STYLE: Spiced/Herb/Vegetable Ale

ABV: 3.7%

PURCHASED AT: Grumpy Troll Brewery; Mt. Horeb, WI

My wife and I take numerous trips up to Madison, WI which is only a 2.5 hr drive from our front door in Mt. Vernon; and usually this trip entails numerous stops to multiple places that serve the fine nectar that is beer. On every trip we notice the face of a troll that symbolizes the town of Mt. Horeb. After passing it so many times we finally stopped in to check out Grumpy Troll Brewery. (www.thegrumpytroll.com)
 I can’t remember what I ordered to eat but I do remember enjoying their stout and also trying out their Jalapeno beer. The beer is obviously brewed with Jalapeno peppers and has the same aroma. The flavor is slightly sweeter than I was expecting and finished with a little bite of spicy jalapeno. This isn’t a beer for everyone; I think you would either like it or hate, I enjoyed it but I think one would be my limit. I do think this would be a perfect beer to use when cooking up a big batch of chili.
REVIEW
Pour: A nice golden pour with a small white head. Minimal lacing.
Aroma: Smell of jalapeno peppers.
Taste: Jalapeno flavor that is slightly sweet and a little spicy at the end.
Overall: C
Eastern Iowa Residents: A little trip up north to Mt. Horeb, WI is the only place to get it. If you are a beer fan you must get to Wisconsin at some point to check out their breweries and they also have great distribution up there.
Would I Buy Again?: Yes, but this beer is one and done.

Day 3 in Denver started off a little sluggish. Most of us were recovering from a night of drinking and got off to a slow start. I think we were lucky making it in time for the first pitch of the Rockies/Cardinals game at 1 that afternoon but we got there and it was awesome. We got some sort of luxury suite, priced around $70, that sounds expensive but it was worth it. Sat on the first base line, a perfect view, if it got to warm we could go in to the air-conditioned suite and enjoy some good brew, and good food. Never had to wait in line for a piss either which is always a plus. I spent most of the game drinking Oskar Blues Dale Pale Ale. I did try the Sandlot brewing, (which is brewed at Coors) Amber ale, but found it unremarkable and switched back to Dales. We saw a great 4-2 game and then we were off to my sought after destination; Great Divide Brewery.
Great Divide is located just down the block from Coors Field and it fills up quick for a game. We were able to secure a nice table outside and enjoy the weather while sipping on a nice Chocolate Yeti. This being my second trip to Denver, I think Great Divide is my favorite place to enjoy a beer. After the chocolate Yeti I switched to a light and refreshing raspberry ale. Great Divide doesn’t serve food but there was a food truck parked right outside their doors that was serving people constantly.

After Great Divide we refreshed a bit at the hotel and then were off to Rock Bottom Brewery. There beers did not impress as much as other places we had stopped but I was impressed with the sweet setup of a pour your own beer table. We sat at a table where you actually dispensed your own brew. They keep track by the ounces poured I believe. This could have gotten out of hand but we handled it pretty well and didn’t get too overboard. The highlight of this stop was the shrimp and lobster tacos that we ordered. Easily one of the best meals of the trip and something I could eat on a day-to-day basis.

After this the night is pretty much a blur. All in all a great day, Great Divide was the highlight for me. One night left to go!

NEXT UP DAY 4: Wynkoop, another trip to the mountains

Day 2 in Denver started out with a trip to the mountains. My first time going up in the mountains and it was a great sight! Awesome scenery and really cool towns a long the way. We stopped in Frisco, CO which is not to far from Breckenridge. We had breakfast at the Butterhorn Bakery (www.butterhornbakery.com) which might be the best breakfast I’ve ever had. Two poached eggs in a croissant with avocado, ham, and a roasted red pepper sauce. Great meal! We then decided to stop in for a quick beer at Back Country Brewery (www.backcountrybrewery.com). We arrived a little before opening but the bartender was cool enough to let us in for a quick pint. I went with their IPA which was pretty good and refreshing.
After we picked up our buddy from the airport we relaxed a bit and then it was off to Falling Rock Tap House! This place is well-known for their huge tap selection, but I was really impressed with their homemade food. I loved their hand-battered homemade mushrooms and the club sandwich I ordered was great. Oh, yeah, their beer selection is second to none as the hardest part of ordering there is trying to narrow your choices. After Falling Rock we hit a couple of bars by the stadium and then called it a night. Great time on day 2!

