New Mexico Beer Guide 2016 updated

I just saw this, I don't know if you've figured it out but La Tienda has La Cumbre and some other NM beers.

 

Tried RFA's Agent Scully S02, E01 last night. It's a totally different beer than past iterations—slightly hazy, huge aroma and flavor, low bitterness. Liked it a lot.

 

I know pale ales aren't that popular right now but Bow & Arrow has a really nice one on tap right now, Zia Pelta.

 

Revisited Sidetrack a couple times over the past couple weeks and I think these guys have showed up to the party. I read @ONovoMexicano's review of the place from a couple years ago and I think what he had to say then remains on point: "I feel their beers are tasting good right now, meaning they're clean, at the right carb levels, not showing off flavors and generally taste good. The question will be are they good enough? Packing enough flavor? Bold enough for Albuquerque drinkers? The flavors here lean towards mellow, understated and low-key and it will be interesting to see how that sits with Albuquerque drinkers." - @ONovoMexicano

I tried their beers back when they first started and think the beers are significantly better now. And its the first time I have gotten into cask offerings. I really enjoyed their pilsner on cask. But pretty much everything I have tried during these couple of visits has been well built I'd say. I think as @ONovoMexicano properly put it, the beers definitely land on the mellow, under stated side of things which probably puts them behind the eight ball in today's beer scene, as people seem to want that first sip to hit them over the head never back down, but for those willing to enjoy a full pour or two and who enjoys more sessionable, subtle offerings should be able to appreciate Sidetrack. Hopefully there is a place for them and that style beer here in ABQ, based on my visits it definitely seems like they are bringing in a decent enough crowd. It might not be as convenient as Boese Brothers or Duel but if you are downtown looking for a brewery, this is the place to go, IMO. (Granted, it has been just as long since I last hit up either Boese Bros or Duel and it is certainly possible they have upped their games in that time.)

 

Let's not forget one of the cooler outdoor drinking spaces anywhere. Not many places I'd rather have a beer in ABQ.

 

No kidding. Haven't made it outside there. Next time.

 

Nothing extravagant, just a very quaint courtyard that looks into the modest brewhouse.

 

Went to Tumbleroot on my last day in SF and enjoyed it quite a bit. Huge space that must be awesome on weekends and at shows (but was cavernously empty on a weekday at lunch).

I tried the farmhouse (saison), maibock, and citra pale ale. I liked the saison and citra lot—very clean, simple beers—but the maibock didn't do it for me. I bought a bottle of barrel-aged Belgian dark strong, too, but haven't tried it yet. Didn't try any of the spirits. There's a very nice little lunchtime food menu—enjoyed my $3 quesadilla with blue cheese, grilled onions, and thin-sliced apples. Small, but tasty.

Also visited the small taproom at the actual brew house off of 14. The brew house is just as huge as the Agua Fria taproom, and the still is really cool looking.

Overall, an interesting new brewery with what looks like a ton of resources and a promising future. They're doing more interesting things than anyone else in Santa Fe except Rowley, at least.

 

Hi all!!

I moved to Albuquerque about a month ago from Delaware. I was active on this site for a few years. Got away from it as life took over and beer drinking took a back seat.

Enjoying the local beers so far that I can get at Kirtland or the west side Total Wine. Leaders in the clubhouse would be Santa Fe 7X and the hefe from La Cumbre. I live about a mile from Lava Rock Brewing. Food was good but only guests taps the first time I went which was about 2 weeks ago. I haven't checked much out much else as the wife and I are getting settled in.

Prost.

 

Lava Rock: you think our beers are bad now? Just wait till we start serving our own!

 

I also see a Growler USA is going to opening within a 1/4 mile of Lava Rock to the south on Unser.

 

Dank in 4 packs? About time, looking forward to that for sure. And they have their Miles From Cologne Kolsch back on tap. Kolsch's really aren't a style I generally care about, but that is a great beer. I generally don't drink the same beer twice in a sitting but every time I have drank that I have gone back for seconds.

Tried the Waffle Stout at Bow Arrow. First beer with maple syrup in it that I kinda liked, have disliked to hated all others I have tried. I think they did a really good job with it. That said, it's still a pastry stout and not really my thing. Rich and Sweet. I also only got one of those 5 ounce pours, FWIW. They also have a Ace Soriachi hopped saison that I really liked. My limited experience with that hop is that its tough to do right, but I dug this.....probably more than Brooklyn's Soriachi hopped saison (though freshness is probably significantly at play there).

I don't think the new Bosque location is open yet, at least the taproom. I actually hit their taproom a couple weeks back for the first time in maybe 5 months and asked about the new location. I got an end of July opening answer from them. Maybe I am wrong though.

 

Bosques been busy.

I heard the new bosque Bernalillo location is opening around the same time as their hosting of the final round of the nm ipa challenge. End of July would make sense. 550 is being messed with around their too. That new Santa Ana casino hotel building opens up next week.

I also heard the San Mateo location is closing at the end of the month to move into a space five blocks north. I drove around that area and couldn’t find the building. Pan America and Venice.

