On tap at Plank Pizza, politely creamed milk chocolate sweetness engages mellow pumpkin spicing and mocha latte influence for 2019 version. Dark roast hop bittering consumes latte-fueled autumnal spicing as tertiary burgundy, dried cherry and sugar plum illusions add depth to nitrogenated pumpkin stout.
On tap at Biggie’s, lush yellow grapefruit tang embittered above malted wheat sugaring. Floral citrus-spiced sweetness and candied orange-tangerine-pineapple conflux sour lemon-lime licks for tropical medium-bodied wheat ale. As crisply refreshing as its label.
On tap at Biggie’s, brisk hop-spiced IPA fruiting gains musty honeyed wheat tone and herbal thyme snip above dry biscuity pale malts. Brusque floral-wafted Mosaic hop bittering expands lemony orange and grapefruit tang.
On tap at Taphouse 15, raspy alcohol burn (from Wild Turkey and Buffalo Trace whiskey barrels) inundates bourbon-influenced IPA as orange-peeled grapefruit, pineapple and peach tang gets whisked away. Soft-toned bourbon vanilla appeal and crisp mineral water base contrast strong alkaline acidity.
BRECKENRIDGE / KEYSTONE, COLORADO
These two Rocky Mountain ski towns, sojourned August ’07, enjoy the bountiful libations of two highly respected brewpubs. Veritable municipal staple, BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY, has been operating since 1992 and Keystone’s prominent WOLF ROCK BREWING opened its doors a decade or so later.
Log cabin-styled loft-fronted side-decked BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY fortifies bustling Route 9-bound ski community. Central 14-seat bar fronted silver brew tanks servicing sided dining areas and left side billiards room. I had appetizers, salad, and sandwich while proficient 23-year-old brewer Drake Schmid poured many brews not bottled by Breckenridge’s Denver-based brewery.
There was grassy hay-dried oats-honeyed cereal-grained lemon-dried Pilsen 100% German Malt, grainier-than-fruity citric-spiced molasses-teased Summer Bright, citric-glazed floral-dried vegetal-finishing Trademark Pale Ale, tea-like orange-cherry-zested fig-date-vested Avalanche Ale, and astringent Cascade-hopped Breck Lite Golden Ale (with its husked maize and cracked corn parch).
Those were fine warm-ups for assertive floral-hopped orange-peeled grapefruit-embittered cherry-peach-apricot-perfumed 471 IPA and creamy black chocolate-y coffee-roasted walnut-cola-daubed chipotle-spiced espresso-finishing Oatmeal Stout.