Inexorably, I am catching up to the goal of visiting all of the Los Angeles area breweries. Still have a few in Long Beach and one up Newhall way, but first is Hand-Brewed Beer in Chatsworth.
A long time ago in a galaxy, far, far away: I sampled some Hand-Brewed beers but the road to a taproom has been long for this brewery. Three months in, I headed to De Soto Avenue to see the space.
It is a nice set-up. A good amount of seating, warm with wood fencing on the wall and the HB logo emblazoned on it. The beer list is on a TV and is easily read with a good amount of information on it. A good solid space with attentive and easy to talk to staff.
Of the four beers I sampled and another that I sipped, the quality is still on the way. The Santa Susanna Saison was my favorite but even it was an overall mid-ranker. The Nitro Latte Brown was fine but thin with very little coffee taste. Of the two IPAs, the Brumeux was the better. A DIPA by name, it didn’t taste very strong and the hop quality faded quickly. The 4th Anniversary beer was all over the map. Made with honey, it was a little sweet, a little bitter and a little astringent and honestly smelled a little funny.
If I was to rank, I would slot the 8one8 brewery higher in terms of beer and atmosphere. Hand-Brewed has worked hard to get to this day and I hope that the beer continues to grow.
