Wynkoop Pattys Chile Beer

Brewed by Wynkoop Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Denver, Colorado USA

Chile Beer is sort of a gimmick, but for those of us who are confirmed beer lovers and confirmed chili heads, it gives us the best of both worlds. These types of beers are usually based on a pale lager, and are brewed with chili peppers of varying degrees of heat. Chile beers don’t have to be a gimmick if done right, and Patty’s Chile Beer is a great example of that. Patty’s Chile Beer is based on a German helles, and 3.5 lbs of Anaheim chilies are added to each barrel. Patty’s Chile Beer pours to a beautiful, bright, straw gold color with a thick, bright, white head that eventually fades and a good bit of carbonation. The nose on this beer really gets your attention, as the first thing that hits you is the pungent aroma of green chili pepper and some crisp malt. The palate on this beer is firm and crisp with some good pale malt flavor, paired with an under tone of green chili flavor. Patty’s Chile beer finishes wit some crisp pilsner malt flavor up front, and then ends with a very spicy hot, warming chili pepper burn that tickles the back of the throat. I loved this beer. It had lots of chili character, but the character was not so over the top that all I got was heat. The chili aromas and flavors played well against the flavors and aromas of malt, and it made for an excellent beer to match with a juicy, beefy, medium rare Buffalo burger. If you ever find yourself in beer drenched Denver, a visit to the Wynkoop Brewing Company is a must, and Patty’s Chile Beer is a must try.

(09/2006. Draft.) OK. I admit it. I’m a fan of chili beer. This was a particularly nice example. Nice, big chili aroma. That’s all you need to say about it ... think big, chili aroma. Appearance: a slightly hazy, unfiltered gold with a thin,w hite head. Flavor is much, much more mellow than the big aromas would otherwise suggest. Medium-thin on the palate and well-carbonated without being too spritzy. The taste of chili lingers for a few minutes ... mmmm ....

pint at the brewpub. Pours golden/light orange with a thin white head. Aroma is of chili peppers, and malts/grain. Taste is malty with a good amount of chilis throughout the taste and palate, but not overwhelming. Seems to be perfectly balanced. Was awesome with chips and salsa.

[Feb 23, 2009]
on tap at the brewpub. Pours a hazy light copper with a decent head. The aroma has strong pepper, rather straight forward. It seems to be one strain of pepper, maybe two. The palate is light and works well with the capsicum burn, though this is less spicy than a few other pepper beers I’ve had. The finish brings out the Euro hops. This is an easy drinker.

Light brass colored and pungent of chili that stays in your nose, yet is neither over-powering nor unpleasant. Mild woody, chili flavor that is quite well done. The malt backbone supports the chili flavors. This is a top-notch chili brew.

Draft at Wynkoop. Slightly hazed gold. Nose is very peppery and spicy. Taste is also very peppery bit is surprisingly mild on the spice. Rather drinkable. Body is light with a lingering pepper flavor. Ends with more pepper and spices. Not bad at all!

On Tap at the Wynkoop Brewery, Denver 29/09/2005 Golden coloured with some spicy chilli aroma and flavour. Crisp dry slight malt finish.

tap. golden/copper pour with thin head. chili powder and chili pepper aroma. great balance. baked bread. grain. chili pepper. easy on the stomach.