Oskar Blues and Left Hand

A couple of weekend back, Tibor, Dennis, Chris and I journeyed north to Longmont to have lunch at Liquids & Solids and make stops at the Oskar Blues and Left Hand breweries.  Liquids & Solids is the restaurant owned by Oskar Blues and they have a very nice menu of both beer and food.  Oskar Blues also owns a farm and the spent grains from the brewery are feed to animals on the farm, and the animals are processed for meat that is used by the restaurant.  I ordered the Black and Blue Burger with sweet potato fries.  I also enjoyed a couple of Oskar Blues beers that I had not tried before - Velvet Elvis (6.1% ABV), a stout, and Home Skillet (5.6% ABV), a black IPA.  Both of these were very tasty and Chris also had me taste the One Nut Brown and Dennis had a wheat beer.  The food and the beers were very good and I will go back to Liquids & Solids.

We left Liquids & Solids and Tibor (designated driver) drove us to the Oskar Blues tap room called The Tasty Weasel.  We took a brewery tour and there were a few busy people brewing this year’s version of Ten Fidy.  We saw a lot of stainless, grain bags, the hop room, the canning line and a new can 19.2 oz.  The person providing the tour “hinted” that the new can would be coming out in the near future and would probably have Dale’s Pale Ale in it first.  I am thinking they will debut it during GABF - time will tell.  The tour was great and we met some nice people on the tour and in the Tasting Room.

The next stop was the Left Hand Brewing tasting room and we arrived too late for a brewery tour.  I enjoyed a Bard’s Ale (2.5% ABV) and English Mild ESB, and a Chainsaw (9% ABV and 72 IBU) an American Strong Ale.  We also had to have some Nitro Milk Stout (6% ABV and 25 IBU), a Milk / Sweet stout as the brewery was running a special with a complimentary pint glass.

We then made the journey back home and it was an enjoyable day with the guys.  Special thanks to Tibor for being the designated driver and taking the group to Longmont.  If you have the opportunity to tour a small craft brewer I highly recommend it - the people are nice and the beer is tasty.  

July Beer Dinner - Oskar Blues

Dennis and Gayle hosted the July Beer dinner and we focused on the beers from Oskar Blues. Gayle made some family favorites and the food was excellent – sausage that has specially prepared from a family recipe, cheese grit casserole, corn on the cob, carrot salad and strawberry rhubarb pie. Lori made guacamole and her salsa that is just fantastic for appetizers. Nicole and Tibor brought over chocolate chip cookies and a cherry cheesecake. Everything was excellent and all of the beers were fantastic. Tibor brought over some of his home made wine – a Gewürztraminer that was very good. I had picked up beer earlier and Tibor picked up beer too – we had all that is currently canned by Oskar Blues. Oskar Blues is based in Lyons, CO and there are 7 different styles available in cans. Ten Fidy is brewed in the fall and luckily, I had some stashed away in the beer fridge. I wanted to age some and taste it as time passes.

We started off with Mama’s Little Yella Pils (5.2% ABV and 35 IBU) a Traditional Pilsner and Silver medal winner for Bohemian Style Pilsener at the 2011 GABF - Great American Beer Festival.

Next up was Dale’s Pale Ale (6.5% ABV and 65 IBU) an American Pale Ale.

Followed by Old Chub (8% ABV), a Scottish Ale and winner of the Bronze medal at the 2011 GABF - Great American Beer Festival.

G’Knight (8.7% ABV and 60 IBU) was formerly called Gordon Knight and is an Imperial Red / Double IPA.

Deviant Dale’s (8% ABV and 85 IBU), an IPA that took a sliver medal at the 2011 GABF – Great American Beer Festival.

Gubna (10% ABV and 100 IBU) an Imperial IPA

We ended the evening with Ten Fidy (10,5% ABV and 98 IBU), an Imperial Stout. I think the beer improved with aging and I was amazed with the balance and smoothness enhanced by a little aging.

