Category: Brewery Tour

A concise brewery bio

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Brewery Tour ‘Round the World – Loverbeer


We have landed at our last foreign destination of the month and it is in Italy for the very Valentine’s Loverbeer.
Here are the (primarily sour) beers that I would sample first….

BeerBera
“Fermented and maturated in oak vats. No adding yeast. Spontaneous fermentation because of adding freshly pressed Barbera grapes juice that contains the skins, directly from a viticulturist near Alba. Brewed once a year at vintage time obviously.”

Madamin
“Oak amber ale. Fermented and maturated only in oak vats. The name “Madamin” is a piedmontese word meaning “young lady”.”

Nebiulin-a
“Blend of three vintages with grape juice added.”

Papëssa
“Beer inspired to the old real Russian imperial stout style. Dark beer made with a generous quantity of roasted cereals as black roasted and chocolate. After-dinner or with chocolate. The name you can translate with “high priestess”.”

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Brewery Tour ‘around the World – Microbrewery La Castor


Scottish cask ale was the inspirations from where Le Castor sprung and now this Canadian brewery is creating their own footprint.
Here are the four beers I would put on my first taster tray….

INDIA SESSION ALE
“The India Pale Ale is without a doubt the most popular craft beer style in the world. But sometimes we want all those hops, without so much alcohol. Sometimes the night is young, the conversation is great, and we want to have more than just one. The India Session Ale was born out of this unsatisfied thirst. This is our interpretation of the fledgling style – an unbridled level of hop-thusiasm, in a package that lets you get on with your day, or night.”

BRETT BITTER
“English Bitter was a major beer style in the 19th century. Brewed and packaged very quickly, it was a type of “running beer”. Before the widespread adoption of stainless steel tanks, this beer almost certainly had Brettanomyces yeast in it. But there simply wasn’t enough time for Brett character to develop before it was served in pubs. What if the publican accidentally left a cask to age for a few months before serving..? You might have a beer that tastes just like this one.”

SAISON RAKAU
“New Zealand isn’t just famous for its Maori culture, rugby team, and a cute little flightless bird. To beer lovers – it’s revered for its unique hop varieties. This beer is a marriage between the fruitiness of the New Zealand hops, and the floral character of the saison yeast strain.”

BARLEYWINE RHUM
“What you have in your hands is our 2015 American Barleywine, that we brewed with a considerable amount of organic malt and American hops. Strong, malty, super-hoppy, and a bit unruly, the beer has had a nine month slumber in El Dorado rum barrels from Guyana. And it appears to have been time well spent! Alcoholic heat has mellowed, while assertive hops have melded with brown spirit and oak, creating layered fruitiness with a dry oaken finish.”

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Brewery Tour ‘around the World – Hong Kong Beer Co.

Those in power may have a fear of the outside world but here at BSP, we love breweries from anywhere we can find them.

Let’s start February in Hong Kong at….

http://www.hkbeerco.com/
Hong Kong Beer Co. started life in 1995 as the South China Brewing Company, before switching to the current moniker in 2003. Then ten years later the two founders of Singapore’s Brewerkz Restaurant & Microbrewery bought HKBC and brought on Simon Pesch who had manned the kettles at the now gone Pyramid Breweries in Berkeley, California.

Here are the choices that I would make if I found myself in Singapore….

GAMBLER’S GOLD
“Lightly roasted maltiness, a prominent aromatic nose, tropical fruit accents, and a clear, golden complexion make this a refreshingly balanced, dry ale handcrafted with European malt and some of our favorite American and Australian hop varieties. Judiciously dry hopped, this is an ideal session ale for any beer lover.”

BIG WAVE BAY
“Aggressively dry-hopped, West Coast-style India Pale Ale with a freshness and balance that can only be found in a locally brewed beer. Its robust flavors sit on a rich base of malt, complemented by bracing bitterness, and the fragrant citrus, tropical fruit and pine aromas of American and Australian hops.”

