Glenwood Canyon Red Mountain ESB

The mountains of Colorado harbor many niches, nooks and crannies, within which lie a bounty of hidden mines, towns and even the occasional bakery (Silver Plume). Glenwood Springs is not what you’d call a quaint mountain town, exactly, but it’s not a global tourism destination either. Home to a therapeutic hot springs, it sees its fair share of visitors, and those who do go get a chance to visit the local brewpub: Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company. It is by no means an infamous brewery, or a landmark in craft beer, but it provides better beer to a town with one foot still in the past, and that makes it all the more charming. My family and I ordered a sampler to get a well rounded taste of the offerings, and I came away reasonably impressed, considering my expectations. The Red Mountain ESB took the third spot, in line with the chromatic scheme of light to dark, lucid to obscure. It is a very dark bronze color, rustic and burnt, a bit like Sicily, with a thread-thin head. The smell offered a great deal more, blasting the nose with a feast of caramel, sweetened-condensed milk, chocolate and the distinctive aroma of a temperate forest in the midst of a heavy rain. The taste is far less sweet, retaining the solid core of caramel, but replacing the sweet from the aroma with a metallic, cupric bitterness. In a broader perspective of the taste, it is still sugary and satisfying, overflowing with a shining caramel flavor profile, balanced with a less-than-ideal metallic contrast. It is refreshing, easy to drink, and relaxing – an excellent choice for a session beer, and a beer entirely matching with Glenwood Spring’s mountainous, pioneer feel. Slightly rugged, but comfortable and full of character: a beer befitting the town.

on nitro-pours a light tan head that laces and copper color. Aroma is slight sweet medium malt. Taste is slight sweet medium malt, secondary hops with flat bite/bitterness. As much a standard Bitter than ESB. Mild carbonation.

[GABF, Denver Co - 2006] A deep reddish copper color. Has a lightly roasted aroma with a great flavor and a good mix of hops to malts. This was a refreshing brew for the day.

Draught. Pours copper-amber with a small off-white foamy head that lasts, good lacing. Aroma is lightly roasted caramel malt. lightly floral hops and hints of brown sugar. Medium sweet malt flavor, slightly sugary and notes of honey. Light bodied and clean, smooth palate.

ESBs, if this is a normal one, don’t seem too bitter to me. actually sweet. Mostly this one just tastes like a thinned-out pale ale. A disappointing beer for sure.