So, if you’re really, really observant. Then you’ll notice that I added a link called “The Beer List” over at the side of the blog (or you read this post, either or).
Anyways, more than likely, it’s new to you. This post is here to explain it.
One thing I’m sure you’ve noticed is that I talk about beer on this blog, a lot. Be it a dedicated “Beer Blurb” or a beer blurb that is inserted into a larger post. Either way, there is a lot of discussion of beer going on.
The weakness in covering beer one by one is that it leads to a bunch of isolated discussions. Sure, you can click on the “beer blurb” tag and see the posts, however, I felt like this method was lacking something. Namely, a centralized list of all the beer I had tried. And so the idea for The Beer List was born. It’s actually kind of funny, I’ve been meaning to write the introductory Beer List post since April 12. However, life being life, a lot of things got in the way. In fact, there were a lot of posts I wanted to get done before Denver that ended up not getting finished until I was leaving. This post is the final “planned” post of that group of posts I’ve been thinking about.
But enough about that, on to The Beer List itself.
So what is The Beer List? Well, it’s kind of self-explanatory. It’s a list about beer. More specifically, it’s a list of all the beer I’ve consumed. Yes, quite a task. In fact, I’m going to go on the record before the list has even been created and say that it will never be complete and it will never be fully retroactively accurate. I’ve simply had too many beers over the years to remember them all, and even those that I do remember might not get added to the list for no other reason than I forget to actually add them. Likewise, beers that I am currently drinking might not get added because I’m busy. All this is to say, that The Beer List is a work in progress. The goal isn’t really to complete, but rather to simple record.
So the way the list will work, is that I’ll start an alphabetical list of beer I’ve had. The beer will be listed with its name and brewery. If the beer has a link, it will be linked to a beer blurb post on this blog where I discuss the beer. I’m not going to just link to Beer Advocate (though I will continue to do so within specific posts) because that is less fun than me talking about it. However, if there is a beer I’ve had, yet haven’t discussed in a post on Dinosaur Bear, it will still be added to the list, there will just be no link until I do discuss it and/or post a picture of it. Pretty straightforward!
If there is a number in brackets after a beer (e.g. [2], [3], etc.) it means there is an additional review for that beer. This won’t happen too often, but it might in instances such as when I try a beer in a bottle and then a can, or in a bottle and then on tap, or straight from the brewery, etc. Generally beers are different enough in such formats to warrant a second look.
So, without further ado, let’s talk about a few beers which will be the inaugural brews on the list. The good news is that since I was very slow on getting this post done, there are even a couple of Denver beers!
1 – Samuel Adams Summer Ale – Boston Beer Company
I’ve been meaning to discuss this one for a bit now. As SB and I have been on a bit of a summer beer kick, this was a natural selection given our geographic location. Samuel Adams Summer Ale is a wheat beer and it comes out of the gate with a lemon zest typical of summer brews, but it also has an interesting grain flavor. There also seems to be a better of a “pepper-like” ingredient in the spices, which makes for a zingy, yet refreshing beer. While this is a good summer wheat, its fairly par for the course for a Samuel Adams offering and for summer beers in general, though the pepper spice is worth a mention. The 5.3% ABV balances nicely with the spicy tones as well.
2 – Summerfest Lager – Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Sierra Nevada is a good brewery, especially considering how “macro” it is at this point. So when I discovered that they had a summer beer, I was excited to try it. SB actually gets props on this one, she brought home the six-pack as a surprise for Tristen. This lager has a great color with a near pilsner-like foam. Definitely has all the citrus tones you would expect from a summer brew, but there is a nice blend of hops that show through as well, which is actually pleasantly surprising given that this is a lager. The low ABV (5%) coupled with a crisp carbonation make this a refreshing choice.
3 – Scrimshaw Pilsner – North Coast Brewing Company
This was the first of the three “random” beers I picked up at Broadway. Originally I was going to get a mix-a-six, but decided to go with a mix-a-three to save money (plus we still had some of the Sierra Nevada Summerfests in the refrigerator). I chose the Scrimshaw because I hadn’t had anything from the brewery before and because I liked the label (advertising pays off – see this post for a similar experience). This pilsner is little darker than one would expect, that when paired with the crisp body makes for an interesting and frothy pour. The flavors are also on point, in fact there is almost an earthy, cracker like undertone to the mouthfeel. The contrast between the darker tone, refreshing yet grainy flavor, and the light mouthfeel that goes with the 4.4% ABV make this a beer worth trying.
4 – Summer Love – Victory Brewing Company
Like Scrimshaw, I bought this one because I hadn’t had any of the breweries offerings before. While the label wasn’t as appealing, I thought the name of the brewery “Victory” was kind of cool, and reminded me of something from the WWI/II era. Summer Love, if it wasn’t obvious, is a summer ale. Its different approach apparently lie in the German malts that are added to the hops, which elevates the ABV ever so slightly up to 5.2% ABV. The flavor comes from North American flowers, which when combined with the German malts give this a rather unique flavor for a summer ale. The more subtle citrus flavors are surprising for a summer beer, so this is cool take on the normal summer recipe.
5 – Modus Hoperandi – Ska Brewing Co.
My first beer in Denver, Modus Hoperandi – coming from Durango, Colorado, was an IPA, go figure! It was also in a can, which might not have been what you were expecting, but it was free, and free beer is free beer. Aside from the cool name, this is actually a really good beer – and I don’t just mean good beer from a can, I mean this is a good beer in general. Clocking in at 6.8% ABV, this amber-colored IPA is strong in both flavor and body. At 65 IBUs its also got most of the hops you would expect from an IPA of that ABV. There is lot going on in this brew, from the musky pine start to the smooth hop finish. Its a well balanced, yet highly complex IPA. I’ll have to try more of them to pick up on all the flavors. Definitely a recommended IPA, don’t let the can stop you.
6 – Lucky U IPA – Breckenridge Brewery
My second Colorado beer – also an IPA, which I just now realized – comes from right here in Denver. Lucky U, which obviously plays to the horse theme Colorado has going (the horseshoe makes the “U” in case you are really slow 😛 ), is a 68 IBU brew with 6.2% ABV. There seem to be a lot of different hop strands in this beer, and the caramel and wheat malts don’t perfectly blend with each of the hop tones. The result is that the malt shines through more than the hops, which is odd for an IPA. It’s not a bad flavor by any means, it just doesn’t fit the typical IPA bill. It’s still a worthwhile beer though, if for no other reason than that it is a unique twist on a baseline IPA.
And there we go. 6 new beers reviewed, and 6 inaugural beers added to The Beer List.
So head on over to the list if you want to see what it looks like. For now, it’s list containing the same exact 6 beers you just read about. But like I said, its work in progress. 😛 It will continue to grow as I write more beer blurbs, retroactively add beers – either from this blog or before it – and as I have the time to work on it! In the end, it will be a nice reference point to keep track of all my beers.
By and large, I would not expect it to progress a whole lot while I am in Denver. [Crossed out text in June, 2016 – Denver has sort of came and went 😛 ]
Also, if you know there is a beer I’ve had but it isn’t on the list, always feel free to tell me by commenting on this post, or any other beer related post!
Until next time,
-Taco