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PDFThe blustery rain and snow did nothing to deter Blues and Brews fans. If anything, the mud only gave folks one more thing to play with while waiting for the sun to make an appearance. People came from all corners of Colorado and neighboring states to partake in the festivities and to sample some extraordinary beers.
Eddyline Brewing Company from Buena Vista won this year’s best in tasting, awarded by a vote of the fans themselves. This is their second year!! All of the beers they featured were very drinkable. The Mountain Fairy Raspberry wheat was by far my favorite (I’m mostly a fruity wheat beer drinker). It was cloudy and pink and oh so refreshing. Great hints of raspberries throughout and a malty at the end. The Crank Yanker IPA was quite hoppy with a good citrus finish. There was no bitterness as some IPAs tend to have. Kicking Back Amber Lager tasted malty with a lot of chocolate notes. The Eddyline Brewery guys were super friendly and very helpful with refilling my glass after every taste. Buena Vista Brewery is a family business and they clearly work well together. Thanks guys, we think you deserve this year’s prize!!
Silverton Brewery featured Red Mountain Ale which had a great aroma of fruit and yeast. Almost like eating a loaf of warm bread from the oven. Ice Pick Ale IPA was very hoppy without being over-the-top. Bear-ass Brown was a light brown ale with a great creamy head and notes of maple and brown-sugar.
Steamworks Brewing Company from Durango, CO featured Backslide Stout. Drinking this was like eating dessert. This is a beer that is toothsome with cream, malt and vanilla flavors. I really like this stout and it compares favorably with any of the legendary stouts that are out there.
At Ska Brewing Co, also in Durango, CO, I sampled True Blond Ale. This is a summery and refreshing brew with hints of honey sweetness and crisp apples. This was another of my favorites.
Palisade Brewery had a beer called Dirty Hippie which was an unfiltered wheat (just as the name suggests). This one went good with a slice of orange, which they had readily available. I thought it was a sort of light dark beer, which sounds weird but is really good.
Gunnison Brewery on Main Street in Gunnison, CO had Superbia which had a really complex flavor profile. Ginger, pepper, and Lemon Citrus were all in there. I love all these flavors in cooking and this beer would go great with Thai or Vietnamese food. I really enjoyed this beer.
Revolution Brewery from Paonia had a porter called Jazzy Coal Train Porter which they make with an incredible 50lbs of organic local cherries per barrel! It has a beautiful head which I didn’t notice with many of the other porters. This was a great one to fend off the cold.
Lastly at Carver Brewing Co. I sampled another Raspberry Wheat Ale. This one boasts a pound of raspberries per gallon of beer. There’s a great raspberry taste throughout this beer without it being cloying or overpowering. This beer was quite cloudy with lots of organic floaties in the glass.
This was an amazing experience for me and everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves.
Most people don’t realize that we are literally surrounded by phenomenal breweries out here in southwestern Colorado. These brewers are to be applauded for their efforts; we’re incredibly lucky to have so many people toiling away and making these world-class refreshments for us to enjoy. It couldn’t have been a better venue. Once the clouds parted the scenery was absolutely gorgeous and even the rain and snow were fun. Thanks to Telluride Blues and Brews for having us and here’s to another year of great music and beer!!
Radmama is a busy mom. In her spare time, she is the mad couponer behind Coupon Madness (Go here, lower left side). She believes that there is a coupon for everything you should ever need, and hasn’t paid full price for something since 1999. Radmama is also San Juan Parent’s primary recipe contributor. She is always looking for the easiest and most satisfying recipes to feed a family of five. Her specialty is Asian cooking, and her challenge in small town life is seeking out all the ingredients that make her recipes so awesome.
About Author
Radmama is a busy mom. In her spare time, she is the mad couponer behind Coupon Madness. She believes that there is a coupon for everything you should ever need, and hasn’t paid full price for something since 1999. Radmama also loves to cook. She is always looking for the easiest and most satisfying recipes to feed a family of five. Her specialty is Asian cooking, and her challenge in small town life is seeking out all the ingredients that make her recipes so awesome.
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Gretchen from Revolution Brewing here: the porter is named “Jazzy Coal Train Porter,” and it’s made will all-organic, locally grown cherries. Thanks for coming to Telluride and mentioning us on your website. Introduce yourself next time you swing through our tasting room in Paonia.
Hi Gretchen! Thanks for letting us know – our notebook was a little wet and that page was blurred by the end of the tasting!! We corrected it. And, we will definitely say hi when we come in! Thanks!