Category: Beer Reviews

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Review – Patio Project from Beachwood Brewing – Can 3

This month, as a bit of a scientific lark, I am going to review the same beer weeks apart to see if any differences can be found. I chose Patio Project IPA from Beachwood Brewing as the test subject after picking it for the beer shopping list post last month.

As you can see from the above photo, it was canned up on 8/1/24. For this review, the first can was tasted on 8/16/24. Can two was opened on 9/5/24. Can three was opened on 9/29.

Still pours a bright and light yellow. No visual degradation seen at all. Aroma also coming in strong. The hop bite is still there which is good because this is near session IPA to me and without it, the beer would lose a dimension.

Maybe I shall conduct this experiment again but with a different, not as high quality brewery as Beachwood and maybe take it over a longer time frame.

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Review – Fresh Wave XPA from El Segundo Brewing

El Segundo Brewing is throwing it back to the ’80s in both beer style and font with their Fresh Wave XPA, Extra Pale Ale. Like most monikers XPA is a bit weird give it is basically just word replacing. Session IPA is a bit cleaner and understandable.

That said, let’s taste the liquid inside and not get too hung up on verbiage. At 4.9%, this is low ABV but that first sip doesn’t give too much away because the hops come in the front door, loud. There is a second wave of malt where the lightness of the body shows up but at the end, it tastes almost like a hoppy Wit as a tropical burst comes in.

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Review – 2 from Replicant (and Germany)

Replicant Beer of Pasadena has found a mystery German brewer to assist with a duo of Oktoberfest appropriate beers. One – a German Pilsner and second – a Kellerbier.

Let’s talk Uhaml first, it pours a bubbly mid yellow color. The first sip gives that refreshing note and minerality. Getting a slight melon notes as well. Bit of excess slickness in the mouthfeel, I would like a shade more crispness. Small issues though because this tastes really good.

Rübezahl, the mountain spirit, pours a yellow / orange mix. Big malt notes here that lead into an initially sharp mouthfeel that turns slippery by the end. Earthy is the best descriptor that I can give to it.

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Oktoberfest Review – Sierra Nevada & Gutmann

Enough Okto talk and time for an Oktoberfest bier review as we dive into the 2024 cross cultural collaboration between Sierra Nevada with Brauerei Gutmann.

At 6%, this Oktoberfest is on the higher side. The beer pours a yellow streaked orange and the malt is strong in the aroma. The first has a big hit of minerality to it. Which is followed by the malt profile. I detect a little orange peel hop note swirling around as well. Also getting a hefeweizen note as well which makes this beer a bit of a hybrid.

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Review – Patio Project from Beachwood – Can 2

This month, as a bit of a scientific lark, I am going to review the same beer weeks apart to see if any differences can be found. I chose Patio Project IPA from Beachwood Brewing as the test subject after picking it for the beer shopping list post last month.

As you can see from the above photo, it was canned up on 8/1/24. For this review, the first can was tasted on 8/16/24. Can two was opened on 9/5/24.

It is light in body and also has a light citrus taste to it. The bitterness is medium low but still easily noticeable. No weird or off flavors detected. Still a really tasty session IPA.

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Review – Honey and Ube from Engkanto Brewery

My lovely local craft beer bar the Glendale Tap had Filipino craft brewer, Engkanto on tap and since I have never had a craft beer from that country, my curiosity was piqued.

I had the Paint Me Purple Ube Lager which poured a medium dark purple color and had sweet yam taste to it. But also a bit of offsetting minerality as well. Slick mouthfeel too. 

I also sampled their Hive Hive Honey Ale which was really good on very hot day. The honey was definitely in attendance as was that minerality again. Slightly slick mouthfeel but not too sweet at all. I liked that the bottle had the brewery name in the glass.

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Review – Patio Project from Beachwood – Can 1

This month, as a bit of a scientific lark, I am going to review the same beer weeks apart to see if any differences can be found. I chose Patio Project IPA from Beachwood Brewing as the test subject after picking it for the beer shopping list post last month.

As you can see from the above photo, it was canned up on 8/1/24. For this review, the first can was tasted on 8/16/24. I will taste can two and can three later.

PP pours a light yellow in color with bubbles flying upward in the glass. At first, it seems slight but this has a very solid dank base to it. The malt texture is not letting itself be left behind here as it is near equal to the hops. Any fruit notes from the hops come off as dried citrus to me.

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Review – Rosso from Menabrea

It is not often that I drink an Italian beer. And even less often that I taste one on draft so when my wife and I went out to Pasta Sisters in Culver City and I saw that they had two beers on draft from Menabrea Brewing, well, I had to try.

I had to really adjust my taste buds and expectations after having a DDH and a TDH IPAs earlier in the day. This is water from the Alps. A slight touch of Old World hops and then leaning into malt without being a big beer. This is subtle. No spice notes, no bitterness just malt and it was a great way to end a drinking day or to start one. Rosso is a beer that can get lost in the shuffle between hoppy bangers so one needs to have this with food and enjoy it.

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Lagunitas Review # 2 – 19.2 ounces of IPA

The second of the duo of re-looks at Lagunitas Brewing is their IPA in the big ol’ stovepipe can.

This 3.2 extra ounces IPA pours a real dark yellow tinted with orange color. Has a pilsner aroma to it and the first sip gives off orange peel, cracker and a dry finish. Very current hoppy pils with old school malt vibes. There is a weird mix of watery mouthfeel but at the top is a very earthy and sodden with hops. As if the brewers were going one way then made a sharp U-Turn. This is a real solid IPA overall and one of the few that is an actual low ABV one compared to big DIPAs that usually get put into these bigger cans.

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Lagunitas Review # 1 – A Little Sumpin’, Sumpin’

There are quite a few Sumpin’s in the Lagunitas Brewing back catalog but the latest is a near DIPA range Wheat IPA. So, this month, I thought that I would review a couple from this heritage brewery that is still hanging on after more halcyon days.

The wheat Sumpin’ pours a swirl of orange and yellow. Getting orange peel on the nose. First sip is close to an orange pekoe tea flavor but something seems off here. There is an earthy undertone that isn’t fitting in well. Or maybe it is just to tea tannic for my tastes. Doesn’t taste 7.5% though.