Sorry I am a little late on getting this out. Here is the Star Liquors line up in Durango:
Randini
>>>>>>Hello Home Brewers!
Well we have finally started to get a little snow for winter and it has been making me crave fuller bodied beers, so today, I will write about some of our Big Beers with a splash of some unique offerings. - Boulevard Brewing out of Kansas City, Missouri has really raised the bar with their Smokestack series. The Chocolate Ale is a great winter warmer. "The aroma is given over to earthy, fruity cocoa, with just a hint of hops. Smooth layers of dark chocolate intertwine with threads of caramel, vanilla, and nutty malt as the flavor warms and rounds to a bittersweet finish." Right out of Rate Beer, I couldn't have said it better myself. It is a little thinner on the pallet then most Chocolate ales but all around a great beer. A cork and cage .750ml for $7.99. This is a beer that should be drank soon to enjoy all the subtle nuances. - Grand Teton Brewing from Victor, Idaho has beer making great beer since 1988 and their Pursuit of Hoppiness is no exception. A 22oz bomber of this American Strong Ale is $8.49 and worth every penny. 8.5% ABV and 100 IBU's, this beer really takes your taste buds for a roller coaster ride. Slapping you with American hops - the Summit, Simcoe, Chinook and Nugget really create a hop shot. Balanced by Idaho two-Row malted barley and German specialty malt, the caramel and roast flavors create a beautiful and tasty beer. - A new addition to the shelves; La Biere des Collins has created Hercule Stout, brewed by Des Legends in Ellezelles Belgium. This is considered one of the few true Belgian Stouts, named after famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirrot. This is a true classic. 11.2oz of full flavored stout, this is in a flip top bottle for $7.49. Made in small batches, then lagered for ten days in German oak casks. Malty and dry, with a hint of sweetness on the finish, this beer has depth and character. 9% ABV will warm your toes on these cold winter nights as we wait for the snow to stop falling, melt away, and move on to blessed spring.
- Closer to home, Steamworks Brewing recently released the 15th anniversary Quince Anos Barley-wine. A beer, that unless you tried in the tap room, or bought a bottle at Steamworks, is unattainable. Well, except the one case we got our hands on. A cork and cage .750ml that really lends its self to aging, is $17.99. Big malt creates a sweeter finish with toffee and dark fruit balanced by 72 IBU's. This beer is a great example of the brewing love Steamworks has exhibited for 15 years. I personally bought a bottle that I look forward to comparing to the 30th Anniversay beer from Steamworks. - Eel River Brewing from Fortuna, California is a solid Imperial Stout. Pacific Northwest hops and 9 domestic and import malts create a big bodied, roasty stout with espresso notes that will keep the winter nights warm and merry. A 22 oz bomber that cellars well to mellow out the bitter roasted malts comes in at $7.99. Great for this time of year. - Girardin Gueuze Black Label is a recipe in use since 1882. This is a funky monster. Barnyard, citrus sour, and surprising delicate flavor with a ton of subtleties create a very complex beer, not for the faint of heart. Yeasty sediment gathers on the top and bottom of this bottle. This .375 ml Gueuze is $11.49 and will show you how the style should taste from the old world. Brewed by Girardin in Belgium, ample carbonation and a dry finish, a beer worth drinking.
- Last but not least MateVeza Morpho brewed in San Francisco by Mendocino Brewing Co. This is a herbal beer that is a unique offering of modern brewing. An organic ale brewed with organic two-row and wheat malt, organic yerba mate, organic hibiscus flowers and organic bay leaves. A limited release beer that has a kick at 6% ABV and the yerba mate gives about half a cup of coffee's worth of natural caffeine. Fairly heavy carbonation carries herbal notes with a floral dry finish. Definitely a beer novelty, some love it, some hate it, but we have it! A 22oz bottle is $6.99. A good bottle to try and see what brewers are doing to push the envelope. On an importer/distributor note, we have had some shuffling of importers to new distributors and have access to some great new stuff in the next couple months. I hope to have some new beers that I have been researching for a few weeks, on the shelf by mid March. More good news - Firestone Walker Brewing Co. from Paso Robles, California and Marble Brewing from Albuquerque, New Mexico are on the verge of finding a distributor for Southwest Colorado. So we will get beers from these great breweries on the shelf soon. As always if anyone has a favorite beer or brewery you can't find, drop me a line and I will find the beer, and try to get it in the store. Cheers!
