Steamworks Conductor Imperial IPA
July 2nd, 2009 beckelAround a month ago I grabbed a bottle of this brew from The Four Firkins at the recommendation of Sean and sincerely enjoyed the bottle so I felt obliged to share my thoughts with all of you. Prior to consuming this brew I knew very little of the Steamworks Brewery other than the fact that they were from the remote Durango, Colorado and hadn’t been distributing their beers to our market for too long. Though I had the pleasure of consuming even more of their brew at Indulge including their Steam Engine Lager which is very refreshing. Conveniently The Firkins hosted a tasting this last Monday and I was able to converse with one of their brewers John and learn a bit more about the brewpub origins of Steamworks and about some of the work they do with their local community including the sponsorship of a couple of local bike races which always makes me smile. But this is about the beer so lets get the good stuff. This ale pours what appears to be a deep dark cherry red until you bring it to light where its hue immediately brightens and becomes quite opaque. Head is off white and will easily form over three fingers if you allow it, leaving some nice lacing around the glass after dissipating a few minutes later. Though this is a nicely hopped brew the first thing I always notice is its wonderfully rich malt aroma which is complimented by a nice bouquet of American hops (Warrior, Tomahawk and Simcoe) that create many floral, herbal and bitter notes with just a bit of alcohol noticeable. As with the aroma the flavor of this beer is full of delightfully rich malty sweetness which does a wonderful job contrasting with the solid hop profile of this brew which brings in plenty of delicious bitterness some gentle floral notes and just a hint of citrus. Alcohol is noticeable in this brew but considering its ABV of 9.24% I think it is dulled very appropriately with the lovely contrast of malt and hops present in this beer. This brew definitely swings on the malty side but it is simply delicious and shouldn’t disappoint those of us who love our hops, it is unquestionably a wonderfully brewed Imperial IPA. If you find many Imperial IPAs too bitter but still enjoy strong brews and aren’t opposed to some solid hop content this would probably be a good stepping stone. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
