On Friday night I bought a six pack of the Santa Fe Nut Brown Ale from the Santa Fe Brewing Company and a six pack of Marble Brewery's IPA to review. I had tried both brews coming into the night but had not really stopped to pay attention to them from a reviewing standpoint. I would also recommend taking a gander at the websites of both brewers for their history and more info about the beers they brew. The sites themselves are pretty cool too.Santa Fe Nut Brown - Drank out of a bottle just a little colder than room temp. It had a mouthfeel that I consider comfortable - smooth but with a noticable, but not overwhelming, amount of carbonation. Some hints of roasted nuts in the smell. A smoky (I termed it hickory in my notes) initial taste gives way to a toasty/nut, almost buttery, finish. It was kind of hard to get into this one. Five of my friends gave it a try (their beer taste and experience all ranging) and our consensus was that the beer was drinkable but not great. I'll definitely try this one again though, I remember that I liked it a little more the first time, so maybe I had a bad batch.
Overall: C+
Marble IPA - Drank out of a bottle just a little colder than room temp. Smooth with a medium-high carbonation feel. Had a great floral smell which led to a very floral taste which bursts and lasts until the next drink. I enjoyed this one a lot. I'm not a huge IPA guy but I think this is something that I would keep stocked at my house. Their website describes it as their "flagship beer", which is good, because it is a very good IPA.
Overall: A
4 comments:
My favorite beers are 1554 and Paulaner Salvator Double Bock.
Tell me what I'm tasting and whether it's a consistent across these beers.
You know, I'm not always a fan of darker beers or IPA but Marble brewing company has a fantastic IPA. I use to tend at Il Vicino in the heights, which mind you had some killer local brews. Have you tried any of Il Vicino's beer before?
Their IPA is good at Marble but I'm under the impression that most people go for the Wildflower Wheat (at least that the favorite among my drinking buddies).
I think they call it the flagship because it's the highest alcohol content. I'd venture a guess that that's the reason it's their most sold.
I agree with your review. I have been underwhelmed by most of the Santa Fe Brewery selections. Additionally, I have been quite pleased with the three varieties I have tried from Marble (IPA, Red Ale, and Wildflower Honey Wheat). The Marble Wheat is my favorite of their offerings, but I'm a sucker for an amber or red ale if it's done properly. My all-time favorite is Smithwick's.
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