Review: Nimbus Brewery Company - Tap ale served at 41-degrees

Everywhere you look at the Nimbus Brewery there are signs of quality control. A sign on the wall between the mash tanks and the brewing tanks reminds the workers of the craftsmanship, concentration and dedication it takes to be a master brewer. As Robbie and Bob Salois and I walked through the restricted brewing area we saw serious young men carefully attending to the equipment it takes to brew the Nimbus ales.

In the back of the warehouse where Nimbus is manufactured stand gigantic metal brew vats, each cylindrical top reaches two stories high with the bottom section a perfect cone shape down to a single point. There is a separate vat for each flavor of the Nimbus ales. On the side of one of the vats I read the label 4,650 gallons. “That’s a lot of beer!” said Robbie.

The front part of the Nimbus warehouse features a tap room and restaurant with tables both outside and inside and an indoor loft that overlooks the bar. The place was filled to capacity when we arrived at 12:30 p.m. on a Friday.

We ordered our food and pints of Nimbus ale at the center of the bar and were given a metal stand with an identifying number so our lunch could be delivered to our table after it was prepared. I ordered the Nimbus Pale Ale which was light in color and taste, cool and refreshing as it hit the pallet with a strong after taste. My beer registered a cool 41 degrees. Bob pointed out that the taps at the bar are connected directly to the vats in the adjacent warehouse–thus a true tap room. “That is fresh beer,” said Bob. “Really fresh.”

For lunch I ordered the fried chicken strips with onion rings, Bob had the steak sandwich which came smothered in grilled onions and a side of french fries and Robbie chose the hamburger. The lunches were large and tasty served in a plastic basket lined with paper. We enjoyed the food and the ale. Bob had the Red Ale which he said tasted similar to the Pale only was darker in color with a red hue. Robbie drank the Old Monkeyshine which is an English style ale, dark brown in color and nearly opaque. Robbie said it had a rich full taste with a strong aftertaste. The ale complimented the food perfectly. As we dined next to the open warehouse door we were entertained by the rumbling raucous of the Sante Fe Railroad with a train passing by every ten minutes.

Nimbus Brewing Company is a local micro brewery that was established in 1996. Located at 3850 E 44th Street it can best be reached by turning east off of South Alvernon onto 44th Street and stay on that road until it dead ends into the Nimbus parking lot.
Besides the three brews we sampled, Nimbus also offers Dirty Guera, billed as a southwestern style blond ale, Brown Ale, which is a medium-bodied American-style ale and Oatmeal Stout which has a dark roasted, burnt flavor.

You can purchase bottled and keg beer at the Nimbus brewery and they also distribute freshly bottled and kegged beer to bars, restaurants, grocery stores and liquor markets throughout Arizona.

Nimbus Brewing Company offers a happy hour Monday through Thursday from 4:00-7:00 p. m., and numerous events including block parties and dances in the evening hours.

It’s a little out of your way, perhaps, to go to Nimbus Brewing Company but it is worth the trip for the quality and taste of the food and the ale.