The tour started with some history of the company including some of the actual equpment that Sam used in the earlier days of the company.  Followed by a visit to the mash room and an education about how beer is made (I totally knew all the answers… ).  Then off to the aging tanks.  Shown above is the tour guide resting his hand on the tank they age the Palo Santo Marron.  The other tank to the left is an oak where I believe they age the 120 Minute IPA.  I found out too that this year the 120 has a slightly different recipe than last years.  Previously they didn’t age in oak as they do now too.

I’ve been a big fan of Dogfish for quite some time (such as my Chicory Stout and Chocolate Bread Pairing seen here).  They have an Ale House in Maryland right near where I travel often for work – and I visit frequently… twice this week in fact!  (though I found out on my tour that the alehouses aren’t actually owned by Dogfish but the name is licenesed out… whatever – it’s still really really really really good!)

If you haven’t tried any of the Dogfish Brews for yourself – I suggest you go out and get yourself a 4 or 6 pack, or one of their speciality bottles tonight.

Oh, and if you really want a treat – try this: Get a 4 pack of the 120.  Chill 2 of them and enjoy now.  Put the other two in the back of a relatively cool closet (like if your closet is air conditioned with your house) or down in your basement.  Wait one year (or more!) before enjoying.  Trust me – I did that with some last year and the two I drank this spring were out of this world.  It was really amazing the difference that it made!!!!  And haven’t you always wanted to be able to say “I’ve been saving this bottle for a very special occasion” and actually mean it!!?!?!?!

Tried another local beer here from Fort Collins Brewery, their Chocolate Stout.  I’ve had good chocolate stouts and not so good ones.  This one was pretty good.  Not too strong not too light.  A nice happy chocolate beer.  I had a chocolate cookie with it.  Yay.  I’ve been trying to eat good on this trip, and so far not too bad. Though not great.  I mean, they have fresh baked cookies in the lobby every night – C’Mon.  I have been pretty good about getting my veggies too, so yeah.

Tomorrow I’m leaving Denver, heading to visit the brother in Michigan.  Woo hoo!  VACATION!

This evening I went to Wynkoop Brewery in LoDo (that’s what the people in the know call LOwer DOwntown Denver).  Wow… 14 beers on tap.  Getting the sampler should include the taxi drive home.  And good beers too.  I partook in the IPA, Pilsner, Big Easy Ale, and the Smoked Porter.  I liked all of them.  I happened to be tweeting about it almost the whole time too.  After missing the twitter event this past saturday night that @dogfishbeer was participating in, I thought it’d be good to do my own event.  Then I got bored.  Whatever. 

So this morning it snowed in the greater Denver area.  Then it got warm and misty.  Then it was all melted away.  The view driving in so long as you weren’t sliding around on the slippery snowy mess was amazing.  I managed to grab a few good pics kind of while driving. 

Unfortunately, the view from my “office” is really the view from a conference room with no windows and actually no doors.  I have to crawl in through the HVAC system duct work to get to there, and don’t get out until the end of the day.  Actually it’s not that bad, but no – no windows.  But these pics are pretty representative of the view that I would have should I walk 20 feet to the windowed parts of the offices.  One pic in here is also the view from the parking lot of the hotel I’m at here.  Also a view that I don’t have from my room – actually in my room I have a view of the closed pool and the parking lot.  But if I croon my head to the side, I can see the Denver Suburbs off in the distance, which in all seriousness is really really cool to see lit up at night!  I hope you all could get a chance to visit out here sometime to see it for yourself cause these pictures really don’t do it all justice!  Enjoy!

Last night for dinner I had gone to Hops and got their Beer Sampler and the Steak and Crab cake meal.  Some of the beers were pretty good, others were so so.  I’d give it say a 6.5 out of 10 overall.  Meh.

Then met up with some friends in the Denver area.  Rocked out with some guitar hero.  Then went BOWLING.  I was totally awesome at both guitar hero and bowling, if I do say so myself.  And I didn’t spill a beer and break the glass and cut my hand… hah!

Right now I’m finishing up the Baklava and just chillin.  Good to relax.  The time changes and altitude is messing with my head… Until tomorrow!

One of my current favorite beers is Dogfish Head Chicory Stout.  It’s has a great smooth flavor that goes well as a dessert beer without being a dessert per say.

Wegmans sells occasionally Chocolate Bread – a crusty loaf with chocolate peices all throughout.  Slice up some of that and pair it with this beer for good times.  Pop the slice of bread in the toaster for a very short time and let the chocolate get a little bit melty.  Little bit of butter or some whipped cream cheese… Decadant.

Still in Denver!!

This has got to be the only time I’ve seen deer on the drive into and from the parking lot of the office.  This morning as I was driving in, saw a big buck hopping a fence – he had just crossed the road (why – cause he was jealous of the chicken! HAH!).  Then at lunch saw 3 does off on the hillside.  Someone said that half an hour earlier they were wandering through the parking lot.  And I saw the golden eagle’s nest which you can see on the rocks between which has a clear view of downtown Denver.  Probably one of the coolest offices I’ve ever been to!

The other night I ventured into the city to try out Breckenridge Brewery in downtown Denver.   Interesting enough, my GPS took me to their other site in the industrial neighborhood which is definately not downtown, but also the site where they brew and bottle all their product.  So it was cool.  Good BBQ – Kickin Chicken sandwich with smoked chicken and sausage with a homemade oatmeal stout bbq sauce.  I got the sampler, and wow – what a great selection of quality brews.  Their pale ale was interesting, had a bit of a sweet note which isn’t typical with any other pale ale I’ve had.  Their seasonal special is Christmas Ale which was a nice but somewhat standard strong winter warmer type ale.  But my favorite was the Vanilla Porter – it was rich and balanced with a great afternote of vanilla taste.  I give it two thumbs up overall.

Last night got a chance to visit some friends here that I haven’t seen since they moved out here last year.  With the two of them reading my blog now, that brings my total readership to… Three.  Unless you count that creepy guy from that other office I work at who kind of stalks me – his lazy boy obsession creeps me out a bit.  But anyways… went out with people from the office here tonight.  I know a lot of these people have worked together a long time – but I was amazed how close knit they all are, but also welcoming of new people just visiting (i.e. me!).  Good times!

Heading down to the springs tomorrow after work before heading back here and to the airport Friday morning.  Woo!