New Mexico Beer Guide 2016 updated

Some great info in this thread. Any recommendations on what Breweries in SF are doing the best sours? I have a friend there who loves her sours. Thanks in advance.

 

Rowley Farmhouse Ales.

 

Looks like La Cumbre is expanding. Just read their announcement that they will be opening a taproom on the Westside.

Speaking of La Cumbre, they have a vienna lager on tap right now that I want to say is absolutely incredible and the best of its style that I have yet to try.....but I think I should hold back and give it another try to make sure a second go at it breeds the same response from me. Better be sure it just wasn't a right time/right place kind of moment. You can't always trust singular experiences.

 

I am thinking we need an updated NM Beer Guide, @ONovoMexicano . I was just reviewing the listing and I feel like there has been some shifts (at least for me) in the rankings/tiers as well as there being a number of new additions to the scene. Not trying to put work on you that you don't want, but figured I would bring it up. Not trying to mess with your puppy.

Some of my observations of the scene over the past 2 years.

- I think Canteen has re-upped their game and returned to the Don't Miss Category.

I think they are figuring things out again these days. I think they have been putting out some really good beers lately and I dig their more casual, old(ish) school taproom vibe. I would put them on the must visit list, with the caveat that it doesn't come at the expense of a visit to La Cumbre or Marble

- I think Bow & Arrow has made it onto the Don't Miss Category as well.

I think these folks have emerged as players. The growth from these girls and guys over this past year has been impressive, from introducing wild beers into their catalog (and that brett saison has never left rotation since first being tapped), from barrel aged offerings being introduced, from much needed tweaking of their flagship lineup (very happy to see that Desert Dynamo and Nomadico are now flagship offerings) , and just an overall impressive growth in beer quality (off topic: they just released a single hopped saison that I loved....best saison to come from Albuquerque, IMO, nothing too bold and crazy, just solid and enjoyable and how I enjoy them). IMO, they have become a must visit in ABQ....I wouldn't visit them at the expense of La Cumbre or Marble, but you might not hate yourself if you did either.

- I think Bosque has dropped down into the Worthwhile Brewery.

I don't think these guys are a must visit these days. Its always good to grab a Bosque Lager.....but the rest? Just seems pretty underwhelming these days. They did have Scale Tipper on tap recently and that was great, but expensive. But my other trips have just been lacking, from beer to service. I don't know, maybe all their time and attention is being focused on their new destination facility that they are constructing that beer ideas are becoming less a priority? I don't get it, they have produced some of the best beer during my time in ABQ, why don't they just bring back some of those successful beers of the past if they aren't able to come up with anything new of interest? They have been bringing back some past beers, but they are, IMO, underwhelming ones like Driftwood Oatmeal Stout and Pale Ryeder. How about Simcoe Pilsner, or Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Brown Ale, etc? These guys used to be my go to, now I visit every few months. With the emergence of Canteen and Bow & Arrow, those visits are becoming less and less frequent.

- I think Rowley Farmhouse Ales needs a mention in any NM Guide.

A solid place all around. I haven't been there enough to speak in depth about them, but that's a really nice operation from my limited experiences. Good beer, food, and service. For me, I put them in the must visit category.

- I'd put Tractor, Blue Corn and Nexus in the "Other" Category

Nexus is worth a visit for the food, but for the beer I pass. Last time I was there I ate but didn't even drink. I am super hungry right now and could go for some chicken and waffles, so maybe I will give them a visit and try their beer again and see if things have changed for me. Tractor can do drinkable/decent enough beers, but their stuff is completely forgettable and, as a whole, a level below the players I would put in the worthwhile category, like Bosque, Boxing Bear, Santa Fe (who I would like to add, have been upping their game lately and putting out some really good beer). I tried Blue Corn once, so that does limit my opinion, but I did not care for what I tried from them. In Santa Fe, Rowley, Santa Fe, and Second Street are all spots I would quickly go to before Blue Corn, personally.

-Lots of new places to at least introduce in the "Other Category"

Chili Line probaby deserves a mention. To me, they teeter between worthwhile and other. I wasn't amazed by what I tried and their more traditional style attempts were pretty weak, IMO, but I dug their niche of doing smoked beers, which also happened to be what they did best. And their pizza looked good, though I didn't try it. New guys in ABQ like 377 (total pass from me), Bombs Away (seemed decent enough, Tractor level), High & Dry (haven't been), Hops (also haven't been) worth mentioning, especially if anyone has any opinions/insights about them. Myself, curious about High & Dry but purposefully not rushing over there while they are so young.

Anyways, just a few of my rambling thoughts on the changes in our scene over these past couple years. Would love to read a new updated guide....

 

@denver10 Thanks for the up date. We are going to NM soon. Will be in Santa Fe, so I will make it a point to stop at Rowley.

Chili line had a very good classic Rauchbier. If one likes Rauchbier they should stop. If one doesn’t like Rauchbier, then it is not worth it.

