First off, I want to say the ABQ Beer Geek, or Patrick as we know him, is a gentleman and a scholar and someday people will sing songs about him!

At least, that was went through my head when he poured me a pint of the 505 Five at Marble about five minutes before the absolute-we-really-mean-it last call on Friday night.

It was Patrick’s excellent blog that inspired all of us to create a blog of our own, not to compete but to complement what he has created. He blazed the trail, we’re just marching alongside in our simultaneous pursuit of the perfect pint. Or something like that.

But onto the beer itself, the 505 Five is a wondrous collaborative effort of five of Albuquerque’s biggest and best breweries — Chama River, Il Vicino, La Cumbre, Marble and Nexus — that was released simultaneously at all on Friday as part of ABQ Beer Week.

Red in color, it boasts some similarities with Marble’s imperial red (hat tip to Patrick on that one as I could not quite place where I felt I had something like it before), but with a lower alcohol content, checking in at 8-percent ABV. That is still burly enough in its own right, and not taking into account the flavors that strike the tastebuds.

There are hops here, oh yes, but the strong, almost-but-not-quite bitterness of the rye kicks in as well. Rye beers are not for the timid; Bud/Coors/Miller/PBR/Corona drinkers need not apply to this class in powerful beer flavor. Ryes are difficult to describe, but they strike the forefront of the palate and leave a dry finish at the back. The 505 Five definitely falls under this category. It strikes you with a mouthful of flavor at the start, but finishes with a clean, dry taste. It does tend to linger, so if you are not a fan of that initial burst of hops and rye, you will need something to wash it down.

Still, there are elements of this beer that are reminiscent of its five contributors. From Nexus comes that smoothness, the drinkability if you will that characterizes their offerings. Il Vicino kicks in that rye flavoring, that experimental nature that often defines the Canteen’s seasonal offerings. The aroma stems from Chama River, strong yet inviting, willing to pull you in but not pull you under. The hops that jump up and say hello stem from La Cumbre, where hops are king. And finally from Marble comes the dry, robust finish, found in their house red and its imperial cousin.

As I said before, this is not a beer for the weak of heart. It is a strong, flavorful beer, though leaning more toward the bitter than the sweet. Hopheads might find the rye too much; non-hopheads might as well. It is not a beer to be consumed quickly — I had no choice thanks to the Isotopes blowing a four-run lead in the ninth, forcing extra innings and turning a fairly quick game into a slog (they did win 9-8 in the 10th, but boy, manager Lorenzo Bundy was not happy with that ninth-inning meltdown) that kept me from arriving at Marble until nearly 11:50 p.m. — but is instead a beer that should be enjoyed slowly, carefully in these last days before our comfortable spring turns into a blazing summer.

The 505 Five will be on tap until the kegs run dry at all five local breweries. Call ahead if you wish to make sure it is still on tap, but otherwise I do recommend stopping by and trying this fairly unique offering and deciding for yourselves if it lives up to the high standards its five contributing breweries have set for themselves over the years.

Now just wish me luck that I survive this 12-game Isotopes homestand (my only day off is for Blues & Brews) that will include Manny Ramirez mania on Saturday (look on MLB.com for my story), followed by the cast of Breaking Bad playing in a celebrity softball game and then the actual Isotopes game, followed by nine more games in nine days. Yay?

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Saturday’s Beer Week events

• Get in touch with your inner William Wallace at the Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival at Balloon Fiesta Park. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with tickets costing $15 for one day and $20 for Saturday and Sunday. Inside you will find the Craic Festival, where multiple New Mexico breweries will have Celtic-themed beers on tap, ranging from Scottish Wee Heavy to Irish Red and Stout and all points in between.
• Tractor Brewing’s Nob Hill tap room will play host to the Pint for Pint, a special event where you can give blood and receive special rewards related to Tractor and its co-sponsor, Isotopes Brewing Co. The event starts at noon and runs past 4 p.m. Only seven total appointment times are available, so click here and help fill them out for a good cause.