The Bayou - Welcome to Beervana™

Weekly Specials 2/8 - 2/14

mark — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:47:35 +0000

Deep Fried Okra 6.99

Sliced okra, deep fried to a nice crisp, dusted with Cajun spices and served with a red pepper aioli for dipping.

Pesto Pizza 9.99

Grilled pizza with pesto sauce topped with Parmesan cheese, Diced tomato and pine nuts.

Shrimp Tacos 11.99

Butterflied and grilled shrimp in flour tortillas served with chipotle cole slaw, habenero onions and mexi rice.

Smoked Salmon Alfredo 11.99

Penne pasta tossed in Alfredo sauce with smoked salmon, fresh snow peas and red onion.

Deschutes Abyss

mark — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:45:40 +0000

Deschutes Abyss 2011

The Denver Westward lists Deschutes Abyss as one of ten beer that "Will make you a man...If they don't kill you first." Well our mostly female staff would argue about whether that actually makes you tougher or not but the fact remains that this stout is big, bold and amazing.

A deep, dark Imperial Stout, The Abyss has almost immeasurable depth and complexity. Hints of molasses, licorice and other alluring flavors make it something not just to quaff, but contemplate.

This beer would keep for years but I don't think that it will last that long at The Bayou

New(ish) Lagunitas Beers

mark — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:38:50 +0000

Ok, it's confession time. We actually received these beers several weeks ago but it was right when we received all our holiday beers as well. They have been available to those in the know (aka those watching the website) and we have been secretly drinking quite a few ourselves. Well, it's time to let the cat out of the bag and share these fine beers with everyone.

Lagunitas Doppel Weizen

A very limited beer which has only been brewed this one time. At 9% ABV this classic German-Style Doppel Weizen has a classic spicy and banana flavor filled with big malt and alcohol.

Currently scoring 96 points on ratebeer.com.

It doesn't look like they are brewing it again this upcoming season so this is your one chance to try this beer for the foreseeable future.

Lagunitas Little Sumpin Wild

Another Big Sister of the Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale.... Lots of Malted Wheat for a Curious Malt Complexity & and Fermented with A Belgian Yeast strain leaving it Huge in Flavor and Satisfaction.

Despite the name, this is actually not a wild fermented beer. That said, it is a fantastic belgian golden ale very similar to duvel or westmalle tripel.

Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye

mark — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:23:58 +0000

Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye

Sierra Nevada has brewed this Rye beer for several years but it has only been available on draft at their taproom. After all those years they have finally decided to release this beer to the unwashed and we have gotten our hands on it.

Our good friend Mikey at utahbeer.blogspot.com gives it the following review "The nose is earthy and malty with piney resins. The flavor starts piney with a complex grainy malt character. Next comes hints of cocoa and a mild rye spiciness. The finish is dry and piney."

Ratebeer.com is giving it 98 points. http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/sierra-nevada-ruthless-rye-ipa/159987/

Urthel Samaranth Quadrinium

mark — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:29:01 +0000

Urthel Samaranth 12 Quadrium Ale is perhaps the most undiscovered gem on our beer menu. Dusky, light brown in color with a slightly off-white foam. In the nose, it's sweet and faintly spicy with notes of dried fruit, nuts, chocolate and marzipan.

On the palate, it's big and bold, massively malty and slightly warming from the 11.5% alcohol by volume. It is long and shockingly dry in the finish.

RateBeer.com gives Samaranth 96 out of 100 points while Beer Advocate gives it a solid A-.

While not technically brewed for the holidays, this malty quad is a perfect warming beer for these colder winter days.

300ml 9-

Red Rock Secale and Dogfish Head Life and Limb

mark — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:18:32 +0000

Two new beers have arrived at The Bayou.
The first on our list is Red Rock Brewing's Secale.
Se-cal-le, Latin for rye, is a German style double bock brewed with this all too underappreciate grain, then lagered in High West Rye Whiskey barrels for 6 months. This unique brew, developed by Red Rock head brewer Kevin Templin and High West distiller Brendan Coyle is the first collaboration
between the two since working together at Red Rock in 2006.
The second beer is a colaboration brew between Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada called Life and Limb.
Life & Limb is a 10% ABV strong, dark beer brewed using pure maple syrup from Massachusetts and bottle conditioned using birch syrup from Alaska.

