Breckenridge Juicy IPA

Breckenridge Juicy IPA. Mosaic & Palisade Hopped with Fruit Juice. Breckenridge Brewery, Fine Colorado Ales. 

6.7 % ABV. 

My final bottle from a Breckenridge sampler pack. This lone surviving bottle sat in the fridge, neglected, long after I sampled it's brethren and sisters, taking notes on some, and not on others. Time to drink it up. 

Lightly hazed, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: Light citrus, at first. Impressions of other fruit, soft and slightly sweet, 

In the mouth: Starts off juicy, alright, with low bitterness, and sweet, juicy malt running the show. Grapefruit, lemon, and berries lead the charge. Fairly smooth stuff, clean and refreshing. 

This is for somebody, I am sure, but it's not for me. Too much juice, not enough IPA. If it's for you, bless you, sir or madam, but it certainly doesn't qualify as an IPA in my eyes. 

Breckenridge Hop Peak IPA

Breckenridge Hop Peak IPA. Breckenridge Brewery, Fine Colorado Ales. 

6.5 % ABV, 57 IBU. Breckenridge Brewery, Littleton, CO. 

Guess what? They have mountains in Colorado. Hence the name for this beer. Betcha they thought no-one would get it, but they didn't count on me, did they? 

Lightly clouded, bright golden hued, slim white head. 

In the nose: Citrus and pine, orange and grapefruit. Fresh and zesty. Beautiful aromatics. 

In the mouth: Big hop bitterness at the start, more fresh, more zest, bursting with citrus and pine. Juicy, fruity, but definitely ending on a dry note. Medium bodied, excellent balance and drinkability. Orange and grapefruit and a touch of lime to match the traces of pine. This is right on the money for an America IPA, and I am digging it. So tasty, so downable. It's so very refreshing to find a regular ol' American IPA, the kind that made this nation great. 

Simcoe and Citra dry hops form a pinnacle of lush citrus and pine aromas in this modern interpretation of the classic India Pale Ale. Our hopback infuses flavor from whole cone hops to build a complex body, further emboldened by the addition of an oil-rich, concentrated hop flower resin called lupulin powder. This potent powder kicks up a fresh hoppy dominance, which is supported by a backbone of unique specialty malts. Golden amber in color and refreshing in taste, Hop Peak IPA is a congratulatory drink for reaching any of life’s summits.

Breckenridge Single Hop IPA

 Breckenridge Single Hop IPA.

6.3 % ABV, Brieckenridge Brewery, Littleton, CO. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim, but lasting, layer of ivory foam. 

In the nose: Wonderful expression of hops, sending off citrus and melon and more. 

In the mouth: Juicy and fruity from the start, with an appropriate amount of bitterness, blessing the palate. None too anything here, so far. Quite tasty. Citrus and tropical notes abound. Medium bodied, long, hoppy finish. Palate pleasing and easy drinking. 

Brewed with Strata hops. Notes of passion fruit, orange, tropical fruits, and berry. 

Breckenridge Juice Drop Hazy IPA

Breckenridge Juice Drop Hazy IPA.

7 % ABV, Breckenridge Brewing, Littleton, CO. 

There it is, all hazy-like, but never too turbid. Bright golden hue. Slim, but stable, layer of milky white froth atop. 

In the nose: Citrus aplenty, lemon and orange galore, with slight whiffs of tropical tones, and plenty of fuzz. 

In the mouth: Hoppy blast on the palate up front, a spasm of citrus and a glimmer of tropical notes, then all is mellow and fine. Quite a lot of juicy going on, without too much of the fuzz. Don't go in expecting more in the style of the NE/hazy IPA, it's strictly on the juicy side. A bit light bodied, with a faint finish. 

Not my favorite IPA of late, but there ain't nothing wrong with it. Decent enough IPA, and you most certainly can drink it. 

Hop forward aroma and low bitterness with tropical fruit and orange citrus foe that juicy and creamy mouthfeel 

Breckenridge Vanilla Porter

Thanks, Sample Man! Once again, a bottle reaches my hands that I haven't touched in many years. For the Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, we go back to notes from February, 2006, nearly 11 years ago. I think I knew what I was talking about then, so let's hear what I had to say:

An interesting label on this one, with some obtuse, too-clever-by-half phrasing. Beneath the words "Vanilla Porter", they proclaim: "Seldom Seen. Never Duplicated." Huh? Does that even make sense?
And, bookending the larger body of the design, at top and bottom, two words that try to belong together and prove the writer's great wit, yet fall flat. "Remarkable" ..."Partakable"...oh, kay...is partakable a word, even? And, do they know these words don't rhyme, exactly, for that seems their only purpose in pairing them.

Basically, they want to say, "It's different, and you can drink it."
So, let's see about that...

Big vanilla aromatics waft out from first crack of the crown.

Pours out a deep, dark brown, with a sliver of crimson at the sides, a meager, but loyal cocoa / tan head. Good.

Roasty nose, swiftly dominated by sweet vanilla. Light hints of coffee below, glimmers of chocolate. Pleasing, yes, but not overpowering, nor especially outstanding.

Chalky, flaky cocoa feel from the start, like a dusting of chocolate powder...rinses the mouth with a smattering of sweetness, then dashes away. Medium, at best, in body, a bit too light for me...vanilla bean flavor clings to the palate and pushes away the other flavors that may reside in the taste. Gets sweeter as we go in, a bit too much for me, actually.

Probably the best vanilla porter I've tried, but I'm still not crazy about the style.
I like more porter, less vanilla.

Editor's note: I wrote this way before the vanilla/coconut craze. These days, any infusion drives the geeks crazy, lord love 'em.

Breckenridge Agave Wheat

Breckenridge Agave Wheat. Unfiltered Wheat Ale brewed with Agave Nectar, Breckenridge, Colorado. 4.2% ABV.

Lightly hazed, pale golden hue, sizable, lasting head on it.

Soft and sweet wheat-y aromatics. Am I getting the agave? Not sure.

In the mouth: sweet, then dry, then really dry. Lightly puckering, splash of sharp fruitiness. Refreshing, quenching. delivering satisfaction. I don't know why it took me so long to try this one out, but it turns out that I like it. Good beer, you can drink it, interesting twist on what can often be a boring style.

Breckenridge 471 IPA

I first had this one in a bomber, March of 2006. Took these notes, which I share with you as I drink it on tap:

Clear appearance, cast in a honey-glazed amber-y hue, with prodigioius puffy, lacey foam above. Nice lookin'.

Aroma is soft, piney, citric, pleasant, but muted. Candyish tones overtake bitterness. Appealing.

Brisk blash of bitter on the palate, then caramel flavor rolls in, toffee, like a brief battle between hops and malt, this candyish sweetness muffling the bitterness. Interesting. Fruit bobs up again, but instantly enfolded by sweet caramel. An interesting combo, one I don't encounter in an IPA very often...but one that doesn't quite hold my in sway with it's charms for very long.

Full mouthfeel, lot going on in the texture, medium to full bodied, tasty, complex finish, hangs long on the palate...but, alas, the flavor doesn't quite cut it all the way, for me. Still good, just not what I look for in an IPA. An accomplished ale, nonetheless.