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Every time I saw a Colorado brewery's name pop up on the screen, I felt a burst of excitement to match the cheering crowd.
The awards ceremony at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) was the culmination of 132 judges from 10 countries blindly choosing the finest examples of 78 different styles of beer.
Among 3,308 judged beers, brewed by 495 breweries from across the country, Colorado received 45 medals, the most of any state.
But the good news doesn't stop there. Our local breweries in Boulder County garnered six medals (plus a Pro-Am medal), which is more than most states can claim.
The GABF remains the largest commercial beer competition in the world, so winning just one medal is an incredible achievement. And because there are so many amazingly talented breweries in America, the event is highly competitive, which is precisely why a hearty "congratulations" is in order for the following Boulder County medal winners.
Brabant Barrel-Aged Wild Ale, Avery Brewing Co., Boulder
(Bronze, Experimental Beer category, 32 entries)
Only 694 cases of Brabant -- the first beer in Avery's Barrel-Aged Series -- were released, so consider yourself lucky if you got a hold of one. Aged in Red Zinfandel barrels and fermented with Brettanomyces yeast, Brabant is pleasantly complex and vinous, with an assortment of flavors and aromas that blend well together. Chocolate, leather, oak, vanilla, raspberry and cherry line your olfactory senses. Meanwhile, a light sourness ties it all together. The beer finishes with cookie, pear, wildflowers, and a light and yeasty funkiness.
The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest Lager, Avery Brewing Co., Boulder
(Gold, German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock category, 21 entries)
According to Avery Brewing, The Kaiser is an "intensified version of a traditional Oktoberfest." It pours with a brilliant copper hue and it exudes big flavors and aromas of toast, nuts and bread. The high alcohol content adds an interesting fruitiness to the beer, giving it even more depth. If you love Oktoberfests, yet you crave a little more fest in your Oktober, The Kaiser is the fix you need.
SmokeJumper Smoked Imperial Porter, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont
(Gold, Smoked Beer category, 43 entries)
Named in honor of "those fearless wildland firefighters who specialize in parachuting into the wilderness so that we can continue to enjoy it," SmokeJumper is fittingly bold and smoky, yet it's balanced and not overpowering. Malts ooze with notes of dark chocolate, peat, molasses and bread crust. A roasty-toasty
44 Pale Ale, Colorado Brewing Co./Draft House, Boulder
(Silver, American-Style Pale Ale category, 108 entries)
Named after our 44th president, 44 Pale Ale has always been a hit with Draft House regulars. But after word got back to the brewery about it winning a silver medal at this year's GABF, it completely tapped out within hours. Made with Amarillo and Cascade hops, 44 is a wonderful pale ale, filled with bready, cracker-like malts accented by bold hops that give off notes of grapefruit, orange rind, lemon and flowers. The beer is crisp and refreshing with a snappy, grassy bitterness in the finish.
Temperance, Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery, Boulder
(Bronze, American-Belgo-Style Ale category, 51 entries)
One part earthy Belgian ale, one part classic American pale ale and one part talented brewing staff equals Temperance. Though there's no abstaining here. Made with a blend of Belgian yeast and American hops, this beer is an absolute pleasure to drink. Its biscuity, cakey-sweet malts are balanced perfectly against flowery-spicy hops. Yeast-influenced hints of white pepper and lemon give it a really nice touch.
Upslope Dunkelweizen, Upslope Brewing Co., Boulder
(Bronze, German-Style Wheat Ale category, 38 entries)
For those of you that say you don't like "dark" beers, this is one beer you should try. It's wholesome and full of flavor, but it's also incredibly balanced, perfectly carbonated and really easy to drink. Sweet grain-like flavors and light chocolate aromas are complemented by a zingy hoppiness that's only mildly bitter. Faint yeast esters of banana round out this beer's wonderful profile. With every sip I only yearned for more.
Time of the Season Belgian Pale Ale, Upslope Brewing Co., Boulder
(Bronze, GABF Pro-Am Competition, 72 entries)
GABF Pro-Am entries are brewed by professional craft brewers based on award-winning homebrew recipes from American Homebrewers Association (AHA) members. Upslope head brewer Dany Pages in collaboration with AHA member Brian Patterson created Time of the Season, a tasty, 7.3-percent-alcohol-by-volume Belgian pale ale that's dangerously easy to drink. Its high alcohol content is hidden well behind delicate malts and very pleasant aromas of flowers and coriander.