The food and the beers were excellent. All of these beers are really good and I highly recommend anything made by Oskar Blues. We were split on the favorites for the evening. Gayle liked Mama’s Little Yella Pils, Dennis picked G’Knight, Tibor picked Deviant Dale’s, and I picked Ten Fidy. I always have something in my fridge that is brewed by Oskar Blues. We are planning to go tour the brewery in August and eat at the Tasty Weasel. Next beer dinner will be in September – just in time for Oktoberfest.

Oskar Blues - http://www.oskarblues.com/

The Best Beer I Have Ever Had

I really enjoy the beers of Oskar Blues in Lyons, CO and you cannot go wrong with picking something up that is brewed by Oskar Blues.  I had ridden a nice 20 mile mountain bike ride and I was ready for a nice lunch and a beer.  I went to Parry’s Pizzeria and Bar that was hosting a Oskar Blues Tap Takeover and the first round was to a favorite – Dale’s Pale Ale (6.5% ABV and 65 IBU), that is easily one of the best Pale Ales in the country.  I ordered a Meat Calzone and round two – Cabernet Barrel Aged G’Knight (8.1% ABV and 60 IBU) – that is an Imperial Red / Double IPA that was just incredible.  I detected notes of oak and the presence of the cabernet just enhanced the beer, the hops were very subdued from the aging process.  This was one that I just savored and I informed the Oskar Blues rep that this was the best beer I had ever tasted.  Round three was Buffalo Trace Whiskey Barrel Aged Ten Fidy (9.3% ABV and 98 IBU) that is an Imperial Stout.  I really enjoy Ten Fidy – there is always some in my fridge that is aging and I was interested in trying this one.  I needed to let it warm up and it was excellent too.  The barrel-aged beers were just fantastic and I will try more in the future.  The Cabernet Barrel Aged G’Knight was the best beer I have ever had.

Oskar Blues - http://www.oskarblues.com/the-brews/gknight

Parry’s Pizzeria and Bar - http://www.parryspizza.com/parrysbar/

You Cannot Judge a "Pub & Grill" by its Cover

During the trip to Arizona, I wanted to stop by a local establishment called The Handlebar Pub and Grill.  I had completed a previous web search on “craft beer in Apache Junction” and was surprised to find the listing – with a number of very positive remarks.  The building is almost non-descript and is very easy to drive by.  It does not look great on the outside and is a classic depiction of the quote “you cannot judge a book by its cover”.  The inside of the Handlebar is very nice with a cooler in the corner filled with very good beer for carry-out, nice wood tables and chairs, two chalk boards showing the beers on tap and the menu, and a very nice (and long) wood bar with ~15 taps on the side wall that I think connects to kegs in an adjacent walk-in.  There are also a number of TVs on the walls and entertainment performs Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.  I had one of the best burgers in a long time – a blue cheese bacon burger with a side salad.  The burger was perfectly cooked and I informed Danny, my father-in-law, that he has to check this place out with his group of guys that check out burger joints. 

One item I appreciated was Trevor, the bartender, explaining to one customer when she asked what was like Rolling Rock and his response of “water”.  It was classic and I knew right then that I was in an establishment that knows and enjoys good craft beer.  The other “tell” was the lack of “macro-brewer” taps and if you want one, they are available in bottles; you will most like get an “are you kidding me” look from the bartender and the other patrons as well.  A further “tell” was the number of different tap handles that serve as decorations on the exposed ceiling beams – and they have ran through a large number.  I enjoyed an Oskar Blues G’Knight (8.7% ABV and 60 IBU) an Imperial Red / Double IPA and a Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA (8.5% ABV and 95 IBU) a seasonal India Pale Ale.  Both of these were very tasty and went well with the blue cheese bacon burger.  I will be stopping by the Handlebar Pub and Grill on the next trip to Arizona.

