Well the folks at Great Northern Brewing company gifted us with a sample of their Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager and we felt it was only right to share it with our friends and get their impressions too.

Black Star Beer Tasting Sampler setup

We had both a can and a bottle of Black Star and chilled both of them in preparation for our event. We have these nifty tasting glasses courtesy of the Chili Pepper Brew Fest so we brought those along and set up the tasting for our beer loving friends.

Broncos and Brews Crew ready to taste the Black Star Lager

My Broncos and Brews Crew look ready don’t they? Ok, now to taste….

Ron is savoring the hops!

We decided to try the bottle first and were very surprised that the double hops was so smooth tasting. Very refreshing.

The Broncos and Brews Crew hard at work

MMMMMmmmmm

Kevin is now pouring samples from the can of Black Star

Beer lovers expect a can of beer to be of lesser quality than a bottle of beer but we were surprised with the Black Star.

Kevin Pouring the samples from the can of Black Star Lager

Every one of our tasters preferred the flavor and texture of the beer in the  can over the bottle.

Expert Beer Tasting Dudes

The bottle was a bit over carbonated for our tastes but the can was just perfect.

We recommend this fine lager for those that love hops and for those that think they don’t like hops. The way that this lager was brewed made for one of the smoothest and best tasting lagers we’ve tried in a long time.

Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager available in a bottle or can

About Black Star Beer

Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager was first brewed in Whitefish, Montana at the Great Northern Brewing Company in 1995. The beer was created by Minott Wessinger, a fifth generation brewer and great-great grandson of West Coast brewing pioneer Henry Weinhard. For more information, please visit http://blackstarbeer.com/story/the-beer/ and to take a tour of the Great Northern Brewery visit http://www.greatnorthernbrewery.com.

Black Star Beer and The Great Northern Brewery are headed to the 2011 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) for the second year in a row and this time they’re going big!

For the first time ever, Black Star and the Great Northern Brewery will be a featured brewery sponsor of GABF. They are hitching up the Black Star Airstream and hauling it all the way to Denver, CO. The Brewer’s Association has graciously given them permission to park the Airstream trailer right at their booth (Section E, Booth 18-19)! Equipped with WiFi and a digital photo booth, festival-goers can take free pictures which are then automatically emailed to them to easily share their Black Star experience with friends via Facebook, Twitter and email. You won’t be able to miss the shiny silver Airstream, the Black Star and Great Northern Brewery, right in the middle of the action – located at Section E, Booth 18-19.   Session times- http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/about/hours-schedule/

We are curious what everyone at the GABF (Great American Beer Fest) will think when they stop by the Great Northern Brewery booth. Did you like the bottle or the can better? Please let us know in our comment section below.

The Golden Toad BBQ Team at the Smoke n Brew BBQ in Parker Colorado

The Denver Brew Fest is back! Taste your favorite beers and support the Arts!

Friday, January 28, 2011 at the Mile High Station

Great Brews at a Great Place for a Great Price and a Great Cause
Proceeds benefit the Swallow Hill Music Association

The Winter Brew Fest is expanding this year with additional space outside with a heated tent.

35+ Craft Breweries serving 75+ Brews

6-7 pm VIP Session (price included General Admission)
Get first taste of great brews with this exclusive, limited admittance VIP hour
Cabot cheese sampling and a special beer pairing.
$40 advance/ $45 at the door

7-10 pm General Admission
$30 advance/$35 at the door

Get your tickets now as this fest normally sells out. Beer makes people happy.

Get your tickets and more details at www.denverbrewfest.com

I’ve never attended this event so it will be our virgin voyage down to the Mile High Station

Which Microbreweries??? I’m glad you asked.. ALL these!

• Boulder Beer
• Mountain Sun I used to be their USFoodService Rep in Boulder
• Hebrew
• Flying Dog
• Eldorado
• Left Hand Brewery
• Great Divide Brewing Company
• Del Norte Brewing Company
• Highlands Wine and Liquors
• Herman Josephs
• Stone Brewing Company (ooooo Arrogant Bastard Ale!)
• Sierra Nevada
• Breckenridge Brewery (one of my wife’s favorites!)
• Odell Brewing Company
• Dundee
• Twisted Pine Brewing Company
• Cucapa Cerveza out of Baja Cali
• Mile High Station
• Pyramid
• tcag
• deschutes Brewery
• Oskar Blues Brewery – Lyons Colorado
• Left Hand Tap – Boulder Colorado
• Blue Moon
• Upslope
• Alaskan
• TommyKnockers YUMMMM
• Wynkoop a Local favorite of mine
• Laughing Lab
• Eldorado
• Ska Brewing

Some of those I’ve been meaning too try.. So many brews.. so little time.