2011 Holiday Beers now Available

mark — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:26:13 +0000

Rare and Limited Holiday Beers

Nearly all of our 2011 holiday beer order has arrived. We are still awaiting delivery on four of them but they should be arriving soon. Supplies are limited and we will not be able to place another order until next year so don't wait too long to give them a try.

Beer Name	Country	ABV	Size	Price
Ølfabrikken Kloster Jul	Denmark	8.0%	650 ml	15-
	Ølfabrikken (The Beer Factory) is a small experimental brewery on the vibrant Danish beer scene. Kloster Jul is a hoppy Christmas Ale brewed with large quantities of American Chinook hops and wonderfully spiced with coriander and cinnamon.
Mikkeller Santa's Helper	Belgium	11.0%	750 ml	21-
	Coming Soon An 11% Belgian quadruple style ale. Delicious with big flavors of cookie dough, chocolate, figs and spice. The addition of actual cocoa powder makes this one incredibly special.
Mikkeller From/To	Belgium	8.0%	750 ml	21-
	The dedicated guys at Mikkeller have simply outdone themselves with this holiday version of a Baltic Porter. Earthy and hoppy with hits of coffee, dark fruit and a full roastiness. A great example of the new hoppy Belgian artisan beer movement.
Struise Tsjeeses	Belgium	10.0%	330 ml	14-
	Coming Soon A deep blonde abbey-style trippel that has been aged for 8 months over different stone fruits. Once you try one you too will say “Tsjeeses, what a beer”.
	“Don't f**k with the Tsjeeses.” --Coen Brothers, Big Lebowski
Struise Tsjeeses Reserva	Belgium	10.0%	330 ml	16-
	Coming Soon Apparently Struise decided to f**k with the Tsjeeses. They took 4 barrels of Tsjeeses and gave it a 6 month aging on oak. How we managed to get some is still a mystery.
Thiriez Bière de Noël	France	6.0%	330 ml	8-
	A beautiful red-gold wheat beer, with quite subtle all-spice and orange peel added. A slightly tart and quite refreshing festive brew. Champagne for the true beer lover.
Fantome Noël	Belgium	6.0%	330 ml	22-
	A very dark and entirely unique holiday seasonal beer, at a whopping 10% alc. by volume. Reportedly spiced with honey, caramel, coriander, black pepper, and other secret ingredients.
La Choulette de Noël	France	7.0%	750 ml	20-
	Stronger, fuller flavored version of the classic bière de garde. The New York Times anointed this beer the ultimate bière de garde, and rightly so. It’s a rich, rare treat from one of France’s old guard craft breweries.

Ridgeway Holiday Beers

The Ridgeway Brewery is named for the oldest road in the British Isles and Europe, running nearly 100 miles, past that other ancient landmark, Stonehenge. It is now only passable by foot.

Bad Elf	UK	6.0%	500 ml	9-
	Old England meets the new world in this strong, warming winter IPA.
Very Bad Elf	UK	7.5%	500 ml	10-
	A Special Old Ale brewed from a 1795 recipe using specially-grown ingredients.
Seriously Bad Elf	UK	9.0%	500 ml	10-
	An English Double Ale with a bit of Belgian character. Unique for the U.K.
Criminally Bad Elf	UK	10.5%	500 ml	11-
	Coming Soon A boffo Barley Wine. Same basic recipe as Thomas Hardy's Ale.
Insanely Bad Elf	UK	12.0%	330 ml	9-
	Coming Soon Billed as an Imperial Red Ale this is a gorgeous and tasty beer.
Warm Welcome	UK	6.0%	500 ml	9-
	A stronger brown ale with more hops than you'd expect.
Santa's Butt	UK	6.0%	500 ml	10-
	Strong porter. The original name for porter was Entire Butt, meaning the whole barrel.
Pickled Santa	UK	6.0%	500 ml	9-
	Amber, spiced Christmas Ale.
Lump of Coal	UK	8.0%	500 ml	11-
	Liquid consolation for a depressing holiday. Considering how bad you have been, this 8% bittersweet chocolate stout is more than you deserve.
Reindeer's Revolt	UK	6.0%	500 ml	10-
	A golden amber, hop-accented, English “winter warmer” brewed without spices.
Reindeer Droppings	UK	6.0%	500 ml	10-
	Falling from the sky like little bombs of flavour come the Reindeer Droppings! Each one is sweet like California raisins, but bitter and pungent like a freshly peeled grapefruit, lip-smackingly tasty...then 'pow!' it's gone.