URL – Handlebar Pub and Grill - http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Handlebar-Pub-and-Grill/413937897673

URL – Oskar Blues – http://www.oskarblues.com/

URL – Deschutes - http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/

Oskar Blues – Deviant Dale’s

Oskar Blues is based in Lyons, CO and they are one of my favorite brewers.  They were the first craft brewer in Colorado to use cans.  Deviant Dale’s (8% ABV and 85 IBU) is a new IPA offering in 16 oz. cans that just started to be distributed.  Deviant Dale’s took home the Silver medal at the 2011 GABF in the IPA category, which is the largest category at the GABF.  I was very much looking forward to sampling Deviant Dale’s and it was on tap at Parry’s Pizzeria and Pub when the family dined there last weekend.

American Double / Imperial IPA – description – http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/140  Beeradvocate

Appearance – A golden, amber / copper color with a nice creamy head

Aroma – It is all about the hops – citrus / grapefruit and dank, pine.  If you have been to a rock concert, then you know what ganja smells like and this beer has this aroma.

Taste – Excellent – there is some caramel sweetness that is quickly surpassed by the hops and the dank pine / citrus / grapefruit / weed take over and stay awhile.

Overall – B+ – an excellent hoppy double IPA.  This one has massive hops and it is for the IPA lover.  If you do not like hops / bitter beers, you will probably not like this one.  Conversely, if you are a hop-head, you will like.  I had two of these and with a tap list of 50 beers, it would have been easy to make a different 2^nd selection.

Description – “Deviant Dale’s IPA (8% ABV, 85 IBUs) was born at the crossroads, in a juke joint, as if Dale’s Pale Ale sold its soul to balance Deviant’s foreboding aromas of citrus, grapefruit and piney resins with a copper ball-of-fire color and inscrutable finish.  The 2011 GABF Silver Medal Winner (American IPA Category) is the Devil incarnate with untold amounts of hops and hedonistic Columbus dry-hopping.  Oskar Blues’ southern spirit caught a northbound bus to ColoRADo to the delver the boundary bustin’ brewery’s first 16 oz. tallboy can.

URL – Oskar Blues - http://www.oskarblues.com/the-brews/deviant-dales

URL – Parry’s Pizzeria & Pub - http://www.parryspizza.com/parrysbar/

January Beer Tasting – Pilsners and Thai

Last night, Tibor, Chris, and Dennis came over for a night of tasting Pilsners and Thai food.  The Thai food was obtained from one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Colorado, Wild Ginger in Littleton, CO.  I picked up Pad Thai Chicken, Panang Curry with Pork, Pad Prik Khing, egg rolls, and peanut sauce.  Chris also brought over some veal brats in sauerkraut and I had some hot wings too.  We had a number of Pilsners from various brewers and the pairing of Pilsners and Thai food was excellent.  I had earlier read the food pairing section for Pilsners in Garret Oliver’s The Brewmaster’s Table and he suggested spicy ethnic food (Thai, Indian, and Mexican) and any variety of sausage.  Mr. Oliver’s recommendations were perfect and I highly recommend Pilsners with Thai food.

The beers sampled in order were as follows:

Pilsner Urquell (4.4% ABV) – This is the one that started the Pilsner style in 1842 from the Czech town of Pilsen.

Pug Ryan’s – Pali Pilsner – Is named after a ski run in the Arapahoe basin and is a Bohemian style Pilsner.  Pug Ryan’s is based in Dillon, CO.

Left Hand – Polestar Pilsner (5.5% ABV and 33 IBU) – From Left Hand Brewing in Boulder – I enjoyed one of these after a long bike ride last year and it is tasty.

Bristol – Yellow Kite (5.25% ABV and 25 IBU) – Bristol is located in Colorado Springs and Yellow Kit is a European-style Pilsner.

Lagunitas – Pils (6.2% ABV and 38 IBU) – Lagunitas is a very good brewer from California and Pils is a Czech-style Pils.

Oskar Blues – Mama’s Little Yella Pils (5.3% ABV and 35 IBU) – Oskar Blues is based in Lyons, CO and is one of my favorite brewers.

