Category: Beer Reviews

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Review – IPC from 101 Cider House

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My jury is still out on hopped ciders.  I haven’t (yet) run across one that has melded the right hop to the right apple.  But as with Black IPA’s, I am still trying to find the perfect one.

The latest comes from 101 Cider House here in Los Angeles.

Here is the website description of their IPC, “A blend of american cider apples, and fragrant west coast quince. This cider is the product of a wild fermentation, without the addition of sulfites or other preservative methods. After several months of natural malolactic activity, this dry cider is then twice hopped. The primary hopping (a blend of Amarillo, Cascade, Nelson, and Simcoe hops) adds a rich earthy texture, followed by a secondary hopping of 100% Citra hops. Tart, fragrant, naturally sparkling, and explosive with citrus notes.”

The aroma is really vegetal.  A little too off-putting for my nose. There is a sourness vying for attention with the grassy notes of the hops or maybe that is the Nelson contributing too much wine/grape.  The cider pours a very, very light yellow.  Nearer to hazy white.  The taste is tart but not really bitter to my hop addled palate. Almost too sparkly too.  Bit of an assault on the tongue.  The apple is too dull and the hops just aren’t pulling this together.  Thumbs down on the IPC but I will try the regular ciders in their rotation.

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Featured Review – Polestar Pilsner from Left Hand

I had to wait for the chilling effects of the right out of the ‘fridge Polestar Pilsner.  But when I did, the bright yellow beer was a sight to behold.

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Right off the bat, this beer is primarily mineral driven there are undertones of citrus and hops but they are well underneath that mineral taste. This Colorado Pilsner is crisp but doesn’t fade away quietly. The taste lingers on the tongue. Right at the back you get some grain tastes clocking in.

This is a solid pils and a great start to the Left Hand Brewing line -up.

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Nitro or Not

So, when Left Hand Brewing came to L.A., I basically bought one of everything.  Intrigued by all the possibilities, was I. One of which is the topic for today.

Milk Stout.  Nitro or regular?

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I have only ever had the Nitro, so to be able to taste test the two was great.  Here are the results

Milk Stout – the label is certainly better with the cow and left hands and Van Gogh-ish font and swirls. Much less of a head than the nitro, which is to be expected but the difference is still stark. This beer is super chocolately to me. Almost pudding like with that level of sweetness. Some burnt edges to it as well.

Nitro Milk Stout – the mouthfeel is so different. Really soft and velvety.  The sweetness is cut a bit so there is less of a milk chocolate taste to it. More whipped cream with chocolate instead. Little more coffee bitterness coming through here as well. And much lighter with a touch of spice that lingers at the end.

It is hard to choose a winner. Both have positives in different arenas but I would settle on the Nitro due to the mouthfeel. It is just more unique and plays up the lactose in the beer.

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Featured Review – Brew Free or Die IPA from 21st Amendment

Our final beer from 21st Amendment, their IPA Rushmore, Brew Free or Die!

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This pours out of the can pretty piney smelling.  Very enticing to start.  The orange color and cool lacing are also positives.  And the taste follows suit for a bit.  But then the flavors start to wear on the tongue.  There is some tropical in the mix but I get a lot of woody notes up front that is barrel-esque but finishes with more of a sawdusty taste.  It is bitter but not overtly so but the hops do start to make their presence felt which is what causes the weariness.

Maybe I appreciate the lighter 21a beers.

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Review – Unity 2015

I first sipped this beer near the end of the Kick-Off festival but after so many beers on the day, it was hard to get a true look at it. So, once bottles started showing up around town, I grabbed a few to re-test.

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It is a very simple beer. The initial sip has a spark of tart and that tartness is there the rest of the way but not puckeringly so. The aroma would lead you to think it is more sour than it is. There is a good amount of farmhouse yeast aroma as you swirl the beer in the glass. There is some notes of grapefruit and a bit of the sweet tart intermingled.

I have had various saisons from Smog City with the kumquat being excellent and the plum, not so much. I would like to see fruited variations on this beer in the future. It is good with a nice low ABV but it is missing a little something like a spice or fruit note to add another layer to the beer.

