The Great American Ale Trail - Christian DeBenedetti [56]
PHILOSOPHY
Fortunately, the original five-barrel system remains in use for special one-offs, in which the beers depart from standard English ales and head into parts unknown, but not unappreciated. One such recent brew was Angry Robin, an English strong ale aged in merlot barrels and spiked with a dash of brettanomyces bacteria, giving it a barnyardy kick.
KEY BEER
Every fall, Odell releases a one-off beer aged in American oak barrels, echoing the old-world techniques over at New Belgium, though on a much smaller scale. Woodcut Nos. 1, 2, and 3 were all variations on the theme of strong ale aged in oak, which adds layers of vanilla-like woodiness to the brews. No. 4 was a strong amber lager. These beers are beautifully labeled and corked in 750-milliliter bottles, and may be available in limited quantities at the tap room. Otherwise, try any other barrel-aged “pilot system” beers, such as the earthy, acidic—and interesting—Brett Porter. These are brewed on the original 5 bbl (about 350 gallons) system that started it all.
Longmont
LEFT HAND
BREWING CO.
1265 Boston Ave. • Longmont, CO 80025 • (303) 772-0258
lefthandbrewing.com • @lefthandbrewing • Est: 1993
SCENE & STORY
Housed in an old meatpacking plant in an industrial area of Longmont, Left Hand has slowly grown from a raggedy upstart into a world-class small brewery. It all began when head brewer Eric Wallace, who had traveled around the world tasting beers while in the air force, joined up with his college friend Dick Doore, who was a home brewer. In the first year, the guys took home a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival. They grew in a sustainable fashion, and eventually morphed into what is now a very laid back—but not lazy—brewing company. “It’s kind of an after-work place,” says Wallace. “We get engineers from all these tech companies and biotechs around here, bicyclists, arborists, and painters.”
Originally called Indian Peaks Brewery, for a nearby mountain range, Wallace and Doore’s brewery was forced to change names after a branding dispute with another company. They settled on Left Hand, after an Arapahoe word (“Niwot”), which was the name of a chief who spent winters nearby on the banks of the St. Vrain River. And then there’s a more, shall we say, colorful connection: Curtis Green, the early sausage maker tenant of the building, lost his right arm in the grinder one day.
PHILOSOPHY
Left Hand isn’t trying to outgun other companies in the IPA arms race—they’re not heavy-handed with the hops. “Our brewing approach is all about balance,” says Wallace. “When we started, we were brewing beers that we wanted, that we weren’t really finding out there in the marketplace. We’re still out there exploring flavors and styles that we like. Overwhelmingly, we’ll always fall back to balance. In the end, is it drinkable? Does it have complexity, depth? And that balance? It’s all about the flavor.”
KEY BEER
Left Hand Polestar Pils. In the push to brew ever stronger, stranger beers, the subtle pilsner often gets neglected. That’s too bad, because a great pilsner is a thing of beauty—an alcoholic beverage that is somehow more refreshing than a glass of ice water on a Death Valley afternoon. Like the best American micros, Polestar also stands out for its perfect use of hops; it’s brewed with three varieties, which together lend a powdery floral aroma. While it’s only occasionally available, Left Hand Smokejumper Imperial Porter is also worth seeking out. Next to your dog, a smoked beer (made with wood- or peat-fire smoked malt) may be the ultimate fireside companion. Left Hand’s is a briny, coffee-black 9.2% ABV beast of a beer that calls to mind bacon. Even better, Wallace and Co. donate proceeds from this rare, hand-smoked