Category: About the Search Party

General information about the blog.

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The Birthday Beer for # 49

Yesterday, I completed another circuit of life. And to celebrate before heading out on a wee little trip, I brought this little gem from 6+ years ago, up from the cellar, Black Butte 24th Birthday.

Add this to the list of beers that I was worried about due to letting sit unopened for too long. But a big nose of barrel-aged-ness popped once I popped the cap of this wax sealed birthday reserve.

This beer though is really mellow. There is some oak and vanilla but no burn at all. That allows for the figs and dates to come through and show off a bit. This beet still had quite some carbonated spark to it as well coating the top of the mouth. Putting my nose deep into the glass, more of a soothing caramel spirit note is hidden deep too.

A good choice to savor as opening gifts.

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In the Tap Lines for February 2019

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We have come around the sun to my birthday month again.  Planning a trip to Temecula for some beer visiting as well as a planned trip to Ventura plus this little Super Bowl game as well.  Should be a fun read this month.

~ e-visits to three breweries from San Diego, new to the scene like Kairoa Brewing, Kilowatt Brewing and Double Peak Brewing
~ special featured reviews of Flagship February beers
~ Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ A Book & A Beer reads Only to Sleep by Lawrence Osborne
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your February started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) February 8th – The Shroud Unveiling Day at Bravery Brewing
2) February 9th – Broxton Brewery launch day

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The 2018 Statistical Beer Review

Let’s get straight to the main data points that I track. Column A being Ounces Drunk – The goal was 175 per week and I finished with 167.81. 7.19 clear! That year average was 21.86 lower than its 2017 counterpart and 36.50 from 2016.

It is probably the last large double drop though as I get closer to the two pints over 5 drinking days in a week (160 magic number). Speaking of, I have now completed 2 full years of having 2 non-drinking days each week. Not to throw shade at the Dry-uary crowd because health is important no matter how you do it, I have 3 months off from beer in 2017 and 2018 just not consecutively.

ABV is an important control column but it didn’t budge from the 6.6 to 6.7% range. With a low of 5.73% and a high of 8.90%. The average dollars spent per week is still too high at $42.87. That may be the number that needs the most attention in 2019.

Now onto the beers and breweries: zooming in from the macro view. I had 350 beers that did not fall into the “Big 3” of IPA, Sour and Barrel-Aged and 438 that fell into that grouping with most being IPA. 788 beers that I had at least 4oz of.

I was a bit surprised to see that Sierra Nevada claimed the top spot in number of beers drunk but then took a look to see Celebration Christmas, Bigfoot and Resilience leading the way. What was weirder still in this shrinking regional world was that New Belgium was # 3 (an only non California Brewery in the top 10), Stone # 5 and Firestone Walker at # 9. My usual suspects are in that 10 as well with Eagle Rock, Smog City, Highland Park and El Segundo, joined by newcomer L.A. Ale Works.

On the other side was 94 beers that were my only taste of a brewery and 6 of those were as half of a collaboration beer.

I am pondering if I should break out IPA as a separate counted category or 16oz cans to be even more specific in 2019. Because there are always more ways to parse the data.

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The 2019 BSP Disclaimer

Each year, I start the blogging calendar with a disclaimer. As a beer blogger, I feel it is important to be clear about my rules of the road.

Every beer, brewery, event, restaurant reviewed on this site whether paid for or complimentary will get the same treatment when reviewed. If I don’t like the beer, it will be described as a beer that I did not like, even if it was handed to me by the brewer and I like the brewer.

If I forget, (which probably will happen, because it has before) to mention how I got a beer or a pass to an event, then go back and read the previous paragraph.

I clearly want the Los Angeles local beer scene to continue to flourish and I want craft beer in general to do so as well. So, my reviews will also take that into consideration. Some points in 2019 will require cheerleading and others require harsh sentences. It shouldn’t take a reader too long to see where I stand. (Probably by January 5th)

I will be as impartial and truthful as I can be while also staying as opinionated as usual.

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In the Tap Lines for January 2019

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Now we can focus on the best holiday of the calendar year and all of the fun winter seasonals that will start to burrow onto shelves and into coolers of your favorite beer shops. I wish you a fabulous Christmas season! Now onto what is happening this month in addition to the holiday beer a day…

~ e-visits to three breweries from Eugene, Oregon such as ColdFire Brewing, Claim 52 Brewing and Viking Braggot.
~ special featured reviews of Beer that I got for Christmas
~ Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ A Book & A Beer reads Adjustment Day from Chuck Palahniuk
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your January started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) January 12th – Trustworthy Brewing 2nd Anniversary
2) January 26th – Eagle Rock Brewery 9th Anniversary

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Rate Map

Some may not like Untappd or Beer Advocate ratings for the tickers or sometimes weird reviews but if you use the services just to measure yourself you might learn a bit. In a nod at transparency and/or education, here is my ratings charted by Untappd…

Why, for example are their three towers on my chart right smack dab in the middle?  And why is everything bunched up around 2 and up?

I would say that the majority of beers are in the middle of my taste spectrum and that I am pretty damn picky.  So there are no drain pours but very little at the far right either.  Is this the sign of an intelligent drinker?  I would like to think so.  But statistics are known to lie.  But I encourage all beer searchers to look at how they rate the beers they drink.

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In the Tap Lines for December 2018

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Now we can focus on the best holiday of the calendar year and all of the fun winter seasonals that will start to burrow onto shelves and into coolers of your favorite beer shops. I wish you a fabulous Christmas season! Now onto what is happening this month in addition to the holiday beer a day…

~ e-visits to three breweries featured in the Sip NW magazine “Best of” for 2018. Bron Yr Aur Brewing, Jellyfish Brewing and Old Stove Brewing.
~ special featured reviews of the Firestone Walker Anniversary both past and present
~ Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ A Book & A Beer reads The Library Book by Susan Orlean
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your December started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) December 8th – Brewyard Beer’s 3rd Anniversary
2) December 10th – Drink Beer, Think Beer panel at The Last Bookstore

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Happy Turkey Day!

The only post today is this one. To wish you the best Thanksgiving whether your turkey is brined, baked, flash fried or in sandwich form.

Make sure to give thanks for another excellent year in beer…
AND
Tomorrow starts with my annual holiday beer a day blog version of an Advent Calendar.