 

OK, I am going to be that guy who says "Going to ABQ end of March" but we are returning to see a good friend of ours-last time I think was 2014 or 15. Visited.

Bosque Brewing
Il Vicino Brewery Canteen
La Cumbre Brewing
Marble Brewing
Tractor Brewing ( Tulane Dr)

Thank Gid my wife is beer Geek too-so any suggestions for 5 must visits not on this list. Previous visits back in 2005 I hit Kelly's Brewery and BOP.

Any help is appreciated and welcome. thank you

 

Based on where you have already visited, if you want to try something new...Bow & Arrow. They have a great thing going right now, imo.

But a repeat visit to La Cumbre is a must, imo. They are brewing the best beers in the state. I'd put their stuff up against the best in the industry as a whole, personally.

 

thank you for the heads up-I really enjoyed La Cumbre-so perhaps a return trip is indeed needed.

 

Marble has a rauchbier on tap that is fantastic. Small sample size but maybe my favorite smoked beer I have so far tried. They also have a single hop red ale going that was really good as well.

 

Hope it lasts a while. Going out to NM in a couple weeks.

 

Probably worth noting, I use the term 'rauchbier" only because that is what Marble used in its description of the beer style. Not sure how specific or broad the term 'rauchbier' goes, my experience with the style in the past has always been of a darker beer than this one was. They named this beer "Smoked Helles" and that seems a far more accurate/reliable a description than I would have expected from Rauchbier, but, again, I am not familiar with how specific that term is. There was a time when Octoberfest meant (only) dark amber hued beers to me, never realizing they could also be pale in appearance as well.

 

I would still like to try it. Schlenkerla’s Helles is really good, though just brewed with their process, no smoked malts.

 

"Rauch" simply means smoke. In Bamberg, sure you'll find Marzen and Bock, but you'll also find Keller, Helles, Export, even (gulp) Weissbier. In the case of Schlenkerla, they aren't using smoked malts in the lighter styles and instead relying on the residual from their brewing equipment to impart the smoke character.

 

OK, made it back and in the four days we hit, in addition to the Bosque Taproom Nob Hill:

Boxing Bear
Drafty Kilt
Quarter Celtic
Palmer Brewery & Cider House
Starr Brothers
Dialogue
Bow and Arrow
Ponderosa
Nexus
Rio Bravo

We are going back in October for the Ballon Fest and I want to hit Side track, Steel Bender, and what ever new breweries worth hitting-and I need to make a return trip to Marble and La Cumbre.

 

I had the Marble Smoked Helles last night, it was enjoyable. The malt character was a little low, not the nice Pils malt character the Schlenkerla Helles has.

We bumped into a couple we know visiting for the first time from AZ. They said that Chile Lines beers were all sour. I might wait awhile to stop there again.

We stopped into the Brakeroom that has been opened by SF Brewing in the old house that the Chile Line Railroad had built for their Brakemen. It is a great space. We have been back often. The Santa Fe beers are better than I remember, well made for the most part. The Nut Brown, 7K IPA, and the Freestyle Pils are all well made. They have a seasonal now that is a SmaSH made with Golden Promise and Cascade hops that is very drinkable. They have run out of Freestyle, not going to be on until the end of April, so that makes me sad.

 

Here's my full 2018 review of the ALBUQUERQUE Brewery Scene


Head of the Class/Can't Miss: If coming to ABQ for some beer, the places that need to be prioritized.


La Cumbre. These guys are putting out the best beer in the State, let alone ABQ, IMO. If you are only able to check out the beer from one local brewery, theirs is the beer to try, in general. Other places offer greater variety and one off releases, but La Cumbre focuses on quality over quantity. Lots of quality with some of those other breweries as well, but the floor is much higher with a La Cumbre beer than elsewhere. You know you are getting something quality with them. These guys are the kings of IPA's and lagers in Albuquerque. My biggest issue with these guys is their taproom, I just think they outgrew that space a long time ago.


Marble. I think I am kind of unique in my local love for Marble, but they have the best overall flagship lineup in town, IMO. I think their Pilsner, Oatmeal Stout, Red, Imperial Red, and DIPA are all great beers. Their Pilsner and Oatmeal Stout are maybe my two favorite beers of those styles, styles I love. I have easily drinken more Marble Pilsner than any other beer since moving down here to ABQ. So, yeah, I am a big fan. And they have come around with their brewery taplists, now which is incredibly large, varied, and oft rotating. When I first moved down here, they frustrated me with the limited taplists they offered, which often consisted of nothing but flagship offerings. Now that they have their NE Heights facility brewing their pilot batches, Marble’s taplists are always huge, new and varied. Plenty of misses make it onto the taplists, but I definitely respect their willingness to experiment and try new things. I don’t mind supporting that and buying the occasional dud of a beer. Plenty of winners mixed into that lot as well. The downtown location is always super busy, service is impersonable and quick (as the place is always really damn busy) but I dig the aesthetic and vibe, for the most part. Their roof top patio is a nice bonus.


