New Mexico Beer Guide 2016 updated

I have only been there once and was pleased with what I drank, for them being a new brewery. But haven't been back since and totally forgot about them, which kind of is its own statement. I am sure I will be back there in due time....but not sure I in any position to rate them in any reliable way at this point.


I was up in Denver when La Cumbre released Make IPA Clear Again so I missed the release but was able to grab a 4 pack at Jubilation. Yeah, that beer is not terrible. My favorite NM and Colorado IPA producers collaboration, how could it not be great? Wish I could have bought 2 4 packs of this gem.

 

I just finished 11 days in your area, visiting from Seattle. We were in ABQ, Santa Fe, Taos, Chaco Canyon, Durango, and parts in between.

I want to thank you guys for this thread, which is full of helpful advice. @ONovoMexicano and @denver10 get a particular shout out for their many contributions.

We were mostly showing our Minnesota grandkids the great SW, especially Chaco Canyon, so this wasn't a beercation. But before the kids got here, and after they left, I managed to hit La Cumbre and Marble (repeat visits for both) and for the first time, I visited Rowley and Bow&Arrow. I was particularly impressed with Bow&Arrow. Excellent saisons and sours, and a beautiful spacious taproom. Bow&Arrow compares favorably to Seattle's Holy Mountain, IMHO, and that's one of the mandatory must stops for those visiting Seattle for beer. LaCumbre is excellent, of course. It was my third visit to Marble, and they still don't quite light me up the way they do others, but I guess that's just me.

So thanks to all you guys for the beer scene and advice. If you get up to Seattle, shoot me a message, and maybe I can thank you in person.

 

A PS to my earlier post:

At the very end of our trip, we went to Golden Crown Panaderia, to get some green chile bread to take home. I was surprised to see that they had 25 taps, all local craft beer. They had around 7 taps each for Marble and LaCumbre, and seemed to have a good selection of the "greatest hits" for those breweries. They've got a few tables, but it's not really a place to hang out. But if someone is looking for food (they do pizza, empanadas, and a few other things) and a very respectable beer list, it's a good spot to know about.

 

Bow & Arrow has their Cosmic Arrow Brett Saison available in bottles.

Fresh, Batch #2 seems far better than Batch #1 did upon release. So I am really looking forward to seeing how this one progresses with age. Definitely worth checking out.

 

@denver10 thanks for posting this! I am headed out to see a buddy in ABQ in June, super helpful.

 

La Cumbre putting South Peak Pilsner in cans. Release date, May 11th.

Thanks @erway...really looking forward to that one. One of my favorite beers since moving down here.

 

Loving South Peak Pilsner in cans. Think I am go going to need to do a side by side with some Marble Pilsner to compare...

 

Report back

 

Anyone know about or notice any changes to Santa Fe's Freestyle Pilsner? Currently enjoying a pour at their taproom and seems different, and significantly better, than I remember it. It's been at least 8 or so months since I last had this one, so maybe its poor memory, but just seems like a different, improved beer.

Will share my thoughts when I get around to the side by side of La Cumbre's South Peak Pilsner and Marble's Pilsner. Going to be a close one, that I know.

 

That's really good news @denver10. We have the same general taste for pislners and lagers, locally at least.

FS pilsner was my summer release beer of 2014 and 2015 back when it was truly seasonal. Heck I remember going to the can release party of FS and Happy Camper years back.
Same with their oktoberfest, I really liked their beers a few years back. But by 2016, and until just when I read your post, I havent given either a sniff. My last check in of FS is 2 years back. Maybe they are changing for the better. I mess around with their imperial java stout frequently. And I just had some fresh 7k at their ABQ tap room, which was nothing short of amazing (definitely pulled me in with some early elevated IPA vibes). So maybe I need to give their whole lineup a new chance. I did have some odd vibes with a 7k six pack awhile back. Tasted very green bell peppery. So I remain hesitant.

BTW, it appears Marble has gone the route of having only BEST BY dates on their cans. I want to say its a 120 day period. Kind of a crappy move IMHO. We need more transparency. Their passionfruit gose was great though. Glad to see the pricier stuff in six packs for a decent price. I can get used to that.

It looks like theres a new brewery on the west side called TolTec (former Nexus brewer is there), as well as one in santa fe called Tumbleroot. Nothing lately has really called my name for a $5-7 pint of beer. Just been enjoying Marble pilsner and La Cumbre Beer in can form. Does anyone know if South Peak Pilsner is still around in cans anywhere? Havent hit up La cumbre since March.

Even all the recent praise here of Bow & Arrow hasnt gotten me to return.

I missed Marbles 10th year anniversary party last month. They seem to be selling a helluva lot of double white, while experimenting with other stuff. I did see some of their DIPA in six pack cans. A far cry from their bomber days ( i remember double white in bombers).

