Dillon Dam Brewery

We were up in Summit County CO, enjoying some of the best ski towns in the country - during summer (!) The lovely scenery, the cooler temps, great breweries make for an excellent getaway. We'll get right to the punchline here - the best of five microbreweries is probably Dillon Dam Brewery; named for the dam right nearby. The standout to me was the exquisite Supermoon Saison. Like a heavenly wildflower meadow, it had a breath of honey at the front, and interesting herbals at the end. Another winner was the Zuma Zen lager, an amber lager actually. _Rose We have been to this place several times in past years when we lived in the central Colo. mountains, and I have to say the brown ale -Sweet George's Brown- is possibly one of the best anywhere-doesn't bite, lightly smoky,and a little caramel, a real favorite.-Bob

Family Trip to Dry Dock

It felt so nice, we had to do it twice! Dry Dock is a sure fire crowd pleaser. They've gotten it down pat in the fifteen years they have been open, and even if you've been there before, they're sure to have a seasonal beer (or three) you haven't tried. Among our favorites as a group: the Vanilla Porter (best I've had - with intense vanilla, subtler notes of cocoa - but not overly sweet), Breakwater Pale Ale (not bitter with only 40 IBU's). Maythen Voyage(which we nicknamed Mayhem Voyage) was rich and complex. It had me so intrigued, I had a hard time putting it down. Also worthy of mention was the U-Boat Hefe - banana-y and brisk, and Brad's favorite, the Imperial Stout.--Rose Got a kick out of trying Maythen Voyage, a seasonal traditional ale with a creative twist,then settled on a pint of Breakwater Pale Ale, very satisfying indeed. So much fun once your kids are grown adults and you can party with them! Doesn't happen very often anymore but we were glad to have son Darren and fiancee Andra, NC residents (see posting about Asheville), son Brad and girlfriend Shannon, visiting from Montana and sister Cathy, San Diego denizen.--Bob

Side Trip to North Carolina

Saint Paddy's Day in Asheville was rowdy, good fun! The band served up some enthusiastic sea chantys to the delight of the all-ages, crowded bar in this artsy Blue Ridge mountain town. We ordered a sampler of beers brewed at Green Man Ales, starting with a Pilsner. It was sweet, crisp, with a finish of butterscotch-lemon at the end. Another favorite was the ESB. Malty smooth, but caramelly; a light touch of roast-y flavor at the end. I LOVED the Belgian white - a perfect meld of sweet plus light hops, with a flower-y clove finish. None were a disappointment, but for the sheer number of microbrews and limitless choices from great to greater, Rocky Mountain beers still win!-Rose --NOTHING like a real Irish bar this day......my youngest son Darren and his Peace Corps buddy,Chris from Asheville, guided us across the state to our emerald destination, where St Patrick awaited us at Jack-in-the-Wood. Naturally we drank our fair share of honey ales--also don't want to leave out the Green Mtn. IPA, same moderate herb-y hops upfront without lingering bitterness. Simply a great time!--Bob

Sunday Afternoon at Lone Tree Brewing

A late winter day (sunshine on snow) brought us to Lone Tree near C-470 and Quebec. Note to reader: they're in a strip mall on Park Meadows Drive close to Furniture Row. Their sign is very small but don't give up - it's worth the trip. We walked in at mid afternoon, and it was crowded with families and bar patrons. The ambiance is no-frills and laid back, with the vats in view. After our sampler, I ended up with the Hoptree IPA. It penetrates the tongue, has a beautiful balance, lemon-y, industrial-strength but not at all bitter at the end. Although eleven different hops are used in this fine beer, they don't linger in the mouth.-Bob I started off with the Belgian Blonde - I gave it three stars (out of three)! It has a heavenly coriander essence good enough to defrock a Trappist monk. Next, go to Helles; refreshing, crisp, a hint of vanilla. The Trippel has a big charge of malt at the start, creamy texture, and a fizzy sparkle at the end. Jason, the head brewer came over to talk to us about Lone Tree's brewing philosophy. He told us they brew true to style, rather than go crazy with the special effects. If a person is looking for a characteristic brew such as a Belgian or a pale ale, they'll find great ones here. -Rose

Dry Dock Brewing Co., Great Find

Judging by the lively Sunday afternoon crowd, we found a place in Aurora that's well-established and known to locals. These guys obviously know what they are doing. They had a large selection including seasonals such as 3 Wee Heavy (sweet and with a barley wine flavor), Enterprise IPA, just plain delicious, and HMS Bounty, more of an English old style dark. Loved the Victory Amber as well. This place is really fun, a great place to hang out with friends.--Bob We had known about Dry Dock for awhile and had tried their very seductive Apricot Blonde, with it's lovely fruit aftertaste. They had so many great picks, it was hard to settle on just 6 beers for a sampler, so we focused on the sure winners. HMS Victory Amber, which was soft with a honey overtone, a slight crisp touch of hops, and an indefinable essence of something herbal at the end. A gold medal winner, and deservedly so. Their U-Boat hefenweisen has a bright, refreshing note of marshmallow that sets it apart from other wheat beers. It's a marvel. The Black Saison is a seamless, complex, melding of malts, caramel, and spice - and is my favorite among Dry Dock's great offerings. Our friends Maury and Mary who accompanied us are regulars, and big fans of the Breakwater Pale Ale.-Rose

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