I’ve been walking by the intersection of 20^th & Lawrence at least once a week for several months. And each time I walk by I peer in through the windows to see the progress. In downtown Denver, there is constant construction…condos, stores, restaurants. But none of that interests me quite as much as what’s happening at this particular intersection: Jagged Mountain Brewery. Denver is home to breweries galore, though there aren’t many in the downtown area. So I had been anxiously waiting for the day when Jagged Mountain would open its doors. I happened to see their Facebook posting Saturday morning: the day had finally arrived.

I showed up at Jagged Mountain an hour after they opened and they were already about half full. But there was still plenty of seating available; they have barstools, several large community tables, and a few smaller tables as well. The taproom is spacious, and there is room for people to stand without getting overly crowded unlike many smaller taprooms I’ve been to.

Since I was at a brand new place I wanted to sample several of their beers. I started off with a flight containing: Zero Gravity (Saison), Dreamweaver Double IPA, Imlay IPA, and Barking Marmot (Belgo American Black IPA). I found the Zero Gravity to be a bit on the weak side, lacking the flavor a Saison should have. I really enjoyed the Dreamweaver, which weighs in at 9.5% ABV and 85 IBUs. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the Imlay; it was very cloudy and odd-colored for an IPA. It tasted okay, though probably not something I’d order again. Lastly, before I even tried the Barking Marmot it scored points with me because of its name. And once I tasted it I realized it has the quality to back up the name. So the Dreamweaver and Barking Marmot were my favorites.

Of the four beers, I liked two. It could be that Jagged Mountain is still perfecting its craft, which is common of new breweries, or perhaps I just don’t care for some of their recipes. There are still a few other beers I have yet to try though, and I intend to do so very soon. And given their superb location, friendly staff, and good hoppy beers, I know I’ll be visiting them frequently. I am happy to have Jagged Mountain in the neighborhood and look forward to all the exciting things they will be doing in the future.