Ovila Abbey Saison – 7.5% ABV

This is the second collaboration brew between Sierra Nevada and the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux. Brewed with Mandarin oranges from the Abbey and peppercorns, Sierra Nevada has created a unique farmhouse ale.  Orange in the nose and taste, peppery spice on the back palate, a biscuity background maltiness, and a very smooth well-carbonated mouth feel.

The brew is made with an interesting combination of Belgian yeast, Sierra Nevada’s own barley, and a pound of oranges per barrel. It’s finished with 3 different hop varieties which add even more complexity to the aroma and flavor. The Belgian yeast gives the beer a dry finish, but the mix of flavors from the oranges, peppercorns and hops are what stand out in this beer. Please sir, can I have another.

The Bollocks – 12% ABV

The Bollocks is a big Imperial IPA from Brash Brewing of Massachusetts. Bollocks is a real Imperial IPA with 110 IBU’s and 12% alcohol. There are hops in the nose, hops in the flavor, and a good heavy bittering throughout. Hop-lovers and hop-heads take note, this brew is for you. 

If the above isn’t enough to excite you, there’s more. This is a really well-made, well-balanced Imperial IPA. The beer looks good with a clear orange body, a happy white head, and serious lacing on your glass.  The taste is very hoppy and bittered, but well balanced with a solid malt body. There is some heat from the alcohol, but no noticeable alcohol flavor or aroma.

Have a couple of these with your beer-loving friends and you’ll have a fine evening of talking bollocks.

Vielle Artisanal Saison - 4.2% ABV

Looking for a refreshing brew for a hot day, or after a hard workout? Crooked Stave has one for you. Their new Vielle Artisanal Saison is low alcohol, but tasty and refreshing. 

Saison was developed as a summer beer for Belgian farmworkers. This saison has a lovely light nose of lemongrass, banana, clove, and fresh bread.   Color is a cloudy blonde with a white head.  Flavor follows the nose with some additional grassiness, wheat, and hop notes.

Crooked Stave is using large oak fermentation vessels, called foeders.  In this saison, fermenting in oak produced some dry white wine character with light oak accents. The body is on the light-side of medium, with moderate carbonation, and a crisp, lightly tart finish.

Fort Collins Brewing has released a new Spring-Fall seasonal, Hoptitude. This new brew is an Extra Pale Ale, meaning higher alcohol and more hops than a pale ale, but not as hoppy as an IPA.

The late addition of Pacifica hops from New Zealand provides a pleasantly different hop nose of orange peel and graham cracker. Hoptitude has a restrained bitterness that compliments well-blended malt and hop flavors. There is a bready malt body with citrus, pine, and grass accents from the hops. With a brew that exhibits some of the characteristics of both German lagers and classic British ales, FCB has created a very nice beer for the warmer weather. Crisp, clean, and refreshing, Hoptitude is very easy to drink and enjoy.

19th Anniversary Ale – 10.2% ABV

Great Divide describes their 19^Th Anniversary Ale as brewed with pure birch syrup and aged on birch wood. Since I’m clueless about the taste of either birch syrup or birch wood, I opened this bottle with no expectations.
What I found was a delightful Belgian-style Strong Golden Ale similar to Piraat or Delirium Tremens. This ale pours with a creamy white head, a clear gold honey color, and lots of Belgian lace. The nose is fruity esters and earthiness.  Flavor is buttery, apple, apricot, spice and pepper. There is an underlying sweetness balanced nicely with moderate hop bitterness. 19^th Anniversary is full bodied with a creamy texture and lively carbonation. It’s very smooth drinking and leaves pleasant alcohol warmth.
Bring on the moules-frites, and I’m willing to spend the entire evening laughing with friends and enjoying this fine ale.

First Cast IPA – 6.5% IPA

First Cast was designed to be an easy-drinking everyday brew for craft beer lovers. A beer you can drink by itself or as a hoppy compliment to food.

