Beer Pairings – Seasonal Beers and Mexican Cuisine

Tibor, Chris and I gathered at Dennis’s house for the next beer tasting and Gayle picked up some tasty tamales, green chili, queso, tacos, salsa, chips, veggie tray and some cupcakes.  The tamales and green chili were a highlight – they were excellent.  For the beer, we started off with Rockyard’s Plymouth Rock Pumpkin Ale (5.8% ABV) is a pumpkin beer and classified as a Fruit / Vegetable Beer.  It has an aroma of pumpkin and cinnamon and was a tasty beer. 

Milk Stout Nitro (6.0% ABV and 25 IBU).  I reviewed this beer earlier – (last month).  It is just an excellent stout and if you get a chance to try it after it is distributed beyond Colorado, pick it up.  This was everyone’s favorite of the evening.

New Belgium’s Snow Day (6.2% ABV & 55 IBU) is a winter seasonal ale that has a nice malt sweetness on the start and a hop bitter finish.  It reminded me of Deschutes Jubelale and I liked it.

Next up was a big one Twisted Pine’s 16 Anniversary Bough Breaker Barley wine (9.1% ABV and 120 IBU).  I think this is the bitterest beer I have ever had in terms of IBU and it was OK.  No one liked this beer and some just did not like it at all.  The only hop used in this beer is Amarillo and they use a lot of it.

Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale (8% ABV & 38 IBU) is from Boulevard Brewing Co. and it is a Saison / Farmhouse Ale.  This is a style that I really appreciate and it was one of my favorites of the evening.  Very effervescent and was just a pleasant drinking saison that one could easily discern the Belgian yeast influence.

Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout (4.95% ABV and 31 IBU) is an oatmeal stout and a really good one.  This has some coffee-like tastes and paired beautifully with the chocolate cupcakes.  Tibor picked two nice stouts for the evening.

Avery The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest (9.3% ABV and 24 IBU) is one of my favorites from Avery and my wife really enjoys it too.  I think everyone liked this one for it’s clean malt sweetness and light bittering.  The Kaiser is a very nice Oktoberfest and it is brewed once a year in limited quantities.

Avery Mephistopheles’ Stout (15.83% ABV and 107 IBU) is one big stout that is brewed once a year and is only available in 12 oz. bottles.  This was a 2009 vintage and proves you can easily cellar beer given the right style, ABV, and conditions.  This beer was almost 2 years old and I bet you could easily cellar it for 10.  It is as dark as night and had an intense molasses aroma.  It is a sipper and I think everyone enjoyed it.  We split it four ways, so only 3 oz. pours – very nice way to end the evening. 

Boulevard Amber Ale

Boulevard is based in Kansas City and we have a good selection of their offerings here in Denver.  Boulevard’s Amber Ale (5.1% ABV and 24 IBU) pours cloudy amber with a nice head.  Boulevard describes their Amber Ale as, “ an exceptionally well-balanced beer, complex yet thirst-quenching. American pale malt provides a firm foundation. English specialty malts impart a nutty sweetness, perfectly complemented by noble German hops. The deep coppery color holds the light, reflecting a ruddy glow, and the finish is clean, round, and delicious.”  This is very tasty Amber Ale and I really enjoyed it.  It has low bitterness to emphasize the malt sweetness and this Amber ale would go with a wide variety of food.  I think it would go great with a burger or pizza, and it would be very good at an outdoor BBQ with friends and family.  I will need to stop by the brewery the next time I go through Kansas City. 

A Pale, an Amber and a Russian Imperial Stout

Boulevard – Pale Ale

Boulevard is based in Kansas City and I have tried their Nutcracker Ale and their Chocolate Ale.  I enjoy Pale Ales and thought this would go nicely with the tacos we were having for dinner.  Boulevard Pale Ale (5.4% ABV and 30 IBU) pours orange / amber with a large head that I had to let recede a few times and continue pouring to empty the bottle.  Boulevard describes Pale Ale as “a smooth, fruity, well-balanced beer with year-round appeal. A variety of caramel malts impart a rich flavor and amber color, while liberal use of whole hops adds zest and aroma. Pale Ale is the first beer we brewed, and continues to be a perennial favorite.”  It is very easy to drink with the low bitterness and it went well with the salad and tacos.  I look forward to trying more from Boulevard in the future.

