Colorado has been called the Napa Valley of beer, and with good reason: Beers from our fair state frequently top the podium at national and international competitions, and a new brewery or pub seems to open with each passing month. The holidays offer breweries a chance to make a beer specialized for drinking during the colder months; here is a sample of some of the seasonal brews offered by area breweries.
TWISTED PINE
Name: Old Jubilation Ale
Style: English Strong Ale
Flavor: Made with bullion hops and a variety of malts. A hint of hazelnuts and a finish reminiscent of mocha and toffee. Cellarable for two years.
Alcohol: 8 percent
Availability: Seasonal, September through December.; six-packs, cases, kegs
Name: The Czar Imperial Stout
Style: Imperial Stout
Flavor: Made with many malts, including tworow barley, black, chocolate and honey malt. Flavors of English toffee, rich mocha, sweet molasses, candied currants and a hint of anise. Cellar additional bottles, as the Czar continues to mature with age.
Alcohol: 11.03 percent
Availability: Seasonal, November through February; 22-ounce bombers or kegs
Name: Northstar Imperial Porter
Style: Imperial Porter
Flavor: A deep, robust ale that has a full-bodied chocolate malty flavor with steady sweetness and a slight warming sensation. It pours black with a creamy brown head. Cellarable for five-plus years.
Alcohol: 10.5 percent
Availability: kegs, bombers
Note: Won silver at World Beer Cup ’06, bronze at Colorado State Fair ‘08, gold at Colorado State Fair 2010.
BOULDER BEER
Name: Neversummer Ale
Style: Ale
Flavor: An aggressive winter warmer, it is a deep ruby-red color and is brewed with dark caramel malts. It is assertively hot.
Alcohol: 6 percent
Availability: Six-pack
Note: Debuted in 2004. Won two World Beer Cup medals, gold and silver, as best strong ale in the world.
Name: Obovoid Oak-Aged Oatmeal Stout
Style: Oatmeal Stout
Flavor: Less hoppy, more traditional stout, creamy off-white color head. Aged on oak chips, has just a hint of vanilla flavor to it.
Alcohol: 6.8 percent
Availability: 22-ounce bottle
Name: Killer Penguin
Style: Barleywine style ale
Flavor: Very malty, subtle hops characteristics
Alcohol: More than 10 percent
Availability: Only at select liquor stores and at the brewery. In 22-ounce bottles as well. Each bottle hand-dipped in wax.
WALNUT BREWERY
Name: Mountain Rescue Ale
Style: Belgian Style Double
Flavor: Fruity and dry. A little spicy, with hints of raisin.
Alcohol: 6.5 percent
Availability: On tap at Walnut Brewery
Note: Sales raise money for the Mountain Rescue Group. On sale for at least another few weeks.
Name: Old Thumper Barleywine
Flavor: Malty, sweet. Real fruity, ages for a year. Not as hoppy as American barley wines. It’s warm, sweet malts and a lot of alcohol.
Alcohol: 10.1 percent
Availability: On tap at Walnut Brewery
Note: Might not be available after New Year’s Eve.
NEW BELGIUM Name: Frambozen
Style: Raspberry Brown Ale
Flavor: Delicate notes of cranberry not overpowered by the taste of the ale.
Alcohol: 6.7 percent
Availability: Six-packs
Name: 2%uFFFD Below
Style: Winter Ale
Flavor: Rosy, floral nose with a hint of pepper spice and subtle, ester-y overtones.
Alcohol: 6.6 percent
Availability: Six-packs
ODELL BREWING CO.
Name: Isolation Ale
Style: Ale
Flavor: Brewed with premium English malts, this toasty brew boasts a slightly sweet spiciness balanced by a clean, crisp hop presence. The rich amber color is enhanced by a frothy snow-capped head and delivers a warm and smooth finish.
Alcohol: 6 percent
Availability: Six-packs
Name: Avant Peche
Style: Imperial porter
Flavor: A classic Imperial Porter aged in oak barrels with Colorado peaches and wild yeasts. The blend marries bold, roasted chocolate malt flavor with a subtle peach essence.
Alcohol: 9.5 percent
Availability: 750-milliliter bottles
AVERY BREWING COMPANY
Name: Mephistopheles’ Stout
Style: Stout
Flavor: Mephistopheles
is a crafty shape shifter. Amazingly complex, velvety and liqueurish,
this demon has a bouquet of vine-ripened grapes, anise and
chocolate-covered cherries, with flavors of rum-soaked, caramelized dark
fruits and a double-espresso finish.
Alcohol: 15.1 percent
Availability: One vintage brewed and bottled Dec. 1 of each year; 12-ounce single bottles.
Note: Mephistopheles is the final installment of “The Demons of Ale” series.