Unita – Tilted Smile Imperial Pilsners (9% ABV and 35 IBU) – Don’t let anyone tell you they do not brew beer in Utah.  This was everyone’s favorite of the evening.  It was just a tad sweeter than the others and was very easy to drink.  One cannot taste the higher alcohol in Tilted Smile.

The evening was great and it is always great to be able to spend time with good friends, food, and tasty brew.  Next month, we will be going to Tibor’s for a trip to Belgium. 

Chocolate Ale, Old Chub & Fire Rock Pale Ale

On Tuesday evening, Lori wanted to try Boulevard’s Chocolate Ale (ABV – 9.1% and IBU – 24) that is a seasonal specialty beer that is available in a 750ml bottle.  Chocolate Ale pours a yellow / orange / amber with a nice head and it has a nice aroma that hinted of chocolate.  This is a special occasion ale and with the low bitterness, many non-beer drinkers on new to craft beer drinkers should like with the sweetness and chocolate flavors.  I like hints of chocolate, not over-powering chocolate and I think Boulevard has done a nice collaboration with chocolatier Christopher Elbow.  A special chocolate from the Dominican Republic was used in the brewing process.  I have had a couple of different offerings from Boulevard and I have liked the ones that I have tried from this Kansas City brewer.  This is an interesting ale and I appreciate brewers who try new things and push the boundaries.

On Thursday, we went to NoNo’s café and I had a Dixie Lager (ABV – 4.6% and IBU - ??) with a catfish po-boy.  This beer is better than the macros, but if you are selecting beers from Louisiana I suggest to stay with Abita Brewing, I will.  On the return home, I opened a Kona Brewing Fire Rock Pale (ABV – 5.9% and IBU – 35) that pours a nice golden color and it a pleasure to drink.  This has won a number of awards and Kona took a gold at GABF with the Longboard Lager.  I am not a big lager fan as I prefer ales, but I would try it.  I opened an Old Chubb from Oskar Blues (ABV – 8%) that is Scottish strong ale and this is a nice one.  It poured with almost no head and was the color of cola.  It has a nice malty aroma and a sweet malty taste with little bitterness.  This appears true to the style (with an Oskar Blues spin) as historically the Scotts used little hops in their beer because they did not want to pay the Brits for any more than they needed for preservative qualities.  This is a drinkable beer that I would think is a good beer for a newbie to craft brewing.   

Denver - Winter BrewFest

Tibor and I attended the Winter BrewFest at the Mile High Station on Friday night and it was very good event that allowed us to sample a number of beers and chat with some of the representatives from the various brewers.  I had an opportunity to speak with a number of the representatives and talk to them about their respective beers, the brewery, and thank them for working the event and for the wonderful beer they make.  It was great talking with Dustin from Avery, Andy from Ska, Marty from Stone and the representatives from Alaskan, Breckenridge, Oskar Blues, Upslope, Mountain Sun, Rogue, and Sierra Nevada.

I tried many different styles from various breweries and my favorite of the evening was Modus Hoperandi from Ska - I had not has this one before and had a couple of samples of this one.  I also tried the Black Barley wine from Sierra Nevada that has garnered many accolades this year and won a metal at GABF.  I did tell the guys from Alaskan that I liked the 2008 Alaskan Barley Wine better.  I liked the Chocolate / Mocha offerings from Rouge and Great Divide.  The IPAs from Avery, Oskar Blues, Alaskan, Stone and Flying Dog were all very tasty.  If you get a chance to attend a beer festival - I encourage it.  The attendees were well-mannered, the brewers are friendly and you get an opportunity to try many beers.  You have to be selective, because there is no way to taste them all.   

