• Kathleen Morton
• On April 16, 2013
• http://www.kathleenemorton.com
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On a Saturday in Fort Collins, a few of us PorchDrinkers brewery hopped, visiting New Belgium, Funkwerks and Odell. Lucky for us, a new beer debuted that day (April 6) at Odell Brewing, so it was a chance for all of us to try something new. The Tree Shaker Imperial Peach IPA is just as delicious as it promises to be.

What do you get when you combine 3,000 pounds of peach and hops? This beer, of course. Odell plays on the Steve Miller Band lyrics, “I really love your peaches, want to shake your tree,” when describing this beer.

These aren’t just any ol’ peaches or hops, though. Odell uses peaches from Palisade, located on the western slope of Colorado, known for their peach orchards and wine vineyards. If you didn’t know, this place is the peach capital of Colorado, as it has an 182-day growing season and has an average of 78 percent sunshine. The hops that are used are called “Rakau” and come from New Zealand. These particular hops are suitable for Pales and big bodied IPAs so it’s no wonder Odell chose them for their brew-making process.

The pour is a orange hue that glows almost red in the spring sun. The fruit and hops complement each other as the hops don’t overpower the citrus taste. The aroma smells of a fall orchard. While I think I would prefer this beer in the summertime, it is quite refreshing to have it on a warm April day.

Tree Shaker has a 9.7 percent ABV and is offered in 750 mL bottles.

Peach beer seems to be a popular theme in Fort Collins. In August, the city holds a Peach Festival with a 5K run, followed by enjoying cobblers, pies, salsa, snow cones, and you guessed it, beer. During that month, New Belgium and Odell came out with new peach beers—Lips of Faith Peach Porch Lounger and Haven and Hale Peach Ale. Fort Collins in August, anyone?