Ska – Autumnal Mole Stout

Ska is based in Durango, CO and these guys started brewing home brew in high school.  The ended up going into the brewing business and they make some very tasty beers.  When I saw Autumnal Mole Stout (5.5% ABV) and was release at the Autumnal Equinox.  Mole Stout is brewed with peppers, cocoa and spices.

Chili Beer – http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/163 - BeerAdvocate

Appearance – Dark with a one-finger dark tan foamy head that receded quickly.  No light would get through this beer.

Aroma – There is a lot going here on the aroma side – peppers / chilies, chocolate, coffee / espresso, and subtle spices (cinnamon / nutmeg).

Taste – Very much like it smells and while there is some hesitation on my part for fear of a high Scoville rating, Mole Stout focuses on pepper / chili flavor and not heat – yes.  Chocolate, coffee, and spice are present too and make for a well-rounded beer.  Stout provides a perfect base for what Ska is doing.

Overall – A-  This is one of the best Chili Beers I have had.  It would be excellent to use in cooking and I think it would be a very good combination with Southwest cuisine. 

Commercial description – "The Autumnal Mole Stout is an ale brewed with cocoa nibs, spices and three varieties of chile peppers: Mulato, Ancho and Hatch green chiles, (also known as Anaheim Peppers.)"   Note – There was no description found on the website.

URL – http://www.skabrewing.com/

Ska – Ten Pin Porter

I had tried Nefarious Ten Pin Porter a couple of weeks ago and thought I should sample the base for Nefarious – Ten Pin Porter (5.5% ABV and 46 IBU).  Ska is based in Durango, CO and the boys from Ska very much enjoy Ska music, and they make really tasty beer.

American Porter - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/159 – BeerAdvocate

Appearance – Pours a very deep dark brown with ruby highlights and a nice one-finger head. 

Aroma – Mild coffee a bit of chocolate and roast malt – maybe a bit of spice from the hops / yeast. 

Taste – Very nice, a solid porter and it tastes just like it smells.  Very easy to drink

Overall – B+ - A very drinkable porter this one is very good.  Nefarious is a step up and the Ten Pin Porter provides a solid base for Nefarious.

Website description – “Rich, Raw and Robust.  Dark like motor oil on a Minnesota night, it rolls down your gullet like a calming stream full of rich and tasty malt.  Six different malts are combined to create this robust porter.  Perle and Willamette hops are added to fashion the perfect balance for which the Ten Pin is renowned.”

Ska Brewing Co.  – http://www.skabrewing.com/main.html

Ska – Nefarious Ten Pin Porter

Ska is based in Durango, CO and they make a number of different styles.  One that has been sitting in my beer-fridge for some time is Nefarious Ten Pin Porter (8% IBU and 60 IBU) that is an Imperial version of Ten Pin Porter.  I am very glad I selected it and now I have to replace it.  A nice touch, is the waxed bottle too.

Baltic Porter Description - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/80 - BeerAdvocate

Appearance – Black with no head poured into a globe glass.

Aroma – Dark fruits, chocolate, coffee and rich malts.

Taste – Very well balanced and this beer is a great example of this style – one of my favorites – as nothing is over the top.  One can detect sweetness that is nicely balanced by bitterness – the key is balance.  Then there are coffee, chocolate and dark fruit overtones of date and cheery.

Overall – A – Ska does a great job with Nefarious.  I am not sure if you will be a better bowler, but you’ll enjoy bowling if you have one of these.

Website description – "Nobody bowls better sober.  No one is suggesting you get drunk; merely stating the facts.  Our extra strong Imperial Porter will make you better at bowling.  King of the alley – this Imperial Porter reigns supreme.  Creamy, chocolaty sweet, with hints of coffee and bing cherries, the Nefarious is wickedly outrageous."

Ska Brewing Co. – http://www.skabrewing.com/main.html

Ska – Special ESB

Ska is a brewer that is located in Durango, Colorado and they are known for being an interesting group that likes to poke fun at the establishment.  They even made fun of Sam Calagione, owner of Dogfish Head Brewery, for his shows on the Discovery channel last year when they made a parody video.  Like the name, these guys enjoy Ska music and featured the Toasters in their parody video.  Not only do the boys from Ska like to have fun, they also brew some very beers.  I picked up Special ESB (5.7% ABV and 58 IBU) as part of a mixed six.  I have wanted to try this for some time and should have purchased some earlier.  Special ESB pours orange gold with a nice small-bubble, two-finger head.  This is a very nice beer with a firm malt background with notes of caramel and a little chocolate.  There is a good addition of hops that provide a well-balanced beer. This is another good beer from Ska.

