Grand Junction Brewing: Five Great Beers Over 5% and a Sixth That Will Make You Look Like a Regular

Welcome back to Beer Scout Basics.  This week I take you off the beaten path…or at least it seems that way.  Some of the best microbreweries are found tucked away in small towns across the state.  Get off the main roads and find them.  You won’t be disappointed.  You just need to head East on State Road 32 off US 31 in the small town of Westfield to find a really interesting new microbrewery, Grand Junction Brewing Company.  The brewery is located in an historic 1800’s building filled with old pictures from the surrounding area.  Grand Junction Brewery pays homage to the historic Monon and Midland rail lines that used to crisscross Westfield and the Underground Railroad that made its way through the town in the 1800’s.  Hardwood bar, tables and decor add to this great atmosphere.

Started by a couple of home brew guys that wanted to take their craft to the masses, GJBC offers five standard house brews with a few other guest micro brews on tap at all times.  Although I won’t rank them, GJBC also likes to dabble in small batches like their Oktoberfest, Amarillo Sunset American IPA or their Black Hat Brigade Rye IPA.  There are lots of choices for the craft beer fan.  The barkeep and the rest of the staff are very nice and have pretty good knowledge of their beers.  Keep an eye out for the owner’s wife tending bar when she isn’t teaching at the local high school.  Why didn’t I ever have a teacher like that when I was growing up?  The food was very good as well–I had the fried pickle appetizer and one of their flat bread pizzas. 

So my rankings stuck to a flight of their everyday beers with a little bonus at the end.

1. 1520 is a 5.0% ABV, Hefeweizen.  This was light and flavorful.  I am starting to like Hefeweizen’s more and more.
2. The Mulligan is a 6.3%, Scottish Ale.  I like the stronger ABV’s that are full of flavor and this one matched the bill.
3. Imperfect Backside is a Nitrogen Infused 5.5%, Oatmeal Stout.  The nitrogen infusion makes this a very smooth beer but for the newbie it may seem a little flatter than your other beers.
4. One with Nature is a 5.2% American IPA.  If you have read my previous posts you know I like the IPA’s and this one is no different.  Really good taste so that says a lot for beers one through three if they out ranked my IPA fetish.
5. Squirrel Stampede is a 5.0% English Brown Ale.  This is a good English Brown but did not stand out to me on this trip.

So now for the bonus I promised.  If you want to act like a regular, order a Lifted Kilt on your visit.  This is a mix of The Mulligan Scottish Ale and Imperfect Backside Oatmeal Stout.  This was a great mix.  I went away from my normal flight pour for a full pint of this one.  (Okay two pints of this one).  It was really delicious. I can’t wait to see a double IPA or Imperial Stout hit the taps at GJBC.  I will be sure to come for one of those (and some fried pickles).

Thanks for checking out BeerScoutBasics.  And remember when keeping it to the basics; drink what tastes good to YOU!

For more information on the other beers I try or where I may be next, follow me on Twitter at @BeerScoutBasics.