What the hell are you doing still reading this?!?!? There are beers to be consumed!

Deschutes Black Butte XXIII

mark — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:14:48 +0000

Deschutes Black Butte porter is always a favorite. Nice roast and chocolate notes. Well, Deschutes decided that on their birthday each year they would release an imperial version of this already wonderful porter.

This years release XXIII is most certainly the best version we have ever had: Orange zest from Seville spanish oranges, artisinal chocolate nibs from Theo and Pasilla Negra Chillies fill your mouth with such amazing flavors that you not want to put this beer down. The 11% ABV however might just put YOU down.

Boulevard Collaboration #2 & Deschutes Conflux

mark — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:59:35 +0000

We have received our shipment of Boulevard Collaboration #2 and can finally announce that we have both Deschutes' and Boulevard's versions of this excellent collaboration beer.

Combining Boulevard’s expertise at making Belgian-style witbiers with Deschutes’ skill at brewing hop-forward ales, this beer puts a new spin on the idea of collaborative brewing. Working from a single recipe, brewmasters Steven Pauwels of Boulevard and Larry Sidor of Deschutes have produced two separate beers, more than 1,600 miles apart.

Despite the beer’s shared recipe, each of the two versions possess a unique identity, reflected in their naming and packaging. Boulevard’s half of the equation is christened Collaboration #2, Deschutes’ effort is the second beer in their new Conflux collaboration series.

One of the most unique characteristics of Collaboration #2 is its aroma. Sage and lemongrass were added to the vessels post-fermentation, as well as three varieties of hops, all of which contribute solely to aromatics. The Belgian-style yeast strain adds hints of bubblegum and clove. The other main feature that should be specifically pointed out to consumers is the beer’s lingering hang. It is no more bitter than a regular I.P.A., but something about the combination of herbs and hops creates an almost spicy, peppery quality in the finish.

Draft Magazine just listed Boulevard's version of this collaboration as one of their top 25 beers. Both these beers are in very limited supply.

Deschutes' The Stoic

mark — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:47:38 +0000

Deschutes Brewery’s newest enterprise, The Stoic, a Belgian-style Quadruple, has finally arrived! Its five year odyssey from experimental beer to coveted Reserve Series eminence is complete.

"The finest Belgian brewing philosophies have inspired this contribution to the American Quadruple scene, mingling the four virtues of compelling ingredients, nuanced flavor, sound body, and a composed harmony. The Stoic requires discovery of the truth of the matter."

Deschutes brewers describe a simple recipe ironically hard to brew. The classic malt bill is all Pilsner malt. Hallartau, Czech Saaz, and Northern Brewer hops sustain a deftly understated flavor. Belgian candy sugars add impact and the smooth body required of any Belgian-style brew worth quaffing. A healthy portion of pomegranate molasses casts an opulent, tangy twist, while a vintage Belgian yeast strain provides a solid reference point. Pinot Noir and Rye Whiskey barrel-aging suggest notes of spice, citrus, pepper, vanilla, and toasted caramel like offerings to the ancients.

"Like the ancients, we employ reason to live well. Reason demands truth. Truth invites experience. Unraveling the intricacies of The Stoic reveals a determined pursuit of that spirited endeavor. Ergo…it is very reasonable to live well when experiencing The Stoic."