SEVENS
“Rich toasted and dark malts define this style while an addition of 5% rolled oats to the grain bill creates a silky-smooth mouth-feel and subtle layer of texture to complement the roasted malt flavors.”

Then I would check out one of their Limited Release Cask Only Beers (Real Ale)
“Launched to commemorate our 20th year anniversary and named after our first brand, the Crooked Island Cask Series offers a range of different beer styles and dry hopping treatments, all featuring the seductive mouth-feel that only cask-conditioned beers can offer.”

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3 Minutes with Craftsman

Short films are one of my favorite parts of the Oscars. The films can be so creative in getting a point across in a speedy manner.

Now you can hear a bit of Craftsman Brewery brewmaster Mark Kilg, expound on beer for 3 minutes. (I certainly hope it is a part 1 of many.)

Check out the video here at Wire Walker Studios website.

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Complete IPA Brewery # 3 – Odd 13

Our final hop stop is at Odd13 Brewing in Colorado.

This brewery has a heroes and villains and comic book theme running through their beers so lets get to the lupulin threshold which is more powerful than any infinity stone out there.

Noob – American IPA
“The first batch brewed at our production facility, n00b is an American IPA. Heavy dry hopping with Mosaic and El Dorado combine with restrained bitterness to create a juicy flavor and aroma profile. The hops and yeast work together to provide hints of blueberry and orange candy.”

Thirdeen Cent – 100% Centennial
“Thirdeen Cent is an IPA with Centennial hops that was initially brewed as a celebration of our 100th batch. It was too good not to bring back in our rotating IPA series. The Centennial imparts an intensely fruity citrus character.”

Bad Guy with an Agenda – American IPA
“Bad Guy With an Agenda is an American IPA designed to showcase Experimental Hop 07270 from Hopsteiner. The hop is so new it doesn’t even have a name yet. 07270 imparts a resiny pine flavor and aroma complemented by strong citrus characteristics reminiscent of mandarin orange. Chinook, Mosaic, and Equinox add complementary flavors of pine and tropical fruit. The malt bill is extremely simple, intended to showcase the hops.”

Fairy Hopmother – IPA
“Fairy hopmother is a ridiculously delicious IPA featuring hops from three different continents. New Zealand’s Nelson Sauvin adds flavors reminiscent of white wine grapes and gooseberries. Notes of honeydew and strawberry come from German Huell Melon. American Mosaic rounds out the hop bill, kicking in notes of blueberry. A full body with slight caramel sweetness balances the rich fruity flavors from the hops.”

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Complete IPA Brewery # 2 – Great Notion

We have reached the 2nd stop pulled from the book Complete IPA – The Guide to Your Favorite Craft Beer, Great Notion Brewing of Portland, Oregon.

What a combo! Great Notion Brewing is next to a Pine State Biscuits. Now if only there were apartments right above.
GNB is a 7 Barrel brewery plus tap room in N.E. Portland which is appropriate since they “focus primarily on juicy New England-style IPA’s and creative sour ales”..

As you will see from my choices, they don’t stop there. Really cool fun fact: they age some of their beers in clay amphoras.
Instead of starting with their lauded hoppy ales, let’s go breakfast first, then finish with more breakfast for the initial taster flight….
Blueberry Muffin Sour Ale
This Blueberry sour will remind you of your Grandma’s freshly baked blueberry muffins!

Mandela (with Nelson) IPA
Mandela (w/ Nelson) is an IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic and dry-hopped 100% with Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand.

Over-Ripe IPA
Over-Ripe is an experimental IPA brewed with Azacca, Simcoe, Columbus & Motueka hops. We get loads of overripe fruit like cantaloupe, honey dew, and papaya.

Juice Box Double IPA
Bursting with pungent American hops, with aroma’s of peach, mango, and passion fruit. Juice Box is brewed with over 4 pounds of hops per barrel, but the creamy smooth mouth feel and mellow bitterness makes this Double IPA dangerously drinkable.

Double Stack Stout
Imperial Breakfast Stout brewed with Clutch coffee and Vermont maple syrup.

