Boulder Beer Cold Hop

Brewed by Boulder Beer Company
Style: English Strong Ale
Boulder, Colorado USA

Serve in English pint, Trappist glass

From the bottle purchased at the Beer Hive in Pittsburgh. Nothing outstanding or remarkable in this British clone style ale. Expected more flavor from the imported hops and malts but did not taste anything of distinction.

This beer really riled me up. As a beer itself, I found this to be cloying, even sickly sweet, with a thick body approaching a DIPA that itself could have been pleasing but not given the level of sweetness. The volume of the ingredients (malts and hops) is admirable, and the hops were perfume-like from the moment I popped the top, but it didn’t integrate with the malts. And then I read the label, which expands on how this is an English-style beer. Uh-huh. I really don’t see it. It hearkens a bit to the golden summer ale, but not to the English strong ales, which usually don’t provide the kind of sweetness or bracing hoppiness. It just doesn’t work, and it doesn’t fit my sense of what this beer should be given that it has this label. So that’s a double fault. Bottle.

This beer was very good, nice and hoppy with a decent malt character and a subtle sweetness.

Pours a cloudy gold with an off white head. Nose and taste is of floral hops, grain, hay, and a touch of fruity sweetness. A very solid brew, not a style I seek out often, but a nice change up from time to time.

This beer has moved to my top five for (gotta have it in my fridge at all times category). Very sweet and a great citrus taste. I think this is very similar to Bells Two Hearted, but the aroma isn’t there. If you are a fan of Bells Two Hearted do yourself a favor and give this one a go!

6.3% on tap at DIA. Pours with a very lively carbonated (from tap with an overflowing head). Massive billowy off-white head. Hazy golden-orange hued body. Aromas are bready, grainy, grassy malty, caramel with light esters. Flavors are floral and nicely bready with some light british esters. There was also a strong metallic note sadly. Lively bubbles.

A: The pour is clear golden-amber color with a white head. S: Smells quite buttery with lots of grassy and herbal hops. Sweet popcorn and bready malts. A bit of pine and citrus peel, too. Not a very pleasant aroma. T: Sweet bread, toffee, and caramel with quite a lot of butter. Herbal and grassy hops and a weird, but very strong, perfume note. M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. O: This beer was just dreadful. Far too much butter.

Poured a hazy reddish gold. Very hoppy aroma with pine and resin. Taste of vegetables and herbs. Lots of hops, but not too bitter. Creamy and smooth. Overall very nice.