Oskar Blues - Mama's Little Pils and Odell - Easy Street Wheat

Had the opportunity to sample two new Colorado beers yesterday and both have won awards in their respective styles. Oskar Blues – Mama’s Little Yella Pils is a Pilsner with an ABV of 5.3% and an IBU of 35.  This was consumed from the can and this is a nice, drinkable Pilsner.  I thought it had a good balance and would be a very good summertime beer.  Oskar Blues describes Mama’s Little Yella Pils as “…an uncompromising, small-batch version of the beer that made Pilsen, Czech Republic famous. Unlike mass market “pilsners” diluted with corn & rice, Mama’s is built with 100% pale malt, German specialty malts, and Bavarian hops. “  I have enjoyed each of Oskar Blues products that I have tried and Gubna is still the best from Oskar Blues in my opinion.

After Martial Arts practice, I poured an Easy Street Wheat Ale from Odell at an ABV of 4.6% with and IBU of 15.  This is a nice light beer that goes down very easy.  Winter is essentially the time for stronger and darker beers, but this was a great beer to have after a couple hours of exercise.  I like the wheat beer and I would like to do a comparison between Easy Street and White Rascal from Avery.  Odell describes Easy Street as, “Light and refreshing, Easy Street Wheat is an unfiltered American-style wheat beer. Leaving in the yeast gives the beer a nice, smooth finish and a slightly citrusy flavor. Easy Street Wheat gets its name by brewers “taking it easy” and not filtering the beer. However, for ultimate enjoyment, we encourage you to work just a little harder in pouring it: pour 2/3 of the beer into a glass, swirl what’s left to stir up the yeast, then pour the rest and enjoy.”  I appreciated the pouring suggestion on the bottle.  However, there was still some yeast in the bottom of the bottle after following the instructions and this may have had some impact on the taste.  My wife enjoyed this and Odell is another good Colorado brewer.

Oskar Blues - Gubna and Trader Joes - Winter Ale 2010

Christmas Eve started with a Trader Joes - Winter Ale 2010 at ABV of 9.0 % and IBU ??.  This is not a bad winter ale with spicy undertones in the aroma and taste.  I detected hints of cinnamon / nutmeg / cloves that is not unpleasant and is probably best with desert like pumpkin or pecan pie.  It might also go well with fruit cake.  It pours dark with a thick head that you need to allow to sit to recede. 

I had Gubna after dinner and this is one fantastic beer made by Oskar Blues in Colorado.  Gubna is an Imperial IPA at ABV 10% and 100 IBU that pours golden with a nice head.  The aroma on this beer is fantastic and you can tell this will be a hoppy beer due to the citrus aromatics.  It was nicely bittered with the hops, but I thought the balance was excellent and I found myself "nursing" this beer as it was the last one for the evening and I wanted to just savor the flavor.  This is a very good beer and I will purchase it again.  The Oskar Blues website accurately describes Gubna as "Emphasizing that complexity of character can arise from simple elements, this ale is made with 3 malts and 1 hop. Its light amber color and slightly spicy malt character are derived from the use of German Dark Munich Malt and Rye Malt respectively. North American 2-row barley combines with the other grains to lay the foundation for the hop onslaught to come. Summit hops are used exclusively in the boil for bitterness, flavor and aroma but it doesn’t end there. Post-fermentation dry hopping allows the 10% ABV monstrosity to gently coax the citrus rind and grapefruit aroma to join the 100 IBUs already present. This beer will greet you with a pungent citrus blast, provide a spicy yet round middle and finish with a brisk, clean bitterness."  If you like IPAs or Imperial IPAs, this is a great beer to try.

2 Pale Ales and an IPA

I purchased a number of brews for the next couple of weekends and started this evening with 2 pale ales and 1 IPA.  First up was Oskar Blues - Dale's Pale Ale at ABV of 6.5% and 65 IBU.  This one pours a light amber / golden color with a light head that quickly recedes and has a nice citrus aroma.  Oskar Blues describes Dale's as "America’s first hand-canned craft beer is a voluminously hopped mutha that delivers a hoppy nose, assertive-but-balanced flavors of pale malts and hops from start to finish. First canned in 2002, Dale’s Pale Ale is a hearty (6.5% and 65 IBUs), critically acclaimed trailblazer that has changed the way craft beer fiends perceive canned beer."  Dale's is highly rated and well-respected and I can taste why as it is nicely balanced with a nice hoppy finish.

