A visual tribute to beer and the people who love it.
Yesterday’s Friday Afternoon Club at Hess Brewing Miramar was very slow compared to previous gatherings. As the beer-tender, Ciro, pointed out people were doing things other than enjoying beer on 4-20, 2018. I was happy with the #83 version of Solis…tasted like an old-school west coast IPA.
A delish, 7% ABV hazy IPA from the fine folks at Amplified Ale Works. Made with Idaho 7, Bru-1 and Cryo Eukanot hops, it has a piney nose, mild bitterness and finishes with notes of black pepper.
Once again my work associate made a trip to Imperial Valley and brought back a growler from Humble Farmer Brewing Co. in Holtville, CA, to enjoy. We were pleasently surprised with this 8% ABV Belgian-style Tripel. Sweet malts and mild Belgian yeast on the nose, nice balanced flavor with no bitterness and mild sweetness. I […]
Though this IPA is a bit hazy, it is not a juicy NE style. More up-front bitterness and a lingering flavor of what reminds me of a rye IPA.
Farm Dust is a brett IPA. Log Cabin is a maple BBA imperial stout with cocoa. Both quite nice and currently on draft at Pure Project.
Like a prize after a long day of….stuff. Deceptively smooth for a 9.4% ABV IPA, with plenty of dank resinous hop characteristics.
Who wouldn’t want a little nookie in the morning? By little, I mean a 10oz pour. And nookie is Hop Nookie, an 11% ABV triple IPA from Kern River Brewing. Dank, piney and resinous…mmm.
Plenty to choose from. We chose 6 from the list. …and didn’t die…just kidding. Nothing bad, but nothing really memorable either. My fav was the Preemptive Strike double IPA. A solid, smooth double IPA. I found the regular west coast IPA, Renegade Warrior, had an unpleasant flavor. Mermaid Bubbles with pineapple was pleasant, abs she […]
If I was smart I would have snapped a pic of the beer list. My fav was the middle beer of the 5, Roadrunner Roadrunner, a 6.6% ABV juicy hazy IPA made in the NE style.
Lemony-citrus forward sweet fruit nose, juicy with pleasantly mild bitterness, all wrapped up in 6.5% ABV hazy solution. Damn fine beer.
Getting a smoked malt note in the taste..or could it be rye malt.
Three offering currently available with a fourth on the way next week. They took over Acoustic Ales space at Mission Brewery Plaza.
Reached deep into the fridge and made the logical choice. Though it maybe a 3x IPA by Alesmith standards, on a Pizza Port scale it would be a San Diego strong pale ale. Tasty either way.
A damn tasty collaboration beer from J. Wakefield Brewing and Alvarado Street Brewery. Based on flavor..no way I would call this an IPA. Sour and fruitiness overwhelm any hop bitterness.
Amplified Ale Works Backstage, their PB taproom downstairs from the restaurant, is finally open. New Generation is a juicy hazy IPA with a nose of citrus rind and refreshing taste with mild bitterness.
….mmm…12.5% ABV barrel-aged dessert.
Happy with my choice. A 7.3% ABV American IPA with a pale malt body and a tasty blend of hops.
I grabbed this during my last bottle round up of Costa Rican beers. This American Wheat Pale Ale, pleasantly hopped over a very pale malt body, was actually from El Salvador…go figure.
A nice option while on layover at Aeropuerto de Dallas-Fort Worth. Pleasent hop flavors /bitterness shine through any malty sweetness from the base beer.
From Sin Corbata Cerveceria Artesanal, this 5.4% ABV, 40 IBU beer, is malty, but not sweet, with a somewhat herbal bitterness characteristic.
Nose is sweet dark roasted/toasted malts, but not burnt smell. Flavor is not sweet and more mild than the nose implies, like it’s been watered down. The bitterness tastes more like burnt malts and not hops. I believe the 5% ABV on the bottle, but not the 90 IBUs
Stoked to find one of the Costa Rica Beer Factory restaurants next to our San Jose hotel. Decent local list plus international offerings. Mostly bottles, but a few drafts. This stop I tried 2 IPAs. Mi Tata is an American IPA brewed by Corcovado Cerveceria Artesanal. A nice mix of pale malt body and citrus/pine […]
We both agreed that this beer from La Selva Cerveza Artesanal has been the best of the Costa Rican made beer that we’ve had so far. Pale malt body with mild sweetness, no bitterness, clean finish with notes of Belgian yeast esters. It’s got that 6.8% ABV going for it too.
Just as the name implies, it has a malty sweetness of an amber ale and the hoppy bitterness of an IPA. The combination is what I would expect of an double hopped English IPA, using Pacific Northwest American hops. 6.5% ABV from Costa Rica’s Cerveceria Del Centro.
