Odell - Saboteur

Saboteur from Odell Brewing that is based in Ft. Collins, CO, made Draft Magazine’s “25 Beers of the Year”.  I had been looking for Saboteur for some time as a few of the larger stores were out of it.  I stopped by a smaller carry-out and they had six bottles left.  Saboteur is a Speciality Ale that does not fall into any distinct style.  The base style is an English-style Brown Ale that Odell then ages in oak barrels previously used for the Woodcut Series, and then injects in brettanomyces yeast for a secondary fermentation.  Brettanomyces is the bane of wineries and they go to great extremes to insure brettanomyces never is allowed in.  However, many craft brewers have embraced brettanomyces as it transforms beer into a funky aroma and taste experience.  This one pours a cloudy brown with a nice one-finger head that quickly recedes.  This is a sipping beer at 10% ABV, with taste of brown ale, tartness from the brettanomyces, vanilla and hints of cherries.  Some note a taste of pineapple, but I did not pick this up.  Odell describes Saboteur as "Our brewer's created an unpretentious, yet sophisticated brown ale.  They they plotted, and dosed this full-bodied ale with brettanomyces, the ultimate adversary of wineries.  Embracing this vitner's nemesis resulted in a complex and wonderfully drinkable beer.  Intense earthy undertones, and notes of vanilla and pineapple come together with a sour silhouette.  Aged in American oak barrels."  I will need to head back to see if any are left.  I would like to cellar a couple of bottles for special occasions and this one should cellar very nicely.

Stone IPA

Stone Brewing in Escondido, CA is known for pushing the boundaries and they have a great product line-up.  I have tried a number of beers from Stone and purchased a 6er of IPA.  Stone IPA has an ABV of 6.9% with an IBU of 77.  This one pours a gold / light orange and has a nice head.  There is a nice hop aroma and bitterness in the taste.  The hops are from the NW and this has a nice citrus aroma and grapefruit taste.  Stone describes their IPA as “An "India Pale Ale" by definition is highly hopped and high in alcohol - you'll find our Stone India Pale Ale to be true to style with a huge hop aroma, flavor and bitterness throughout. If you're a hop-head like us, then you'll love our Stone India Pale Ale! Medium malt character with a heavy dose of over the top hops! Generous "dry hopping" gives this beer its abundant hop aroma and crisp hop flavor.” There are a number of good craft brewers and there are a few great ones.  Stone is one of the great ones.  The next time I am in San Diego, I will stop by the Stone Bistro to sample the excellent beer and the wonderful food.  I have liked everything from Stone that I have sampled.

Great Divide - Belgica

Belgica, a Belgian-Style IPA, from Great Divide has an ABV of 7.2%.  This one pours a crystal clear gold and has a nice fluffy head that takes some time to recede.  Be careful pouring as you can pour a large head on this.  The carbonation is incredible and I think it bubbled the entire time in the glass.  The words on the label are “Singular” and “Ebullient”, which means boiling or agitated (for liquid or matter) or cheerful and full of energy.  I can see with the carbonation, head, and taste where both definitions fit the descriptors.  Great Divide describes Belgica as “The Roman name for the Low Counties - is a marriage of the best in American and Belgian brewing traditions. Belgian pilsner malt, a generous amount of American and European hops and a unique Belgian yeast strain combine to give Belgica big notes of citrus and spice, creating a lively concoction perfect for spring in the Rockies - or the Ardennes.”  This is a nice beer and I can taste the Belgian influence as the Belgian yeast strain provides a “Belgian” taste to the beer.  This is a drinkable beer with a very low level of bitterness, but the bitterness is there and makes is distinct and different from a Belgian Golden Ale.

Great Divide - Titan and Hades

Great Divide’s Titan is an India Pale Ale with an ABV of 7.1% and is a very good IPA.  I am not sure if this is the flagship brew from Great Divide, but it has to be one of the top sellers.  It pours a golden amber with a large and nice head.  This one has a nice hop aroma of pine and citrus and is nicely balanced for my palate.  I take in the nice malt sweetness and then have a balance with the bitterness of the hops.  Great Divide describes Titan as a “big, aggressively hopped India Pale Ale brewed for hop disciples. It starts out with piney hop aromas and citrus hop flavors, and finishes with a nice rich, malty sweetness that is balanced with crisp hop bitterness.”  The descriptors on the label are “Assertive” and “Aromatic” and if you want to know what to expect with a beer from Great Divide, just look at the label.  I appreciate the accurate description’s Great Divide provides on the label of their products. 

Hades from Great Divide is a Belgian-Style Ale with an ABV of 7.8%.  This one pours a clear gold / straw color that reminds me of the color of Pilsner.  This is another nice beer from Great Divide and you can definitely taste the Belgian yeast in this Belgian inspired beer.  The label descriptors are “Golden” and “Spirited” and Hades has a good balance with a little more hops than classic Belgian ale.  The description of Hades is “a Belgian-Style golden ale brewed with a rare Belgian yeast strain that gives a complex spicy flavor and aroma. Noticeable hops and medium malt character make it a very well balanced, crisp ale.”  I am very much enjoying my samplings from Great Divide. 

