Tommyknocker Brewery
Idaho Springs, CO
Available: AL, CO, FL, GA, IL, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, OH, PA, TN, TX, VA, WI
Founded in 1994, Tommyknocker Brewery sits in the mountains just 30 miles west of Denver, CO in the mining town of Idaho Springs.
ABV: 5
ABW: 4
Bitterness: 15
Original gravity: 1048
This saison is a bit lighter in aroma and flavor than expected, but it’s still an enjoyable beer. It pours a pretty golden hue with a nice, fluffy white head that takes its time to dissipate. Fruity aromas predominate, with just a hint of the peppery spiciness that often accompanies this style. A fruity sweetness comes across in flavor, along with some subtle hints of lemon. A little thinner in body than most saisons, but on a warm day, it might be just the ticket. Bring on the summer!
Just the beer to wash away the dust of a long, dry summer’s day. Fragrant with citrus fruit and delicate spice, this golden ale is beautifully tart from the moment it hits the tongue and highly refreshing as a result. Oranges, lemon juice, a wheaty dryness and a hint of clove provide the flavor balance; raised effervescence fills the mouth with bubbles and cleanses the palate. Then everything subsides nicely into a dry, slightly creamy, cracker-like finish that has a clove-like bitterness and yet more orange notes. Crisp, clean and very enjoyable.
Lisa Morrison, aka The Beer Goddess, writes about beer whenever she can and also gets to talk about it on a weekly radio show in her hometown of Portland, OR.
Author of the Good Bottled Beer Guide and The Book of Beer Knowledge, Jeff Evans is an eight-time editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and one of Britain's best-known beer writers.
