A new year. A
fresh start. A time of resolutions, a
time of self-reflection. A time of
coming up short. We make promises to
ourselves: “I’m going to get into the best shape of my life!” We delude ourselves: “I’m going to work out
at the gym every day!” We succumb to
failure: “Ah, screw it; might as well pack on a few pounds for the winter.” The key to avoiding a January letdown? The secret to a successful New Year’s
resolution? Easy—promise yourself
something you were going to do anyway.
Every year I resolve to visit more Colorado breweries and—guess what?—I’ve
never been disappointed. Thanks to
Westminster Brewing Co. and Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery, 2014 is already
shaping up to be a fruitful year.
Nicole and I’s first brewery visit of 2014 took us to
the city of Westminster and the brewery bearing its name. Nicole usually does the in-metro driving
while I helm the wheel for longer trips and, when we visited Westminster
Brewing, I was glad I wasn’t navigating.
There are no landmarks in that town (okay, there’s one—the Westminster Castle which adorns the brewery’s logo—but one
impressive spire doesn’t do much for sight-guided course-plotting). While it may seem a critical statement, it’s
true to say our drive to the brewery was decorated with the scenery of
architecturally-identical shopping malls, tract housing, and open prairie;
there’s just not much a-doing in that ‘burb.
It’s a testament to craft beer that Nicole and I would willingly set
aside time to journey into the heart of such a place for the sole purpose of
wrapping our hands around a nice glass of beer because, quite frankly, I can’t
envision myself in Westminster for any other reason (Kokopelli Beer Company will
likely be the reason for our next visit).
The exterior of Westminster Brewing doesn’t do much
to catch the eye what with it being located in an unremarkable beige-and-tan,
plaster-walled commercial strip which, itself, is located in fairly
featureless, semi-rural area. The inconspicuous
spot is, essentially, Westminster in microcosm.
The interior, though hardly extravagant, is a little
more jazzed-up: local artwork hangs from the wall, red glass light fixtures sway above the
tables, and distressed wood accent pieces liven the place up a bit. It isn’t exactly Pee-Wee’s Playhouse but,
then again, the focus of any brewery ought to be on the beer, not on feng shui. For a brewery, Westminster Brewing’s taproom
is everything it needs to be and nothing it shouldn’t.
We ordered a flight of six beers: 12 Apostles German
Ale (5.4% ABV), Shiva Extra Pale Ale (4.6% ABV), Irish Ale (5.1% ABV), Moses
Chocolate Porter (5.8% ABV), 1066 English Bitter (4.7% ABV), and American Pale
Ale (5.9% ABV).
 |
| Left to right: 12 Apostles, Shiva, Irish Ale, Moses, 1066, and American Pale Ale |
12 Apostles is exceedingly clear and vaguely pale,
straw yellow in color. With bready and floral
smells and flavors, it’s a delightful, crisp refresher of a beer.
A light copper color with faint whiffs of hops, Shiva
tastes of toffee and caramel with bittering hops playing a supporting role.
 |
| Brew equipment at Westminster Brewing |
Irish Ale features a brown body with hints of red
highlights. It has a toasted aroma with
a suggestion of molasses and it tastes of a complex malt make-up.
Moses, a black-with-brown-highlights beer, features a
roasted flavor with chocolate-y sweetness in the aftertaste.
1066 is much like Shiva in appearance—a bright,
coppery color—but features a more pronounced hoppy bitterness. It shares the same toffee-like flavor, too.
The American Pale Ale is essentially a marginally
darker version of 1066 or Shiva. It
packs the most hops out of any of the other offerings but is expertly balanced
with a malt backbone.
 |
| Cask handles at Westminster Brewing |
The heart-and-soul of Westminster Brewing is in their
cask beers but, because the brewery is so new, they weren’t yet able to serve
on that option. In weeks to come, expect
to find some traditional, hand-pumped beers.
I’m usually of the mind that good beer is made great when served on
either nitro or cask and, based on what we had at Westminster Brewing, I
predict their cask ales will be quite phenomenal.
Our next stop was a brewery in a building far removed
from the steppe-laden surroundings of Westminster Brewing. Instead of a quiet, pastoral setting, it’s
situated in the hustle and bustle of downtown Denver yet, despite its urban
setting, the taproom décor is a visual ode to the wild, rugged, Colorado
frontier. I speak of Jagged Mountain
Craft Brewery.
Once a shelter for off-duty horse-drawn carriages,
the Jagged Mountain brewery is on the busy intersection of 20th and
Lawrence, a few blocks from Coors Field, and on the way for many fans walking
to catch a Rockies game yet it retains a rustic flair with Edison filament bulbs, large-format photographs of sweeping, spiky mountain ranges, and
climbing gear embellishing exposed and weathered brick walls.
Saddled up to the bar, Nicole and I ordered Redpoint
(9% ABV), a “Belgo-American Red Rye Double IPA,” and Spearhead (8% ABV), a
saison.
 |
| Left to right: Spearhead and Redpoint |
Redpoint is a murky, brown/red with a touch of tan in
the foam. Its piney hop aroma preambles the
flavor which is spiced up front and hoppy and bitter in the finish.
Spearhead is a clear, bright yellow. It boasts fruity scents and a peppery spiced
flavor.
 |
| Brew equipment at Jagged Mountain |
With about 40 minutes left on our meter, Nicole and I
also ordered the Zero Gravity saison and the Acute Malted Scottish ale but didn’t
take the time to take detailed notes.
If you’re feeling trapped in the urban jungle, if you
hear the call of the wild, and if you yearn for the peace and solitude of the
high country yet find yourself trapped in a high-rise prison of glass and
steel, then brave the noisy streets of downtown Denver and find your mountain
oasis in the desert of civilization at Jagged Mountain. While there, be sure to donate to their “The Jagged Pack Project” and give a local homeless person a leg-up.
2014, you’re already proving to be a great year and
here’s hoping we can keep these good times steaming on all the way through
2015; with so many new (and old) Colorado breweries yet to visit, I’m confident
we’ll have taken yet another sizeable chunk out of the local brewing scene.
Prost!
Chris
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