German Lagers and Wild Raspberry Ale

Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel has an ABV of 5% and pours a nice dark tan with a head that quickly recedes.  This was poured in a Bavarian-sytle Pilsner glass.  Ayinger is a brewer in Bavaria and is close to Munich.  Altbairisch Dunkel translates to "Old Bavarian Dark Beer." [and] This is the most traditional style of beer in Bavaria.”  I enjoyed with roasted pork tenderloin, roasted potato, and a salad.  This is a great beer to have with food and it paired nice with the pork and potatoes.  I think it would go great with sausage and any German food for that matter.  While I typically pick ales, I wanted to sample some German lagers.  Lagers have a different taste profile compared to the ales and I am sure it is due to the different yeast used in the brewing process.  The German beers I sampled also were lightly hopped, with just enough to balance the sweetness of the malt.

Paulaner is based in Munchen, Germany and Salvator is a Doppelbock with an ABV of 7.9%.  This is a nice beer that pours an orange / tan with a head that quickly recedes.  This was poured in a Bavarian-sytle Pilsner glass.  The taste emphasis is malt and with hints of dark fruit, chocolate, and smoke.  Paulaner Salvator is known as the beer that represents Doppelbock I enjoyed it.  Paulaner’s website describes Salvator as “The Paulaner monks used to drink Salvator as a food substitute during Lent” and since beer is “liquid bread” it makes since the monks would brew and drink Salvator during Lent.

Great Divide’s Wild Raspberry Ale has an ABV of 5.6% and is a raspberry infused ale.  I am not a big fan of fruit beer, but I appreciate Great Divide making this beer for people who do enjoy fruit beers.  I poured this into a no-nick pint glass and it was clear with a pink hue, which has to be attributed to the black and red raspberries used in this beer.  It has a nice head and you can easily pick up raspberry in the aroma.  Great Divide uses descriptors of “Flavorful” and “Refreshing” on the label and the website states, “Wild Raspberry Ale is a unique, thirst-quenching ale fermented with real red and black raspberries. Its balance of malt and fruit flavors make it a beer lover’s fruit beer.”  This beer has won a few awards and I think it would compliment a chocolate desert with raspberry sauce nicely.

Great Divide - Denver Pale Ale

Denver Pale Ale is Great Divide Brewing Company's English-Style Pale Ale and has an ABV of 5.4% and an unknown IBU.  This one pours a crystal clear light amber / gold with great carbonation and wonderful effervescent bubbles visible in the no-nick pint glass.  I know these are traditional served in a shaker pint, but I prefer the no-nick pint glass.  DPA has a very nice aroma and nice malt taste with low bitterness as with the English-Style vs. American-Style Pale Ale.  This is beer is very quaffable and with the lower ABV, I would categorize this as a session beer.  Great Divide describes DPA as “a world-renowned, classic pale ale with a malty middle and an equally hearty complement of hop aroma, flavor and bitterness. “  The words “Brilliant” and “Balanced” are on the sides of the label and I like how Great Divide uses these descriptors on each of their beers.  It gives the buyer an idea of what they are buying because Great Divide is very accurate with these descriptors.  Great Divide is another excellent brewer in Colorado.  This beer along with many others has won a number of awards over the years, and I look forward to sampling more from Great Divide.

Sierra Nevada - Hoptimum

Sierra Nevada’s Hoptimum is a “whole cone” Imperial IPA with an ABV of 10.4% and an IBU of 100.  I knew I would be in for a “hop-bomb” and I was looking forward to it.  This one poured a beautiful light amber with a nice head.  Be careful as you pour because it is very easy to pour a huge head with this beer.  Hoptimum is crystal clear when holding up to a light with bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass - very nice eye appeal.  Aroma is excellent with nice grapefruit and pine/resin.  The taste was hop-forward, but I thought it was a nice balance and the grapefruit / tropical fruit notes had a very nice dry finish.  Sierra Nevada’s website describes “Hoptimum as “A group of hop-heads and publicans challenged our Beer Camp brewers to push the extremes of whole-cone hop brewing. The result is this: a 100 IBU, whole-cone hurricane of flavor. Simply put —Hoptimum: the biggest whole-cone IPA we have ever produced. Aggressively hopped, dry-hopped, AND torpedoed with our exclusive new hop varieties for ultra-intense flavors and aromas. Resinous "new-school" and exclusive hop varieties carry the bold and aromatic nose. The flavor follows the aroma with layers of aggressive hoppiness, featuring notes of grapefruit rind, rose, lilac, cedar, and tropical fruit—all culminating in a dry and lasting finish.”  This is a great beer and if you like IPAs and consider yourself a “hop-head”, go buy this limited run.  I think that Sierra Nevada should add this to their year-round collection.