And the winners are:
New Belgium's Hoptober golden ale-style beer ranks in the top 25. This Fort Collins brewery has brings some hops to the table with this beer. No wonder Colorado State University students are always in the Cache La Poudre having fun. I would, too, if I drunk enough of this great ale.
Oskar Blues in Longmont has a repeat winner: Ten Fidy Imperial Stout, a chewy beer with deep, robust flavors on the nose of dark chocolate espresso. And it's conveniently available in cans.
Great Divide Brewing makes the top 25 with its Hoss Rye Lager. This seasonal brew with hints of cherry benefits from the addition of rye, which brings out a slightly earthy character. Think the Red Rocks crowd during a Phish concert.
The overall winner of the pale ale category is the newly minted Upslope Pale Ale out of Boulder, which Maxim declares a "most life-affirming concoction." I have yet to try this canned beverage, but if Maxim says it's the best of 2010, how can I object? Especially with all the jugs and cans in that magazine just waiting to be grasped.