Today we ended our day in Boulder, CO while working on something related to the wildfires in the area. We couldn’t find a hotel in the area, but thought we’d have dinner there before heading back toward Denver to our hotel. As always, I searched the GPS for the nearest brewpub and found the Walnut Brewery.
The St. James Irish red was very clear and was obviously, red. The head was thin with some soapy bubbles and the aroma had a bit of a malty sweetness to it.
The body was light, and it was crisp and very drinkable. The flavors were slightly malty up front, giving way to a bigger maltiness in the finish. There was a little bit of an earthy hop noticeable in a slightly dry finish.
I had the Santa Fe Ranch salad, which was very good, but I think this beer probably would have gone better with the Creole Jambalaya which was on the menu.
My only disappointment was when I noticed that Walnut Brewery was owned by Rock Bottom. I’ve got nothing against Rock Bottom, but I was really hoping not to hit a chain. As far as the Irish red, I thought this was a decent beer which was very drinkable, and had a nice malty flavor. The slight hop bitterness in the dry finish was a nice touch which I enjoyed.
My Rating: 
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