Website description – “This English Special Bitter is our “Special Ale.”  Special because it was the second canned microbrew in the nation (after Dale’s Pale Ale).  Special because the Galena hops and pale ale malts create a crisp first sip, a hoppy tongue, and a malty sweet finish.  Though “bitter” is part of the name, “better” would be a more accurate term.  Fresh and lively, this canned beer suits the needs of any outdoor enthusiasts.  Like is says on the can: Fish, Luau, Golf, Raft, Toboggan.  Ska can!”

Ska - Mexican Logger

Ska’s Mexican Logger (4.2% ABV and 18 IBU) is a Mexican-style lager and should be considered a session beer due to the low ABV.  Mexican Logger pours clear and yellow with good carbonation and a lacey two-finger head.  On the label, the word Saaz is written that I am assuming is referring to the prominent hop variety used in Mexican Logger.  The Ska website plays Ska music, but it is not real easy to navigate.  The description is, “The perfect Mexican Lager.  Light and refreshing, it really hits the spot after a long day of brutal chainsaw work.  Soul Mates: Delicious with cream soups and green salads with cream dressings.”  This is not a bad beer and is better than the macro brews; however, I would make other selections from Ska.  Modus Hoperandi and Buster Nut Brown are my favorites from Ska.

Santa Fe Chicken Killer and Ska Natural Blonde Ale

Santa Fe Brewing offers a number of different styles and I wanted to try their Chicken Killer Barleywine (10% ABV).  It pours cloudy amber with little head, has a nice aroma, and tastes good.  It is not as hoppy as some of the barleywines I have had and there is an emphasis on malt sweetness.  The website describes Chicken Killer as “The flavors of the beer are at first as overwhelming as the intense Santa Fe sun. But in the same way our sun gives us the unrivaled brilliant colors of Santa Fe, the potency of Chicken Killer gives us the remarkable spectrum of flavors that can be found in no other beer, in no other city.”  Santa Fe is a great city to visit.  The next time we go to AZ I plan to stop in Santa Fe to eat some wonderful food at Maria’s and I’ll have to stop by the Santa Fe Brewery. 

Ska is a brewer based in Durango, Co and is known for craft beer in cans.  I really liked Modus Hoperandi at the Winter Brew Fest and I would like to try more offerings from Ska.  Natural Blonde Ale pours a clear straw yellow and has a large head – be careful pouring.  This is an American Blonde Ale (5.3% ABV) and has a slight citrus / lemon aroma and taste.  It is not a bad beer, but I will probably choose other offerings from Ska to try in the future.

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.   

Beers Before the Blog

2010 – Beers before the blog – Before I started this blog I had tried a number of other beers and they are listed below.  I thought I would do this to keep everything recorded and current.  The list below is listed in alphabetical order by Brewer.

Alaskan Brewing Company is a great regional craft brewer that I very much enjoy as I toured the brewery during a vacation in Juneau.  They are known for the Smoke Porter and the Amber and these are very good.  I recently tried the Barley Wine and it may now be my favorite from Alaskan.

-       Amber is an Alt-Style Ale with an ABV of 5.3% and an IBU of 18

-       White is a Wheat Ale with an ABV of 5.3% and an IBU of 15

-       Summer is Kolsch-Style Ale with an ABV of 5.3% and an IBU of 18

Avery is my favorite craft brewer and is based in Boulder, Co.  I have sampled the lineup that is available and I have enjoyed all of them.  I plan to visit the brewery / tap room early this year.  Ellie’s Brown Ale, the Maharaja, 17, White Rascal, Salvation and the Reverend are my favorites.  Avery is known for higher ABVs and the use of hops.

-       Hog Heaven is a Barley Wine with an ABV of 9.2% and an IBU of 104

-       The Reverend is a Belgian Quadrupel Ale with an ABV of 10% and an IBU of 10

-       Salvation is a Belgian-Style Golden Ale with an ABV of 9% and an IBU of 25

-       The Maharaja is an Imperial IPA with an ABV of 10.24% and an IBU of 102

-       The Kaiser is an Imperial Oktoberfest Lager with an ABV of 9.3% and an IBU of 24

-       Collaboration, not Litigation Ale with an ABV of 8.91%

Blue Moon is owned by Coors and I really like their Pumpkin Ale.

-       Harvest Moon is a Pumpkin Ale with an ABV of 5.7%

Boston Beer Company is a huge craft brewer famous for Sam Adams and has been instrumental in carrying the craft brew flag.

