Stopped into a nice pub north of KCMO to get out of the monsoon. Enjoying a couple of The Nortnern and some food before heading off to the city.

At Pizza Port Solana Beach. Hot AF in here…but good beer makes it tolerable. Without the beer it’s like a weight-loss program.

When you say the name of this one you need to make the Shaka sign with your fingers. Lots of mosaic in this Backstreet Brew.

It’s a Belgian, it’s a triple at 9%, it tastes awesome.  Not much more to say…

Seasonal release IPA.  Like all summer IPAs I like mine extra cold but didn’t have the patience to put it in the freezer, so yes that’s ice.  It’s a full bodied IPA, not a session one so even with the ice it doesn’t have that watered down taste–as it shouldn’t as it’s 6.8% by volume […]

After a 60 minute dogfish, it tastes like water with a drop of honey.

6.6% ABV IPA in the hazy-style.  The light body with nice citrus hop flavors and pleasant crisp bitterness complements my man-salad well.  It also complements other things…like air. 

Having a few brews at the new Urge on San Marcos. Great beer, but the bowlers are really bad.

Back in KCMO at Boulevard Brewing. This time I am tippling a “The Calling” IPA. Bright, hoppy and 8.5%. Better limit myself to just one. And a cheddarwurst to wash it down.

Dank doesn’t even begin to reveal the hop profile of this. Hoppy sweatsocks. Delicious.

Dark color, light taste. Only a small taste of raspberry but it balances out well. It’s got a rich brown malt finish.

Complex and taste differs how you drink it. It’s either tart, sour, or rich and complex. It had a lot of dry peach.  It’s different but surprisingly good–even for someone who really doesn’t like fruity beers.

Rich golden hops and malts. Not sure why it’s California other than it’s fun to drink at the beach while watching the surf.

Barley Forge has made a nice home for itself in Orange County.  This is one of my favorite easy drinking India Pale Ales as it goes for flavorful versus bitter.  Some claim hints of orange and pear, but it doesn’t taste fruity to me at all. Don’t let its mild manner fool you though as […]

Best stout and best milk stout I’ve ever tasted.  Toasty, smooth, creamy all at the same time.  Even though it came in a bottle, it tastes like it’s straight out of a tap.

Duchesse de Bourgonne Sour Belgian.  Imagine a Diet Coke mixed with dry vermouth and cherry pop rocks.  My first, second, and third reactions were that I absolutely hated it. After an hour and if you take a small sip, you might be able to appreciate some of the craftsmanship that went into it, but it’s […]

A couple of experimental IPAs – Barbe Rouge, which uses French Hops, and Triumph, which uses a combination of 7 hops.

At 10 Barrel in Bend, OR having a few fresh-brewed beers along with lunch.

Say what you want about flying, but at least Alaska Air serves decent beer from Alaska.

At Mr. Petes’ in San Clemente enjoying a Le Left Coast trestles IPA just north of trestles the beach.

While in KCMO I stopped into Boulevard Brewing’s HQ for a few tasters with and old friend. Heavy Lifting is an IPA, which at 6.2% isn’t heavy at all. And Rye on Rye on Rye a stout aged in rye barrels. It’s got a boozy kick but a nice, clean finish.

Enjoying a coconut porter by our friend Kevin Buckley @barleyforge. Seem to remember this one in an ealier iteration when it was PB Tap house Toasted Coconuts on Rye. Nice and balanced without too much on the coconut end.