Directions and parking There are also hotel deals to stay down there and not Drink and Drive home on that link!

The Summer Brewfest includes craft beverages from both Colorado Breweries and from across the US along with live local music, food, and other vendors and is a benefit to the  Swallow Hill Music Association.

Swallow Hill serves a large community with instruction and performance of musical art forms such as folk, blues, bluegrass, Celtic jazz, world, roots, and dance.

VIP First taste limited tickets for $40 advance/$45 at the door, 6-7

General admission 7-10 p.m. $30/advance $35 at the door

For MORE Summer Brew Fest Denver Colorado Click here

Mark Your Calendars now for the Winter Brew Fest January 22nd 2010

The tour was a ton of fun.. We got to see the vats they brewed the beer in and the brew masters quarters. John was very knowledgeable made you feel right at home when he spoke.

Got a tour of the Brewing area and a chance to talk to the Brew Master-John McClure..he has been the Brew Master at Rock Bottom Downtown for 11 years and been brewing for 17 years.

John does an incredible job putting together these brews four days a week. Rock Bottom has 18 brews on tap right now..oops! I mean 17 because the Cider brew he made disappeared so fast! ( I guess it was a little bit popular.)

Rock Bottom Downtown Denver was the 1st Rock Bottom restaurant..it was named this because it was the bottom of the Prudential building(slogan-you got a piece of the Rock) You Have Not Been To Denver Until You Have Been To ROCK BOTTOM!!

The Assistant Brew Master is Doug.. he created the New Brew called The American Dream..Crystal Malt and dry hopped..mmm, the brew was awesome!!

The Brew Masters choice was Deep Drought Stout.. it had a good coffee flavor and a smooth taste that went down good!!

Hearing about the different brews like the Saison brewed at 85 degrees and carbonated or the other brews and how they come up with the new ideas on the brews coming out.

We were quite the brew crew!

On July 23rd 2009, they are coming out with a Strawberry Blonde Ale..sounds like an awesome brew to me..count me in to check it out!!

This is the face of a happy brew dude with new microbrew logo glasses to chill in the freezer.  These glasses with the 6 pack of 22 oz bombers sell for $29.95.

Oh and…. go ahead and park in their garage… they validate parking…  No one told me!

Friday August 21, 6-10 p.m.  This was my first “taste” of brew festival last year and um… well, lets just say I tasted A BUNCH of beer!

The event site is great, it poured rain the entire time but  my wife, myself and our group of friends didn’t let that spoil our fun.  It’s not only brews but lots of food to sample, and 1 winery had samples (this made my wife happy). There are food and ale booths set up outside and in, and the atmosphere is just flat out fun!

If you are into the art side of it you can enjoy the large art exhibit along with the wildlife exhibit.  This gives you something to do while you are letting your beer settle so you can go and sample some more.

Here are the details for this year from their website

The Wildlife Experience will host its annual Art and Ale Festival on Friday, August 21. This event features a dazzling lineup of musical entertainment, bountiful brews and tantalizing treats. You will soak up good food and frosty beverages from some of our finest local breweries and restaurants, and you are welcome to peruse The Wildlife Experience’s galleries and exhibits. Ticket prices are $40 per person and $70 per couple. Members of The Wildlife Experience receive a discounted rate of $30 per person. Art and Ale will take place on August 21, rain or shine. This is a 21 and over only event.

If  you see me there, come and say Hi!  I’ll treat you to a brew!

Being the brew guy I am we decided to visit some different mico brewery’s. The first place we went was the Office, had a brew called Lift your kilt. Very tasty, would have lifted my kilt had I been wearing one! Had a brew at Murphys called Rouge Dead Guy, interesting flavor to go along with the name.