Category Archives: Boulder Beer Co.

For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Flashback India Style Brown Ale produced by the Boulder Beer Company located in Boulder, Colorado.

I have reviewed a few Boulder products on this blog before and have thought that they were solid, however I’ve never tried or even seen this brew before, so I’m eager to taste it.

From the website, boulderbeer.com, we learn this about the Flashback India Style Brown Ale.

Citrusy with a prominent hop aroma, finishes clean, crisp and dry with dark roasted flavors from the biscuit and chocolate malts perfectly complimenting the bountiful cascades.  

Sounds pleasing enough.

This brew comes in a 12 oz. bottle and it has an ABV of 6.88%.

The beer poured a mostly clear, light brown to copper/orange color with some burnt orange highlights around the edges.  The slightly off white head was very thick, bulbous, frothy and rocky.  It had very nice retention and it left some decent looking lacing too.  Very attractive standing in the glass I must say.

The aroma brought forth a very mild grapefruit citrus intermingled with a more robust, dark, earthy tone.  It kind of smelled like a caramel apple with an inclination of light sweetness.  Toasted biscuit and bread crumb hints were easily noticed as well as an underlying nuttiness.  It was decently complex, however nothing too crazy was noticed.

The taste seemed to let the caramel sweetness stand out a touch more.  Some toffee was noticed as well.  A nice, citrusy hop bite (grapefruit) and bitterness jumped out for a few moments, although they weren’t strong enough to stand in the way of the toasted biscuits and caramel.  As the brew warmed I grabbed a slight “woody” flavor, which gave way to even further morsels of nuttiness.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied.  It was suitably dry and smooth with a minute crispness.  This brew left a pretty good amount of flavor behind, but not as much as most typical “India” styled beers.

The Flashback India Style Brown Ale is a solid beer.  It wasn’t anything extraordinary, yet it was nothing to overlook either.  It showed fairly well I thought.  It’s easily drinkable with a good dose of flavor.  The brew wasn’t quite as balanced as some others that I’ve tried, but that wouldn’t stop me from enjoying a couple of these during a session.  I doubt this would be the first beer I would reach for if presented with several options, but it’s not a bad substitute.  If you see it… sure, give it a go.

Thanks for reading and commenting guys.  Have a safe and happy New Year.  Until next time.

Cheers.

Score:  3.7 out of 5
Grade:  B    

For today’s craft beer review I thought I would try a Boulder Beer Company product called Hazed & Infused.  Boulder Beer Company is located in, where else but, Boulder, Colorado.

I don’t have a whole lot of experience when it comes to this brewery, so I’m eager to see how this beer tastes.  I’ve heard good things.   

Let’s get to the website, boulderbeer.com, and find out what it’s all about shall we?

Hazed & Infused is “hazed” in its natural unfiltered state, and “infused” – dry-hopped with Crystal and Centennial hops – during fermentation for a big, bold, unique taste.  Originally a one-keg brew for our pub, its popularity has soared and is now available in over 20 states.  

Let’s do this!!!

This brew has an ABV of 4.85% and comes in a 12 oz. bottle.
 
It poured a dark orange to light amber in color with plenty of bright orange and yellow highlights circling the bottom of the glass.  It had an off white head of very good size, very nice retention and it left some decent lacing behind.  The crown looked soft, mostly creamy, fluffy and just a bit rocky.  It definitely has some haze to it.  It looked pretty darn good in the glass I must say.

The aroma brought forth a decent burst of hops and citrus.  It wasn’t a real strong aroma, but enough to be recognizable.  The citrus was of a light grapefruit and a light orange.  Only a tad bit floral with a touch of caramel hiding underneath.  Faint hints of breadiness and slight tones of pine were noticed as the brew warmed a bit.  Everything seemed to be balanced just fine, although I didn’t find the hops to be as strong as I thought they might be.  Just a tad subdued and relaxed in my opinion. 

The taste started with some bready and biscuit malts followed by light savors of sweetness from both the citrus (grapefruit and orange) and the caramel.  A worthwhile piney distinction came in about midway through the drink to add a bit more complexity.  At the very end I even found what I thought to be characteristics of some green apples.  Hmm.  It might have just been me, who knows?  Throughout the drink I kept noticing a somewhat distracting “grainy” flavor that I didn’t find too appealing.  Again, like the aroma, the hops were a touch understated.

The mouthfeel was medium to thin, mostly smooth, crisp, thirst quenching and refreshing.  It was a smidge watery also.  The palate was left with a little bit of flavor, but not near what I was hoping for.

Well, this beer was super easy to drink and I think it would make for a great session brew while enjoying the Spring and Summer BBQ’s.  It wasn’t an outstanding brew, but it wasn’t horrible either.  It’s more of a no-nonsense PA and a very relaxing beer.  It has some character that could be contemplated, but it might best be enjoyed when you can just crack a bottle and chill.  For sure give it a try if you see it, but I don’t know that I would go out of my way to find it.

Have you guys had the Boulder Beer Co. Hazed & Infused?  What did you think of it?

Feel free to leave a comment if you wish.

Thanks….  Cheers!!!

Score:  3.4 out of 5
Grade:  B-

Today’s craft beer review is going to be of the Singletrack Copper Ale brewed by the Boulder Beer Company located in Boulder, Colorado.   

It’s an American Pale Ale that should fit in nicely with the onset of Summer. 

The Boulder Beer Company boasts that it is Colorado’s first microbrewery.  That’s saying something considering the slew of brewers and craft beer enthusiasts in that area.

The website, boulderbeer.com, had this small description of the Singletrack Copper Ale.

Singletrack Copper Ale is refreshing, yet full-flavored; a medium-bodied copper ale.  Not too light.  Not too dark…. it’s just right.

Ok.  Not a lot of info there.  Let’s just see for our selves. 

This beer has an ABV of 4.97% and comes in a 12 oz. bottle. 

It poured a light amber/copper color with some burnt orange highlights around the bottom.  It’s clear, but it did seem to have a bit of a haze to it.  Could have just been the chill haze.  The head was a barely off white color that had a slight soapy texture to it.  I didn’t receive much size, retention or lacing.  I was a little disappointed in that aspect.

The aroma was a rather robust tone of caramel and toffee malts mixed with wheat bread and/or grain.  Some sweet, sugary notes were stumbled upon.  Something similar to baked pears or baked apples, I thought.  They were a delight.  Some earthy hops and “peat” notes popped in for a visit and added a nice bit of balance and complexity.

The taste did not seem to be quite as prominent as the aroma.  It was still worthy, well balanced and tasty however.  Tinges of bitterness pleased the tongue while caramel malts, hints of grain and earthy hops were harmonized well with one another.  More of the sugary pear flavors were found to give it an extra “kick” of sweetness.  Not bad at all.

The mouthfeel was medium, smooth, somewhat crisp and dry.  Touches of flavor were left on the palate, but not an extreme amount.  Seemed to be just enough to make me want to come back for another sip relatively quickly.

The beer was pretty good I thought.  It’s not my favorite beer, however it was easily drinkable and I wouldn’t mind having it again sometime.  I did start to notice that as I got closer to the end of the drink that the earthy aromas and flavors started to become more sturdy and more paramount.  I was hoping that the “sugars” would have stayed with the profile longer, but it didn’t happen, so what can you do?  I would still recommend you pick it up and give it a try if you see it.  It’s worthy in my opinion.             

Thanks for reading and commenting guys.  Hope everyone is having a great Fathers Day and enjoying a craft beer.

Cheers.

Score:  3.6 out of 5
Grade:  B