Oliver Gamble
Well we have finally started to get a little snow for winter and it has been making me crave fuller bodied beers, so today, I will write about some of our Big Beers with a splash of some unique offerings. - Boulevard Brewing out of Kansas City, Missouri has really raised the bar with their Smokestack series. The Chocolate Ale is a great winter warmer. "The aroma is given over to earthy, fruity cocoa, with just a hint of hops. Smooth layers of dark chocolate intertwine with threads of caramel, vanilla, and nutty malt as the flavor warms and rounds to a bittersweet finish." Right out of Rate Beer, I couldn't have said it better myself. It is a little thinner on the pallet then most Chocolate ales but all around a great beer. A cork and cage .750ml for $7.99. This is a beer that should be drank soon to enjoy all the subtle nuances. - Grand Teton Brewing from Victor, Idaho has beer making great beer since 1988 and their Pursuit of Hoppiness is no exception. A 22oz bomber of this American Strong Ale is $8.49 and worth every penny. 8.5% ABV and 100 IBU's, this beer really takes your taste buds for a roller coaster ride. Slapping you with American hops - the Summit, Simcoe, Chinook and Nugget really create a hop shot. Balanced by Idaho two-Row malted barley and German specialty malt, the caramel and roast flavors create a beautiful and tasty beer. - A new addition to the shelves; La Biere des Collins has created Hercule Stout, brewed by Des Legends in Ellezelles Belgium. This is considered one of the few true Belgian Stouts, named after famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirrot. This is a true classic. 11.2oz of full flavored stout, this is in a flip top bottle for $7.49. Made in small batches, then lagered for ten days in German oak casks. Malty and dry, with a hint of sweetness on the finish, this beer has depth and character. 9% ABV will warm your toes on these cold winter nights as we wait for the snow to stop falling, melt away, and move on to blessed spring.
- Closer to home, Steamworks Brewing recently released the 15th anniversary Quince Anos Barley-wine. A beer, that unless you tried in the tap room, or bought a bottle at Steamworks, is unattainable. Well, except the one case we got our hands on. A cork and cage .750ml that really lends its self to aging, is $17.99. Big malt creates a sweeter finish with toffee and dark fruit balanced by 72 IBU's. This beer is a great example of the brewing love Steamworks has exhibited for 15 years. I personally bought a bottle that I look forward to comparing to the 30th Anniversay beer from Steamworks. - Eel River Brewing from Fortuna, California is a solid Imperial Stout. Pacific Northwest hops and 9 domestic and import malts create a big bodied, roasty stout with espresso notes that will keep the winter nights warm and merry. A 22 oz bomber that cellars well to mellow out the bitter roasted malts comes in at $7.99. Great for this time of year. - Girardin Gueuze Black Label is a recipe in use since 1882. This is a funky monster. Barnyard, citrus sour, and surprising delicate flavor with a ton of subtleties create a very complex beer, not for the faint of heart. Yeasty sediment gathers on the top and bottom of this bottle. This .375 ml Gueuze is $11.49 and will show you how the style should taste from the old world. Brewed by Girardin in Belgium, ample carbonation and a dry finish, a beer worth drinking.
- Last but not least MateVeza Morpho brewed in San Francisco by Mendocino Brewing Co. This is a herbal beer that is a unique offering of modern brewing. An organic ale brewed with organic two-row and wheat malt, organic yerba mate, organic hibiscus flowers and organic bay leaves. A limited release beer that has a kick at 6% ABV and the yerba mate gives about half a cup of coffee's worth of natural caffeine. Fairly heavy carbonation carries herbal notes with a floral dry finish. Definitely a beer novelty, some love it, some hate it, but we have it! A 22oz bottle is $6.99. A good bottle to try and see what brewers are doing to push the envelope. On an importer/distributor note, we have had some shuffling of importers to new distributors and have access to some great new stuff in the next couple months. I hope to have some new beers that I have been researching for a few weeks, on the shelf by mid March. More good news - Firestone Walker Brewing Co. from Paso Robles, California and Marble Brewing from Albuquerque, New Mexico are on the verge of finding a distributor for Southwest Colorado. So we will get beers from these great breweries on the shelf soon. As always if anyone has a favorite beer or brewery you can't find, drop me a line and I will find the beer, and try to get it in the store. Cheers!
Oliver Gamble