Taste Tease 2019: Volume 1
Every September, 56 of America’s best craft breweries travel to Telluride Town Park to showcase their beer at the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival Grand Tasting. Each of these breweries and their beers are unique, showcasing distinct flavors, colors, smells and personalities. Every craft beer is a work of art taking months and sometimes years to perfect. Just as our artist lineup showcases a variety of distinct music masters, our craft beer lineup showcases a variety of brewing masters.
The Telluride Blues & Brews ‘Taste Tease’ series is our attempt at giving you a look at some of the 170 beer styles you’ll be able to sample at this year’s Grand Tasting. Leading up to the festival, the Blues & Brews Staff will be sampling six beers a month and reporting on our findings. We hope you find this series as informative and fun we do!
This month’s blog features Sierra Nevada’s Sierraveza, Telluride Brewing’s AlpenGOSE, Ska’s Mexican Logger, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, Avery’s White Rascal and Crooked Stave’s Sour Rosé.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Comany - Sierraveza
Easy-Drinking Lager | Chico, CA | ABV: 5%
Sierra Nevada’s Sierraveza was inspired by the classic cervezas served ice cold by the beach, that are light and easy to drink. True to a mexican-style lager, we found Sierraveza to be extremely drinkable and crisp, with a touch of hoppiness.
Sierraveza is a great summer beer and we’re happy to welcome Sierra Nevada back to the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival as our official craft beer partner. Enjoy this beer along with other Sierra Nevada creations, including the festival exclusive Back Porch Lager, throughout the festival, at all bars and the High Altitude Lounge.
Telluride Brewing Company - AlpenGOSE
Gose | Telluride, CO | ABV: 4.5%
AlpenGOSE is Telluride Brewing Company’s first sour and is described as the, “perfect beer for the changing seasons!” Ingredients include Italian plums, spicy coriander and Himalayan salt. We found this beer to be tart and zingy, but still refreshing a drinkable, with a unique salty mouthfeel. Taking from the beautiful Alpenglow on Telluride’s peaks around sunset, the beer has bright pink complexion.
Enjoy brews from the local brewery at this year’s festival in the House of Brews and during the Grand Tasting!
Ska Brewing Company - Mexican Logger
Mexican-style Lager | Durango, CO | ABV: 5.2%
“A craft beer for the closet Pacifico drinker!” Ska Brewing’s Mexican Logger is a classic Mexican-style lager and frequently ranks highly on best in category lists. This is an easy drinking beverage, with a simple taste, clear color and lively carbonation. We found this beer to be super sessionable and great for a hot afternoon.
Enjoy Ska’s Mexican Logger in the House of Brews throughout the festival and sample some of their other creations during the Grand Tasting.
Bell’s Brewery - Two Hearted Ale
American IPA | Kalamazoo, MI | ABV: 7.0%
A staple in the Mid-West and a newcomer to Colorado! We’re thrilled to welcome Bells to the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival for the first time ever.
Their two Hearted Ale is brewed with 100% Centennial hops from the Pacific Northwest and named after the Two Hearted River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. We found this IPA to have a heavy hop aroma and a smooth caramel flavor with subtle notes of pine- a classic American-style IPA. If you’re looking for a malty beverage this is great bet. Try Bell’s beers during the Grand Tasting, Saturday, September 14.
Avery Brewing Company - White Rascal
Belgain-Style White Ale | Boulder, CO | ABV: 5.6%
White Rascal authentic Belgian style white ale that packs a punch of flavor. From the first smell you get aromas for coriander and orange. This unfiltered beer delivers a delicious zing and is great with a lemon or orange.
We’re excited to welcome Avery, a Colorado staple, to the 2019 House of Brews! There, they’ll be serving White Rascal throughout the festival. Sample their other brews during the Grand Tasting and VIP Tasting.
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project - Sour Rosé
Wild Fermented Ale | Denver, CO | ABV: 4.5%
Crooked Stave is one of Colorado’s most unconventional breweries focusing on wilds, sours and progressive brewing methods. Showcasing what they do best, the Sour Rosé is a wild ale fermented in oak foeders on second-use raspberries and blueberries with a mixed culture of wild yeast. When poured this beer features a hazy-pink glowing complexion and a very carbonated mouthfeel. Not straying from the rose name, the beer is very wine-like with an acidic, citrusy and sour flavor. This is a great sour to take your taste buds on an adventure with.
Sample Crooked Stave’s beers during the Grand Tasting and VIP Tasting at this years festival.
The 2019 Telluride Blues & Brews Grand Tasting will take place Saturday, September 14 featuring 56 craft breweries, 170 styles of beer and, of course, live music. Sign up for our Bluesletter to be the first to receive the next Taste Tease (Vol 2) blog installment coming soon!