It’s been a busy week already, but before I became a semi-permanent resident of both The Pit and the Santa Ana Star Center for the state basketball tournament, I managed to trek out to try a couple new beers here in ABQ.

First up was the Shadow Boxer Black IPA at Chama River. It appears to be the season for black IPAs, as both Turtle Mountain (Ironman) and Tractor (no special name, just a special taste) also have this style on tap right now. The Shadow Boxer is comparable to both, though it has a flavor all its own. Unlike a lot of IPAs, there is no stinging bite at the start of a pint. There are a lot of hops that come up mid-palate, giving a burst of comforting flavor that reminds you that, yes, this is an IPA. It does not overwhelm, however, nor does it leave any bitter aftertaste, just a warm, dry feeling until the next sip. It does not have the power of Ironman, nor the mix of different flavors found at Tractor, but it is a solid beer in its own right. This is the type of black IPA one can enjoy at a slow, relaxing pace. It also has a lower alcohol content, 6.2 percent ABV, when compared to Turtle (6.8) and Tractor (7.5). Each of these outstanding black IPAs is worth more than worth trying; they are a wonderful indulgence while we all take refuge from the March winds and the juniper pollen they are spreading across the metro area.

After dinner, I zipped on down the freeway and headed for Nob Hill to visit Tractor Brewing for their Growl at the Moon promotion. Since that pesky city ordinance will not be lifted until August (or so everybody hopes), the folks at the taproom have come up with a unique promotion to still make use of all those unsold growlers that would otherwise be gathering dust in the cabinet. Folks can visit Tractor and effectively use the growlers like a pitcher, enjoying vast quantities of Tractor beers (so long as the growlers never leave the premises). The new beer that everybody should have been filling their growlers with was the Mustachio Milk Stout, a long-awaited new dark elixir that ties into the now annual “Mustache March” charity campaign, where people grow mustaches for various charities. A month-long series of events in ABQ called “March Moustache Madness” is being organized by Glad Castle, culminating in the Moustachio Bashio at the El Rey on March 31, a concert with Lost Lingo headlining. In between there will be a bicycle pub crawl that starts at Tractor on March 22 at 6 p.m. Check Facebook for even more details.

Anyway, back to the beer — Mustachio Milk Stout may be the best beer Tractor has ever brewed. No, seriously, as anybody can attest, I spend a lot of time at the Taproom, so if I’m willing to engage in such hyperbole, get on down there and try this exquisite stout. If one uses Left Hand’s Milk Stout as the standard for this stout style, then Mustachio may even outrank the national champ. This is a sweeter stout; there is no bitterness here, unlike that which is found in the more common oatmeal or Irish dry styles. This stout is exceptionally smooth with a clean finish. It is not as heavy or as creamy as Left Hand (which, by the way, is available on tap down the street at Two Fools for comparison’s sake). Now, for some it might be too light, but for me it was just about perfect. I could go swimming in a lake of this beer and drown happy. If not for all the basketball, I probably would spend every night at Tractor this week until I finished off every last drop in the inventory. But as I have a job to do, and I don’t want my liver sending me a move-out notice, I will hold off and allow the rest of ABQ to indulge in the milk stout goodness.

Elsewhere on the good news front, owner/master brewer Jeff Erway has updated the La Cumbre Blog to let us all know about his plans to increase brewing capacity even further, to start canning the gold medal-winning Elevated IPA, and offer up a preview of some new beers, including an oatmeal stout and an Irish red for St. Patrick’s Day. As someone who will be out of the state for that wonderful holiday, I can only hope the rest of you don’t drink every last drop before I get back to try some.

So unless you’re attending HS hoops this week, head over to Chama and Tractor to try their new beers, brace yourselves for more La Cumbre goodness, watch and root on the Lobos in the Mountain West tournament, and stay out of that darned wind!

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister