Like gear for any snow condition, there’s beer for every occasion. So this year, we organized our annual beer review by where and when our panel of home brewers, beer aficionados and a certified beer judge would prefer to drink them. The format is simple: Skintrack beers are lower in ABV and sessionable, Parking Lot/Après brews are satisfying anytime, anywhere (but particularly after skiing), and Hut to Hut beers include those special, high-ABV drinks worth a coveted spot in your pack. Then again, no matter where or how you drink these, they’ll taste good.
Left to Right: Crop Bistro Idletyme IPA, Fiddlehead Brewing Co. Mastermind IPA, Trapp Family Lodge Pilsner, Berkshire Brewing Company Drayman’s Porter, Eddyline Brewing Crank Yanker IPA, Denali Brewing Company Twister Creek IPA, Deschutes Brewing Black Butte Porter, Aspen Brewing Company Independence Pass Ale
Aspen Brewing Company
Independence Pass Ale
aspenbrewingcompany.com
Aspen, CO | ABV: 7%
Named for the pass that divides Aspen from Twin Lakes, this ale tastes like 12,095 feet of high-elevation hops. One tester found a “sweet floral nose with notes of pineapple and mango.” “Deep hop flavor, low bitterness and a big malt profile make this a creamy, full-bodied ale that isn’t overpowering,” another said.
+ Flavor hangs in your mouth pleasantly.
– Hints of alcohol throughout.
= Big without being too big.
Berkshire Brewing Company
Drayman’s Porter
berkshirebrewingcompany.com
South Deerfield, MA | ABV: 6.2%
Dark and sweet, the Drayman’s Porter is a robust treat after a cold day on the mountain. “Velvety and rich, a very pleasant amount of roast is the backbone to this true-to-style porter that would pair well with a burger or steak,” a tester said.
+ Has a smooth flavor from start to finish.
– There’s a light, sour bitterness in the flavor.
= The beer shines best around room temperature.
Crop Bistro
Idletyme IPA
cropvt.com
Stowe, VT | ABV: 8%
Stowe is filled with great restaurants, but very few have breweries, let alone a signature double IPA of this caliber. “Light and hazy like a morning’s squall,” one tester commented. “Highlights the delicate floral tastes of a DIPA,” another said. A third mentioned that the flavor was “remarkably executed.”
+ Dangerously sessionable.
– Not traditionally bitter.
= You should drink it slowly, (but you probably won’t).
Deschutes Brewing
Black Butte Porter
deschutesbrewery.com
Bend, OR | ABV: 5.2%
For many testers, the flagship brew from Deschutes set the bar for porters. One said it has “a smooth and balanced aroma,” and called it “inviting with a lovely blend of malt and roast.” Another deemed it an “easy-drinking porter that doesn’t go overboard with the malts.”
+ Well balanced for how rich the roast is.
– A bit syrupy.
= A porter by which others should be judged.
Denali Brewing Company
Twister Creek IPA
denalibrewingcompany.com
Talkeetna, AK | ABV: 6.7%
Those who like double IPAs appreciated the distinct and florally dominated aroma of Denali Brewing Company’s Twister Creek. And others enjoyed the bitterness and hop flavor. “Finishes clean so you can keep going,” one said. Another simply calculated, “Alaska plus hops equals this beer.”
+ The big flavor won’t slow you down.
– Slightly dry and puckering.
= A sessionable, hop-forward beer.
Eddyline Brewing
Crank Yanker IPA
eddylinebrewing.com
Buena Vista, CO | ABV: 7%
Clocking in at seven percent, the light body of this sessionable beer left testers perplexed, and one called it “deceptively easy to drink.” “Light, fruity hops with a big malt finish gives way to a spicy aftertaste,” another tester said. “The slightly peppery hops and caramel come through nicely,” a third wrote.
+ Deceptively drinkable at seven percent.
– Tester wanted more hops.
= Sessionable. On the light side of IPA flavor.
Fiddlehead Brewing Co.
Mastermind Double IPA
fiddleheadbrewing.com
Shelburne, VT | ABV: 8.1%
One tester said he’d drink this skinning up, sitting on top of a mountain, hanging in a parking lot, sitting next to a bonfire or pretty much anywhere. “I would drink this all day,” another gushed. Said a third, “Sweet malts support it in just the right way.”
+ Gets better with every sip.
– Reminded some of pineapple juice.
= A well-rounded, hop-forward brew to enjoy anywhere.
Trapp Family Lodge
Pilsner
trappfamily.com
Stowe, VT | ABV: 5.5%
What do pilsners and no-fall zones have in common? No room for error: pilsners are hard to brew with nowhere for mistakes to hide within the light profile. But Trapp Family Lodge did it right. “The most flavorful pilsner I’ve ever had,” one tester said.
+ What a pilsner should taste like.
– Not a very packable beer. Keep it for après.
= A good winter pilsner. Full of warmth and flavor.
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