Next Up: Coors Field, Great Divide Brewery, Rock Bottom Brewery!

Group of friends and  I arrive in Denver around 7 mountain time after a long 11 hour drive from Iowa. After checking in and getting settled a bit, we decided that the first place to visit was going to be Rialto. Rialto is a restaurant/bar that is inside the downtown Courtyard. We stayed there last year and we all thought it was a wonderful place. We also didn’t want to hit up any new places because we were still waiting on a buddy to fly in from Kansas City.
*Rialto was an excellent choice since we just wanted to relax and enjoy a bit to eat and a good brew. (http://www.rialtocafe.com/). Decided on the calamari for a quick snack and it was excellent. Washed it down with a Left Hand Milk Stout and the night started out great. The highlight of the night was my brother-in-law’s order of seared tuna. Great stuff! Finished off the night with a 5 Barrel Pale Ale from Odell Brewing company. Wow! Fantastic beer, refreshing and crisp! The only negative of this evening we didn’t learn until later the Rialto has two happy hours! After 9:30 they have 1/2 price all beers and $3 appetizers. I really could have done some damage if I would have known that.
*Second and last stop for me on this evening was hitting up the Sports Column. The Sports Column could be referred to as an Iowa bar I guess, with Iowa flags and memorabilia hanging up. $3 draws of Oskar Blue’s Dale’s Pale Ale also makes it great. Watched a little baseball, enjoyed a few brews and the finish to night #1 was satisfying.

NEXT UP! DAY 2: Falling Rock Tap House, a visit to Frisco, CO.

Heading to Denver this Friday and a place where I will be spending a good amount of time will be Great Divide Brewery. This place is ideal, nothing too fancy, knowledgable bartenders, great beer, and even better, you can actually drink in the brewery itself. Here’s an inside look at Great Divide:

Since my blog is dedicated to finding good beer in Eastern Iowa, I thought it would be a good idea to list and talk about some the Iowa made beers. I was pretty surprised after researching this how many places there actually are in Iowa to find some good beer and I hope that list continues to grow.
Ever since Peace Tree (www.peacetreebrewing.com) has arrived in Iowa City I have found myself growing more and more attached to their products. Their Hop Wrangler IPA and their Double IPA are must trys for Hop Heads and I can’t wait to try their Gumbo Stout. I visited their website and noticed they have more beers on tap at their taproom. I really need to make a trip over to this place, I’m afraid once I get there I won’t want to leave.
*Ottumwa, IA- Appanoose Rapids Brewing Company – www.appanooserapidsbrewingcompany.com
*Janesville, IA- Briar Creek Brewing Company – www.briarcreekbrewery.com
*Des Moines, IA – Court Avenue Brewing Company – www.courtavebrew.com – **A must try! Great place, great beer!*
*Stanley, IA- Hub City Brewing Company – www.hubcitybrewingcompany.com –
*Knoxville, IA- Peace Tree Brewing Company – www.peacetreebrewing.com **I love you Peace Tree!**
*Fort Madison – Lost Duck Brewing Company- www.duckbrewing.com
*Newton, IA – Madhouse Brewing Company – www.madhousebeer.com – **Their Pasttime Pale Ale is good!**
*Amana, IA – Millstream Brewing Company- www.millstreambrewing.com – Great beers!
*McGregor, IA – Old Man River Brewing Company – www.oldmanriverbrewery.com
*Ames, IA – Old Main Brewing Company – www.oldmainbrewing.com
*Des Moines, IA – Raccoon River Brewing Company – www.raccoonbrew.com
*Cedar Rapids, IA- Third Base Brewing Company – www.thirdbasebrewery.com
*Decorah, IA – Toppling Goliath Brewing Company – www.tgbrews.com

If you have visited any of these places please post a comment about your experience! Support your local craft brewery!

If I missed any please let me know!