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Review – Session Gap (in bottles)

All Starburst rants aside, I was intrigued to see that MacLeod’s was bottling. Brewer Andy Black is protective of his beer and rightfully so because it really shines when presented right.  That right being on cask at the right temperature.

But the attractive label lured me in and now it is time to see how the bottled version compares.
IMG_4319And there is quite a difference.  There is zero lacing on this beer.  Absolutely none.  Plus it is many shades nuttier than what I remember. There is a nice hit of bitterness here that seems stronger than on cask as well.  Sort of a tea/lemonade mix going on.  Normally I would say this was a thin beer but because MacLeod Ales generally are on the less strident side, this isn’t much different to me.

I would hazard a guess that the darker, maltier beers like Jackie Tar would fare better with the bottle treatment.

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Featured Review – Down to Earth from 21st Amendment

Session IPA’s are all the rage and at first it was easy to stand out but now that more players are in the low ABV IPA game, it makes it harder for the latecomers one of which is Down to Earth from 21st Amendment.

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Despite my aversion to the grinning monkey on the can, here is my review of Down to Earth.

The initial aroma is a bit on the wine grape side for me.  Like a white wine almost. There is a brief moment when you first sip that you think it might be too bitter for the style but then it drops off the proverbial cliff and lightens up considerably.  It is still really hoppy and the malt base has left the building.

The Session IPA pours a dark orange when I expect something of a lighter hue. This beer is strong out of the gate but then falters from there on out.  Some bitterness lingers for awhile after each sip.  It doesn’t quite grow on me though.  The lack of malt backbone really hinders this beer.

 

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Kolsch-Off

It is time to pit one canned Kolsch vs another.

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Who will win when Maui Brewing Kihei Kolsch takes on Flat Tail Tailgater of Corvallis, Oregon.  Both new to L.A. shelves.

Design – hands down win for Maui with the striking Germanic colors over a rendering of their Kihei taproom.  Tailgater has the Orange State of Oregon but little else.

Color – slight edge to Maui.  A little more eye candy lacing than the Flat Tail.

Aroma – Tailgater smells more traditional.  A little too much spice in the Kihei. Edge to Corvallis.

Taste  – Kihei is bright with orange notes and spice character much like an orange pekoe tea. Tailgater is crisp and clean with with just the right touch of viscosity and citrus notes.

Verdict – if you are looking for a clean and crisp Kolsch without bells and whistles than Flat Tail is the choice.  If you are looking for a Kolsch evocative of the islands than the Maui Brewing can is for you.

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Featured Review – Hell or High Watermelon from21st Amendment

Now this is a divisive beer. Some think it is too sweet and others (like me) could drink it by the gallon. I first encountered this beer, long, long ago at the Oregon Brewers Festival and was smitten.

But now that it is newly arrived in LA, it is time to re-evaluate the Hell or High Watermelon from 21st Amendment.

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The wheat ale pours a medium dark yellow out of the can.  There is an immediated whiff of watermelon.  Not the fakey Jolly Rancher kind (though some people feel it is).  To me, it is more watermelon juice.  Divorced from the normal sensation of how we normally eat watermelon.  So it throws people’s tastebuds off.  But for me the balance is spot on.

It is very refreshing.  The watermelon flavor is there and strong but nor cloying and overpowering.  A true summer in LA type of beer.

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Featured Review – Lost Meridian Wit from Base Camp

Our last featured review is a wit by the name of Lost Meridian from Base Camp Brewing of Portland.

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This found Wit pours a pleasing hazy orange color. You never know with witbiers, where the brewer wants to take it. Floral, perfumey could be an option or more citrus notes.

Lost Meridian has both. Layered with creamsicle orange and tea-like tannin notes there is also a potpourri touch as well, especially in the aroma. It is dry and bitter as each sip finishes. You could probably also characterize it as being redolent of orange jell-o. But that finish keeps that from getting too out of hand.

Neither flavor knock my socks off though and I would like an edge of spice to round out this beer.