Then they have plans to have a restoration pizza restaurant opening up by cAbelas. I love their San Mateo location. It’ll be missed. With all that said, they aren’t saying much on social media. Some business reports had info on the other stuff.

They also happened to change the recipe of elephants on parades. I guess they aren’t going the fresh fruit route anymore and strictly going canned purée. Yuck.

@denver10 inspired me to hit up bow and arrow again. What a unique collection of beers. Every new place seems to want to be another La Cumbre. We don’t need that. Sours and saisons and dessert stouts. I loved waffle bandit. I’m used to stouts being in the 8% range, so this felt quite refreshing. Huge aroma of maple syrup without actually feeling sweet. Then again, one mans sweet tooth is another mans normal tooth.

With that said, I would put bow and arrow easily into one of the upper tiers for visitors. I was at bosque Sm Friday and the beers were just kind of there. These construction upgrades and changes are kicking them in the balls. They need to can scale tipper the minute they open. Get some hype back their way.

La Cumbre
Marble
Bow and arrow
——
Second tier the likes of boxing bear, bosque, canteen
——
Third tier almost all the others.

I already found bosque Sm quite the drive for me. Now bosque north will be one of the first beer destinations around. They’ll need to bring out the big guns to make it worth the trek for people. It’ll need to be tier 1 to make it worth a drive imho. I don’t know if Rio Rancho and Bernalillo residents can sustain a building of that size alone.

 

We make a lot of sours, saisons, and dessert stouts? Lots of hop bombs, I'll grant you, but sours, saisons and dessert stouts?

 

Yeah sorry my point wasn’t too clear. Bow and arrow stands out because they aren’t trying to be another La Cumbre. I won’t name names but there are a dozen local breweries who have core lineup beers that don’t even touch what La Cumbre is able to do. I don't necessarily need another hoppy red or a regular Amber, or a hopped up WC style IPA. Between la cumbre and a few others, that's probably good enough in that regard.

Bow and arrow stands out with their creativity in multiple sours, saisons, and dessert stouts all being available at the same time. I've been hesitant on return trips to breweries lately (my only mug club is to la Cumbre). But bow and arrow has won me over recently.

When I said every place, I meant pretty much every new place except for bow and arrow are copy catting la Cumbre, which should be taken as a compliment. But at the same time, a lot of places aren't standing out.

While driving through Ca last year, I stumbled upon a brewery who basically only did stouts and cloudy hazy /fruit ipas. I know its the hype thing to be about. But that's what's standing out now. ABQ is still missing that IPA only focused brewery. Bow and arrow are definitely carving out their own niche by being different. I was just trying to give them some kudos for being different ( when so many new places are cookie cutter la Cumbre 2.0s). Many of these newer breweries haven't quite carved out their niche.

 

Well, to that end, I'll give kuddos to Dialogue and Side Track. Definitely not La Cumbre 2.0.

I think one of the major missing links here is diversity of clientele as well. Sure in San Diego you can easily support an IPA-only brewery, a Belgian-only brewery, a sub 5%abv-only brewer... In Denver you can easily support 3, not just 1 or 2 but 3, German lager-focused breweries and a British-only brewery. In ABQ, we're all kinda competing for the same 1,000 or so regulars. Not offering each and every one of them their style of choice is downright dangerous. And if your brewing prowess just isn't there, the styles aren't your problem.

 

Dialogue might have some variety in the beer offerings, I am still waiting for some consistentcy in their quality. I am pleased with what I have been drinking at Sidetrack, not sure they styles of beer they are putting out has been all that varied and unique though. The cask offerings are unique though, and that has been really cool. Definitely has been cool trying the same beer through two different lenses.

As for clientele, we have plenty of locals supporting crappy breweries it seems to me. Even specialized ones, like Duel (though I did just read that Monks Taproom is closing, so there is that). Seems like there should be a window for those styles, as long as they are quality. I want a Funkwerks quality Belgian place, a Bierstadt or Zwei quality German place....which might be wishful thinking on my part, even in terms of our market being able to attract such brewers/breweries to come here. Maybe the bar is higher for these places to be able to succeed, but I'd hope it could be done, personally.

But anyways....Marble is set to release their Brett IPA on 8/1. I thought that wasn't going to be coming out this year, so glad to be wrong. I love that beer.

Looks like Bow & Arrow has a full on NE IPA on tap right now, Tropic Rodeo. Haven't tried it myself, thinking I probably won't, but I am sure plenty others will be interested.

 

Bosque North is now open.

Hopefully they can now start brewing some good, new beers again. I've been there maybe 3-4 times this year and have yet to try anything new I have enjoyed. If memory serves, the last new thing from them I have tried that I really enjoyed was their Barrel Aged Scotia.

I will say, their Lager remains great and maybe the best its ever been, IMO. (And I really like their Cubano sandwich too).

Will probably make it to the new location this or next weekend. Heading up to Durango Friday, though, so maybe on my way back I will stop by.