Enchanting Ales

When in New Mexico, don't skip this beauty.

Across New Mexico, we wedged a good amount of ale into a few short days. Nob Hill's layout helped: Il Vicino Brewing Company and Tractor Brewing sat on opposite sides of Central Avenue.  A taste for pizza gave Il Vicino the edge. The Albuquerque chain's Nob Hill eatery was small but comfortable, with a number of tasty turns on familiar pizzas.

Nancy and I each grabbed a dinnertime brew. Pigtail Blonde was a light, citrus-rich ale with grainy textures and a little cloud of hop bitterness. Slightly peppery with hints of white grape and other spices, it bubbled like a sparkling wine. Pleasantly dry on the finish, Pigtail Blonde was a solid session ale with Belgian flourishes.

Before Il Vicino, I had never tasted a Scotch Ale with such a prominent vein of bubble gum. It its cherry red body lurked some assertive malts, but this scotch ale went for a lighter, herbal character headlined by sprigs of spearmint. Some smoky, roasted malt character seeped into the flavor profile for an odd but compelling Scotch ale.

The atmosphere was a little more raucous at the Tractor Brewing taproom. To cover as much ale territory as possible, we opted for samplers. Turkey Drool Ale jumped from the pack. The strong dark ale delivers a payload of malt and fruit flavors. Led by plum and dates, a strong vein of sassafras mingles with chocolate and molasses. All malty ales should shoot for this level of complexity. I almost wish they billed it as an "imperial root beer brew" or something along those lines. Tractor makes root beers and the expertise translates to the alcoholic side of the operation.

Tractor also stepped out with Barnstorm Ale, billed as a Maibock with an ale twist. Barnstorm has some of the same fruit profile as Tractor's other ales, but the red fruits drive into an fragrant hop character that evolves into a lemon crispness. It finishes with that lemon character pushing up against the sweet malts. Not an everyday libation, Barnstorm speaks to an adventurous brewing spirit.

Haymaker Honey Wheat stood up well against the heavier ales. Its use of New Mexico honey and local Bosque Farm hops. Rounded and crisp with a lingering bitter finish, this filtered wheat turned creamy in places. The actual wheat character receded deeper into the background. Mostly dry with a bit of sweetness, Haymaker was a little slight for a winter's day, although its summer potential was evident. Farmer's Tan Red Ale clearly descended from the Scotch-Irish tradition. Quite sweet on the front end, it expresses some molasses notes with a hint of mellow cherry. Some other herbal tones emerged between the dominating malt profile. We closed with Double Plow Oatmeal Stout, among Tractor's straight-ahead ales; I consider that  a compliment with oatmeal stout. You don't need to overdo it with oatmeal stout ingredients to hit all the marks. The rolled oats shone through, imparting creamy, viscous facets to the body. Lots of coffee, cocoa powder elbow in.

With Gruet Winery and 500 miles of driving in the next two days, windows for craft beer narrowed a bit. I never wanted to overwhelm Nancy with craft brews and taproom visits. Plus, we liked Albuquerque, so I wanted to leave a half-dozen breweries for a future visit. Besides, any trip that devotes too much time to taprooms can quickly turn blurry.

For the hotel room, I grabbed a six-pack of Santa Fe Pale Ale. Not exceptionally hoppy, a delicate citrus strain emerges in this ale. SFPA finished slightly sweet after passing through a relatively bitter hop wave. I had to ask where Carrizozo was, but I didn't have to question Sierra Blanca Pale Ale. The balanced brew had plenty of citrus and herbal characters. It won me over with its blend of orange zest, lemon peel and a hard-to-define "dirty" edge that I often find missing in pale ales. Hailing from Moriarty, where Rio Grande and Sierra Blanca Brewing both operate, Rio Grande Outlaw Lager and its malty profile accompanied a heated plate of local cuisine. The grains combatted the encroachment of green chiles quite well. With a finish if caramel and a hint of gingerbread, it was a fine local substitute for Mexican lager (even if they called it California Common).

At the San Francisco Street Bar and Grill, we warmed up from the brisk Santa Fe morning with a lunchtime libation. Finally I found Monks Ale from Abbey Brewing in Pecos, owned by the Benedictine Abbey of Christ in the Desert.Their ales are contract-brewed by Sierra Blanca Brewing Company in Moriarty and the Abbey runs a closed brewery, but will a tasting room in Spring 2012 (deep, frustrated sigh).

Thanks to a character built on elements of Double Wit, Tripel and Belgian Blondes, drinking Monk's Ale was much less frustrating. A strong front of herbs led by chamomile emerges on the nose, then followed by lemon zest and coriander. A burnt orange strain runs through Monk's Ale, and milder citrus notes accept the orange. A fine Belgian yeast strain ties the disparate flavors together with estery notes before leading into a bone-dry finish. Monk's Ale is well worth the hunt for Belgian lovers. At the restaurant, it went well with a Chimayo Chicken Sandwich. You might miss the bar in downtown Santa Fe, but don't dare skip the beer.