-       Honey Porter with and ABV of 5.5%

Breckenridge Brewery is a local craft brewery in Breckenridge Colorado and makes a number of styles and the 471 series is a small batch series with some interesting beers.  I purchased a 12 pack with 4 different styles and my favorite was Vanilla Porter.

-       Vanilla Porter with an ABV of 4.7% and an IBU of 16

-       Avalanche Ale is an American Amber Ale with an ABV of 5.3% and an IBU of 19

-       Summer Bright is an American Wheat Ale with Fruit with an ABV of 4.5% and an IBU of 15

-       Lucky U IPA with an ABV of 6.2% and an IBU of 68

Ft. Collins Brewery is a local craft brewer and I wanted to try the Chocolate Stout that took gold at this year’s GABF.

-       Chocolate Stout with an ABV of 4.8% and an IBU of 33

Grand Lake is a local craft brewery in Grand Lake Colorado and I purchased a six-pack with six different styles.  My favorite was Plaid Bastard.

-       Hoppy’s One Ton Pale Ale with an ABV of 5%

-       Wooley Booger Nut Brown Ale with an ABV of 5%

-       Plaid Bastard is a Strong Scotch Ale with an ABV of 8%

-       Stump Jumper IPA with an ABV of 5%

-       Rocky Mt. Red is an Amber Ale with an ABV of 5%

-       Shadow Mt. Stout with an ABV of 5%

Great Divide is a large craft brewer based in downtown Denver.  I have only tried a few beers from Great Divide and my plan is to sample their line through 2011.  

-       Titan is an IPA with an ABV of 7.1% and an IBU of 65.

Left Hand Brewing is a local craft brewer in Boulder, CO with a large number of styles.  I really like Milk Stout and the 2010 Fade to Black Series 2 Smoked Baltic Porter.

-       Polestar Pilsner with an ABV of 5.5% and an IBU of 33

-       Sawtooth is an American-Style ESB with an ABV of 5.3% and an IBU of 27

New Belgium Brewing Company is a very large craft brewer in Ft. Collins, Colorado that is best known for Fat Tire Amber Ale.  There are a number of offerings from New Belgium and their release of Ranger IPA was a big hit in 2010.  I really like Fat Tire (who doesn’t?), 1554, Abbey, and Ranger.  I recently tried Blue Paddle, Pilsener Lager, and it is another nice beer from New Belgium.

-       Fat Tire is an Amber Ale with an ABV of 5.2% and an IBU of 18.5

-       1554 is a Black Ale with an ABV of 5.6% and an IBU of 21

-       Abbey is a Belgian-Style Ale with an ABV of 7.0% and an IBU of 20

-       Ranger IPA with an ABV of 6.5% and an IBU of 70

-       Trippel is a Belgian-Style Ale of with an ABV of 7.8% and an IBU of 25

Red Hook is a regional craft brewer in Seattle best known for Red Hook ESB.  This was my go-to beer when I lived in Seattle and when I first moved to Denver, I kept asking for Red Hook and everyone always asked do you mean Fat Tire?  It will be interesting the next time I am in Seattle if I asked for a Fat Tire.

-       ESB is an Extra Special Bitter Ale with an ABV of 5.5% and an IBU of 13

Sierra Nevada is a large and excellent California craft brewer that makes a wide variety of styles.  They were one of the big stories in 2010 with the 30^th Anniversary series.  Tumbler is a very good brown ale.

-       Tumbler  is a seasonal Autumn Brown Ale with an ABV of 5.5% and an IBU of 37

-       Porter with an ABV of 5.6% and an IBU of 32

-       Stout with an ABV of 5.8% and an IBU of 50

Ska is a Durango, Colorado based craft brewer. I have only tried a few different styles from Ska and I need to try more.  I really liked Buster Nut Brown Ale.

-       Buster Nut Brown Ale with an ABV of 5.15% and an IBU of 29

Stone is a very good brewer based in Escondido, CA that is known for the Arrogant Bastard line of ales and for the use of copious amounts of hops.  I have not tried a beer from Stone that I have not enjoyed.  Your palate is in for a kick and these are great beers.

-       Arrogant Bastard with an ABV of 7.2% and an IBU of ??

-       Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale with an ABV of 8.7% and an IBU of 90

Twisted Pine is a local craft brewer that took home a silver medal in this year’s GABF with Big Shot Espresso Stout. This was a nice beer and had good coffee overtones and I thought would be actually great with breakfast.