Deschutes – Green Lakes – Organic Ale

Deschutes is another Oregon brewer that brews a number of different styles and they are best known for Black Butte Porter and Mirror Pond Pale Ale.  I had not tried their organic beer called Green Lakes (5.2%ABV and 45 IBU).  Green Lakes is an amber ale and it pours amber with a large head – be careful pouring.  Deschutes describes Green Lakes as “Environmental pedigree aside, Green Lakes Organic Ale is a finely balanced beer with a mellow malt profile and  subtle hop leading edge. On the  ingredient roster: five types of 100% organic malted barleys and a  complementary dose of Liberty and Sterling hops. It’s a profoundly satisfying, easy-drinking beer.”  Organic aside, this is a tasty amber ale and Deschutes does not disappoint.  Green Lakes has good malt taste that is well balanced with the hops.  If you are into organic food, this is a nice beer to add to the list.

Widmer – W11 KGB

Widmer is a Portland brewery that was founded by two brothers, Kurt and Rob in 1984.  I sampled a few of their beers when I lived in Seattle and I thought they did a great job with the various styles they brew.  I had never tried anything in the W series and W11-KGB is a Russian Imperial Stout measuring 9.3% ABV and 65 IBU.  W is the brewmasters series and a different beer is released every year in the W series.  This is a big beer and it pours black with a nice frothy head.  Widmer describes W11-KGB as “Using roasted barley, chocolate malt, and Midnight Wheat, KGB has a color that is as dark as a torrid past, a body as full as a well kept dossier, and a taste as complex as a conspiracy theory. KGB boasts a deep, opaque black color. It has tremendous body and mouthfeel, achieved by the use of roasted barley and other specialty malts. A spicy hop character helps balance the beer out to create a rich and complex warmer.”  W11-KGB represents the style well and this is a nice sipping beer.

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.   

Sierra Nevada – Pale Ale & Glissade and Boulevard Nutcracker Ale

I consider Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale the standard bearer for the American Pale Ale style. Sierra Nevada is one of the oldest craft brewers in America and the Pale Ale should be tasted so one knows how the style should look, smell and taste. Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale has an ABV of 5.6% and an IBU of 37. I have had a number of these over the years and I had not had one in awhile and it was great to drink one again. Sierra Nevada describes Pale Ale as “Our most popular beer, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, is a delightful interpretation of a classic style. It has a deep amber color and an exceptionally full-bodied, complex character. Generous quantities of premium Cascade hops give the Pale Ale its fragrant bouquet and spicy flavor. “Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale is a very good beer and it should be used to understand the style and as a comparison with other American Pale Ales.

Glissade is a Golden Bock with an ABV of 6.4% and an IBU of 42. This one pours a golden yellow with a nice head and has nice malt sweetness with a balanced bitterness on the finish. This is a drinkable beer and Sierra Nevada describes Glissade as “With restrained sweetness, we emphasize subtle malt flavor, balanced against delicate aromas of spicy and floral European hops. This complex balance helps Glissade slide across the palate—bracing us against the last cold nights of winter, while its bright golden color turns our thoughts toward spring.” Sierra Nevada is one of my favorite brewers. They brew consistently good beer and they continue to try new recipes and styles. They took a gold at GABF this year with the 30th Anniversary Black Barleywine and I look forward to sampling this in the near future.

I did not know much of Boulevard and I think I had not tried any of the beer from this Kansas City brewer. Nutcracker Ale is a winter seasonal with an ABV of 5.8% and an IBU of 38. This is a tasty seasonal ale that pours a reddish-brown with a nice head. This has sweet caramel tastes with balanced bitterness from spicy and floral hops. Boulevard describes Nutcracker Ale as “Boulevard’s holiday gift for real beer lovers. This hearty, warming brew is a classic winter ale, deep amber in color, with hints of molasses balanced by the “spiciness” of freshly harvested Chinook hops.” The brewer added brown sugar and dark sugar, but it is not too sweet. This would go great with deserts and strong meat dishes. I look forward to sampling more from Boulevard.