Brew in the Duke City (Day 1)

Marble Brewery's taproom and brewhouse

Another Western spin could only fresh rounds of local beers. I barely had to research Albuquerque's beer culture - it practically jumped out at me. When it comes to craft brewing, western voyages spoil me. It was hard not to trip over the options for fresh beer. If you don't trip over them, ask a bartender and you'll earn an earful of advice. Everyone has favorites just around the corner.


Albquerque showed pride in its evolved but accessible brewing environment. Il Vicino and Tractor poured their wares across the street from each other in Nob Hill. Soon Moriarty's Rio Grande Brewing will pour its brews at the Albuquerque Sunport. Chama River had a micro-taproom around the corner from the downtown loft and a large brewery on the I-25 frontage road not far from Nexus Brewing (sadly, time did not permit a visit to either - next time, fine brewers).

We visited several breweries in the Duke City, but started with one of New Mexico's best known. The Marble Brewery sat only seven blocks away, solidifying it as our first night target. We walked through the darkness of Second Street and just when it seemed darkest, the green-tea smell of brewing beer wafted around the corner.

A copy of Albuquerque magazine in the loft rated the local beers, and of course, the style I most wanted to try got the highest rating. No matter how beloved Marble Double White was, I would start there - then I too would join the bandwagon. The lemon-driven body collides with the spices yet remains velvety. A finger of licorice sneaks into the mix. Marble Double White rivals Southhamptom's exemplary version and best-in-class Celis White. Nancy and I contemplated getting a growler.

Nancy started with Marble Wildflower Wheat, so we had it side-by-side with the Double White.  Probably not the best comparison, the wheat presented its own merits. The wildflower honey worked well with the wheat malt, and the subtle banana-clove finish never lingered. This agreeable hefe weizen would better suit a triple-digit day.

Having expected greatness on Double White, Marble Red could not have hit either of us more abruptly. Nancy generally avoids hoppy beers, but she could not with Marble Red, which veers away from the "Scotch Ale lite" script many red ales stick to. I advised her to try the red, expecting the latter. When you got it and momentarily recoiled, I realized this ale walked its own path.

Red in color and with the appropriate malts, Marble Red rises from the glass with a burst of perfume, herbs and grassy notes thanks to the lively hop trio of Cascade, Simcoe and Crystal. Caramel malt serves admirably as the undercard. Despite the hop floweriness, Marble Red did not suffer from a lack of balance. Possibly the most unique beverage we sampled in Albuquerque, Marble Red was one of the more sessionable hoppy ales I ever tasted.

I tasted Marble's amber, but upon learning that their Jezebel was a sour amber ale produced with brettanomyces, my mind was made up. At 7.5 percent ABV, it runs a bit stronger than most sours. But it was delightful nonetheless. Jezebel has a light layer of mustiness and horse blanket on the nose, but the body really kicks up some dust and cidery qualities. The sour from the nose reemerges crisply in the finish. This sour was not at all not lip-puckering. A distinct, assertive bouquet of sour cherries emerged in the body, helping to make it one of them ore balanced sours I've tasted recently. Marble deserves some applause for producing a sour cherry flavor so succulent without using fruit.

Marble asks drinkers to limit themselves to three pints a night. I knew that drill from my experience in Montana's taprooms. For the third pint, I went with Hersbrucker Lager,  a German pilsner with a wallop of bright, citrus-filled German hops. There's also a little bit of candied fruit lurking within. After the tastes of wheat, sour and heavily hopped red, it was a virtual palate cleanser and a dynamite everyday beer.

Ghost in the ale

Nancy closed out with Marble Brown. The brown ale's lace condensed into a somewhat ominous shape (see above). Its dark malts could not suppress a surprisingly hoppy assault that struck mid to late palate. Marble Brown poured much darker than Newcastle Brown Ale; it nose and body were a dozen times more florid. German hops gave it nice structure, even if they couldn't chase the ghost from the glass. That empty glass chased us from Marble Brewery, but its enticing taproom lineup would set the tone - as well as a high bar - for Albuquerque's beer culture.