Uinta Brewery
Utah brings to mind a number of distinct images: the Desert, the Great Salt Lake, Mormons, and possibly Karl Malone. Chances are beer, or any other form of alcohol, is not one of them.
Until recently, Utah had extremely strict (and somewhat infamous) Blue Laws that required people to purchase memberships (i.e. a cover charge) at “private clubs” in order to purchase a drink. In recent years, however the laws have become more relaxed, and in 2009 the “membership fee” was removed. (Additionally, in 2009, Utah also legalized home brewing.) (Despite the changes, there are still a number of other interesting Utah Blue Laws. In a rule seemingly drafted in a Chinatown gift shop, restaurants cannot serve beer higher than 4.0% ABV after midnight.)
Despite its “alcohol-free” reputation, Utah, is home to some well-known and well-respected microbreweries, including Uinta Brewing, a small brewery located in the northwest section of Salt Lake City, which takes its name from a mountain range that extends from northeastern Utah into southwest Wyoming. Uinta started production in 1993 in a small mechanic’s garage but has since expanded its operation to a larger building specifically designed for brewing.
Uinta takes seriously the challenge of using sustainable energy and other “green” business practices. Notably, in 2001, Uinta became the first business in Utah to be powered completely via wind energy. Similar to the Yards, Uinta purchased wind credits at an additional 2.95¢/kWh, which raised the brewery’s electricity costs by about 40%. At the time, Uinta President Will Hamill said, “This is the right thing to do for a business that sees itself as environmentally responsible[1].” Ten years later, Uinta complemented its wind credit program by installing solar-electric paneling on the brewery’s roof, which currently provides about 15% of the brewery’s power usage.
In addition to monitoring its power consumption, Uinta donates its spent grain to local ranchers to use as feed for livestock, and has been doing so for the past 15 years. Uinta also started a brown glass recycling center, which for a time, was the only place in Salt Lake City one could recycle brown glass (Apparently, it was cheaper to make brown glass in SLC than to recycle).
Beer
You would think that Utah’s restrictive laws would prohibit breweries from cranking up the alcohol, but it hasn’t. Uinta has a number of beers that top 4% including Hop Notch IPA and its barleywine in its “Classic Line” of beers, as well as a high alcohol (10%+) line titled “Crooked Line.” The Hop Notch IPA (below) is a full-blown IPA. On the nose, it is very piney and citrusy, enough so it actually smells “chewy.” It pours golden straw, with nice head which provides decent lacing. The first sip when cold had a slightly creamy, moderate mouth feel. The initial taste up front was very similar to its smell: big pines and grapefruits. But, the finish is actually kind of a softer fruit, not unlike mild apricots or some tropical fruit. It was tough to classify, and really interesting, and I took a few more sips to try and figure it out to no avail. I let this one sit for a bit, and as it warmed up, the flavors got a bit flatter. Either way, it was not an overbearing IPA at all. Certainly hoppy, but not too much so. It’s certainly worth checking out if you are in the mood for a good IPA. However, at 7.2%, it is not very sessionable. Dig that label, though.
In addition to the Classic Line and the Crooked Line, Uinta has also developed an Organic line, including an Amber Wheat Ale (which was passable) and a Belgian Style Blonde.
Hop Notch IPA
Rate Beer: 3.63/5.00