@denver10 Just getting around to reading your brewery ranking type list for 2018. When Bosque is on, they are ON. I wouldnt quite put them two levels below the top tier, and they certainly arent below Steelbender. But maybe thats my love affair for Scale Tipper talking (which is barely released anymore). But their haze series was solid and they sold growlers of it. Always a plus

 

We spent a month in Santa Fe recently. The Brakeroom had just opened so we stopped to check it out the first night in. The Freestyle was really crisp, good hop aroma. I had not had it before, but as someone who has lived and traveled in Germany, it was darned nice.

The Brakeroom became our local. We thought the beers were better than we remembered, even that Pale Ale. One night we met the owner of Santa Fe Brewing. As we talked he mentioned that they got their head brewer from Boston Beer Co. about a year ago. I could see how that could have been a positive for beer quality.

 

Bert Boyce has been there for at least 2, more like 3, years at this point and yes, he has made a whole lot of improvements.

 

I must have not heard what was said correctly.

Oh, I drank my share of Elevated IPA too.

 

First off, Marble's now using a Best By code? Weak....but still better than the system Santa Fe has of using a smudged, indecipherable date on their cans.

Back to the topic at hand, Santa Fe Brewing. I think across the board their beer has vastly improved this past year (and perhaps longer). I have pretty much thought everything I have tried from them lately has been at the very least fair and plenty good to great. I have also noticed some inconsistencies in their canned offerings as @Oktoberfiesta alluded to, but in general I have really enjoyed a lot of what I am drinking from them. Freestyle Pilsner was great, 7K IPA is good to great IPA (I think inconsistency in cans might be at play in that variance), I surprisingly really enjoyed their Twisted Root Blond Ale with ginger and lemongrass, the Helles they released very much hit the spot, their imperial pilsner was nice, etc.

Since I posted my thoughts/rankings, of ABQ breweries/taprooms I have had a couple poor experiences/beers at Canteen. I would still much prefer to hit Canteen's taproom up for a beer, but at this point I do think I would drink a Santa Fe beer ahead of a Canteen one. Overall, Santa Fe is more consistent in their beer and what they have on tap I have been finding.

(And not apologizing for my Bosque rating.....last couple of beers i tried from them, since posting my rankings have all been duds, even a drain pour in there......yes, Scale Tipper is awesome, as is their Lager).

And as for the beer that got this whole conversation started....Freestyle Pilsner. I remember that beer being rather heavy in mouthfeel, with some toastiness in there.....this latest batch didn't have any of that. The way @hopfenunmaltz described it was more in line with what I got this time around. If last night's experience was a true reflection on what I will get every time I drink it, it will definitely enter my rotation.

 

The smoked jalapeño gose at Bosque is bomb. If you like goses make sure to stop in there soon before that one kicks

 

@Oktoberfiesta, I was at La Cumbre the other day and there was still South Peak Pilsner 4 packs available. Worth the time and effort to head over there for one (or 2).

Did the side by side with it and Marble's Pilsner the other day. Honestly, I can't say one is any better than the other. Both are great. If I had to pick one, I would probably go Marble Pilsner but because its a better value (@ $9 a six pack of 12 ounce cans vs $10 a 4 pack of pounders) and probably moreso for the whole nostalgia thing (Marble Pilsner is the one beer I have drank more of than any other since moving down to Albuquerque and the beer that fully got me on board the lager train). But you can't go wrong with either, if both were consistently around, I would drink a lot of both.

On another topic, Batch #2, and in bottles, of Bow & Arrows Cosmic Arrow is a really good beer. Myself, I am kinda loving it. So much better out the gate than the initial batch of Cosmic Arrow was. Actually starting off kinda dry and some nice depth in there with the base beer, the brett, and barrel. I'll say it: best bottled saison to come from New Mexico (admittedly, a small field). As someone whose favorite style of beer is a toss up between a Belgian Saison or a Geman Pilsner, Cosmic Arrow is taking my money.

 

One thing I want to add. I feel like if you did a blind testing and included South Peak with some other regional great pilsners like Bierstadt's Slow Pour Pilsner and Zwei's Pilsner, it would be stand up to them. So don't think of my pick as a knock towards it in any way.

 

Rowley recently picked up a new brewer who spent considerable time at Crooked Stave and Dry Dock, which suggests very good things in the future. Pretty excited to see how they evolve over the next few years.

 

Damn, I just cracked a bottle of Cosmic Arrow and holy hell this is delicious. Great work, Bow & Arrow. Nothing super complex, but just a beautifully balanced beer.

(Also a beautiful bottle.)

 

Returned to Sante Fe's Freestyle Pilsner....and confirmation of my recent experience, I think the beer has turned a corner and has earned a place at the table with the state's great German Pilsners.

Also, I've been up in Sante Fe for the past couple days and finally hit up Sante Fe's production brewery and Taproom and The Brakeroom. I get why the need/point of The Brakeroom. Wasn't much of a fan of the taproom/drinking experiece at the production facility, but did enjoy The Brakeroom....which is also much more centrally located.