Bow & Arrow. Probably the brewery that has grown and evolved the most during my time here in Albuquerque. That first year was rough, lots of uninspiring, poor beer. I almost gave up on them even though my general rule is to give new guys (and in this case also girls) 1 year to figure things out. Glad I didn’t because, now, I think the beers they are cranking out is damn good. To me, if you want to choose between a visit between them and Marble, neither is the wrong choice. Lots of nice variety on tap going on now and the quality is solid, you can get anything from a lager to a variety of saisons, to IPA’s, to sours, to wild ales, to barrel aged offerings, to stouts, etc.. One of the coolest things about this place for me was my trip with their Brett Saison, which stayed on tap for maybe 8 or 9 months. Got to try it upon release when it was fair but green and drink continually over the next 8 or so months and discover how it evolved. Started off fair, finished really damn good. Also LOVE how they do their 5ounce pours/flights as small pours in normal glasses. BEST WAY EVER TO DO A FLIGHT. Starting to bottle stuff too. And love the taproom, probably the one taproom I visited more than any other these days.



A Tier Below Elite/Cant Miss: Try to visit them, don’t lose any sleep if you can’t because you prioritize La Cumbre/Marble/Bow & Arrow over them



Canteen. I was slow to coming around on these guys, but I now have. One of my favorite taprooms and some great beers coming from them, also some misses coming from them. 50/50 on what you will get from them. Some of their beers are some of the best in the city, lots of their beers also vary from good to poor. If you order right, you can leave thinking they deservet to be in the Can’t Miss category. If you order poorly, you’ll understand why they probably fall just short of Can’t Miss. When there: order Exodus IPA, one of the most overlooked/underrated beers brewed here, IMO. High Plain Pilsner is also great.



Worth a Visit When Time Permits: Some good (and occasionally great) stuff coming from these guys, plenty of fair to lesser stuff also coming from them


Bosque. Some of the best beers in ABQ are brewed by these guys but a lot of those beers are in the rearview window. Their Lager remains great, Scale Tipper is even greater when available (which seems like almost never, maybe 1 month of the year in total). In a city known for great IPA’s, one could argue Scale Tipper is the best of the bunch (though, I wouldn’t argue that….Elevated continues to receive my vote there). And they have done lots of great things in the past, most recently 2016 was a stellar year for them. But, lately, lots of uninspiring offerings. Taprooms are ok, not being a college student I don’t fit in with their crowd and staff, which is fine... but also not a selling a point. Setvice at their public house in Nob Hill/UNM area is pretty bad these days.


Steelbender. Another brewery not conveniently located to me, or those in metro ABQ. These guys have been around for a year now, so time to revisit and allow myself to be more critical. I did check them out again recently and their stuff is pretty good, nothing world changing or elite. They have gotten into the world of barrel aging and brett. Right now they have a brett dry hopped saison on tap that I really enjoyed and could drink a ton of. They also have a hoppy pilsner that is really good. The service there isnt great, the food isn’t my thing either. But worth the occasional stop and maybe more if their beer continues to improve, as it has within this first year.


Santa Fe (taproom). Their beers have gotten a lot better and best value in town. 7K IPA is a really good beer that almost becomes great when you consider the price point. Not a fan of the taproom at the Green Jeans container yard personally, but whatever.


Boxing Bear. Maybe its them being so out of the way, but these guys really don’t do much for me. But lots of love for them it seems (and they did win Best Small Brewpub at GABF a couple years back) and their beer is certainly not bad. Many dig it, I find it decent enough but not really my thing. Objectively, they seem on par with Bosque’s beers. If time permits, try them out. I probably won’t bother to make the trek to hang out with you when you do though.


Ponderosa. Bad food, crappy vibe, but decent beer. Don’t rush to visit them, but definitely worth a stop in when time permits and looking for something outside your normal spots. If I lived near them, I would be fine with making them my watering hole.


Dialogue. They are hit or miss. Some awesome beers have come from them, plenty of crap has too. I haven’t been in a while because its become way too much of a crapshoot with what I was gettin, but, yeah, when they are on their game some of those beers like their Das Palabra and Coffee Lager are delightful. Also, one of the nicest taprooms/breweries in the city.


The Rest: locals might want to give them an occasional shot, others don’t waste your time with.



Anyone not mentioned above.

 

I am on a long stay in Santa Fe. Will say that Santa Fe Brewing’s new Taproom is a favorite, it is called the Brakeroom. The name comes from the fact that the building was built to house the Brakemen from the Denver&Rio Grande railroad’s Chile Line.

The beers are well made for the most part. 7kIPa is a favorite. I have been drinking the Schneeball Imp. Pils, and a new beer called Segal SMaSH, Golden Promise and Cascade Hops from Segal farms - these are really aromatic Cascade hops. There have been a couple I don’t care for, but that is true of any place.

 

You agree with Bosque being rated as TWO tiers below Bow and Arrow? Inhaling too many fumes on those cross-country road trips??