A Dark Night - 2 Porters and 1 Stout

One great thing about Christmas is the good food and the associated leftovers.  Can one go wrong with  a dinner of leftovers that included– standing rib roast, baked potato, salad and pecan pie paired with Avery’s – New World Porter.  New World Porter has an ABV of 6.7% and IBU of 45.  This beer poured very dark, almost black, and had a nice creamy head.  This paired very nicely with the rib roast and the pecan pie.  Avery’s website describes New World Porter as “A traditional black porter, with a surprise twist - it's dry-hopped!!  We've expanded the porter category a bit, adding a delightful, dry hop aroma to blend with the sweet caramel and chocolate characteristics of a Robust Porter.”  It was nicely balanced and I will purchase it again.

I then tried Cutthroat Porter from Odell at an ABV of 5.1% and an IBU of 43 that pours very dark with a nice thick head.  This beer has won a number of awards over the years and I detected undertones of chocolate, smoke, and coffee.  It was interesting to have this beer after New World Porter as they are similar in style, color, and IBU; however, both have distinctive differences and both are very good.  Odell's website describes Cutthroat Porter as "Not quite a stout but definitely no lightweight, Cutthroat Porter is smooth and robust.  Inspired by the classic London porters, we use dark roasted malts to create a deep, rich color and flavor that hint at chocolate and coffee.  We named it Cutthroat Porter as our tribute to the Colorado state fish - with its own heritage and unmistakable dark coloring.  And while we're big fans of small batches, here's to the currently threatened Cutthroat population reaching mass quantities."  I would purchase Cutthroat Porter again. 

Ska’s Steel Toe Stout has an ABV of 5.4 % and IBU of 29 and Ska describes Steel Toe as “Milk Meets Its Maker.  It’s as though a cow stared into the face of God and as God told it the meaning of life we grabbed its udders and squeezed out a bucket.  This traditional English Cream Stout is brewed with actual milk sugar to create a creamy and sweet brew.  Jet-black in color, the latte frothy head will make you moo for more.”  I would love to try this with some chocolates and compare it to Left Hand’s Milk Stout.

Christmas / Winter Ales

I picked up three Christmas Ales / Winter Ales for Christmas dinner and the evening.  First up was Sierra Nevada - Celebration Ale with an ABV of 6.8% and IBU of 65.  This was a nice ale to enjoy with dinner of a standing rib roast (prime rib with the bone) as it cut through the fat and the malt blended well with the rib.  I also thought this went well with the pecan pie.  Sierra Nevada describes Celebration Ale as "The long, cold nights of winter are a little brighter with Celebration^® Ale. Wonderfully robust and rich, Celebration^® Ale is dry-hopped for a lively, intense aroma. Brewed especially for the holidays, it is perfect for a festive gathering or for a quiet evening at home."  Celebration Ale has won a number of awards and this is a nice brew.

Next up was 2 Degrees Below by New Belgium with an ABV of 6.6% and IBU of 32.  I probably should have had this one first as the lower IBU after the Celebration Ale made this beer a "let-down" for me.  It is not a bad beer, but I was expecting a little more kick.  New Belgium describes 2 Degrees Below as "Pull on your wool socks and crack open a 2° Below Ale. This tasty winter warmer started life as a small batch beer brewed for the Al Johnson Uphill Downhill a telemark ski race in Crested Butte, Colorado. The Uphill Downhill celebrates the exploits of Al Johnson, letter carrier extraordinaire, who delivered mail by ski in the late 1800 s. Dry hopping during fermentation creates a floral nose with a hint of pepper and spicy, subtle undertones. 2° Below provides a bright, hoppy palate and a cheery warm afterglow. "  I did not find this beer hoppy at all - probably because of the higher hopped Celebration Ale.

The last tasting of the evening was Ska's Euphoria Ale at ABV of 6.1% and IBU of ??.  This is a nice ale and I appreciated more hops / bitterness after the 2 Degrees Below.   This one poured a nice golden brown with a head that quickly receded.  Nice aroma from the hops and this was a nice beer.  I think the best of the evening.  I am a fan of craft beer in cans and I think the cans keep the beer in better condition than bottles.  Ska describes Euphoria as an IPA, but lists pale ale on the can and the Ska description states -  “This seasonal beer is brewed in the Do It Yourself (DIY) spirit along with our friends from Bayfield at the Venture Snowboard Factory. An India Pale Ale, the Euphoria is crafted with piles and piles of Golding hops to provide a unique spicy finish. Great for after hitting the slopes. Anarchic enlightenment: (1) Brewed in strict accordance to D.I.Y. methodology, the beer of choice for epic powder days. (2) brewed and bottled by Ska Brewing Company, Durango Colorado using the finest hops, yeast, malted barley and San Juan waters.”  I like this beer and I would purchase it again.