Having already critiqued the IPA from Upstream brewery, I opted to take the photo op with Glenwood Canyon Brewery's No Name Nut Brown Ale. We drank both growlers on our Friday evening in Newport Beach with some grilled lemon chicken and shrimp courtesy of the Baker family. Special thanks goes to Colin for the prep, the Todd for the final bake, Leslie and Jenny for the sides, and my ravenous hunger that led to a perfect meal.
Our growler of the Upstream IPA had seen better days. Having spent three gruesome days at the bottom of the car's passenger seat, the growler tipped over at one point and deposited some of its contents into the grooves of the vinyl floor mat. D'oh! (Is that trademarked?) This means the seal was not exactly the tightest and our precious liquid had grown flatter every second. Either way, we popped the bottle into the freezer to get up to optimal drinking temperature. We like cold beer!
The IPA still tasted pretty damn good. Up to this point I was still not sold on the hoppy goodness that some beers had to offer so I was definitely looking forward to moving on to the brown ale. And baby, it was oh so good.
The pour out of a growler is not as graceful out of the tap or a bomber. The caramel, honey color of the ale is inviting on a brisk Newport evening. With minimal head you can dive right in, and that's just what I did. The aroma was very nutty with a beautiful touch of hops. The description from the brewer is simple: "A classic brown ale with plenty of malt and a subtle touch of hops. Surprisingly smooth!" I don't know what caught the brewer off guard as I haven't met a brown ale that wasn't smooth. It didn't take me aback and I doubt it would take you for a ride either.
Unfortunately for us, it does not appear that the Glenwood Canyon Brewery distributes their beer anywhere outside of Glenwood Canyon. Fortunately for us, the trip to Glenwood Springs is incredibly gorgeous and with the Rockies as a backdrop how could you not want to go there. It took me to get to Newport Beach to appreciate the beer I obtained two days prior.
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