Elevation Beer Company celebrated their Tasting Room opening May 19, 2012 in Poncha Springs, Colo. They’re now open and are offering several styles of beer, including some barrel-aged ones. They were so kind as to send me one of their Black Diamond Series of beers, the Apis IV Quadrupel.
Apis IV Quadrupel is made with five kinds of malts (Belgian Pale, Premium Pilsner, Special B, Caramunich and Munich), and a generous amount of caramelized honey. Colorado loves honey, especially local honey; Elevation put as much work into Apis, as the bees did to the honey. It’s definitely a treat. At 10.7% ABV (heck yes!) with 41 IBUs (international bitter units), I was pleasantly surprised with my first tasting of Elevation’s beer.
Elevation’s Apis IV poured a very dark brown with a light head. It has a great smell of honey and a bit of chocolate and molasses. I’m typically not a fan of Belgian-style ales, because of the aroma (especially), but I didn’t get the usual aroma from the yeasts in the Apis IV.
This was a medium bodied beer has a lot of flavor, and a hint of hoppiness. For a Hop-Head like myself, I was pleasantly surprised. My reaction actually was, “Wow, this is a really good Quad. I like it a lot.” (I know, well said). Myself and a friend finished the bottle in the park reading a book. At 10.7% it’s perfect to share by a camping fire or in the park (as did I). I’ll be having the second bottle after running the Leadville Heavy Half…a very nice way to end 15.5 miles running.
For being a new brewery, Elevation Beer Company is going to be quite popular with Colorado, and will clearly be producing high-quality craft beers. I’m excited to visit the tasting room this summer.
Poncha Springs is just minutes from Monarch Ski Area, fifteen 14,000 foot peaks and the nearby town of Salida near some of the best outdoor activities as fishing, hiking, and skiing … I know exactly why Elevation picked Poncha Springs for brewing craft beer.
Elevation Beer Co.
115 Pahlone Parkway
Poncha Springs, CO 81242
(719) 539-5258