Boulder Beer Company - Hazed & Infused

Boulder's Hazed & Infused is bottled unfiltered, so as its name suggests there's plenty of haze apparent in this tasty brew. Expect a rich amber color with a head that drops plenty of lace as it recedes. Big, bright, floral and citrusy hop aromas burst forth upon pouring, with a nice underpinning of caramel malt. We got some mild, resinous, herbal notes as well, plus a hint of tropical fruit and a dash of apricot. On the palate, too, this beer is all about hop expression, with some pithy and zesty grapefruit notes hitting upfront, surrounded by floral and herbal tones. The "infused" reference in the name refers to Boulder's choice to dry-hop this brew, whereby hops are added to the fermenter to allow the fragrant aroma and flavor compounds to infuse the beer without adding extra bitterness (which comes only from the hops added earlier in the brewing process, at the start of the boil). Thus, Hazed & Infused offers a delightful blast of very floral and citric Centennial and Crystal hops while remaining a more sessionable beer than a larger-bodied and higher alcohol ale like an IPA. This is a great beer for pairing with cheeses; we like Edam or Cotswold. Cheers!

Boulder Beer Company became Colorado’s first microbrewery when it was founded in 1979, blazing a trail for all of the other great breweries that have sprung up across the state in succeeding years. Founded by two Colorado University professors, David Hummer and Stick Ware, the brewery was originally situated on a small farm outside Boulder. Their single barrel brewing system was famously forced to share space with the resident goats! (The brewery itself notes that “When a company is founded by guys named ‘Hummer’ and ‘Stick’ in a goatshed, you know it’s gonna be crazy.”) Within five years, Boulder Beer’s following had grown dramatically and they had outgrown the capacity of the farm, so a proper brewery building was built in Boulder to house their expanding business.

The company went public in 1980, but in 1990 it came into the private ownership of Gina Day and Diane Greenlee who brought on brewmaster David Zuckerman from Portland, Oregon’s well-regarded Bridgeport Brewing Company. Various upgrades were implemented throughout the brewery, including the transformation of their diminutive tasting room into a full-scale brewpub and restaurant. Boasting a 50-barrel brewing system, the brewery can produce upwards of 43,000 barrels of beer each year. In 1993 the company changed its name to Rockies Brewing Company, but they embraced their roots in 2005, switching it back to Boulder Beer Company. It was also in that year that they introduced their annual “Goatshed Revival” beer festival, an outdoor summer celebration that is equal parts company birthday party and charity fundraiser, and celebrates their very humble origins among the nation’s first craft breweries, and their contributions as one of the most influential breweries in Colorado’s rich brewing culture.

To learn more about the brewery, the brewpub, and scheduled tours, call 303-444-8448 or check out their web site at www.boulderbeer.com.