1001 Beers: Titan IPA

Beer Number 59: Great Divide Titan IPA

I find it a little weird that when I was in Denver and got a chance to stop by The Great Divide, that I did not drink of their IPA's... Well, not really surprised because I try to taste as many styles of beer as I can and IPA, while I do enjoy it, is one that I often overlook because I feel there are so many of them on the market. A lot of which, in my opinion, I feel are kind of bad. Granted I expect more from the bigger breweries, including this one, and I do not let that haze my judgement when I do pick one up, but just the same, I have had a number of IPA's from the little guys that I thought were superbly fantastic and were more enjoyable than some that I truly love. Even homebrew examples of the style. They just cannot be beat.

Anyway though, I had a lot of good beers there and just surprised I did not try Titan. I was not searching for beers in the book but rather just enjoying the city and everything it had to offer. Such a great time and I cannot wait to go again. Hell, I might just drink this IPA when I do get the go again. So damn good.

Titan IPA exhibits the balance characteristics of all Great Divide beers but also packs plenty of hops. It quickly became the best-selling beer outside the brewery's home region.

Yes, that is a cider in the background and a glass of water to the other side. I think it was the Woodchuck Raspberry Cider and it was quite good, just not mine... I think it was good. I mean, it was a cider.

The beer was a bit clearer than what you can see in that picture but a very orange-ish color to it with a very nice fluffy head that left an amazing lace all the way down. Kind of hard to remember the aroma. My old phone had the notes on this beer and I got rid of it faster than you can imagine when I got my S4. I love this phone so damn much... anyway, it was that damn good. One I will visit again and again. I like it more than the Yeti's. I had all four but only 2 made it onto here. I even had some more in Denver.

942 Bottles Of Beer To Go!

Cheers!

1001 Beers: Hibernation

I was actually lucky enough to have this next beer in the brewery. I have had a couple of Great Divide beers in the past but not many. I was glad to find that the brewery was right down the street from where I was while I was trying to Find Abbey.

Beer Number 25: Hibernation



I have never had or heard of this beer before but apparently it is big news. This was my first encounter with it so I had no idea what to expect. I also had a few other beers while there. A couple of tasters and two other "pints". Not that I care the pour size I get, I really base it on the beer, but I wish they would not just call everything a pint... but that is for another time.

In the late 1990s, several Colorado breweries attached the suffix "-ation" to beers released for winter drinking (no doubt in homage to the German practice of adding "-ator" to the names of their cold weather beers)... The Denver-based brewery makes Hibernation each July but does not release it until the beginning of November. Many of its fans will further age it for a year or more in their own cellars to give it a richer and deeper flavor.

Either they started releasing it earlier or I got lucky with being able to get it before the release by being in Denver. Pretty bad ass if you ask me.

This beer was, as you can see a very dark, wintery brown. Up to light it had a ruby appearance. It was a bit toasty, malty, and maybe a bit of sweet chocolate. You can also pick up a little brown sugar and fig or something in there. I am sure there is quite a bit that I missed in there. It was a crazy day and a crazy weekend. All of the flavors seem random but the way they come together you can tell this beer was meant to be enjoyed on a cool night in the company of the things, or ones you love... or by yourself, but hey.

The hops come in late, though they are barely there. Earthy is how I would describe it... Kind of at the point where you are smacking yourself because you are shocked at how smooth it seemed when you find out it is almost 9% alcohol and you were just guzzling it. I gave the beer a 4/5 while sitting in the brewery.


Some Hoss

976 Bottles Of Beer To Go!

Cheers!

The Search For Abbey

I know this is pretty late but with everything that has been going on I just haven't had the time... but I still want to go on and talk about my adventure Finding Abbey while on my first trip to Denver... and to The Great American Beer Fest. This may get a little long...



