Coops! January 28th, 2012

On to our second brewery. Unlike J, I really enjoyed Equinox and out of the 1 breweries we had visited, it was easily my favorite so far. A bit of my personal history with Coopersmith's. I have long been a fan of both their food and their beers. There were the first restaurant (that I know of) in Fort Collins to brew their own beer and they have paired some of their beer quite well with their food. A bit of warning though. Stay the hell away from their Punjabi IPA. It is the most hangover inducing beer I have ever encountered, I once watched a friend throw up in a pitcher of water while in the restaurant after having a few (love ya Kim!).
My notes on Coopersmith's beers are much more complete because both J and I ponied up some dough to buy ledgers to keep notes in. I also wrote down some jewels of conversation that mean nothing to me now, but I will throw them in anyway. Also, I have noted in my writings that none of the three people that were at my table could 100% discern if our server was a man or a woman. I wagered woman, but by no means would put a lot of money on it.

Daaaaaaaaaa Beers.

Poudre Pale Ale 5.3% ABV
I like this beer right away because as anyone from Fort Collins will tell you, Poudre is a funny word. I continued to like it right to the point that it encountered my taste buds. For a pale ale it is not to bitter or hoppy, but it does not really strike you in any other way. A boring and forgettable beer that I did not finish.

Rating: 4/10

Sigda's Green Chili Beer 5.4% ABV
This is a really interesting beer in that if you just drink it, you are probably not going to like it. It has a very clear and strong green chili flavor that is not the most pleasant taste on it's own. Like I said earlier though, Coopersmith's pairs their beers well. I can easily drink three or four of these if I have it with the right menu item. The Johnny Cash Ring of Fire Burger comes to mind. The beer and burger are great going down, not so great when you get the O-ring of fire when they come out.

To be fair to this beer I gave it two rankings. On it's own: 6/10 With food: 8/10

First random quote: "If I aim for the crotch, my percentages are fantastic!" -Jason Litton

Blonde Bombshell Ale 5.7% ABV
This is a dangerous beer. It is very crisp and flavorful with a lovely citrus finish. It is dangerous in that I could drink a whole lot of these and not really notice how many I had until I woke up cursing myself the next morning.

Rating: 7/10

Horsetooth Stout 6.2% ABV
For those not from the area, the term "Horsetooth" refers to the most notable geographic feature of the mountains above Fort Collins, Horsetooth Rock. Now I am by no means an expert on horses, but I have seen a horse or three and none of their teeth looked like this rock. Vagina rock would be more appropriate. So in that spirit, I now dub this beer Vagina Stout, which sounds like a lesbian superhero. It is a shame that the beer does not live up to the awesome name though. It ws smooth and easy to drink, but the flavor was not remarkable and was a bit boring. J gave this a 10/10 which shows his obvious ignorance.

Rating: 5/10

Poor Richard's Ale 7% ABV
This beer is the most confusing beer I have ever had. As J pointed out, it is best summed up in the wise words of our good friend Bill.
"It's weird and then it finishes different" -Bill Kohler
Granted we were several tasters in, but that struck as quite profound in that despite it's bludgeoning of the English language, none of us could think of a better way to describe this beer. It starts off like a cider beer and right as you are enjoying it, it completely switches flavor. It's like the beer has a chemical reaction to your saliva. It ends really malty and with a strange aftertaste. This is truly the split personality of beers.

Rating: 5/10 (duh)

So that is it for our second brewery. The last we hit on our first day was the Fort Collins Brewery. Reviews are coming once J and I work up the gumption.
Thanks for reading.