The beer was a Belgian-style Quad and the brewery was River North Brewery in Denver, CO. Today I’m excited to revisit River North, but this time it’s packaged in cans and this time it’s three different beers….so off we go.
Up first I decided to crack open River North Pils. This seemed to be a good choice to start with, and after I finished pouring I knew I was right. Pils pours a yellow-gold color with some really interesting aromas of biscuity malts and baked bread. I really liked the nose on this beer and the flavors followed with a really pleasant and drinkable crackery fresh malt. The hops definitely take a bit of a back seat to the malt presence, but this is a good thing. The overall balance of this beer combined with the medium easy-drinking mouthfeel all combine to create a really nice pils. Clean drinking, crisp finish and a real fresh feel to the beer make for a really sessionable and enjoyable lager (5.3%-AbV, 35 IBU, year-round in 12oz cans).
Up next I decided to open the Mountain Haze. This beer is a New England-style IPA and it pours the hazy yellow color you’d expect for the style. The aromas have loads of citrus and citrus peel and I picked out just a bit more lemon than orange in the nose. The taste begins with the juicy and citrusy hops you’d expect in an NEIPA with just a touch of malty grain in there as well. The mouthfeel is pleasant and drinkable and the beer leans nicely into the fruit-forward NEIPA style I was hoping to find. Overall the beer is bright, fruity and loaded with citrus and fruit flavors (6.5%-AbV, 35 IBU, year-round in 12oz cans).
I knew when my care package arrived exactly which beer would get opened last. Keep in mind, “last” is usually reserved for a beer I think will have very strong flavors, OR, as in this case, for a beer I suspect I will like best. Our finishing beer is the recently introduced River North Fifteener Double IPA and after pouring the beer in my glass, I was glad I waited. Fifteener pours an enticing and rich deep golden-orange color and the aromas just scream hops. This is likely due to the large quantity of traditional west coast-IPA hops on board as well as the late-addition hops River North used. The beer is loaded with hop flavors that lead with a bit of citrus and dry grapefruit and end with some sticky and resinous hops. The body of the beer feels satisfying and the balance of hops really leans into the dank side of the hop-fence for me. At 10%-AbV the beer has a bit of a boozy taste and at 82 IBU the hops really take center stage. Fifteener will get your attention and leave you wanting more (even at 10%-AbV) and overall I think this is my favorite beer of the bunch. I love a good DIPA (like Fifteener) and I’m excited to report that River North Fifteener will go year-round in 12oz cans.
Get out there and get your hands on River North Pils, Mountain Haze and Fifteener and try them for yourself. These are all really interesting and well-balanced beers that I know you will like. And when you do try them (and like them) , be sure to let us know what YOU think.
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