I have been looking forward to this trip for a while. I mean, not many people want to avoid this event. I know it isn't for everybody but come on... this is totally me. I have never been to Denver either and I was trying to figure out a way to tour the town on my first trip. The event takes place at night and all of the hot spots have special hours for the event. Word of mouth is usually how I find places but this time, I was given an opportunity. A scavenger hunt. The Lost Abbey described this as, "A Live Version Of Where's Waldo".

Abbot the Monk (we call him “Abbey”) can’t wait for the Great American Beer Festival to start, so he’s heading out a few days early to explore Denver and its thriving craft beer scene. The problem is, Abbey’s terrible with directions (and maybe enjoys the pubs a bit too much), so he’s bound to get lost. We need your help to find him before it’s time to go home on Sunday, October 14.

Abbey will be issuing clues as to his location in downtown Denver. We need you to follow his trail and track him down. If you do, you can win lots of great stuff including some free beer, Lost Abbey wearables, and the Grand Prize, one of the super limited (there’s only 500), “Ultimate Box Set” barrel-aged beer collections.

It helped that there was a prize as well to this game and the rules were pretty simple. Figure out the clues and tweet plus check in via FourSquare. There were seven clues and places to check in... too easy... for someone who actually knows the city. The first clue was simple. It was a picture of Abbey with this weird blue blur and a shadow or reflection. I couldn't really tell what it was but as I was sitting in the cab and it drove passed the convention center, I saw this...



Simple enough, IT MATCHED!!! and I was then bestowed with the second clue.

Abbey enjoys a pint among his kind at this place. Check-in there for his whereabouts, but don't be cheeky about it.

This one took a little bit of a google search since I was not familiar with the bars around town. Even a few tweeps helped me out and I found The Cheeky Monk... and a few Belgium Beers that some would be lucky to taste. Delirium Tremens, Stone Cali-Belgique Aged In Red Wine Barrels, Affligem Blond, The Bruery Oude Tart, Mischief, Saison Rue, Hottenroth, and a house brew from The Cheeky Monk, 3 Cheeks To The Wind. Not a bad start to my first trip in Denver and my first GABF... Okay, at the airport I stopped by the New Belgium Hub and had a New Belgium Abbey (perfect start of the hunt), a Red Hoptober, and a Peach Porch Lounger... Now that is a good start to GABF.



Once stepping out from my hydration station I decided to see if another clue was waiting for me. Just as I suspected.

The hunt for Abbey leads next to a place whose moniker combines "new" and "skill". Be crafty & check-in there for a fresh clue.

Again, knowing nothing of the town, this took another bit of googling. Trying to figure out what was new and skilled... I decided to take a walk down the street to think...



Okay, so The Great Divide was not my second clue but I mean, I was in Denver. It is a brewery, and I was there to enjoy and celebrate beer... plus it would give me time to figure everything out. I picked up a Hoss, Hibernation, and Wolfgang. Another great round of beers and I figured out the clue from there. Fresh Craft. I enjoyed a brew while charging my phone and decoding the next clue.

An educated monk, Abbey's been known to brush up on his studies at the place named for the father of geometry.

That was a pretty simple one to decode and lead me to Euclid Hall where I had an Upslope Thai IPA. Why not have a local brew while in the area.

Rumor has it Abbey, like Simple Simon, met this fortuitous man and tapped him for slice and a beer at his house.

Lucky Pie is the place where I first got my hands on Stone Enjoy By. The date on this beer was 11.09.12 and it was actually a damn good IPA. I wish this place sold pizza by the slice because I wanted some so bad... it just didn't work out in my favor.

You're closing on Abbey! He's at a place whose name rhymes -- its not far from where you are.

Star Bar was a place that literally blew my mind. It was my favorite bar and the staff was amazing. They feature Colorado beers and have their own line of cocktails that they whip up... and I only had a few beers while I was here... one of my top favorites, La Folie, Funkwerks Leuven, New Belgium Colorado Wet Hop, Tart Lychee, Avery Tweek (which I guess used to be called Meth Addict according to the bartender, and Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. One I have been looking for quite some time now. And I forgot to take a picture before I got deep into drinking.



