Happy Friday, folks. Stoutmeister here, a couple days after E-Rock and I made a stealth visit to Bosque Brewing. Yes, I know the grand opening is today, but technically they have been doing a “soft” opening all week, so the beers have already been flowing.

First, some bad news, as the Old Bosky, a robust porter, has already been vanquished. Don’t worry, a new batch is fermenting as we speak, but damn if I wasn’t disappointed to have missed what seems to be a crazily popular beer.

Onto the news front, some good stuff from Tuesday as the Environmental Planning Commission’s review board threw out an appeal by the Wildflower Neighborhood Association (they are across San Mateo from Bosque) to stop Bosque from selling growlers. Now, Bosque still has to wait a while before it can sell, and the WNA head honcho is still going to try and appeal to the City Council — this rarely ever works, I was told — but with luck you can take some Bosque beer home with you in about two months or so. Oh, the myriad laws of the City of Albuquerque, I really wish that I did not know so much about you.

Now as for that beer, Bosque will have four styles that we tried on tap today and they hope to add a fifth, a powerful IPA for all you wild and crazy hopheads out there. The beers we tried were as follows, with commentary from myself and E-Rock. I am listing them in the order you should try:

Kindling: This is a golden ale, checking in at 4.6 percent ABV. It is light, but there is flavor here, in the style of a good German kolsch. It is a perfect starter beer, one that would go great in the summer months. E-Rock added, “My favorite brew was the Kindling. I’ve been told that pilsners and kolsches tend to be some of the hardest beers to brew. I was pleasantly that Bosque’s brewers could offer such a crisp, refreshing, and tasty brew on their first try at large-scale brewing on a new system. Anyone who is a fan of La Cumbre and Nexus-style light beers should love this one.”

Mellow Brit: An English brown (4.4%), this one lives up to its name. It does not have a lot of nutty flavor, and despite the fact they made it with honey it is not overly sweet, either. Some might say that is a good thing, but I would argue it is better off going one way or the other. Try this first batch and feel free to add in your own suggestions; the staff at Bosque is so nice I doubt they will mind. E-Rock added, “The Mellow was a little too mellow for my tastes.”

Cumulus: If a relatively mild IPA and a mild wheat got together and had an offspring, it would be this beer. At 7.1 percent, this was the highest ABV at Bosque when we were there. I found it to be a rather unique beer, not like anything I have had before. Unlike most IPAs, which hit you with the hops right up front, Cumulus holds them in the middle. The beer starts off like a wheat, then the hops explode, then the wheat returns for a smooth finish with minimal aftertaste. If you are not a fan of wheat or IPA, like me, go ahead and try this one. E-Rock, on the other hand, likes those styles more than I do, so he said, “I wasn’t a fan of Cumulus. I tend to enjoy my IPAs loaded with hops, so the subtle flavors that I got from the Cumulus wasn’t quite what I go for. Luckily, the team at Bosque will be introducing a hoppier IPA in the future as well as keeping the well-received Cumulus on tap.”

Bosque Burnin’: Ever wonder where the happy medium lies between Marble Red (hops!) and Il Vicino’s Irish Red (malts!)? It lies with Burnin’, a red ale (6.5%) with a strong, roasted flavor. That smoky kick combines with an IV-style smoothness that really makes this beer a middleground between the two most popular reds in Albuquerque. Personally it was my favorite beer of the four, offering up a strong flavor but without overwhelming my palate. E-Rock said, “Bosque Burnin’ was my first pint. This beer was a surprisingly hearty red. Being more on the malty side than most reds in town, I found Burnin’ to be a unique and tasty beer.”

Bosque will have plenty of additional beers coming out in the near future. They have sandwiches and salads that seemed awfully popular with the crowd on Tuesday, so if you are hungry, do not panic, you do not have to go to the Subway next door. The Bosque crew will even make you a hot, delicious, giant pretzel. And if the Great American Beer Festival taught me anything, it is that the pretzel, in whatever size, is the ultimate food companion for beer!

So head on over to Bosque anytime today. They opened at 11 a.m. and will stay open to 11 p.m. Make sure to try all the beers you can, share your thoughts, and look out for a few scattered Crew members popping in, plus the ABQ Craft Beer Drinkers Group will be there.

Another good brewery has opened in Albuquerque. We live in golden times, folks.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister