Mountain Region Beer Appreciation Thread (2024)

I'll play! Finer shops in Chicago have been getting Outer Range beers for awhile, but I only ever saw IPAs. I jumped when I saw Infinite Sidetrack Pilsner on a shelf, and I'm glad I did!

Pine, fresh bread, a bit of black pepper & maybe a hint of ginger on my palate; complex but easy drinking as a pilsner should be. I hope to see other non-IPA styles from them soon.

@eppCOS

 

Excellent - initially, Outer Range wanted to be more of a Belgian/Euro beer style producer, but CO demanded IPAs, and well.... yeah. But if you find their Belgian styles, lagers, and their stouts (rare), grab 'em! Cheers...

 

Outer Range's Belgian styles are great. I think it's honestly too bad we don't see more of them. Every time I pop into a store I see like 8 of their same/same IPAs, but every once in a while I'll see a saison, dubbel, BSDA, etc. hiding in there. Hopefully they'll dial back some of the IPA variety (In the Steep is all I need) and package more of the other styles.

 

Right? I love their Outer Rings and their tiny table saisons, and their Stouts are really solid, well balanced, not too roasted, but rich tasting even when they make a light one. I think the only beer I didn't take to is that rice lager, but that, I hope, is forgiveable.

 

Yeah they quickly went to Weldwerks levels of making 15 different IPA's that are maybe 5% different from each other. I couldn't keep track anymore so the In The Steep always pleases, much like a Juicy Bits. But when I'm up there I make sure to get a flight of any Saison and Brett beers they make because those are beer styles that are tough to find made that well.

 

My local had fresh Juicy Bits for $11/4pack the other day.


That’s what they mean when they say Mountain Region Beer Appreciation!

 

Juicy Bits seems to be everywhere now, and it's as good as ever IMO. That's a definite victory with Weldwerks' expansion.

 

IIRC around year one they had some IPAs go bad (presumably because of killer yeast strains commonly used in belgian-styles) and since then they have dialed them back (from my perspective) Maybe a hunch, or maybe they pivoted due to their IPA success. But I agree, when they had their belgian styles they were/are great.

 

I’m not sure where I heard it, but someone said that when they expanded their capacity they would just brew more batches.

Like instead of trying to scale up the 10 barrel recipe to a 20 barrel recipe, they would brew 2, 10 barrel batches… I am probably completely wrong here, but it sounds good to me especially since the quality has been so consistent through the expansion.

 

I’m sure a lot of focus has been on their spot in Europe too!

Wonder if they’ll be brewing Belgian styles over there more

 

I think their saison would crush it

 

Sadly I forgot about this thread before starting diving in with some Nevada beers this weekend.

I’m taking this as what Mountain Region beer I’m drinking now, but will list my beers the past few days:

Friday, January 12: Able Baker Impaled Ale

Saturday, January 13: Hop Nuts Hopathon IPA

Sunday & Monday January 14-15:

Tenaya Creek

• Hauling Oats (Sunday & Monday)
• 702 Pale Ale (Sunday & Monday)
• Red Ryder (Sunday)

Monday, January 15: North 5th Brewing

• Willie Nelson
• Velvet Goldmine (In my glass now)

North 5th Brewing Velvet Goldmine



Brewery Notes: 6.0% ABV Oatmeal Stout. $7 16 oz draft.

Appearance: Pitch black base, creamy tan white head lingers for a few minutes before leaning a thin cover over the entire base. 4.0

Aroma: Strong milk chocolate and roast malt, pleasant, very sweet. 3.75

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, very sweet milk chocolate, toffee, caramel. The roast portion of the aroma isn’t present. 3.25

Mouthfeel: A very sweet malt and milk chocolate, any roast, hops or bittering hops are AWOL. Drinks at the ABV, lightly dry, feint carbonation. Too sweet, including through the finish. 3.0

Overall: This is a very sweet stout, beyond my preference, but still enjoying. 3.0

The Willie Nelson was much more geared to my tastes.

 

At the Front Yard at Ellis Island Casino. Beers previously were brewed onsite, but production shifted to a brewery and distillery owned and operated buy the same family, built in Utah.

Silver Reef Spaghetti Western



Ellis Island Notes: Comped playing Video Poker ($6 on menu), 16 oz draft, 5% ABV Italian Pilsner. A crisp, floral, hop-forward pilsner.

Appearance: Straw faint yellow, light carbonation, thin fine white head with near top glass pour, cover over the base. A little murky. 3.5

Aroma: Firm hoppy aroma, salt pepper cracker. Nice, enticing. 4.0

Taste: Taste a bit duller, light cracker pepper aroma. Not getting much floral notes, light hops, not consistent with the description. Notes of freshly baked bread. 2.75

Mouthfeel: Light carbonation hangs out, medium plus body, malt makes this feel creamy. Lightly dry, balanced, drinks at ABV, bread and bitterness on the finish. 3.25

Overall: This is did not scratch my Italian Pils itch, ok / drinkable, but one and done. 3.0