Another Reason to Love Colorado: Odell's Small Batch Revival

When Brewpublic visited Colorado in November of last year, we fulfilled a lifelong goal of visiting all the breweries in Fort Collins (FC). A fun little college town with a lot going on beerwise, FC is perhaps known best for New Belgium, the country’s third largest craft brewery. In the shadow of this Goliath resides one of the country’s most innovative breweries, Odell.

Odell has been profound and prolific in the production of one-off and unharnessed beer styles. Their Brett Porter (not to be confused with the new Goose Island Brewmaster of the same name) was a favorite of ours on said last trip here. (“The use of Brettanomyces resulted in dark fruity esters, a carbonic mouthfeel and a big chocolate sweet and perfectly tart finish.”) We also were impressed with the vicissitude of their Mad Farmer Ale, a beautifully hued brew made with beets. (“…possibly the most unique beer…in this lineup, is made with 120 pounds of roasted beets to give it not only a unique flavor but one of the most beautiful crimson hues replete with pink head. With a German malt bill and Centennial and Mt. Hood hops, this is a beer that “can’t be beet!””).

Since our last visit to the great beer regions of Colorado, we’ve enjoyed some beautifully labeled bottle samples provided via mail (thanks to Amanda!) that have included the following:

Friek:  Holy crap! What an amazing beer! For this divine specimen, multiple Kriek Lambic ales were brewed in a period over three years and fermented with a combination of yeasts, some wild, like lactobacillus and pediococcus. Then, 3500 pounds of sweet and tart cherries were added, and the beer was transferred into oak barrels where it aged taking on the cherry flavors. As the beer matured, Framboises (raspberries) from Schroyer Family Farms in Fort Collins were hand-picked by Odell Brewing co-workers and readied for the beer. The fresh raspberries were added just before the final blending.

A spot on description by the brewery says:

Light and effervescent in the nose, Friek marries a tart cherry pucker with a bright raspberry finish. The two flavors comingle on the tongue, and the lactobacillus creates a sour complexity that accentuates the fruit. The beer is 100% bottle conditioned in Champagne style cork and cage finish bottles.

“Friek demonstrates our respect for the traditional Lambic style ale,” said Odell head brewer Joe Mohrfeld, “We brewed the beer in a way that both embraces this tradition but also incorporates American craft beer innovation.”

Myrcenary Double IPA: Named for Myrcene, a component of essential oils in the hop flower, Myrcenary Double IPA is Odell’s “tribute to those who revere the illustrious hop, and their unyielding exploit to craft hop forward beers.” According to the brewery, Myrcenary is brewed with a combination of hops that contain the highest levels of Myrcene.

Amazingly smooth to the palate for a 9.3% ABV brew, Myrcenary Double IPA is yet another artfully decorated bottle of beer that we’ve enjoyed from Odell.

Double Pilsner: This fabulous lager showed up on our doorstep yesterday. What a spectacle! Returning as a special Odell summer seasonal (and part of the brewery’s new line of four-pack offerings, like the Myrcenary), this big 8.1% brew is, as Odell head brewer Joe Mohrfeld describes as a guilty pleasure.” We’re super jazzed that the kind folks at Odell hooked us up with this beer. A well laid out decription of the beer from Amanda states:

Traditional Pilsners mask nothing, and (our) Double Pilsner is a creative adaptation of the classic Bohemian Pilsner with a strong noble hop character that balances the rich Pilsen malt base. Delicate and refreshing, yet strong and assertive, (this beer) leaves the palate with a remarkable crisp finish.

Odell’s Small Batch Revival

On May 28, 2011 Odell Brewing will host the Small Batch Revival. The event (formerly known as the Small Batch Beer Festival) returns after a two year hiatus during the brewery’s expansion.

The inaugural event took place in 2007, when over 1000 beer enthusiasts ventured to the brewery to enjoy a variety of beers, live music, and local food. The following year, the event featured over 23 brews and drew nearly 3500 guests.

This year, the brewery will host the event in its newly finished West side parking and lawn areas, and will feature over 25 different beers. Those in attendance can enjoy live performances by Musketeer Gripweed and the Honey Gitters. Food from Nordy’s, Uncle’s Pizza, and Matador Grill will also be available for purchase.

“We are very excited to bring back the Small Batch event this year,” said Adam D’Antonio event organizer, “It’s just our way of saying ‘thanks’ to our amazing beer community.”

The Small Batch Revival will run from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 28^th. There is no entry fee, and beer tokens can be purchased for $4.

Click here to check out our interview with Odell head brewer Joe Mohrfeld.

Click here to read our initial write up of Odell brewing.

Cheers!