Favorite Colorado Lagers!

That's true. It's in Garrett Oliver's book and I *think* their website confirmed it, too. The equipment and yeast are the culprits. I always figured that their spot in Bamberg old town would just reek of smoke, but their brewhouse is offsite up the road. Spezial doesn't have that smell either, but their brewhouse is off by itself.

 

Where where where? I've had my eyes open for a while and cant find it. I want to try their fastenbier as well.

Also, yes, the helles is fermented in the same foeders as the marzen, which imparts the smokiness per an article with them from CB&B magazine.

 

found it at Coaltrain a while back, but I'm at Brewer's (COS) Republic, they always have a 16oz can waiting for me (apparently few like it - bunch of barbarians!)

 

Ah, so it's the canned version. They brew that in Bamberg and ship it over here in a large container where it's canned on the east coast. Pretty neat concept. Folks seem to dig the canned helles. The canned kräusen is supposedly hyper-smoky for some reason, though. Typically that beer is somewhere in-between the helles and the Märzen in terms of smoke flavor.
I've never had any of the canned stuff before. The stores that carry them in Denver tend to be on the opposite side of town from me.

 

Has Cerebral's new Schwarzbier Cryptic Message been mentioned yet? If not, this might be the beer of the year for me. They absolutely nail it.

 

Dang. Hadn't heard about this. Love me some Schwarzbiers. I guess I gotta make a trip soon.

 

If you're a schwarz fan well worth the trip, and you can snag a 4-pack there. The Vienna they have right now is also really good.. I mean I'm more of a lager guy anyway, but I hardly even look at their other beers anymore.

 

I've never figured out why there are so many schwarzbiers and so few dunkels. Even most of the American beers labeled as dunkels are only marginally so. That's not a knock on Cerebral's (never had it), but just one of those things that I've noticed.

 

Really? I feel like I hardly ever see shwarzbeirs, but dunkels every other brewery or so. Granted a lot of them are dunkelweizens..

 

I don't even seem to run into dunkelweizens much outside the Bull & Bush. Different style, but I like them nearly as much.
Other than Bierstadt, Prost, and Grimm I can't think of too many legit dunkels that I've seen lately. Pug's and Wibby's are both on the roasty side of things. While "acceptable" in the dunkel world, that's extremely atypical in south German examples. While I really enjoy the one at the Chophouse, it's some other dark lager style, too. Ratio's Darklands is closer to a Czech dark lager. Where are some others?

 

Baere has a pretty tasty Dunkel on right now. I’m not an expert in the style or anything, but I tried it the other day and loved it. They do lagers pretty well from what I’ve tasted. Recommended.

 

Also Seedstock has a Czech Dunkel on right now. Haven’t tried it, but I usually like their beers. One of the more underrated breweries in Denver IMO.

 

Will be up in Denver for Thanksgiving. Might have to hit Baere up before the High on Fire show on Friday.

 

Never had Baere's dunkel, but I like most everything else I've had from them. Their big hoppy brown and stout are terrific. I'll have to seek the dunkel out. I used to go down there just for TRVE, but I split my time 50/50 between the two now.

Seedstock's is good, but it's Czech style. With exceptions (of course), Czech dark lagers tend to be very close to schwarzbiers. I have no issue with schwarzbiers, but I'm hoping for dark lagers that don't have that roasted note. Funny enough, Negra Modelo is like a Mexican spin on a dunkel. I'm all about that beer.

 

According to Shikes, Diebolt just released a Dunkel, as well. In 6-packs.

 

They’re definitely a solid brewery and usually have something for everyone: sours, IPAs, a couple lagers, Belgian stuff. Like Domingo said above their stout is killer and that Dunkel. Their hoppy stuff is solid too. Plus you could hit up Trve also. They’re in super close to each other.

 

Don’t sleep on Banded Oak either. Three very solid breweries along that stretch of Broadway.

 

I still need to try Banded Oak but not sure how motivated I am at this point to give them (another) try. When I was back up in Denver last month I did stop in there for a beer, but the bartender completely ignored me and my order so I walked out and left. I think it was a French Oaked Lager I was hoping to try (relevant for this thread). Ended up hitting up TRVE instead.

I think my pattern has become similar to Domingo's, in that while TRVE used to get 100% of my attention when on Broadway, it's probably become 50/50 between TRVE and Baere over the past 18 months or so.

If scheduling allows a visit to that area prior to the concert on Friday, I do have Baere and that dunkel on my radar.