Dragoon Brewing Co., Tucson AZ

Last night I had the opportunity to partake of free beer and pizza at the Dragoon Brewery in Tucson, AZ from a get-together arranged by my realtor. Since that last sentence has three words that I absolutely love - free, beer, & pizza - I made sure that we attended.

The Dragoon Brewery taproom is located off the main drag in almost what could be considered a light industrial building. The taproom itself has been carved out of a corner of their operations and as such the concrete floor still has yellow painted lines marking where specific equipment should be placed. Large windows allow visitors to have a glimpse of the process, at least whatever they can see around the large metal vats.

The place, while spartan, is nicely set up. I particularly like the chalk board with the latest batches on offer. The beers on tap will change from season to season and also if the owners just decide to try something new. See #11 for such an example.

I also found out that they have an assortment of VERY reasonably priced events.

Brewery Bootcamp is a 60-minute brewery-themed workout held right in the taproom. Cost is just $10 and you get a post-workout beer.

Bakasana and Beer is a 60-minute yoga class that costs only $6 and you also get a beer after.

On the 2nd Monday of every month, they hold a double elimination Ping Pong tournament with prizes awarded for first, second, and third place. No cost!

Every third Wednesday there is a bicycle group that rides around town towards the brewery and when you get there your first beer is only $1.

So yeah, not bad at all.

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Comb The Desert - Schwarzbier - German Dark Larger

• ABV: 5.5%
• IBU: 23

My first selection of the night was this excellent dark larger named 'Comb The Desert' - clearly a reference to the Schwartz from Spaceballs.

This black beer had everything you expect from this variety of brew. A nice finger of thick head that slowly receded leaving abundant lacing. It tasted of both roasted coffee and a touch of chocolate. Light on the bitterness and having a medium carbonation. Very good overall.

4.5/5

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Isle of You - Double Red IPA

• ABV: 8.4%
• IBU: 75

Delivered with a frothy white head, this IPA has a gorgeous red-amber color. The taste is certainly citrus, with grapefruit being the main flavor but there is also some citrus peel and possibly floral undertones. Very bitter and any sweetness of the citrus was lost. I was disappointed in this selection and just downed it to move on to something else.

2.5/5

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Biere Del Bac - Belgian Style Quadrupel

• ABV: 10%
• IBU: 32

I don't believe I have ever had a quad beer before tasting this one. I am truly impressed. This style of beer is almost as if beer and wine had a baby. The frontmost flavor is of plum or prune, but grapes or raisins is right next in line for the taste. Very sweet, it brings to mind brown sugar or molasses was used as well. The flavor was deep and something that I very much enjoyed.

4.5/5

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Santa Cruz'R - Golden Ale

• ABV: 4.9%
• IBU: 15

Wanting to sample one of the beers they say you can drink all day, I chose a beer they say is 'Tucson's true easy rider.'

At first whiff this smells as if it will be quite bitter but it surprisingly isn't. What you do taste are the hops and grains as this lacks any other flavor profile. Fine by me, I enjoy a nice bready brew. Very low bitterness and a light to medium carbonation factor makes their statement true. Out of all the beers I tried that night, this is the one I could continue to drink long into the night. Well done Dragoon!

4.25/5

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