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Pre-Opening Visit – Lincoln Beer Co.

I had the opportunity last week to check out the space that Lincoln Beer Co. of Burbank calls home.

I spoke with Patrick Dunn, the head brewer about the brewery on an overcast day at their facility and taproom to come on Lima Street.

The space, as I have seen with the new set of breweries lately, has room for more tanks and fermenters which bodes well. A camper was parked in the warehouse space as well, the temporary home of brewery consultants who helped Dunn with the Pioneer brewing system (which was a struggle to get up and running correctly).

The brite tanks were, contrary to most breweries, tucked into the spacious cold box. A measure that has both pros and cons in my mind. Dunn and partner Ryan Lipson met in college and started home brewing and you know the story. All they needed was the funding to get started.

Now they await a CUP so that they can begin the taproom build out and get customers through the doors.

You will see a “homework” assignment and Beer of the Week over on Food GPS in the coming weeks.

Now onto the pair of beers tasted.

Honeysuckle session IPA was clean and crisp. A good option for those who want their hops and less ABV. It didn’t make me go wow, but for this early in the learning curve, it was done well.

Winter Fiesta is their Winter Warmer that combines the spice of habanero pepper with the soothing aroma and cooling of vanilla. I have a low pepper pain threshold but this mash-up, though hot, didn’t sear like other habanero beers that I have encountered.

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1st Visit – Cellador Ales

Take the Roscoe exit of the 405 (N or S), drive past the ????-A-rita plant that also “brews” Bud and you will be close to Cellador Ales helmed by the gracious Kevin and Sara Osborne.

I posted earlier this month about their soft opening hours every other weekend and I will talk more of their beers over on Food GPS but here are some photos from my 1st Visit to their barrel accented tap room…



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Complete IPA Brewery # 1 – Stoneface Brewing Company


The complete review of The Complete IPA will be posted sometime this month, and then I will select two other breweries that I first heard mentioned in that book to make e-visits to. The first stop is in New Hampshire and Stoneface Brewing Company.

Stoneface started brewing in 2014 by Erol Moe and Peter Beauregard (plus a third, silent partner). In that short time, they have been hoppy enough to get a mention in Bernstein’s book as well as have a hop in the logo.

Here are the beers that I would add to my first taster tray…..

Oated Ella
“A very pleasing pale ale that was brewed with oats and dry hopped with Australian Ella hops. As they say in Australia, “this beer is sweet as!””

APA
“Our American Pale Ale is the first beer we ever brewed here! It has an assertive bitterness and a big aroma. It’s dry hopped with Falconer’s Flight 7 C’s.”

Blip
“A balanced and bright IPA that has been dry hopped with Mosaic, Columbus, and Simcoe hops.”

Porter
“This beer drinks very smooth with a restrained bitterness and pours a rich, almost black color. It was brewed using chocolate malt and roasted barley; imparting delightful roasty and toasty flavors.”

India Red Rye
“Complex grain bill and moderate bitterness, spicy, malty and magical; aggressively dry hopped with a blend of American aroma hop varietals.”

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Almost Open – L.A. Aleworks


January or February will see the opening of Hawthorne’s first brewery (in the craft beer age, at least) when L.A. Ale Works unlocks the door you see above.

This long gestating brewery has a large space near Space X off of the 105 Freeway and will be producing these beers….

…pouring from these taps….

I tasted small samples of their Space XPA as well as the “un”coffee version of Buttress of Windsor and their saison during my visit and came away optimistic. The XPA had the texture and flavor that NE IPA fans will recognize, the saison was on point and the porter should prove an excellent base for coffee to jump off from.

There is a good amount of space when you add in the outdoor patio and growlers will be filled using one of those fancy fillers. You will even be able to drop off your growler and go with a new (filled one) if you don’t feel like hanging about.

Best of all, is parking. An actual lot with spaces. The other cool bit, and it is much cooler, is the mini Burton Union that the LAAW crew have set up to create their Blume Berliner Weisse….

The pieces are coming together. Stay tuned to their social media to see when the opening date will be.