Favorite Colorado Lagers!

I remember when IPLs became a thing, being unimpressed with the concept, without having actually tasted one. But I have to say I really, really like Wibby’s take on the style. The Helles and the Dunkel are first rate too.

 

It doesn’t get much better than a fresh Munich Dunkel in the fall...any recommendations around the Denver area?

 

Prost is never going to dissolve. The guy who bought out the rest of the owners of Prost is extremely wealthy. Word is they are opening a production facility and a HUGE system. Also, cans.

The Fort Collins location is packed every night of the week.

 

Bierstadt is your destination.

Or you can play the Prost slot machine. Could be terrific, could be a diacytel bomb.

Wibby makes a killer dunkel. The taproom is in Longmont but you may see it around town.

 

Bierstadt's is one of the best brewed on US shores and they sell crowlers for cheap if you're looking for something to drink at home. It's my first choice.
Fearless Youth from Grimm Brothers has won multiple GABF medals and is available in cans. I'd say it's an easy #2.
Wibby's is solid and cans seem to be all over the place now.

If you're just straight up looking for the best of the best, Ayinger's is probably the best one available in the US. Period. Check the bottles for dust and roll the dice, because if it's fresh it's next-level good.

 

Do they date?

 

If they do it's a very recent thing. That's always been a problem in the past. Some stores were even known to sell old Ayinger Oktoberfest because you can't tell it's old.

 

Nope.

 

I’ll need to look for Bierstadt’s Dunkel, the next time I’m down there. Kinda surprising more wasn’t said about their Oktoberfest. I’ll definately need to be on my toes next September.

 

Anyone had the lagers at Cheluna in Stanley Marketplace yet? I was there over the weekend and they had at least 6-7 lagers on tap. I thought their Helles and Pilsener were pretty solid. Pretty much everything I had there was really good and there were some standouts. Curious as to what people who know more about lagers than me think. I'd definitely say it's worth the trip though.

 

Yeah, I'm a big fan of theirs. Never had those two, but Low Rider (a pale Mexican lager) and their version of a Vienna/amber are really tasty. I don't know if I've ever had a bad beer from those guys. That reminds me that I need to go back there again soon. That whole complex can be a little overcrowded on weekends so I sometimes forget about it.

 

Ha, this is funny, I just had another outstanding pilsner and thought about this thread. I had the Rockyard German pils- wow! So clean and crisp, great hoppiness, just about perfect. We really are spoiled. In no particular order, these are my faves in CO.

1) Bierstadt Slow Pour
2) River North Pilsner
3) Rockyard German Pils (formerly Primadonna?)
4) Mama's Little Yella Pils

I feel like I am forgetting one.. Von Pilsner is good, but is more of a keller pils.

 

Dry Dock's Pils is up there with the best of 'em.
It has won 3 GABF/WBC awards and is on tap about 1/2 the time.

While sometimes forgotten (and it's Czech-style), Seedstock's Pilsner is also quite good.

 

Coors original ice cold.

 

I feel like a lot of people are finally coming around and realizing how good Banquet actually is. It's the favorite of many a brewer, even if they keep it on the DL.

 

Every beer I had from them was good too. They also had a Mezcal barreled version of the Low Rider, I think, which was delicious. Having 6 or 7 lagers on tap is pretty awesome too. You don't see that everywhere.

 

Banquet is the best macro out there unless you count Extra Gold. I have it on pretty good authority those two are very similar anyway.
The knock on Banquet is that it's not as cheap or as readily available as most of the others. There aren't too many places that don't carry Bud and MGD is still pretty common. After those two there's a pretty steep drop off if you're looking for a "full flavor" macro.

 

Extra gold is the bomb cheap beer.