Category: Brewery Tour

A concise brewery bio

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Return Visit – Imperial Western

I really enjoyed my first taster flight at Imperial Western Brewing at Union Station and with a few months passed, it was time to re-visit and see how the beer was holding up.

The Ahoy-hoy Brut IPA was quite nice. It had a nice snap to it with a subtle hop hit. A little more pear/fruit note would have added to it but really solid example of the style.

The taster tray was a different story. The sour had a weird buttery taste and was really only partially sour. Table Manners was as good as I remembered from my first visit and Courier Corps IPA had a tremendous bouqet and hop hit to it. It was the clear winner of the afternoon. Superchief IPA seems to have regressed. It was fine. Straight up West Coast hop profile but the aroma was muted and it was a bit heavy on pine for my taste.

I did a little more exploring this time and the outdoor patio in the front of Union Station is a nice addition except for the fact that a convoy of idling food trucks was the view. Better was a little pass through nook that held the crowler stations. This might be a nice hidden spot when it is staffed to avoid the crowd of the big room.

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FWIBF Brewery # 1 – Balter Brewing Company

Our first Firestone Walker Invitational brewery featured is Australian, Balter Brewing Company. There origin story is summed up as ” 6 Aussies and a Yank walk into a bar and never come out… “

The little smiley face on the logo will be on display for the beers that I might see at their booth, such as….

XPA – ” It might be pale but there’s nothing weak about this bad boy. This XPA’s tropical and floral aromatics set off a fruity palette that will punch your taste buds in the pleasure zone. Tailored for those who enjoy a fully-hopped beer that’s still easy to drink.”

Strong Pale Ale – ” Wrestle your thirst to the mat, with this Strong Pale Ale. Its smooth malt profile drips with juicy hop notes, and a snappy bitterness that finishes with a firm hand. Flex your flavour muscles and crack open the door to a little bit more.”

Captain Sensible – ” This ale balances refined malt undertones against vivacious hop notes to round out a full taste and mouthfeel that defies its mid-strength nature. Perfect for those who like to keep a lid on it, but still want to crack the top off a couple.”

IIPA – ” A noble beer for a noble thirst, this Imperial IPA is like a tangy fruit salad with extra punch. Clean, hefty hop notes provide substantial palate weight with hints of pineapple, pine and citrus, while the higher alcohol content delivers a delightfully dry, spicy finish. In a tall tin so you can share it with a mate celebrating a royal achievement, or simply soaking up the last shadows of a classic day. “

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Fast Growing Brewery # 2 – Humble Sea

Our second fast growing spot is Humble Sea Brewing Company out of Santa Cruz. I have only had a pair of beers that they collaborated on, so that makes one full Humble beer, I guess.  Here are the beers from their website that struck my fancy…

Le Jetski – Hoppy Saison
“That’s French for Jetski. Here’s a light, dry and refreshing body paired with Nelson Sauvin and Lemon Drop hops which provide a bite of lemon and grape. Dry hopped for enhanced pleasure. This saison will get you feeling freer than a jetskiingFrenchman on holiday.”

Le Farmers Tan – Harvest Saison
“Light refreshing saison with Pilsner and wheat malts. Mild bitterness from hops grown in the Santa Cruz Mountains including Sorachi Ace, Spalt Select, andSaaz.”

Sauvin Problems – Nelson Sauvin Single hop pale ale
“This simple pale ale is our answer to the Nelson question. Conflicting notes of diesel and white wine, cat pee and passion fruit, burnt rubber and gooseberries. Nelson is one of the most talked about hops in the industry.”

Cut & Run – West Coast IPA
“A refreshing IPA hopped with Citra, Centennial, Simcoe and Chinook. Grapefruit upfront, accompanied by a layered, citrusy aroma. Crisp maltiness. At nearly 7% ABV, it might be just enough to help you forget the difficult decisions you’ve had to make along the way.”

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Maltitude

More L.A. brewed beer is coming, Maltitude Brewing, winner of an Anchor Brewing brewing competition, have spun out of the SoCal Cerveceros.

