Favorite Colorado Lagers!

I know you can sometimes get HJ in the bottle at the gift shop at Coors at the end of the tour, but you can always get it on tap at the Golden Hotel, in Golden, obviously, and also at an Italian restaurant near 20th and Youngfield called Abrusci's. I think it may be on tap at a couple of other places in Golden as well. Have enjoyed HJ since the 80's (sheesh, I'm old).

 

Nothing beats a late night HJ at the Golden Hotel.

 

Very Nice.

 

I mean it was right there on a tee ready for me.

 

Not this first run (which is all I can say for certainty right now).

 

Finally made it up to the new Cellar West spot in Lafayette, and their Kneebone Pils is fan-freaking-tastic. It was the first lager I've had from them but they are apparently trying to get into the unfiltered lager game and are doing a great job.

 

I'd never had it before, but I got some of the Wibby Moondoor Dunkel the other day. It's pretty good, but I'm not sure I'd call it a dunkel. It has the color, but the taste and smell scream "schwarzbier." Lots of roasty character, which is kind of unusual for both, but far more appropriate for a schwarzbier. I'd recommend it for people looking for a local replacement for Kostritzer rather than say, Ayinger or Augustiner dunkel.

 

I agree, the Wibby dunkel is kind of chocolate-y to me. It's a good beer, though.

 

They actually used to brew it with chocolate, not just chocolate malt. Not sure if that's changed over the years.

"Moondoor Dunkel is a dark lager, brewed with chocolate malt and cocoa nibs for a velvety, chocolate flavor. It is supple and crisp, sporting a deep brown color with an enticing beige head. Its aroma carries notable elements of cocoa and roasted grain."

 

Moondoor Dunkel is my absolute favorite beer on the planet!

Most of our beers have a little twist of some kind, and I'd agree that Moondoor exists somewhere between Munich Dunkel and Schwarzbier (we even take liberties with Schwibby Schwarzbier by brewing with oats). Moondoor has won several medals in Dunkel categories, but has also medaled in Brown Ale and maybe one other category at other competitions. I've actually converted quite a few Porter drinkers as those become a bit more rare, too.

As mentioned above, it is brewed with cacao nibs, which I think gives it a light coffee edge on top of being more chocolate-y than the other dunkels on the shelves.

 

Anyone have any additional details on this? I'm bummed they scrapped the can release that was supposed to happen today, but I'm curious if this is the same recipe they used for Von Lite or entirely new.

 

Interesting. I actually trust CS with a helles. Chad and Co. have a respect for tradition and naming conventions after all. I'll grab some.

 

How come no love for Gordon Biersch? I think their Helles is right up there with the best of them, in my opinion. Their Dunkel is stellar as well. Dan Gordon is a graduate of Weihenstephan after all.

 

If I'm not mistaken, that's a California beer. Check the thread title.

 

There's a Gordon Biersch location up in Broomfield that brews for their restaurant. It's kinda like the various CB & Potts and Rock Bottom locations. I think all of the beer for the BJ's locations comes from Boulder, though. Someone else might know otherwise, though.

Anyway, I think the GB stuff is quite good. I'm just rarely up that way. If I am, there are other stops I prioritize ahead of it. I've only been there once in like 15 years.
I feel pretty confident that Dan Gordon is far removed from the Broomfield location. If the chain is anything like Potts, they hold their brewers to a super high standard, though.

 

Issues with canning resulted in this being draught only. Will be brewed again soon with cans being available. Pretty much identical recipe to Von Lite. It's on draught at both taprooms. Incredibly refreshing on these warm summer days.

 

Just a fwiw data point on the Prost Pils folks were talking about above...had 3 after work Wednesday on tap at Choppers in Cherry Creek and they were excellent. I’d say they’re back on their game.

Other recent excellent lagers have been, of course, the Helles and the Slow Pour Pils at Bierstadt, and in the (controversial?) hoppy Lager category, their collab with Comrade. If you like or are interested in this style, this is as good an example as I’ve had. Anywhere.

Finally had a couple of the foeder aged Sight Unseen at Cerebral yesterday, the slow-pour version, and it was excellent if quite a bit heavier on aroma hops than I would expect from an Export Lager, which they bill it as. The oak character was perfect and the bitterness just right, and I’m not complaining about the hops, just noting them. [Years ago I got first place in the first (regional) round of the AHA contest with a Dortmunder that I dryhopped with Saaz and (IIRC) Liberty so I am not averse to aroma hops in an export lager, at all.]

 

Thanks! We love Kneebone and i'm happy a lot of other folks have been excited about it. We have another batch lagering right now and a few other lagerbiers planned over the next few months.

 

To add to the already crowded "German style pils" market around here, I tried the new Wibby Home Town Pilsner and thought that it was top drawer. Very tasty and crisp, and at this point I expect no less from Wibby thanks to their great track record.

I also tried the new Upslope German Pilsner as well and though I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the Wibby offering, I still thought it was quite good.

 

I hope someday we see someone packaging a south German style dunkel. I'm scared to death to buy Prost's, I can no longer find Grimm's in my area, and the others all have a "twist" that I don't really want.

EDIT:
I know it's all the rage right now, but I'm not sure I need another pilsner either. Feels like its the NEIPA for 2019. Very few are bad, but very few are outstanding too.