Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Mr. Oyster's Top 10 Colorado Beers

Mr. Oyster loves beer, he loves Colorado, and he really, really loves Colorado-brewed beers. We are fortunate in Denver to be surrounded by so many great breweries, and Mr. Oyster takes advantage by trying just about every local beer he can get his hands on.

After all that taste-testing, he has narrowed down a list of his top 10 favorites.

To make the list, contending brews had to meet the following criteria:
- Be brewed in Colorado
- Be available for purchase outside of a tap room or brew pub (sorry, Mountain Sun)
- Be available for some indefinite time into the future

Here, in no particular order, are his top 10:

Odell Mountain Standard
Double Black IPA
Odell Brewing Company  Fort Collins, CO


Odell Mountain Standard


Mr. Oyster says: Complex beer with a deep flavor profile. Citrusy, fruity notes mix with roasted, chocolate and toffee flavors.



Odell IPA
India Pale Ale
Odell Brewing Company  Fort Collins, CO


Odell IPA

Mr. Oyster says: Traditional and distinct hop profile. Strong grapefruit notes. Very drinkable and smooth.




Odell Friek
Oak Aged Sour
Odell Brewing Company  Fort Collins, CO


Odell Friek

Mr. Oyster says: Has an intense cherry/raspberry flavor and fruitiness. Oaky, slightly acidic, slightly sour.  




Left Hand Brewing Company Nitro Milk Stout
Sweet Stout
Left Hand Brewing Company Longmont, CO


Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout

Mr. Oyster says: Love this beer on nitro. Creamy, smooth flavor. Strong chocolate and vanilla flavors.



Dry Dock Vanilla Porter
Porter
Dry Dock Brewing Company Aurora, CO


Dry Dock Vanilla Porter

Mr. Oyster says: Intense vanilla smell and flavor. Not too sweet and very drinkable. This is my "dessert" beer. 




Dry Dock Hefeweizen
Hefeweizen
Dry Dock Brewing Company Aurora, CO


Dry Dock Hefeweizen


Mr. Oyster says: Very drinkable and refreshing. Strong banana flavor, also hints of clove and bubblegum. I could drink this every day and never get tired of it.



Great Divide Titan IPA
India Pale Ale
Great Divide Brewing Denver, CO

Great Divide Titan IPA

Mr. Oyster says: Grapefruity and malty. Plenty of hop flavor and bitterness. A very solid IPA.



Avery Samael's Ale
Oak Aged Ale
Avery Brewing Company Boulder, CO


Avery Samael

Mr. Oyster says: Think of it almost more like wine than beer. 15% alcohol content. This ruby-colored beer is very sweet, oaky, and fruity.



Oskar Blues Ten Fidy
Imperial Stout
Oskar Blues Brewery Longmont, CO


Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

Mr. Oyster says: The name Ten Fidy is a reference to the beer's alcohol content - 10.5% ABV. Very dark and smooth beer, with strong malt and chocolate flavors.



New Belgium Mothership Wit
Organic Wheat Beer
New Belgium Brewing Company Fort Collins, CO


New Belgium Mothership Wit

Mr. Oyster says: Wit with citrus and spice flavors. This is a refreshing, light beer that is great for summer.

3 comments:

  1. This is a great list! My hubby and his pals are huge beer snobs...we live right where all these are made! He agrees with pretty much everything you've chosen!

    Just and FYI though, Avery is based in Boulder and Oskar Blues is based in Longmont/Lyons.

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  2. Ahh thank you for pointing that out! I've actually been to Avery in Boulder many times so that's just an unfortunate typo on my part.

    Glad you and your hubby agreed with the list!

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  3. Odell IPA, Titan, Ten Fidy, and Milk Stout Nitro would definitely be on my top 10 as well! Love those ones.

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