We’ve been absent from the blog recently and this post comes a bit late, but with Doug off in the Caribbean for a couple weeks and me trying to plan a wedding coming up in a couple weeks, things kind of slipped by the wayside. Will try to get back on the ball here with a few wedding/beer tidbits.
Recently we were finally able to taste some beer from one of the newest breweries in Colorado and one you should definitely keep an eye on as they have plans to crank out some big, bold and tasty brews. Elevation Beer Company (where you might say we popped our cherry for this little blog of ours) was kind enough to send us a couple bottles of their first bottle offering in the Black Diamond series: Apis IV. Their take on a traditional Belgian style Quadrupel, it’s brewed in a not so traditional way using locally sourced Colorado wildflower Honey.
Appearance – The beer poured dark brown with red hues along the edges. One may even describe it as a RICH MAHOGANY (insert best Ron Burgundy voice). A light tan head forms quickly and dissipates into a nice lacing effect around the glass. A beautiful dark beer, not muddled looking at all. It’s so crisp and clear, you can nearly see straight through it.
Aroma – Pleasantly sweet, hints of burnt or caramelized sugars coming from the addition of honey. More complex dark malts gave off the “Dark Fruit” aromas of dates, figs and hints of raisin. For being Belgian style beer, you don’t get any of the esters typically associated with the style, except maybe a very slight spice as it warms.
Taste – More of the aroma pops as you take the first swig. A definite sweetness comes through first, nothing over-powering or lingering. Dates came to mind again, fading to a nice bitterness that makes Apis IV all too easy drinking. This beer is 10.7% ABV and I could easily see myself putting these down like a session beer. Dangerous!
Deep Thoughts – It felt like a very fitting night for such a big bold brew, what with the torrential down-pour outside. My only gripe about this beer is the fact that I wanted more of it! Of the two bottles sent to us, we’re only opening one right now and we’ll re-visit the other bottle in the coming months.
So I had to switch back over to some tasty new home brews we were sampling. Doug brought over some of his Berliner Weiss and a new Dunkle. We also tapped a keg of my traditional Vienna lager and one spiked with some smoked Serrano chili peppers.
Elevation’s next beer offered in bottles and first in the Double Black Diamond series will be Signal De Botrange, a farmhouse ale that’s been hanging around in some Chardonnay Barrels for the last 3-6 months. Looking forward to it. If you know me, you know I love my wood aged beers and will be in search of this one once it hits shelves, which will hopefully be later this month. We also hear that Elevation Beer Company will be hosting a tap takeover at Hops & Pie in the Highlands neighborhood on August 18th. That’s one hell of a busy month for us (Meghan and I). The week after we finally get hitched and the week before we head off to the land down under. Won’t miss a chance to try some more of their beer though, especially right here in Denver.
