9% ABV 38 IBU

Easy and unremarkable. The nose has a light cereal grain and a hint of hops, which leads nicely to the clean, ever so slightly bitter flavor. Just a dash of bitter in the aftertaste. Nice and easy.

#firestone walker #pale ale #california pale ale

Happy Halloween!

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