Stoutmeister and E-Rock continue their trek through the breweries of the Four Corners area with a stop at Carver Brewing Co. in Durango.

By the time E-Rock and I got back to Carver (we had a beerless breakfast there early in the day) to finally sample their beers, we were a couple of tired bloggers (after our samplers we didn’t even order full pints, that’s how worn out we were after three breweries in one day). We were also full of beer, so it was nice we could walk there from our hotel. From the outside Carver appears to be another modest local restaurant on Durango’s Main Ave. As such, we were not expecting much from the beer on tap, figuring it would be lighter for the tourists like Steamworks was. Oh, how nice it is for a brewery to jump up and surprise you.

Carver boasted an even dozen beers on tap, ranging from the Lightner Creek Lager (which we forgot to try, sorry) to the Power House Porter. They offered up a good variety of tasty styles, brought to us in sampler trays of five beers apiece (we got a bonus sample of the Celebrated Raspberry Wheat Ale, see below for a review on that crazy beer). Despite being a family restaurant, there was a couple with what appeared to be triplets (lord help them) behind us, the staff was attentive and knowledgeable about the beers on hand.

As we did before, E-Rock and I divided up the beers as to what was more geared to our tastes.

La Plata Pilsner: Light, with a mild flavor, this Czech-style lager is a good starter beer, perfect for the warm summer nights. — Stoutmeister

Garden Brau Hefe-Weizen: It’s hard to make a unique hefe. This beer was sweet with a hint of banana. It was just enough of a twist to stand out in a good way among other standard hefes. — E-Rock

Old Oak Amber Ale: As the name implies, this non-traditional amber is aged on oak chips, giving it a slightly smoked, earthier flavor, without the usual sweetness of an amber. Definitely different and worth a try. — Stoutmeister

Jack Rabbit Pale Ale: This ale is loaded with hops and flavor. It definitely had more bite than any of the ales we had at the Durango Brewing Company. This was one of Carvers standout beers in my opinion. — E-Rock

E.S.B.: More traditional in nature than Ska’s ESB, this one has less hops and more of a smooth flavor. Very well balanced between its hops and malts. If you like the ESB at Nexus, you’ll like Carver’s version. — Stoutmeister

Double Pepper Saison: The name here is a little misleading, but in a good way. The Double Pepper contains black pepper and peppermint. Mixed with other spices, its ingredients made for a pleasantly unique flavor more reminiscent of a minty pumpkin ale then Eskie’s Green Chile IPA, thankfully. — E-Rock

Colorado Trail Nut Brown Ale: They do good things with brown ales up in Durango, I will say that. Much like Ska’s Buster Nut Brown, this version has a good flavor, with hints of caramel and a little bit of a smoked taste. Lighter than some browns, it may not quite reach the heights of Il Vicino’s Slow Down Brown, but it comes darned close. — Stoutmeister

Twilight IPA: I was surprised to find that this IPA was less hoppy than the Jack Rabbit Ale. It tasted a little weak to me. For any hops-loving Burqueños doing the Durango brewery tour, I would recommend forgoing the Twilight IPA and heading straight for the Jack Rabbit. — E-Rock

Power House Porter: Coffee! So much coffee! Prepare yourself for one of the burlier coffee-flavored beers around. The power house moniker is no joke. If you love coffee beers (think La Cumbre’s Cafe con Leche), you’ll adore this little devil. — Stoutmeister

Cascade Canyon Cask IPA: This IPA was a little too subtle for my palate, and the flavors that came through were hard to describe. Where the Durango Brewing Co. made unique and delicious ales, I think Carver’s offerings were a little flat in comparison. Their forte seems to be their darker beers. — E-Rock

Celebrated Raspberry Wheat Ale: There is a little too much raspberry in this ale for my tastes. I would have a hard time finishing an entire pint. Luckily I just had a sample. — E-Rock; Tried a couple sips of this one as well, gotta say it reminded me of an infamous concoction, “the cocaine shooter,” that I drank way too many of on my 21st birthday in Tucson (let’s not talk about how long ago that was). It’s not a beer, it’s just a sweet little thing that’ll get you drunk after a while (if you are so inclined). And leave you with a horrible hangover, like my 21st birthday did to me. — Stoutmeister

All right, that’s it from the four breweries in Durango. If we had to rank them, we’d go 1. Ska, 2. Durango Brewing, 3. Carver (2 and 3 are very close), 4. Steamworks (well behind the rest). We did make a side trip to Farmington’s 3 Rivers Brewery on our way back to ABQ, so look for that review very soon, even if my memory of that place will always be tainted by Germany’s meltdown against Italy being on the TV there. DAMN YOU BALOTELLI!

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister