Favorite Colorado IPAs?

Sadly this is true and is also why I dont' even give a nod to a new brewery around here until I hear some buzz about it. Why would I visit some brewery trying to brew what everyone else is brewing right now, and not even as well? There's too many good ones to waste my time and money. Nice time to be a craft drinker in Colorado. (not that it's ever been a bad time to live here. )

 

That was a post from a while ago. IMO the Denver beer scene has changed dramatically in the last couple of years. Beyond the obvious shift to newer IPA variants, I feel that a lot of the places opening these days are doing good work. It's pretty rare that a new place opens and they're putting out garbage. There are occasional quirks and issues from nearly everyone, but overall I think our quality has gone through the roof. We're seeing lots of long-time pros brewing and the new upstarts aren't afraid to consult the established places to get up and running. I'd like to think that the days of places opening with 3-4 bad homebrew'ish beers and a gimmick are mostly over. Hell, even some notorious places have turned a corner and are putting out good beers. There are still a few horrible offenders out there, but they're a minority now. I'm always really shocked how many awesome places I have access to over in A-town these days.

 

Stopped by Ursula last night after scooping the wife at DIA. Really enjoyed the Transparency NE style APA. Brewed with Huell Melon and Lemon Drop, I got a ton of citrus, especially tangerine and some lemon peel bitterness. It was a little astringent to my palate, but that could definitely mellow out with another week or so. Very tasty brew!

 

Elysian is owned by ABInBev. Don't drink Elysian.

 

Thanks I'm aware of that I'll consider your advice.

 

Yeah I could see your point, and around Arvada you have New Image and a couple others doing some great work. Have you tried Odyssey beer works much?... don't think their beers are worth trying IMO. I've tried several and all were disappointing. Brewery rickoli seems to have some decent stuff.

For the most point I would agree that most new breweries have their sh%$ together, but I can name a few recent openings that were downright terrible. It still seems like our market is getting inundated with people wanting to quite their day jobs... can't blame them but not all of them are good. Nonetheless, I agree that many new ones are stellar, if you count Odd 13, station 26, comrade, weldwerks, ect.

 

We're almost 4 years in and I still have a day job. It'll be several more before I don't. For me opening a brewery was a (very stressful) passion project, not a way to get rich.

 

ARVADA? I don't know whether to be shocked or insulted

 

A-town is not Arvada? Aurora or what? haha that's another story, cuz then you have dry dock and Comrade, sort of.

 

Then all the power to you for keeping a day job and running a successful brewery! I can honestly say there are many new breweries that come to mind that have no business in the arena right now. I'm not trying to slam anyone, just stating the obvious. Once you visit a tap room and sample several "buttery" or "off" beers, you know there is an issue there.

You guys have nailed it from the beginning.

 

A-Town is most definitely Aurora. Dry Dock, Comrade (we'll fight Denver to claim them), Ursula, and Cheluna fo sho. I personally also claim the Bull & Bush and S26 even if they're not that close.

 

Thanks.

 

Haha might as well claim Avery, Great Divide, Odell, and Funkwerks while you're at it.

Sorry to place you in the wrong town. Arvada's not so bad either.

I'll have to try Ursula and Cheluna- havent' even heard of these guys yet. I live up north in Lafayette so not down there too often.

 

I'm not giving you Station 26, that's straight up Park Hill even though Stapleton wants to claim them too.

 

Weldworks Juicy Bits is a really nice IPA. To me, more looks like a NE style IPA, than taste, but still a very tasty brew.

Cheers!

 

Weldwerks is dropping a Strawberry Shortcake Fruity bits. It sounds absolutely bananas, which is why I have to try it now.

 

Are you sure it's not absolutely strawberries?

I'll see myself out...

 

I'll be visiting Denver next week. Are Odd13 and Weldwerks the best places for hazy IPAs?

Hoping some cans are available at Odd13.

 

Yes.

 

Well, they aren't in Denver though, which I think was the question. Of course they're both packaged and widely available in Denver; think the can of n00b I had last night was only a few days old, too.

In Denver, for actual on-premise brewery tap-room experience, I'd hit Cerebral and Fiction for NE style opaque IPA. They aren't that far from each other, either.