What's on Tap?: Boulder Brewing's Mojo Risin' Double IPA

Colorado Brewing's
Mojo Risin' Double IPA

It may come to no suprise to my friends and family, but I just can't seem to get over my recent craze for all things IPA. American styles, imperials and doubles? All of the above, please. So when I am in the mood to try something new, sometimes you just have to ask for help. I recently enlisted my local beer concierge (employee at liquor store) and asked him for a great IPA that I haven't tried yet. After a couple of recommendations, I ultimately decided on Boulder Brewing's Mojo Risin' Double IPA ($12.99/ 4-pack).

To my honest, I have walked by their offering many times before without ever picking up a sixer. Their branding is colorful and eye-catching, with beers you know by name but have never tried (Hazed and Infused APA). Come to find out, Boulder Brewing is Colorado's first microbrew in a state that is closing the gap on others in the title for the best craft beers in America. Their founders were a couple of homebrewers and the overall motif of their beer is to "not take yourself too seriously", something I think it very important in brewing today (how else would we ever see jalepeno flavored beers, huh?).  I decided to skip out on the regular Mojo IPA and go straight for the souped-up version, which seemed to put a smile on the face of the normally stoic clerk.

Upon dispensing this brew into the appropriate chalice, I was met with the strong aroma of toasted, carmely malt goodness. It pours a coppery, rust colored orange and about a finger of head clings to the side of the glass on the first couple of drinks. Let me tell you, this 2X IPA is no joke! It's creamy, maltiness is only surpassed by a very earthy, and lingering, hop flavor. For being a double, this was a pretty well-balanced brew in terms of hops vs. malts vs. alcohol taste.

Yes, I am happy to drink you too!

And speaking of the alcohol (10% ABV), this is one of those beers that has you feeling good after the first one.  I wouldn't reccomend having more than two of these  in a given night, as it is definitely one to sip and savor (not power hour). It is an ideal double IPA for a fall evening which might contradict the 90 degree plus weather we have been experiencing here recently.


Overall, this is a solid showing from the guys down in Boulder. I think I would definitely have to lean towards the doubles of Southern Tier and Firestone Walker this time of the year but I can't argue with the taste and balance (and silliness) of the Mojo Risin' Double IPA. 3.5/5. http://www.boulderbeer.com/

Please let me know if you have tried any good beers lately and would like to see reviewed on this blog. Sharing new brews with other avid beer drinkers is what makes the craft beer culture continue to grow. Just as long as you don't recommend any lime flavored pilsners, we will be just fine.

Beer Talk: Boulevard Lead Brewer, Craig Pijanowski



Last Friday night, the International Tap House hosted a special release of Boulevard's latest Smokehouse Series brew, Rye on Rye. As an added bonus, Boulevard's head brewer, Craig Pijanowski, tagged along and chatted with the crowd. My roommate and I had a bottle of the Rye the night before so I didn't want to miss the chance to talk with the man behind it and some of Kansas City's finest brewskis.

Accompanied by my girlfriend and neighbor, we ventured out into the rainy night and headed to iTap. We started the night with a couple of Rye on Ryes, and were soon joined by Craig at our table. He began the conversation with an obvious question, "What're ya drinking?". We told him and he laughed and told us what a great choice we had made.

Craig wasn't shy and proceeded to chat with our table for the next half an hour so about his life and his life's passion. He informed us that he was from Michigan and had previously worked for Tyson Foods, which he told us was a terrible job (think one of the food mockumentarys such as Food, Inc.). He went on to say that with no prior experience he landed a job in Kansas City at Boulevard. This was from a man who said that he didn't even dabble in home brewing before the transistion, which surpised me greatly.

The conversation quickly turned to the great beers that Boulevard had produced over the years. The now iconic "Chocolate Ale" was brought up and he informed me that many bottles this year were recalled due to a "souring" of the batch (something I experienced first hand at a friend's barbeque). This was something that I did not know being far from the source here in St. Louis. I also asked if there were any plans of releasing their Imperial Stout (delicious) in 2012 to which he told me "not this year".

Even while promoting his own brand, Craig's inner "beer geek" shown through. He let me know that his hometown Michigan brew, Founder's, was one of his favorites which led to interesting transistion into the future of craft beer culture. He let me know that when his kids are college age he believes that big names such as AB and Miller won't even be on their radar. He went on to say that he didn't believe that they wouldn't know about them, due to their constant advertising, but there will be a huge shift to craft beer in the next 20 years. As a beer snob myself, this makes me very happy for the future.

Our chat with Craig ended as more and more people requested to speak with him and his promo crew let us know that our time was up. He ended by giving me his business card and let me know to flash it in case I ever needed entrance onto one of their brewery tours (some require weeks in advance to reserve). It was truly exciting to meet someone that was so passionate about what they do and who looks forward to getting up and going to work everyday. As my Rye on Rye was finally gone I switched to a Tank 7, as even I felt a little brand loyal that night in a place with over 400 beers.

You can find out more about Craig and Boulevard by visiting Boulevard's website at www.boulevard.com.

Drinking Made Easy!

I have been looking for a creative outlet for a while and finally landed on the idea of starting a blog. But what to write about? Being too unrefined for wine, I felt a beer blog would be right up my alley. However, it's not just the taste of beer that interests me, it's also the culture and science that surrounds it.

This blog will serve as a place for all things beer related... Check back for future posts!