Phil Limon and Sandra Toledo are the team behind the recently brewed Ruby Sun Saison – a Hibiscus Saison that is on tap at Anchor and will probably make the tap list when their brewery is up and running.

Updates when opening gets closer.

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1st Visit – Ambitious Ales

Feel like I am close to knocking out all the new Long Beach breweries as I visited Ambitious Ales recently.

Ambitious Ales is located in the former home of Tuttle Cameras. The concrete floor is offset by the wood striped chairs and bar and the beams high above in the ceiling. Good use of a cool splash of primary colors opposite the taps. There are quirky signage touches and the requisite barrel display.

The beer menu signs are classy and simple if a skosh too small. Would have been good to have some paper menus around to use. I like the bright white backdrop for the unadorned taps and the wordless logo on the glassware as well.

Fleurs
Heavy on the chamomile but real nice. The lavender pokes through but not so much the strawberry. Mocktail adjacent

I Like Tuttles
Simple Saison with California grown wheat. Has the Belgian character right. Clove and tiny banana note.

Hopped on Phonics
Big grapefruit notes. Real nice aroma. Quite hoppy for a session IPA

I have 1st visited a few new breweries this year but this is the first one that has really impressed me. All three beers were excellent, the staff were helpful and they had cold brew coffee and a soda option as well.

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Fast Growing Brewery # 1 – Werner Brewing

This month, I am featuring breweries that made the yearly Fastest Growing brewery list from the Brewers Association and out first stop is in the coastal cheese town of Tillamook in Oregon, Werner Brewing.

And here is what I would sample first….

Backroad Blonde – “a light bodied blonde ale with a sweet finish that makes it perfect for a hot summer day.”

Hazy Pale – ” our hazy hop monster creation. Well balanced and our massive addition of dry hops shines through with a dominant citrus profile.”

Coastal Brown – ” an exceptionally smooth very drinkable ale with hints of chocolate and caramel lingering in the background finished with a slight NW style hop bite.”

Trask Mountain IPA – ” a refreshing light bodied hop forward ale finished with citrus and tropical aromas.”

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Small Brewery # 3 – Mountains Walking

The last stop in March is at Mountains Walking in the Bozeman, Montana region. I liked what I saw from both the branding design and from the beer making ethos, “Our goal is to make beers that pretty much couldn’t come from anywhere but Bozeman. The climate, the altitude, the native yeasts—all these things make up our terroir, which will impact our beers.”

Here are my choices for what to put on a e-taster tray….

Nice Fella Italian Pilsner – German you see and Czech as well but rarely the Italian genre. If it is close to Tipo Pils then it will be good.

Here, Friend Cream Ale – I almost always add a cream ale to a taster tray if one is on tap.

Digger Beer Honey Rye – If the balance is right, this duo of ingredients could really work well.

Last Best Pineapple IPA – This is a bit of a flyer because pineapple (like coconut) can be way too sweet but if the tropical hops are up to the task it could work well.

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Small Brewery # 2 – Mackinaw Brewing

We head to Traverse City in Michigan to e-visit Mackinaw Brewing. Welcome to Mackinaw Brewing, which has been brewpubbin’ since 1997.  Known for both food and beer.  Below are my choices for an initial taster tray…

G.T. Golden – “Our lightest beer we brew that goes down clean and smooth, a quick fix to a thirsty day. Great with burgers and fries or soup and a sandwich.”

Red 8 Ale – “A Mackinaw Brewing Favorite…we wouldn’t dream of changing this auburn beauty. A rich malty red ale that goes great with any dinner or appetizer.”

Cherry Heritage Lager – “(available during cherry season) A crisp easy drinking lager, cold brewed with local cherries, a taste that is pure Traverse City.”

Belgian Whitecap – “This amazing beer is a true example of a Belgian style wheat ale. Brewed with Coriander for a unique aroma and a delicate fruity finish…this almost white golden colored ale will satisfy the occasional craft brew drinker or beer snob.”

East Bay IPA – “Big Bold and Beeautifully Hoppy.  Just like this India Pale Ale.”