High Desert Brewing Co

Excellent beer! Great food! Chile cheese fries. Any beer.

They have GREATLY improved their service over the past year or so. Everyone has been prompt and friendly, kudos management for stepping it up! Bumps it up to a five star in my book.

Given that Las Cruces doesn't have the beer scene that Albuquerque does, this place ain't so bad, but I think they could use some competition. Yes, I know there's some Mimbres Brewing or something of that nature also in Cruces, but I've heard it's hardly anything to write home about.

Despite my less than favorable intro, I'd say I do like the beers here.

I started with the barleywine which had some tough shoes to fill after I'd so recently enjoyed a number of good one, including La Cumbre's version. I found this one to be lacking in hop aroma and taste and to be generally undecided as what it was meant to be. It simply lacked any distinctive taste that could have and should have made it memorable.

I followed this with a fight that included the Rye IPA, Black IPA, Porter, and an ESB. I started with the ESB and found it to be quite good. It seemed highly sessionable---I didn't see ABV or IBUs posted anywhere, but then again I wasn't sitting at the bar--- and wasn't a hopbomb. I then moved to the Rye and found it to be just as peculiar as the barleywine. It was sweet to start and had a soda-like quality and taste that didn't please me any. In fact, the Rye was my least favorite.

The Black IPA had a good hoppy nose with that roasty, maltiness you'd expect both on the nose and in taste. I enjoyed it and probably wouldn't have minded another.

Finally, the porter was good and true to it's style. It too had the dark, roasty notes and a good, thick body. This certainly would make a good quaffer for winter months.

I didn't try the food though it looked decent, but if I return it would be to try more beers and see if these guys are consistent and worthy of a fourth or fifth star.