Mountain Buzz
Vail Brewing Co.

really not at all what i expected here, and not up to the higher quality of their other hoppy beers i dont think. i like coffee in a beer that isnt brown or black, so i was intrigued by and stoked for this, but it ends up a let down for me. amber and rather clear, not much head on it. it smells acidic from the coffee right away, but also has a strong capsicum nose and taste, like green bell peppers, or even jalapenos, obviously from the coffee, but to me its a flaw. instead of a rich roasty earthy bitter coffee presence, there is this odd vegetable quality that doesnt seem like its from the hops either. maybe just normal drip coffee blended in? it definitely has that acidity. maybe fermented or mashed with the beans? it has that green "unbrewed" quality too. carbonated well, and the malt base is nice, but the coffee addition here is a failure, and its not hoppy enough to be called an ipa. drinkable enough, not offensive to me, but its definitely back to the drawing boards with this one.