Best CO Beer

Always a loaded question.

It may help if you post your favorite styles in order of preference, give us a starting point.

 

Always a loaded question indeed.

IMO, Crooked Stave, Bligh's (or really any Dry Dock bomber), AC Golden Sours, Odell IPA/St.Lupulin

 

There's pretty much no way you'll get a consensus (just like with the normal site) but @Prospero did mention some of our bigger highlights.
The thing about CO is that our scene is very much premises-based. With a few large exceptions, you're going to find that most of our breweries focus on their taproom business.

 

If your buddy can get you a crowler (a canned growler) of BA Ten-FIDY from Oskar Blues' Tastey Weasel you'll be living the high life. It's not always available but a lot of times it is.

 

BA Ten Fidy in a crowler is the truth.
In terms of growlers, very few places do fills of their high-ABV or special items anymore. The best growler I can think of might be Comrade Brewing's Superpower IPA. Dry Dock will occasionally do fills of their special items like the Ambassador Sour or BA Three Heavy, but it's tough to know when those will be available.

 

Tell your friend to pay real close attention to Oskar Blues Tasty Weasel Taproom and their BA TenFIDY releases. He can fill a Crowler(s) for you, it travels well and stays good for at least 2 months by some reports. Other beers may not last as long, but TenFIDY handles it like a champ.
They also have a ton of collab beers in cans right now in their fridge. I have no idea if they are distributed anywhere else that their brewing partners are located, but I'm almost positive TW is the only place in CO they can be found.

Davidson's Liquor is about to release a store exclusive Breckenridge 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout aged in whiskey barrels. I have no idea what it tastes like yet, but the base beer is respectable and you won't get it anywhere else.

River North seems to have some BA beers people really like. They're primarily Belgian styles, so if that fits your taste it's probably worth a try.

Copper Kettle Mexican Chocolate Stout is a hot-button beer, it tends to be love it or hate it. I love it. The base stout isn't notable, but I love the pepper and cinnamon spices, though some find it overwhelming.
They also just release Naja Imperial Red IPA in bombers, which I thought was a great IPA, though I'm not an IPA fan so take it for what it's worth.
"Le Chapeau" is a French-style saison aged in lightly toasted red wine barrels, is also still around.

Hope these help.

And don't be shy about sharing some of that Founders, Bells and Kuhnhenn

 

Unfortunately, as far as I am aware, there is nothing on tap of the ilk at this time but when Grimm Brothers has one of their BA offerings going they are now allowing fills of the 32. oz growlers. Their up in Loveland, so about 45-50 minutes from Denver, but definitely worth the trek for those beers, as I haven't had one of their BA offerings that has yet to be anything short of great.

And if you like saisons, have your friend grab you some Funkwerks.

 

TRUTH.

 

The new 7437 from Elevation is a really good IPA and I am very picky, tell him to grab you one.

 

Big Bad Baptist is all over the place now, if it isn't available where you live.

They aren't big, but I really liked these:

Telluride Rye Pale Ale (I personally would take it over most ipa's)
Big Choice Poblano Oatmeat Stout
Crazy Mountain Neomexicanus Pale Ale
Backcountry Breakfast Stout (I like it better than another beer of the same name, but twice the gravity)

 

I'd say don't focus on "the best" and go with variety. You never know what will hit you in the face, wiggle and say "I"m delicious!" One man's Wesy 12 is another man's Coors Light

 

TWEAK (once its released)

 

Shhhh!

 

And Black Eye if it gets out there