In the few days in La Fortuna we found six different beers from Domingo Siete/La Micro Brewing Company. All well made with no off flavors. The Lagarta fruity ale made with Matacuya & Pitahaya was unique. They did a great job of making a fruity beer without it being sweet. Ano Anso, their blueberry wheat […]
Both of us were disappointed with our choices; a couple beers from a different craft brewery in Costa Rica,Treintaycinco. Both La Penola (IPA) and Lora (golden strong) had off flavors. Anticeptic/ bandaid in both. IPA had a grapefruit seed extract flavor on top of the anticeptic, and the flavor of…what reminded me of paste from […]
The actual full name is Small Batch Escondido Satirist Mikhail Bulgakov author of The Master and Margarita Stone Espresso Imperial Russian Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels. According to the back label, they age it 14 months in American Oak Kentucky Bourbon barrels. This particular bottle has a brewed date of July 17, 2016 and bottled […]
From Costa Rica’s La Micro Brewing Company. A 5% ABV with pale malt flavors and no bitterness; just enough hops to round out the finish.
The first micro brew we had in Costa Rica was this Irish Red Ale from Costa Rica Beer Factory. Worked for me. It tasted like the Irish reds I’ve tried.
Nose is nice resinous hop over malty base. Flavor has a herbal bitterness I’m not a fan of and the malty sweetness predicted smell. This is the second beer from Stone, that I’ve had on the last few weeks, that was made with Loral hops and I didn’t care for it.
Poured a bit chunky, as it has been in the fridge for a bit. The nose is a mix of astringent hops, something wet ( which I can’t quite identify) and alcohol. Flavor is mild, and not offending, if only it had a better smell. It does have that 7.5% ABV going for it. Though […]
A tasty 9% ABV New England-style hazy IPA from the fine folks at Mikkeller San Diego. I couldn’t pass the $10 for selected crowler and fills during the recent “crowler awareness day”. I’m sure we need more awareness, and am willing to support the cause.
Yep…this will work.
Another Stone double IPA, this one made with Loral and Dr. Rudi’s hops and clocking in at 8.9% ABV. I got a strong nose of melon, sweet malts, alcohol and resinous hops. Melon less pronounced as it warmed, and couldn’t identify another smell I was getting….she smelled cauliflower, which I’m not getting at all. Flavor […]
It’s light, crisp, clear, and citrusy. Golden Road is a local Los Angeles brewery. Their IPA is, while really good, a middle of the road beer given the competition they are up against with everybody and their cousin trying to launch a West Coast IPA. That said, it’s extremely drinkable and this is my all-time […]
Tasty 6.3% ABV unfiltered IPA from the fine folks of Mother Earth Brew Co. Pleasent mild bitterness, nicely dry hopped with a more dry finish…somewhat in the NE style.
Doing it easy…right from da can.
After trying a splash of Havnor at a local watering hole, I wasn’t super excited about the bottle we already had in the fridge. The bottle was way better. Pale malt body, pleasant hop bitterness with strong notes of sweet melon on the nose (which stuck around for the first half of the beer) but […]
I found this 8.4% ABV hazy beer from Temecula’s Black Market Brewing decent, but nothing outstanding. Pours hazy with a resinous hop nose. Flavor has more than a mild bitterness and finishes dry. Hop bitterness a mix of pine and grapefruit peel, which definitely gives is an east coast IPA vibe. No problem finishing it, […]
Quite happy with this 8.4% ABV DIPA from Alaska’s Anchorage Brewing Company. It pours hazy, but with pronounced hop bitterness it’s not really a NE-style IPA.
I stopped by Toolbox Brewing to try their new release milkshake IPA…and it was good. I found the bitterness overpowering the coconut flavors. But…very happy with the 12.5% ABV pastry stout Truffle Dome. With a nose like rich hot cocoa, and a balanced bittersweet finish..what’s not to like.
BFFs collaboration IPA from Pizza Port and Stone, for me and a PP Faceplant, Belgain-style Tripel, for the lady.
A juicy and tasty 6.5% ABV NE-style hazy with mild bitterness from the fine folks at Offshoot Beer Co.
L to R, Parrott, Paxton, Phoenix, Gibbs, Spencer, Coehorn (on nitro) and Coehorn.
Quite happy with this 8% ABV double IPA made with passionfruit juice from Massachusetts Brewmaster Jack. The sweet malt flavors emphasize the fruit notes and do a great job of masking the 90 IBU indicated on the label.
