Rockies Brewing Company - Hazed and Infused Dry Hopped Ale

This unfiltered dry-hopped ale is "hazed" as a result of not filtering out its residual yeast particles. In this natural state it is crafted further and "infused" with a Crystal and Centennial hop blend, creating a flavorful aromatic brew. It pours with a nice thick white head that holds for a spell and will leave behind a fair amount of lace in your glass. Take a big whiff of this beer and take in the fantastic aroma; multiple hop varieties are combined in a stunning example of aromatic finesse. Expect lots of pine on the nose with robust notes of grapefruit, apricot, and some prominent citrus scents. Expect a pleasing moderate to full bodied texture, thicker than many IPA’s, that goes down very smooth. Despite the heavy hopping, you’ll notice that there’s a delicious creaminess to this brew. The bitterness at the finish is perfectly placed, with most of the hops in the nose rather than the aftertaste. Note the perfect balance between malt sweetness and hop snap and a very clean finish that smoothly slides away rather than sharply dropping off. Despite the title, the brewers were neither hazed nor confused when they crafted this very sophisticated ale. Well done, and a new favorite for many on our panel.

Like our first featured brewery, these folks are also Hop Heroes in our eyes. But like other great brewers of the world, they know how to create a variety of different styles with accuracy and creativity. The Rockies Brewing Company was established in 1979 under the original name of the Boulder Brewing Company. It was Colorado's first microbrewery and one of the oldest microbreweries in the country, receiving the 43rd brewing license ever issued by the federal govern-ment. They are currently celebrating their 25th anniversary, an extremely atypical occasion in the world of microbreweries. Originally started by two college professors, David Hummer and Stick Ware, their primary goal was to produce beers in the traditional style of the robust European ales. They did so by originally introducing Boulder Bitter, a classic ESB, Boulder Porter, and Boulder Stout. In 1990, the publicly traded Boulder Brewing Company changed ownership to the privately held Boulder Beer Company, owned by Gina Day and Diane Greenlee. These two local women, along with their Brewmaster David Zuckerman, decided to upgrade the entire brewery including reorganizing their well known yeast management program as well as their on-site pub, which includes a full menu and bar. In 1992 the brewery received its first gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival for Boulder Porter, and in 1993, the brewery's name was changed to the Rockies Brewing Company to reflect the regional popularity of its beers. The Rockies Brewing Company now brews a number of fantastic ales, including Buffalo Gold Premium Ale, Sully’s Light Lager, Singletrack Copper Ale, Pass Time Pale Ale, Sundance Amber Ale, Planet Porter, MoJo India Pale Ale and a few others. One of their most impressive beers is called Hazed and Infused Dry Hopped Ale. Dry-hopping refers to the addition of additional hops beyond those used at the beginning or end of the boil, which are the traditional times that sources of bitterness and floral hop aromas are contri-buted to the brew mix. This gem of a beer is made from a blend of three malt grains and five total hop varieties, including Crystal and Centennial for the dry hop supplement. Dry hopping is performed in order to heighten the aroma and the flavor, both of which are pleasingly evident in Hazed and Infused! For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call 303.444.8448 or check out their web site at http://www.boulderbeer.com/.