Friday Night at Pikes Peak Brewing

Bob and I met with our friends Mike and Patricia to taste the offerings in Monument. We found one of their lighter colored offerings, Gold Rush (a Belgian gold) to have plenty of personality. I loved the honey finish. Also, their coffee porter was the best I've ever had. The process of brewing it was one without compromise, requiring 10 pounds of fresh coffee locally roasted by Switchback Coffee in a blend created just for PPB. Another favorite is Hot Shot, a green chili beer with lots of zing, but not heat. Our patient, cheerful waitress turned out to be Judy, the wife of owner Chris Wright, who took time out of a busy evening to talk to us about their brewing philosophy. "We're more stylistic than artistic" is his take, meaning that they strive to provide the brew styles people like, expect, and enjoy most. Bob and I and our friends would have to agree!-Rose We had a fine evening of tasting and conversing in the shadow of Pikes Peak looming nearby. I liked the clear, crisp taste of Elephant Rock IPA, just enough hops for slight but not lingering bitterness. Funny,but as recent as two years ago, I did not care for IPAs so much, but I have slowly acquired a real taste for them. But by far,the clear winner for me was the Gold Rush Belgian Ale, Mike liked it as much (maybe it's a guy thing).We greatly appreciated the hospitality and friendship from Chris and Judy, a real personal touch; We'll be back for a brewery tour--Bob

Tasting at the Eddyline

Our next stop on our never ending beer tour was the Eddyline. Last Tuesday in the peaceful little town of Buena Vista, we found some very fine, tasty brews. They're located right off of Hwy. 285, between Fairplay and Salida. Their woodfired pizza alone is worth the trip, and there's a fabulous walk along the Arkansas river where we love to take the dog and watch kayakers roll in the rapids in the summer. Lovers of pales and IPAs will swoon over their two stellar offerings. The River Runners pale is citrus-y and bright - NOT bitter - and won a gold medal (!) in the Great American Beerfest. I prefer the less hoppy beers, but was won over by this one. Crank Yanker IPA also earned our devotion. With a nice malt balance, it's hoppy in the middle but has no bitter aftertaste at all. My personal favorites were the Mountain Fairy Raspberry (I know, I know, it's a girl beer) which was not overly sweet with an authentic hint of berry. Also incredibly good was the Kickin' Back Amber Lager. Full of subtle nuances, it's a Vienna style lager with hints of chocolate, and lots of smokey and roast-y notes which put me in my happy place. In all they have nine or ten beers to pick from depending on the season, and none was a disappointment. Manager and head brewer Ryan McFadden was a fountain of information about the anaerobic roasting process, etc. and made the visit fun and interesting for us. Colorado microbrewery trail aficionados will want to bag the Eddyline. - Rose We really enjoyed our time in this small mountain town, stunning views of Collegiate Peaks, and a great place for outdoor adventurers. Ryan, Jeff and Maggie, our friendly hosts, kept us awash in suds and conversation. My favorite was the Crank Yanker IPA, had a real balance of malts and hops, went down real easy. River Runner pale was runner-up,also sublime and tasty. Two thumbs up for the Eddyline, don't pass it up if you're on that stretch of road. --Bob

Rose: Our first official visit was to Parry's Pizza in Castle Rock. Yeah - we know, it's not a microbrew. BUT - what we'd like to point out is that they have forty great brews on tap, with a selection that changes monthly for $3 a pint. (!!!) Our bartenders Mark and Melanie were friendly, fun, and good sports about giving us tastes of different brews. Bob loved the Odell (Fort Collins brewery) IPA, and I had the Apricot Blonde from Dry Dock (in Aurora). It was a perfect "girl beer" - not too hoppy, and made interesting with the taste of Colorado grown apricots. Bob: I recently began developing a taste for IPAs so I decided to give Odell IPA (Ft. Collins)a shot. Found it to be refreshing, just enough bitters to give flavor and a nice smooth aftertaste. We give Parry's Pizza two thumbs up for the overall range of not just Colorado beers, but some winners from across the country - New York to San Diego.