Via bikes, we had stopped by Benchmark Brewing on Sunday, a day after their Hildegard Day can release, and were pleasently surprised to find their 13.5% IIIPA still on draft. They don’t have crowlers, and I had no interest in adding to my huge growler collection (not to mention the difficulty transporting a glass growler […]
One of my favorite beers that Pizza Port Brewing offers in cans.
…for me and a Gold Record for the lady.
On my way home from dinner with my mom, and a quick visit to the library, an 8% hazy IPA jumped in front of my car and dragged me kicking and screaming into Wild Barrel Brewing.
Juicy and delicious IPA, in the NE hazy style, from the fine folks of San Clemente’s Artifex Brewing.
My friends had me try this as they knew I am a sometime fan of Tecate, lime, salt, and Tapatio. The mango makes it overly sweet. It’s got a very smooth feel with a slight banana taste. At the end is a firey rush. It’s not something I’d buy, but it was fun to taste. […]
Thorn Street Brewing APA is working just fine. Listening to Bully and Melkbelly.
An interesting ale. Secondary fermentation with Brettanomyces, white wine yeast, elderflower and the namesake fruits results in a dry, funky and slightly tart beer. I’m not really getting apples or pears at all, but I am getting an essence of fruit. 4.3% ABV.
Omnipollo Noa Pecan Mud Stout was just the thing, after 36.8 miles and 4 beer stops, while soaking in hot water up to our necks. Yummy can of dessert in a pool safe decanter.
The Torrance, CA brewer, Absolution Brewing Company, has expanded south. Absolution By The Sea recently took over the old La Jolla Brewing space. Currently pouring pints and half pints only. I tasted The Wicked and the 405. Between the hefe and the standard blond, the Peach Blond was no longer available, she chose the blond. […]
L to R Enormous Schwanzstucker, Goo Goo Muck IPA, 2am Bike Ride and Watermelon Jazz Hands.
…and a Gold Record for the lady.
In preparation for tomorrows can realease…making sure the product is up to standard. Mmm..think I need to make more sure.
I enjoyed this on draft a few times at the brewery and was happy to see it in cans. I was told that the Ext. varies with each change-up to the recipe. I enjoyed the can as well. Mild lemon citrus hop flavors with mild bitterness and 6.7% ABV.
Yep, this will work. Sadly, it’s my last one…and at the same time surprised it lasted as long as it did.
Greatly enjoy our stop at the soft opening of Eppig Brewing Waterfront Biergarten in Point Loma just a block east of Shelter Island. Tasty beer and nice outside deck overlooking the harbor. We enjoyed the Tootie Fruity, Moment of Weakness, The Wolf and Count Maltula. Yum. We will be back soon.
In the old San Diego Beer Co. location at 6th and Broadway. We tried the cream ale, hefe, session IPA and IPA, and all agreed that the hefe was the fav.
The new batch is quite good. They dialed down the smoked malts which puts more emphasis on the New Zealand hop characteristics.
Per the label 4 Lbs per barrel of dry hopping and no hops in the boil. Easy drinking, but it ain’t gonna replace my love of bitter beers. A collaboration from Mason and Offshoot Beer Co. Hmm…looks like it cost $2.59.
Right out of da can. Getting a lot of melon notes.
It may have been murky when bottling and when first on draft, but by the time I poured to enjoy this unfiltered double IPA, it was chunky. An enjoyable West Coast double IPA, but nothing outstanding.
Good, but a bit too sweet for a full glass of the stuff.
I asked the cashier to check the receipt again. My Friday trip to the local beer and wine mart is used to high markups, but $44 for a couple of Modern Times releases couldn’t be right. He confirmed that the Modern Times Monster’s Park was indeed $29.99 w/o tax. What the hell, I’d give it […]
Scorpion Bowl sounds like something I should be smoking. First few sips I tasted melon. Not so much now.
I greatly enjoyed this offering from Sierra Nevada. The pale malt body is quite different than most of their choices, and showcases the hop characteristics well. Pleasent mild bitterness, with juicy flavors of citrus and freshly cut grass.
Damn fine beverage, irregardless of current ownership. Perfect to sip and enjoy in the late afternoon sun.
L to R – Training Wheels, Whole Lotta Hazy, Blueberry Blonde, Hop Slap’d No. 5. Greatly enjoyed their Whole Lotta Hazy IPA…it’s a keeper. Nice mix of juicy and West Coast-style hops over pale malt body. Also tried the cask of Pure & Simple, and preferred over the regular version.
Suffering through an old Christmas beer. Thinking it may pair well with the cheese and crackers leftover from the x-mas party that I haven’t gotten around to throwing out.
