The next volume of our Upslope Tap Room Series is a different take on a classic craft beer style, as well as a tribute to a relationship that’s been brewing since we were first established. The Yirgacheffe Coffee Dubbel is a departure from a typical coffee beer, most of which are dark stouts or similar styles commonly known for roasted character. While our Coffee Dubbel does put the characteristics of the Dragonfly Coffee Roasters’ beans front and center, it is focused on the uncommon and truly exquisite aspects of this beans. Let’s get into it.
This Belgian is a departure from a typical coffee beer. For example, our Ozo Coffee Brown Ale at the Flatiron Park location showcases the more common aspects of the style beer with a sweet and roasty iced coffee flavor. This Tap Room Series beer is a collaboration with our original coffee roaster neighbor, Dragonfly Coffee Roasters on Lee Hill in North Boulder.
The Coffee Beans
While usually coffee beers focus on the roasted and earthy flavors of the beans, these Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans just have so much more to offer. We had to take a new approach. Yirgacheffe beans are known for their complex, fruit forward flavors. Processed at the well-known Idido Cooperative, the Yirgachefffe region of Ethiopia is famous for producing uniquely floral and fruity varieties of Arabica coffee strains. This particular bean features a distinctly musky and floral blueberry flavor, subtle citrus-like acidity, and a dry, cacao flavored finish. The earthiness and roasted flavors are still there, but there’s so much more to appreciate with these beans.
The Coffee Beer
Our newest Tap Room Series entry is a collaboration with our Lee Hill neighbors, the Dragonfly Coffee Roasters, to produce a uniquely Upslope coffee beer. We started by choosing these incredibly characterful beans as a base for innovation. The style we landed on to best set off the multitude of aspects of these Yirgacheffe beans is a rich Belgian Dubbel.
The sweet, bubblegum flavors resulting from the Belgian yeast used mesh synergistically with the blueberry flavors of the beans to produce a distinct, but not overwhelming, fruity flavor not typical of either style. The flavors include hints of blueberries, plums, and cotton candy, while the earthiness of the beans bring it back down to a worldly level. The dry, cacao finish mingles with the big, Belgian Dubbel‘s body to produce a deep and satisfying conclusion to the experience.
This beer is sure to challenge any preconceived notions you have about what a typical coffee beer is like.
The Release Party
Upslope’s Tap Room Series Yirgacheffe Coffee Dubbel will be released on Thursday, November 17th at 5pm at our North Boulder location on Lee Hill Rd. This beer weighs in at 7.4% abv and 28 IBUs. We’ll see you there!
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