TUCSON, ARIZONA
Culturally diverse Southwest valley metropolis offered three disparate brewpubs, January ‘05. Outside main district, mall-based THUNDER CANYON BREWERY’S velvety purple terra cotta stucco exterior cloaked centralized bar extending to patio, leftward glass encased brew tanks, and menu of wraps, sandwiches, brewhouse burgers, and recommended wood-fired pizza.
Casual fare such as fizzy wheat-husked dry-bodied lightweight Sandstone Cream Ale, malt-sinewy nectar-honeyed mainstreamer Deep Canyon Amber, and polite citrus-barren corrosive Windstorm Wheat were OK.
Surprisingly soft-bodied darker brews included gently hop-spiced red-orange-fruited blueberry-soured tongue-tingler Thunderhead IPA, sullen mocha-roasted coffee-dried Obsidian Porter, lemony orange-peeled dry-spiced mineral-grained Nothin’ Greator Doppelbock, and nutty maple-sapped espresso-tinged oatmeal-backed serenity Blackout Stout.
Distinguished dry-bodied cherrywood-scented rye-breaded tobacco-leafed peat-mossy Catalina Pale Ale intrigued.
Hoppy honey-glazed blueberry-soured persimmon-cherry-pear-dabbed digestif Beers ‘N’ Berry may’ve topped them all.