We received the first inquiry late last week, asking if we had heard anything about Lizard Tail Brewing closing shop. At that point, we had not, but as the weekend went along, a few cryptic social media posts and a lot of word of mouth certainly indicated that the brewery and its two offsite taprooms were indeed shutting down.

Back after that first inquiry, we did reach out to Lizard Tail owner Dan Berry, and he got back to us Sunday evening to see if we could meet up in person later this week. He wrote in an email that he hopes by then to actually have something concrete to talk about.

So for now, we will slap an asterisk on that whole definitive they are closed angle to this story. There is still more to be told in the tale of Lizard Tail. We will give everyone a heads up as to when the story will run, fear not.

Until then, the taprooms will remain closed to the best of our knowledge, but keep an eye on social media, just in case.

Unhinged kicks off barrel-aging program

The most pleasant surprise of our weekend, beer-wise, was when Unhinged Brewing invited us to come try their first two barrel-aged beers. We had been hoping to strike up a working relationship with the (far) Westside brewery, so this was a welcome sign.

Everything in Unhinged was still decked out in a Halloween motif when I arrived at 251 98th St NW on Saturday afternoon, but they were preparing for their Dia de los Muertos party later in the evening, so it all fit. The bartender handed over two small pours of the barrel-aged brew.

Technically, it was the same base beer in each cask, only the cask barrels were different. Los Muertos Porter, which checked in at a hefty 12-percent ABV this year, was aged in both a rum barrel and a bourbon whiskey barrel.

Naturally, that produced two very different up-front flavor profiles. The rum barrel was hotter, with a heavy alcohol burn that drowned out the porter flavor. The Unhinged staff said they agreed and may even pull that rum version and let it sit for a while longer.

The bourbon version was much more in tune with what you would expect from a more traditional barrel-aged strong beer. There was a little heat, but it was far smoother and richer, mixing the little smoky and vanilla hints into the chewy porter base. It is not as thick as, say, La Negra, but that is the stout/porter difference.

This was all a collaboration between Schwebach Malting, the Worthogs homebrew club, and Hollow Spirits, who provided the barrels.

I found that both beers are well worth the trek west to sample. Check them out if you get the chance, and then enjoy the rest of the Unhinged lineup. They have come a long way in a short time and we look forward to doing a proper full story soon, including their many plans for the future.

Dripline Brewery nearly ready to open

Since we have been asked a few times, we have an update at last on Dripline Brewery. They are holding an invite-only soft opening this coming weekend, which the Crew will be attending, of course.

A grand opening date has not been announced, but we have a feeling it will be pretty soon. The brewery is located at Second Street and Summer in Wells Park, putting it north of Marble and Gravity Bound, south of JUNO, and west of Hollow Spirits, across from Voodoo Girl.

Sample tray

• Speaking of looking ahead, we will be kicking off the annual Look Back/Look Ahead Series later this month for the breweries in the Albuquerque metro area and Santa Fe. Something tells us that these could be some fascinating interviews that should give everyone greater insight into the varying statuses of the local breweries.
• No, we do not have any updates/additional information about Marble Brewery. If you see any Marble employees out in the wild, please give them the courtesy of not asking about it. Most of them know little more than has been released to the public. And, until anything else is officially revealed, please just keep supporting those same employees by visiting your favorite Marble taproom and tipping generously.
• One additional note about Lizard Tail, the good folks at Brew Lab 101 said they will honor LT memberships at both of their taprooms going forward. It’s a kind gesture on the part of Brew Lab, and we tip our caps to Scott Salvas and his team.
• We cannot recommend enough that everyone go and try the aforementioned La Negra Russian Imperial Stout at La Cumbre. Sample it on draft and take a bottle home. We feel like they cut back a little on the sweetness this year, leaving a more burly, tougher brew. But, we would love to hear what everyone else thinks.
• Speaking of outstanding barrel-aged beers, Ex Novo’s Nevermore Black Barleywine is on the schedule to return on November 15. It looks like it will be in 22-ounce bottles this year, based on the picture in their monthly newsletter.

That’s all for now. If anyone out there has any brewery/craft beer news to share, DM us on social media or send it over to nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com.

Keep supporting local!

— Stoutmeister