I was in the mood for a strong sweet stout while soaking in the jacuzzi, and found this in the fridge. A 13% imperial stout from gypsy brewer Stillwater Artisanal and Casita Cerveceria …hmm..brewed and canned in Stratford, CT. Not exactly what I was looking for, but very good. Sweet roasted malts on the nose […]
I was happy with this NE hazy IPA offering from San Diego’s Mikkeller. 7% ABV, juicy, with slightly stronger citrus peel bitterness that lingers a bit.
Goo Goo Muck = The Cramps…at least the first time I heard the song. Later with compilation album(s) “Songs The Cramps Taught Us” I found out it was a cover by a band in the early ’60s called Ronnie Cook and the Gaylads. Damn fine beer from Fall Brewing. Mild hop bitterness, grassy hop nose, […]
Ho Ho Ho. Tastes like a black lager.
A delish 8% ABV double IPA in the NE hazy-style, from the fine folks at Alvarado Street Brewery. Found this gem at the Solana Beach BC.
A nice offering that seems to have grown in popularity. A good mix of bitterness and fruitiness in a glass.
Tales from the Kettle — Scottish style and black tea ale Fireside Chat — Winter seasonal brew, strong ale with spices Sneak Attack — Winter Saison, crisp, dry rich Blah Blah Blah DIPA — Deep gold double IPA, 9 hops, juicy & chewy
Pretty can. Belching Beaver’s 7% ABV 5th Anniversary beer.
It seems like I haven’t seen Electrocution IPA on tap here since around the anniversary party in Nov. Don’t get me wrong, loved all the can releases, Top of the Dial, Faraway Towns…etc. but Electrocution is always a great option.
It’s been years since I’ve had a Primordial IPA from Vista’s Mother Earth Brew Co. I remember the first place I had it outside their brewery supply store / nano brewery was Phileas Foggs in Poway. Quite good then. Quite good now. Nose is sweet maltyness with piney and resinous hop notes. Flavor is malty […]
L to R = Buzzwords, Hypemachine, Bean Bar and Gimmick. Though all decent, but I preferred Buzz over Hype, she preferred Gimmick over Bean. Just saying..
Plus a Bee Side taster, and a Gold Record for the lady. Always a good stop.
While it is true, I’ve not had Torpedo in a while.. .I’m enjoying this offering more than I recall liking Torpedo. Lighter malt I’m thinking. And it has that 8% ABV thing going for it.
Enjoyed some beers with friends during the eve.
Well into or Belgian New Year celebration …with some damn fine options. Petrus with Passionfruit, Gulden Draak Calvados (aged in apple brandy barrels), Depont Avec Les Bons Voeur…on and on. The hard part will be biking the 10+ miles back home before it gets dark. Lucky for us it is mostly downhill.
A bit ahead of schedule, thirsty and in need of a restroom break….so we found a place to stop. L to R, Ghost Train, Folding Ships, Elemental Magic and Transit of Venus.
Enjoying this one from Alpine at 508 Tavern on the eve before New Years Eve.
It’s working for me right now.
L to R is top to bottom on the menu (in the background). Greatly enjoyed Hopcondido IPA at first sip. Sadly, the others…not so much. Decided to save the Hopcondido while I attempted to give other beers a second, third…fourth chance/taste. We couldn’t finish most. While that happened, Hopcondido got weird. The nose was total […]
Though it’s served hazy at the moment, the IPA has more a west coast hop profile with a lingering grapefruit-peel bitterness. Tasty.
Greatly enjoyed this dry sour cider from Los Angeles’s 101 Cider House. Had I not known it was a cider, I would have thought a sour beer. It’s full-bodied, some sweetness up front with the fruit in the nose, but more tart on the palate. Quite nice.
Hydration is key. This will work in a pinch. Big Bear Lake Brewing Company’s (not to be confused with older Big Bear Mountain Brewing) has a malty base with some risidual sweetness, and pleasent hop bitterness. Plus it’s got that 8.5% ABV thing going for it.
I chose over Lagunitas IPA, 805, Fat Tire and a few Coors options. As expected, premium prices for a crappy selection to a captive clientele.
An abundance of sweet orange zest on the nose. A pleasent mild bitterness at first. Maybe because of the sweet nose, but I’m getting more an unpleasant grapefruit peel bitterness that lingers a bit longer on the finish. I had no problem finishing the bottle, but likely wouldn’t buy again.
Some Ho Ho Ho to go. Sweet roasted malts, with a hint of vanilla, up front. Mildly bitter finish…seems more roasty bitterness and not a hop bitterness. Flavor/mouth feel is like a milk stout. At 6% ABV is like a light pastry stout I kept sipping and sipping…until it disappeared. I enjoyed it.
