Glenwood Canyon Shoshone Stout

The mountains of Colorado harbor many niches, nooks and crannies, within which lie a bounty of hidden mines, towns and even the occasional bakery (Silver Plume). Glenwood Springs is not what you’d call a quaint mountain town, exactly, but it’s not a global tourism destination either. Home to a therapeutic hot springs, it sees its fair share of visitors, and those who do go get a chance to visit the local brewpub: Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company. It is by no means an infamous brewery, or a landmark in craft beer, but it provides better beer to a town with one foot still in the past, and that makes it all the more charming. My family and I ordered a sampler to get a well rounded taste of the offerings, and I came away reasonably impressed, considering my expectations. The Shashone occupied the very last spot, ostensibly as the thickest, darkest offering from the brewpub. They’re right – but the Shoshone Stout is not a big, heavy, burly stout by any means. It’s sweeter than most, lighter than most, and a fine way to top a meal in place of a dessert or coffee. By appearance it is dark and opal, much like Guinness, but the aroma immediately indicates something special. The sweeter side of oatmeal rushes into the nostril, reinforced in its dulcet breakfasted theme with a hefty spoonful of brown sugar, peat, rich roasted coffee and the distinct scent of a greenhouse. The texture is smooth as silk, or better yet, smooth and soft as velvet, but not as dense or as decadent. It’s actually sort of weak and watery following a motif through Glenwood Canyon’s brew line-up. But, like the contemporaneous Nut Brown Ale and ESB, it makes for a calm, effortless drink, and a fine conclusion to a good meal at the brewpub. I think there are dozens of stouts like this one out there, but it’s nice to see it offered in the context of a restaurant and available to a community should they so desire something sweetly drinkable to shake off the chilly spring mornings in the mountains.

nitrogen dispensed-pours a big creamy tan head and black color. Aroma is oatmeal, chocolate, dark malt. Taste is licorice, oatmeal, dark malt. Not my style but would enjoy occasionally. Creamy, full body. Mild carbonation.

Draught. Pours opaque with a tan frothy head, thick and edgy. Aroma is dark roasted coffee and chocolate malt, yeast (leather). Dark chocolate malt, mild bitterness, smooth chocolate flavor, finish is slightly hoppy. Dark and thin bodied, smooth palate.

This would be best described as a smoked stout, if you ask me. That’s the aroma and first flavors anyway. Being so smoky it’s actually pretty light. A decent stout, second or third on the list behind their barleywine.

Nice and black with a creamy tan head. Smooth, soft body with a very mild carbonation level. Rich and very sweet ... a little too sticky, actually. Rather roasted, with notes of coffee, a little sourness and some sweet milk. OK stout, but a little too sweet, slightly unbalanced, and a little cloying.