El Duende Green Chili
Riff Raff Brewing Co.

Seriously, the best green chili beer I have ever had (drank more than a few). We literally let friends stay at the family place in Pagosa area for free as long as they bring some of this home (20+ hour drive). I would rate it higher, but am still searching for something better, and all attempts have failed (not saying they sucked, but it is like compairing a 1987 Hyundai Excel with 300,000 miles and no floorboards that smells like cigarette butts and mice to a prestine 1988 Volvo 240 wagon with 50,000 miles that your grandma left you in the will that still smells like apple pie and coffee). My hope is that there is something out there better, and always search, but no brewery has even come close to delivering a green chili beer like Riff Raff.

 

The star of the Ridgway, CO "Like Your Valley" Festival. A truly excellent beer.

Hazy yellow body with a beautiful fluffy head. Slight pepper aroma, but not over powering. The taste is a nice balance of zing and hops. This beer would be a fantastic sipper alongside a brownie!

 

 

maybe the best chili beer i have had. one of my first beers from these guys, and definitely the first one ive had on tap. on draft at the newly opened midwestern saloon on tennyson street. i think its the first riff raff handle ive noticed in the market, had to ask the bartender what it was. the beer is awesome, surprisingly good considering i have never really heard of the brewery, and more so because i generally dont like chili beer at all. its a slightly hazy blonde color, airy white soda type head on top, smells more like a pale ale than a chili beer, a little vegetal thing going on brings out the hoppiness, as does the slight heat. these seem like green fresh peppers, not roasted ones, which would suggest more heat generally, but the flavor of the peppers isnt hot. its balanced by a nice grain bill thats clean and may contain some wheat, as well as a rather robust hopping for a beer that already has peppers in it. citrus and spice working together really well. i get more like the waxy outside of a jalapeno or something than i do the hot part, its dialed in perfectly on the dose. i bet it took making a few test batches of dynamite to get this dialed in so nicely. one of the few chili beers i have no problem drinking a pint of, and the first in my memory worthy of a second pint. really impressive brew from these guys, dry and well carbonated with just enough body to make it linger. if you like chili beers, this is a must try.