Elevation used Zythos, a new blend of flavor/aroma hops in First Cast. Zythos was blended for IPA’s and hoppy American pale ales, so along with a smooth bitterness there is a tasty combination of citrus, tropical, pine, and spice flavors. There are nice touches of caramel and fresh bread from the malt, and an occasional sweet note on the finish. With a well-carbonated medium body, First Cast is smooth and refreshing, with well-bittered finish. Elevation has produced a fine brew that is very friendly and easy to get along with.

Dogfish has announced that Burton Baton, formerly a seasonal, will now be available year-round. Burton Baton is made by blending 2 batches of beer, an English-style old ale and an imperial IPA, into a large oak tank, where it is aged for 30 days. The result is a full-flavored brew that is more barley wine than IPA.

BB pours an attractive clear amber with an aroma that is restrained but inviting. There are citrus notes from dry-hopping, lots of malt, and vanilla from the oak. A combination of English and American hops provide pleasant bittering and intriguing hop flavors, but it’s the toffee tinged with vanilla and oak that drives the flavor. BB is medium bodied, smooth on the palate, with a lingering finish.

With the big malt body and high alcohol, Burton Baton is a good choice for cellaring. As it ages, the complexity from oak hops and malt should continue to improve an already satisfying brew.

Red Chili Porter – 7.0% ABV

Colorado brewers have become so creative that wonderful surprises are almost routine.   Eddyline Brewing in Buena Vista began in 2009, and now has a good line-up of high quality craft brews. Inner Glow Red Chile Porter is one of their most interesting creations.

Inner Glow is made with dark roast malts, cherrywood-smoked malt, New Mexico red chilies, and enough hops to give it balance and nuanced flavors.  Eddyline calls Inner Glow a robust porter, but it’s more a full-bodied stout with a creamy mouth feel, a rich flavor of caramel and roast coffee, some light smoke and chili, and subtle hop flavors.  Lingering after each drink of cool refreshing stout is a bit of chili capsaicin heat that stays on the palate. The surprise is that the heat goes well with the coolness of the beer, achieving a pleasing contrast.  One of the better chili beers I have ever tasted.

Bruery’s Mischief is a Belgian strong ale style, dry-hopped with American hops.  The result is a brew that will pair with food ranging from French haute cuisine to a burger & fries, or enjoyable as a session beer.

Bottle conditioning brings a hazy gold color with a fluffy meringue head. A crisp dryness is enhanced by effervescent carbonation to produce a pleasing drinkability. The aroma and taste of Mischief is made of intriguing subtleties that tease the palate and nose - a bit of hop bitterness and flavor, brett sour notes, fruitiness of melon and lemons, a touch of vanilla, a dash of clove. My compliments to the chef.

Mischief is strong American take on a classic Belgian style. There are reminders of Duvel but with interesting differences. An admirable part of The Bruery collection.

If you think Return of the King is a hobbit movie, think again. To the big-beer hop lovers of Colorado, it’s when Avery Brewing releases a new batch of The Maharajah. Copious quantities of malt and hops go into the brewing of Maharajah, and those ingredients are all there for the beer-drinker’s pleasure.  This is a BIG beer. It’s got a grand aroma, gigantic flavor, huge alcohol, and monumental enjoyment. I think my glass even feels heavier when I’m drinking Maharajah, 

Pours a hazy deep orange with fine white head.  Maharajah is dry hopped with Simcoe and Centennial producing an aroma of resiny pine, grapefruit, tangerine, alcohol, and a bit of biscuity malt. This beer is smooth with a creamy body that enhances its drinkability.

The taste of Maharajah is kaleidoscopic in that its flavors are always present but change proportion as the beer warms. There is a strong malt backbone with good use of Victory malt to add a nice toasted nut flavor. The sweetness from the malt provides a canvas for the hop flavors. Alcohol is present but overwhelmed by the hop flavors of grapefruit, tangerine, pine needles, orange, and peach. From beginning to end, The Maharajah delivers big flavor and big pleasure.