Next up was Stone - Pale Ale at ABV 5.4% and IBU of 41.  This is a very drinkable beer and is noticeably not as hoppy as Dale's.  This one pours amber with a small head that quickly recedes.  A nice balance with nice malt sweetness and slightly bitter hops.  Stone describes their pale ale as"Our flagship ale, Stone Pale Ale is our Southern California interpretation of the classic British pale ale style.  Deep amber in color, Stone Pale Ale is robust and full flavored.  A delicate hop flavor is balanced by a rich maltiness.  This is an ale for those who have learned to appreciate distinctive flavor.  Stone Pale Ale is great by itself, or with food that requires a beer of character."  This is a nice one - 2 for 2 for the evening.   

The final beer of the evening is Stone - Ruination IPA at ABV 7.7% and IBU 100+.  I knew this one would be hoppy due to 1) IPA, 2) 100 + IBU and 3) Stone.  This is a hoppy IPA and if you are a hop head, you are going to like it.  Stone warns the reader of the label to beware because your palate will be challenged and Stone delivers on the measure.  I have had 100+ IBU India Pale Ales, but they are usually double or imperial varieties.  This is for the IPA lover and hop head.  Stone describes Ruination IPA as "So called because of the ruinous effect on your palate!  This massive monster has a wonderfully delicious and intensely bitter flavor.  One taste and you can easily see why we call this brew a 'liquid poem to the glory of the hop!'  Those who seek, crave and rejoice, in beer with big, bold, bitter character will find true nirvana in Stone Ruination IPA!"  3 for 3 for the evening.  These were all very nice beers.  Stone and Oskar Blues do not disappoint. 

Oskar Blues - Ten Fidy

Lori and I met Courtney at the Outback in Castle Rock last night for dinner.  There were just under 10 taps with approximately 10 – 15 beers in bottles.  My first selection was Sam Adam’s Winter Lager on tap at 5.6% ABV that is reddish brown.  The website describes the beer as having cinnamon, ginger, with a hint of citrus (orange peel), but I did not pick it up.  I was not real satisfied with this selection and was very happy to see Abita on tap.  Could it be Turbo Dog?  Yes, it was and I ordered one to go with my dinner of Sirloin Steak and baked potato.  I had Turbo Dog the previous week at NoNo’s Café in a bottle, and I thought the beer tasted even better from the tap.  Turbo Dog is a dark brown ale with 5.6% ABV and 28 IBU and went perfectly with my dinner.  I will order Turbo Dog again, but I will not order Sam Adam’s Winter Lager.

I poured an Oskar Blues Ten Fidy – Imperial Stout at 10.5% and 98 IBU to enjoy while watching SyFy’s Sanctuary and this one pours as dark as I have ever seen a beer and there is virtually no head.  Some describe the pour as oil coming out of a can and you have to see it to truly appreciate the darkness of this beer.  I took my time with this one and I poured it in a pint glass and let it warm up a bit.  It is better warmer than fridge cold.  Oskar Blues describes Ten Fidy as “This titanic, immensely viscous stout is loaded with inimitable flavors of chocolate-covered caramel and coffee and hide a hefty 98 IBUs underneath the smooth blanket of malt.  Ten FIDY (10.5% ABV) is made with enormous amounts of two-row malt, chocolate malt, roasted barley, flaked oats and hops. Ten FIDY is the ultimate celebration of dark malts and boundary-stretching beer.”  This is an interesting beer and I cannot see one drinking more than 1 or 2 at a setting.  This is a sipping beer to be enjoyed with chocolate – good dark chocolate – or a powerful cheese.  I can see why this beer is rated high and I am glad there are a few more in the fridge.