Tasting #7

Great tasting with Dave, Sam, both Aaron's and Shawn (Jeff came late from what I remember. Great stuff: BA Yeti ***1/2, Box of Chocolate ***1/2, Event Horizon ***1/2, Iron Hill RIS***, 50/50 Eclipse Grand Cru, Imperial Stout Trooper, Teddy Bear Kisses, Boulevard BBQ, a disappointing Ivan 2010, Farmhouse Black Metal and plenty more!

Nice haul from Abe (Agold) in Chicago. Double Daisy Cutter!! Double Crooked Tree, Zombie Dust, Metropolitan Kolsch, FBS, Bigfoot Barleywine, C. Waters BBS and Tyranena Down and Dirty Chocolate Oatmeal Stout. I sent BBQ plus locals.

Southern Colorado Race and Brewery Visits

Haul #1 from InebriatedJoker (Mike) out of Columbus, OH. Sent out a couple bottle of Grimm The Count plus some local extras in return received 2x BA Plead the 5th, Great Lakes BA Blackout Stout and extras FIS x2, Sofie and 2x Columbus IPA. Haul #2 from derkfromwi (Deric) out of Appleton, WI I got a 4 pack of Central Waters BB Barleywine and of Peruvian Morning and he killed it with some of my favorite extras: Zombie Dust, Hopslam, Nugget Nectar and a Founders Imperial Stout!! 

This is the 4th year in a row Steve Cathcart and I traveled down to Pueblo to run the Chieftain Spring Runoff. I ran the 10 miler 3 years in a row (winning it twice) and this year focusing on speed decided to compete in the 10K and finished first! But also have to feed that other passion/hunger of microbrew. We usually end up here at the Shamrock for brunch and a few before hitting the road. Okay brewery with very good food(not suggested for healthy eaters) and lots of history.

They had a good Black IPA, and I got the last of it. Enjoyed the porter and red as well.

Next stop was Pikes Peak Brewery in Monument which has been opened since last summer. Conveniently located right off the I25 had absolutely amazing views and it was a beautiful 60 degree day. That alone made it hard to leave, but had to keep moving.

I probably enjoyed the Devil's Head Red the most. The stout was decent, mostly European type styles though, so okay to me but everyone else enjoyed it. (first year women were allowed on the trip, so Megan and Betsy came along as well)

Lone Tree brewery was our 3rd and final brewery of the day, had just opened 3 months ago!! I was impressed with this brewery and would like to go back again. Very roomy, clean, smells good (new), solid beer and great service.

My favorite beer was easily Hoptree DIPA! They were out of the Puddle Jumper Pale Ale which sounded good and is their most popular beer. But all their offerings were good even the styles I don't normally get into. Fun day, and somehow the four of us ended up at the Mayor of Old Town!!