River North Brewery, Denver

River North Brewery, visited on 3/10/12  (http://www.rivernorthbrewery.com/)

We had wanted to stop at River North Brewery a few weeks back when we hit up Strange and DBC, but that was their opening day and it was nuts to butts in there when we drove by. The location of River North Brewery is fantastic, and walkable to Great Divide and Breckenridge Brewery, as well as the Sandlot brewery attached to Coors Field. What I'm saying is that you can hit up 4-5 great places to pound dank beers within a 6-8 block radius downtown. If that doesn't cut it for you, Falling Rock Taphouse is right there too.

The little brewpub on Blake, aside from being a kick-ass location for this Saturday's St. Paddy's Day parade, is quaint and simple. If I lived across the street at Ballpark Lofts, I'd be here almost daily. The bar area is small with some tables spread about...enough room for 25-30 people comfortably. I was a little hazy at this point in our day, but it looks like the glass windows to the right of the bar display what appears to be a HUGE brewing space, with tanks and other production devices posted up in ample room and high ceilings. There is no food served here except bags of chips for .50 cents, but there was a little food vendor set up outside. I think they were serving burritos. Again, another great place to pre-game before Rox games. Here's what we got in to:

RNB samplers...yum.

Hypothesis Belgian Double IPA - 9.0%abv; 130ibus; after doing some very preliminary research, I knew this was the first and only pint I needed to order here...and yes, you read that right: 130 ibus!; I think this is the highest claimed amount of IBUs I've ever drank in a beer; some folks in our party say the beer has a distinct anise flavor...I say it smells like heaven; the color is bright and solid amber; no head and light non-consistent lacing; the nose is like a grapefruit slap in the face; amazingly, this beer doesn't taste as boozy as 9%abv; I'm a huge fan of this beer...kudos for aggressive experimentation.

We got the sampler (picture above), with the Hypothesis the one second from the back (not the light color #2, the opposite side in the row that is dark amber). My Hypothesis pint got finished before I would try anything else they made. The black IPA (foreground front) is almost everyone's favorite; the River North White is ok; Marie Saison is good with good alcohol content and a solid balance; the Belgian Style Red is also balanced and sessionable. Good beers that will certainly evolve over time. We dug the space and the beers were impressive given the brewery's short history. Good work River North! 

Great Divide, Denver

Great Divide Brewing, visited 3/10/12  (http://greatdivide.com/)

A first stop on another mini brewery tour for Holly's brother's birthday. I've been to Great Divide a few times in the past, the last time in the summer of 2010 for Kyle Hollingsworth's Brewfest. I love the brewery and I love the beer. The venue is in a great downtown location, and while no food was present or served, a tasty looking food truck was posted up out front serving up around 7 different kinds of gourmet-ish looking sliders. The entry bar room is a little tight, but the bigger beer room in the back has plenty of space and great seating. This room is also exposed to the huge windows through the brewery room itself. The sun was shining through on a gorgeous and warm Saturday afternoon. Here's what we tried:

Hercules Double IPA - 10%abv; unknown ibus; love this in a bottle and on draft; pre-conceived notions of flavor; light head; significant lacing; exceptional bitter citrus on the nose; light lemon grapefruit notes too; the beer is very hop-forward, but retains good beer balance; a little nutty malted flavor here; easy on the mouth; could drink this all day; one of the boozier beers that hides his ABV content extremely well.

Espresso Oak Aged Yeti - 9.5%abv; good head...1/4 inch of brown foam; dark chocolate in color; good cocoa, coffee and even vanilla hints in the nose; very well-balanced; love the espresso overtones; after trying the Belgian Yeti in a bottle the night before, this one kind of blows it away; oak and subtle hop flavors on the back of the tongue.

Wild Raspberry Ale - 5.6%abv; no lacing; little head; very red in color; very fruit forward on the nose; love that it's more flavorful than a wheat; great balance; good beer...really enjoyed the refreshing taste on a warm day; good solid light fruit offering in a crowd of 'big' beers.

Oak Aged Yeti - 9.5%abv; why not try my second full draft of Yeti for the day and the third different Yeti in a 24-hour period; good near half-inch head; solid lacing; powerful oak on the nose; very earthy; slightly sweet up front; light cocoa and bitter; surprisingly hoppy; well-balanced; some hints of roasted vanilla; ultimately my favorite Yeti; this beer could get me drunk; super clean finish; still get the oak taste at the back end.

Great Divide is a downtown institution. It was slamming the entire 2 hours we were there. We even toured the brewery for shits and giggles. We tried a few other beers in sample sizes like the Hoss Rye Lager and the Nomad Pilsner, but I didn't consume more than a few sips and therefore refuse to give either a review. If you're heading to the stadium for a Rockies game, or anywhere near downtown and want to try some of the best of what CO as a whole has to offer, go to Great Divide. You won't regret it.

Pikes Peak Brewing Co., Monument

Pikes Peak Brewing, visited on 3/2/12  (http://pikespeakbrewing.com/)

I pulled in to another non-descript commercial strip, but inside the feeling is anything but ordinary. As a now-steady snow flurry fell on a cloudy Friday afternoon, I half-expected the place to be dead, or at least a little slow. Instead, there wasn't a seat at the bar and most of the cozy spots near the fireplaces were taken by older men and younger gals. While a little tight, the joint is decidedly cozy, with a near full view of the brew tanks on display through the glass windows behind the bar. If I lived close, I'd live here.

Devil's Head Red - 7.1abv, 38 ibus; first of all, I love the name, after one of my favorite front range hiking spots, Devil's Head Firetower...about 5 miles from my front-door as a crow flies; there is a very minimal head; even less lacing; the beer is a dark red amber in color; it smells hoppy, with hints of chocolate and roasted malt on the nose; there's a crisp, almost dry hop flavor, although minimally bitter; the beer is well-balanced; it's similar to O'Dell's Red, although not as nuanced, and with a light malt aftertaste; mouthwise, this is pretty clean; I get more roasted malt the longer I keep the beer on my tongue.

Gold Rush Belgian Blonde - 7.4abv; 26ibus; half-inch head; nice golden color; head settles after first sip; great Belgian hop nose; very well balanced on the nose as well; totally Belgian forward; accessible; smooth flavor; again, balanced; overall light but fruit-flavored and well-hidden abv; almost Fruity Pebble cereal taste here; good beer.

There's a light menu of food; apps, cheese/meat plates; paninis; pulled pork; soup; enough of a menu you could hang here for hours. I love that it's in Monument as it requires no highway drive for me. Neat outdoor seating = summertime return. Good adult clientele and friendly barmaids. Overall, I was impressed with the inside atmosphere and the well-balanced and alcohol-serious beers! Great work Pikes Peak!

Fruity Pebbles in a glass? Pike's Gold Rush Belgian Blonde