Black Bottle Brewery

I think I have made the formal decision that all brewery reviews will go up on the weekends.  That way, all of you bloggers who don't want to read about beer don't have to, and hopefully I can cater to a slightly different crowd on the weekends.  We'll try it for a while, at least, and see how this goes.

This week, the brewery tour took us to Black Bottle Brewery in Fort Collins, CO.  Just a hop, skip, and a jump from the CSU campus, it's super convenient for those evenings when Ammon and I are both up in FoCo, and we're ready for a drink.

Beer is always best with friends, and so we invited some of the people from Ammon's lab to join us in our quest for the ultimate CO brewery.

I have an awful lot, both good and bad to say about this place, so we will get to it, pro and con style.

Pro:  They have 10+ beers of their own, and they have a great selection.  We got 8 different samples to share among 3 of us.

From L to R:  Youth Brigade; Recession Proof; Nook; I'm Barely Wine; Panty Drop Ale; Don't mind if I do, but mind if I don't; Roll down the windows dad; and Hopelessly Devoted.

Con:  They serve more beers that are not their own than they do that they brew.  Even worse, they also sell cocktails.  I think it takes a lot away from their own, really awesome beer selections.

Pro:  Their food is really good.  For a limited bar menu, they pack in some great things, including crab and lobster bisque, sliders, and baked brie.

Con:  The music is LOUD.  There were 6 of us, and I had to shout to be heard over the music, and it was only 5:30pm.

Pro:  They have a nice big space, and a huge patio.  The space is really well decorated.

Con:  Our service was mediocre.  We spent 15 minutes trying to get the attention of a waitress at one point, and it took forever for our beers to be poured.  The waitress was pretty rude when she was around, and didn't seem to want to help us make good selections.

Overall:  We will be going back again, but probably more as a night out at the bar, not as a couple of drinks after work as a brewery.  We really loved their beer, and I could see us drinking them again.  Of the 8 we tried, I don't think there was any one that was strongly disliked by the 6 of us.  There was something form everyone, but my personal favorites were the Nook and the Youth Brigade, both IPA's.  It surprised me, because I am generally not a fan of IPA, but these did not have the same bitterness I have come to expect in beers of this particular category.  Also of note was the Hopelessly Devoted, a Saison, and the Don't mind if I do, but mind if I don't, which was a Bourbon Porter.  That was a favorite of the men in the group.

So there you guys have it.  Leg 2 of our brewery tour has been completed.  Can't wait to try the next place!