West Portal Colorado Common
Big Choice Brewing, LLC

West Portal Colorado CommonWest Portal Colorado Common
Beer Geek Stats
From:
Big Choice Brewing, LLC
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
California Common / Steam Beer
ABV:
4.1%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.55 | pDev: 9.86%
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
9
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 23, 2019
Added:
Aug 05, 2013
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by birchstick:
Photo of birchstick
Rated by birchstick from Colorado

3/5  rDev -15.5%

Nov 09, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of jadpsu
Reviewed by jadpsu from Georgia

3.96/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
At their restaurant in Brighton.
Served in their pint glass. Their menu labels it as a PALE LAGER
LOOK: Pours a slightly hazy orange with an all white, tight head that had decent retention and some significant side
glass lace.
AROMA; Much more hop aroma than you normally ever get from a traditional lager. Acetic tart hops of pine nuts and light citrus and lemon peel.
Taste: Again differentiates from usual lagers with significant tart hops, also provides a malt backbone.
I think the style of this beer is more accurately described as PALE LAGER than the style noted here on the Advocate site.
May 23, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by COBEERHUNTER from Colorado

Jul 20, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by COR8RFAN from Colorado

Sep 12, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by fishguyac from Virginia

Feb 24, 2014
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.79/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
this really is a great common. much to my surprise, i have not heard a lot of good about big choice, but this beer is spot on in my opinion. far more hoppy than most commons, certainly more than most summer beers, as this can calls itself. i am surprised and impressed, love when that happens! from the amateurish looking pint can it pours a lovely honey colro with the lightest haze blurring its clarity slightly, and a passive half inch of white foam that fades out rather rapidly. one whiff and im shocked, wow, this is hopped rather aggressively, especially for the style, i love it. i know this has some age on it, given it was a summer release, but holy cow the hops have held up well. further fodder for the cans over bottles debate? neither here nor there, but the hops have a great citrusy taste, way brighter than i expected, and honestly they are the dominant flavor. i get pineapple in the nose, just bitterness in the finish, but then all of a sudden it cleans itself up like a good lager, without the bready yeast characteristics, somehow just invisible and soft on the palate. its insanely light, and the combination of supreme drinkability and awesome flavor makes this a rocking all day summer beer. not as hoppy or as punchy as all day ipa, but its in that vein, and for a self proclaimed common, its spot on for my tastes. love the fruity hops, love the feel, love the low alcohol content, everything about this beer works, and its a vote of confidence for big choice from me, who could probably use one. i would like a little more carbonation, but short of that, this is excellent. session beer with flavor, a great new trend in beer. this is a hit.
Dec 27, 2013
Photo of tone77
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Yes, this is yet another beer by way of the legendary woodychandler. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has a dark golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell has some lemons to it, a bit of sweetness as well. Taste is tart, lemons, some hops, a touch of bitterness, not bad, but not really what I was expecting. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent brew.
Oct 17, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by peteh2112 from Colorado

Sep 05, 2013
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The CANQuest (TM) came to Colorado to visit The Old Lady and to see what was available in CANs. Damn near everything, apparently! I found this at Total Beverage and then realized that I needed to add it before reviewing it. Another CANQuest coup!

From the CAN: "Choose wisely"; "Summer Ale"; "Alpine Tunnel Series # 1"; "Nestled in a high alpine Colorado valley 11,500 feet above sea level is a boarding house at the west portal of the Alpine Tunnel. Known as North America's highest narrow gauge railroad tunnel, the Alpine Tunnel is a symbol of the heartiness of the Ameri[CAN] spirit and of the pioneers who lived and worked there in the early 1900's. Celebrate the history and people of Colorado with this tribute in the form of a common ale that could easily have been a staple of those Coloradans in pre-Prohibition America." For rail fans, know that it also includes a picture of steam engine # 199 coming through the portal.

The Crack and Glug went without anything of note and produced two fingers of dense French Vanilla-colored head with excellent retention. Color was a slightly hazy sunshine-yellow. Nose had an unexpected light fruitiness, like peaches and/or pears and a light Noble hops grassiness. Mouthfeel was medium and the taste was very Czech Pils-like. Very grassy, very dry, very nice with our light lunch of BLT sandwiches on the patio, Daddy-o. Finish remained dry and if I had closed my eyes and taken a guess, I would have gone with Czech Pils, instead. Good stuff.
Aug 05, 2013
West Portal Colorado Common from Big Choice Brewing, LLC
Beer rating: 3.55 out of 5 with 9 ratings