Breck beer

Yesterday I picked up a flier for an art reception taking place this weekend. I was told the artist who had dropped them off was "real cool," kind of in a sarcastic manner. He said he was from "Breck." As in Breckenridge. I've never been to Breckenridge myself, so I'm not familiar with the lingo, but I am familiar with the beer. At least one of them, anyway: the Breckenridge Avalanche.

The Breckenridge Brewery was opened in February of 1990 by Richard Squire, who had a vision to ski all day and drink great beer every night. Over the past 17 years, his dream has turned into a reality, growing his business from a small brewpub to one of the most thriving craft beer breweries in the nation. The Breckenridge Brewery produces five brews year-round, and three seasonal varieties. Although most people probably associate the word 'avalanche' with winter and therefore would think it to be a seasonal brew, that's not the case. The Avalanche is available all year, and is the number one selling beer from the brewery.

The Avalanche is an amber style ale. The web site states an aroma of pale grains, but I thought it smelled more like socks. There was minimal carbonation in the brownish amber colored beer, and a head that diminished very quickly. A nice mixture of sweet malts and bittering hops made for a very smooth, well balanced beer. It had a taste of prunes and caramel with a clean, dry finish. Overall, I thought it had a pretty good flavor, although it was hard to get past that foul aroma that was hitting my nose. It did, however slightly diminish as the beer had time to air out. Although it wasn't one of my favorite beers, I'd be willing to drink it again.

If you want to give this one a shot, you don't have to travel to "Breck" to get one; it's available at McNellies. I might suggest holding your nose.