Friday 1st of February 2013 12:36:22 PM

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Been at La Cumbre 5 times, I like some of their beers and even bought a couple of growlers. But I have to say the atmosphere lacks and the staff is cold. One day I came into the establishment and saw about 10 people in the whole place. I walked over and sat at the bar and watched the two people behind the bar pass me by for almost ten minutes before they asked me if I wanted a beer. Nothing against La Cumbre they just need to be friendlier. Like I said, I was there 5 times, and every time I was hoping it would get better – .

Wednesday 18th of January 2012 06:16:43 PM

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Great beer here, they had two brews on cask and 11 on tap. The award winning IPA was great as expected but I prefer darker beers these days, the El Malpais Stout is worth the trip alone. The has a seasonal called Cafe con Leche that was a milk coffee stout and I had it on cask which was outstanding as well.

No food here and they have a three beer limit, which is a good thing because some of their brews are very high ABV.

They do have 4oz glasses that were $1 each when we were there which allows you to sample everything they have in one visit.

Be aware though that this brewery no longer honors AHA membership discounts.

Thursday 23rd of June 2011 03:26:26 PM

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So I had read reviews on another site prior to going in on our trip down from Denver. One of the issues was about dogs. I guess dogs are an individual issue, but I'm all for it. A huge golden retriever named Porter was trolling around the joint, adds a lot for me. The two beers we had were really good- A stout and a pale ale. We didn't eat but saw some hamburgers coming out which looked delicious to us, and Porter. The service was quick, and the woman behind the bar gave us multiple samples when deciding on a pint. Great place to hang out.

Thursday 17th of March 2011 12:39:48 AM

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A good, across the freeway balance to Marble in Albuquerque. "Balance" in that they do very similar stuff here.
I came on a Tuesday night and this place was absolutely slammed. I don't mean that the bar and tables were full, I mean that there was barely a place to stand and people spilling out the doors. This was at about 5:30, so we came back after dinner a little over an hour later but it was the same deal. Luckily, we found one chair at the bar and I stood next.
I got to try three: the IPA, the stout and the "VMO" which was a Vienna lager and typical of Missouri, so I was told. I guess he meant Augusta in that state, which does a pretty good Vienna lager, but I haven't tried that many Missouri beers.
The IPA was similar to that of Marble: very hoppy, very light in color and, overall, too thin for my tastes. It ran 7.2% ABV too, which seemed a little absurd. You could taste the alcohol on the finish. This in contrast to their quadruple IPA, called "Three-Legged Dog," which had just been tapped that evening at 11+%. I didn't try it but the noise and general wonkiness of the crowd there made me think that plenty of others were trying it.
Not only was it crowded, but I guess this has become a place to bring your dog. Not the annoying but compact yappy dog that can fit in your arms, but the full-on big dogs. They were roaming the place and it just worried me that the inevitable, awkward dog fight would have come had we stayed longer. I'm all for allowing dogs, but there's always the unsocialized dogs that the owners think are perfect for showing around but end up attacking any and all other dogs and they just ruin it for everyone. Overall, it seemed like a tremendous liability.
The other beers were good but not overly memorable. The Vienna lager reminded me very much of the same style made by my favorite brewery in the state, Socorro Springs, a number of years ago, except that one was superior and had a little less of an alcohol bite and a better flavor. This one would be hard to get past one pit of. My companion couldn't finish hers but, to the credit of the brewery, it was served in a huge glass (20oz?).
I got a taste of the stout. The bartender misunderstood me as I was trying to get a 4oz sampler for which they charge $1, but she gave me a free sip. That's all I needed though. It wasn't overly memorable. Too high on the malts for me and it sat a little too heavy. But I've certainly had worse stouts.
The large Vienna lager and ~12oz IPA came to $6. Cheap, I'd say, but I think we got some happy hour deal because the prices on the menu did not reflect that. They also do have food available from a cart outside. Burgers, hot dogs and such mostly.
It was hard to figure out a lot else of what they had because the place was packed and the bartenders seemed relatively uninterested. They've got a strange rule posted, which I guess they're very serious about, that limits you to three pints per person. I don't know if you can get around that by having a DD, but I have to say that I have never seen anything like that.
I've never seen them on tap in town, so visiting this tap room may be your only option for trying them. I think it would be worth it to go, but not while it's as crowded as it was. If I had had another day in Albuquerque, I would have probably just come back close to their opening time in the early afternoon and be able to really try the stuff they were offering. Maybe next time.
If you do come when it's crowded, be aware that parking is horrendous. There is a tiny lot, so it's almost all street and you should be prepared to either walk or circle for a while.