Odell Brewing Company - Levity Golden Amber Ale

Renamed from its original title of Festivale, it was obviously recognized early on that this ale has a lighter feel to it. Look for a citrus-accented hoppy nose laced with floral undertones. Hops are prominent, with smooth, peppery notes that mingle nicely with the sweetish malts. Expect a slight hop bitterness at the finish, impeccably balanced with the fruity notes and hints of toasted caramel. As with many citrus-heavy ales, this beer gets even better as it warms slightly. Balanced and very easy going, not to mention appropriately named. We enjoyed this beer with grilled veggie shish kabobs.

The Odell Brewing Company is one of the relatively few trailblazing microbreweries founded at the start of the microbrewery renaissance to still be brewing strong! Founded back in 1989—rather early considering that most microbreweries in the country today are less than 10 years old—they're well into their second decade of success. Family-founded and owned since day one, the company was only the second microbrewery to open in the state of Colorado; those of you who know how densely populated with microbreweries Colorado is will understand how impressive this really is! So, what's their secret? Well, it comes down to the beer, and these guys craft some greats. Owners Doug Odell, wife Wynne and sister Corkie have their good family name on every product, which certainly helps ensure that what they deliver is top notch. Combine this element of family pride with the finest and freshest English and Domestic ingredients, throw in equal parts adherence to English-style ale-making tradition and American microbrew ingenuity, and you've got a true recipe for success. Speaking of their ingredients, they're the only American brewery that imports malt directly from Thomas Fawcett and Sons, a seventh generation family malter located in Castleford, England—talk about going traditionally English! While the brewery has expanded several times, one of the most important additions was in 1997; their 5-barrel pilot system. One tenth the size of their commercial brewing vessels, this small scale production set up was introduced for experimentation. Every few weeks, they create a new specialty beer to share only in their on-site tasting room. If they're particularly well-loved by the brewers and guests, then they make their way to the bottling line for distribution. This month we're happy to offer you two of their fine malty nectars: Levity Golden Amber Ale and Cutthroat Porter. Very different styles with one thing in common: great taste. Perhaps they'll inspire you to want to run out and start your own microbrewery! Just remember, these guys have been at it for a while now, so if your early homebrews aren't up to par, well then, don't be surprised, it takes years to get beers this good. If you do manage to concoct something that even comes close to the flavor and body of their Porter, however, get to work starting that microbrewery (and send us a few bottles while you're at it!) For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (970) 498-9070 or check out their web site at www.odellbrewing.com