It was here at Star Bar too that I ran into Abbey. It was pretty exciting but not the end of the hunt. I got a bad ass Lost Abbey Hat and a T-shirt. Some of my favorite drinking gear... and people keep asking me if I work for The Lost Abbey when I wear it. HAHAHA I wish. That would be an awesome job. It is pretty crazy that I got all of this in before heading to the first night of the festival. I may or may not have been over beered... Though, I did get the last clue.

Last clue! Be 1st to find Abbey & you win! 10/13 at 4pm: catch the man with a bad mustache where Stones can Tumble. That's our...

That gave me about 24 hours to figure it all out...



Walking into the festival one of the first things I saw was the silent disco. Empty. Though, the festival was not what I was expecting at all being this was my first time. I thought for sure there would be miles of line, the inability to talk to any one about the beers they were pouring, and you know... just a lot of crazy stuff. It was actually a good time. Short lines, a lot of good conversation, a lot of good beer, and... Sam Adams Utopias. A beer that I always wanted to try but never did because, well, the price tag. I have spent quite a bit on a beer before but never that amount.



I started the night off by looking for breweries I knew and beers I wanted to try from them. Ones I missed since moving but also ones that are limited and are hardly available. Dogfish Head Positive Contact, New Belgium Love - Felix, favorites from Ladyface Alehouse & Brassirie, Bear Republic and the list goes on and on. Seriously. I stopped by Sierra Nevada... ok, ok. But seriously the amount of beer.



The next day was the day to find abbey. Of course I did some more beer hunting and figuring out the clue. Luckily it was the Falling Rock Taphouse. I walked past it a few times the day before trying to get to other locations. All of the clues were within walking distance and I noticed a lot of traffic at this location the day before but I did not have time to actually stop being I wanted to workout the other clues. I had my eyes on this place before I caught my flight out to Denver because there was going to be a New Belgium event the last night of the festival.

I was a bit early so I started some conversation and got me a beer and some food. Maybe that was a bad call and I should have been waiting by the entrance. Once I found out Abbey showed up, I made my way outside but I guess someone had just stopped him. I did a once around the bar and before I headed outside. Another bad move? Oh well. I wish I would have one the box set but I had a great time in Denver and some awesome beer. Everything I was hoping for when I purchased my tickets. I can't wait to get out there again. Now I know some hot spots and what to expect. Can't wait to see what else I discover.

1001 Beers: Oak Aged Yeti

Beer Number 5: Great Divide Brewing Company Oak Aged Yeti




I have always heard good things about the Yeti in all of it's various forms and being from the Pacific NorthWest, I was wondering if any brewer could tame our famed monster into a bottle. I had my doubts, but now I am unsure. Did Brian Dunn really meet the beast? Capture him? and unleashed his tasty fury to the masses in a liquid form? I say,.... Yes. I commend thee.

I found a bottle of the original Yeti and Oak Aged Yeti at 99 Bottles, my favorite bottle shop in the PNW and I had to grab them. I wish I found the Chocolate Yeti or the Espresso Yeti but I will take what I can get. I have never had any of these and I have always heard great things.




So I didn't really do a side by side of the two but I had them back to back. I thought the original Yeti was pretty damn good. I mean, it was creamy notes of roasted coffee. A very nice nutty character that interacted with the chocolate. But I thought the beer was a bit to hoppy. Very grassy hops that lingers into the finish. Also, very sweet.




When it came to the Oak Aged Yeti, I loved it a lot. It was very mellow comparatively. I loved how it seemed more milky, but still creamy. The tastiness along with the vanilla, from the French and American Oak blend? really made this beer to die for. Another thing I loved was the fact that the aging mellowed out the hops. I thought they were a tad overpowering in the original Yeti, exactly what I would expect from our beast, but not at all in the Oak Aged. This is an amazing Imperial Stout. I understand why it gets so much hype and I wish I could try the other versions.

996 Bottles of Beer To Go!

Prost!