Category: Beer Reviews

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Review – Kumquat Saison from Smog City

I have been looking forward to the 2023 version of Smog City’s Kumquat Saison for a bit of time. And now, is the time to take from the ‘fridge and taste it.

2023 marks the 8th year that Smog City Brewing Co. has joined forces with Food Forward for the release of Kumquat Saison. 600 pounds of kumquats were plucked from fruit trees in backyards that otherwise would not have been used.

Food Forwards’ efforts to end food insecurity are helped with each can sold as a portion of the proceeds from each 4-pack of Kumquat Saison will be donated to Food Forward as part of Smog City’s 1% for the Planet Community Impact Series.

The saison pours a bright yellow color.  Nice and tart on the tongue as that kumquat citrusy flavor shines through. Light on the palate with a bare hint of the Saison yeast coming through.  The malt base is right where it needs to be to let the fruit lead the way.

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Hood River Beer Review – Summer IPA from Ferment Brewing

Next Oregon beer review is Ferment Brewing’s Summer IPA. Described as, “Summer IPA offers big citrus and mango hop character in a refreshing unfiltered golden ale topped with a billowy head of foam.”

From the “top ferment” series at the Columbia River waterfront brewery, this IPA has a bright citrus aromatic profile along with a Saison-y first sip flavor. Tang meets Belgium. The mango comes in after the orange for a big one-two fruit punch. Bitterness plays a minor key in this but it is the note that lingers at the end.

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PDX Beer Review – YPA from Shimai Toshi

We start the Portland beer reviews with YPA from Shimai Toshi which means Sister City in Japanese.  They focus on Yuzu which has flavors of Meyer lemon, mandarin, and grapefruit.

Time to try their Hazy Yuzu…

YPA isn’t hazy hazy.  Great citrus aroma and very bright.  It has a hoppy burst up front that fades into softness.  A bit of piney bitterness lingers. 

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Review – Two from Hop Secret

Time to get hoppy with Monrovia’s Hop Secret Brewing. Hitting up a hazy and a DIPA from their colorfully labeled cans.

Fistful of Haze – had a bit of sediment in this can. Not super hazy or murky. Yellow with an orange tint. Mostly tropical fruity. Soft on the palate with a good level of bitterness.

Hoppa Stoppa – tastes more like a regular IPA. kind of flat overall. There is a little bit of fruit flavor to this, but overall not bunny with glasses cool.

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Review – 12° and 14° from Urban Roots

It comes down to a matter of degrees, which of the Czech Lagers from Urban Roots Brewery will I prefer? 12° or 14°.

12° – pours a orange yellow color. very crisp. getting a lot of mineral water taste that offsets the smooth mouthfeel of the lager. the barest touch of malt sweetness.

14° – Speciál Ležák” pours a slightly darker orange. fuller and sweeter. getting toast and strawberry preserve here. rounded mouthfeel.

Fourteen Degrees would be my pick. I think it would pair with a wide variety of foods and that bigger lager taste is more my thing.

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Beer Review – No, You Hang Up First Hazy Pale Ale from Ogopogo and Common Space

Ogopogo Brewing and Common Space Brewery are on the line with a hazy pale ale.

Time to talk about it….

Pours a hazy lemonade color. Initial aroma is pineapple but more pineapple smoothie than the sharp fruit. The initial taste is a very creamy tropical fruit. This is another super pillowy version of hazy. The end note is orange juice. Really nice example of how a lower ABV pale can have lovely and complex flavors.

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Review – Skaze Race from Alvarado Street

For the first review of July, lets dive into thiols. 2X thiols per the label from Alvarado Street’s Skaze Race.

Here is the description from their website, “This thrilling SKAZE is double dry hopped and thiol boosted for maximum juicy radness. Select lots of Mosaic, Nelson, Citra Cryo and Cryo Pop are teeming with tropical hop oils and potent thiols. A blast of tangerine and pineapple blasts you off a wave of gooseberry before you splash down in an  invgorating spray of passionfruit and blueberry- leaving a hint of coconut candy in your wake.”

I certainly get that big passion fruit aroma which seems to be a thiol hallmark. The beer pours a murky yellow color, almost golden. The first flavor note I get is blueberry. I also get a big orange creamsicle hit as this beer is super pillowy soft. At the end, I get a medium strong banana note which is odd but works with the other fruit flavors.

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Review – Pineapple Party Punch from Rogue

For the final review of June, let’s go a bit Tiki with Rogue Ales Pineapple Party Punch.

No rum involved in this hazy IPA, just pineapple and toasted coconut. The aroma is pineapple smoothie. Not unpleasant but a bit sweet to me even for a fruited hazy. When tasting, is actually works. The hop bitterness and the pineapple play off each other and the mouthfeel is pillowy soft. The coconut is a little less present but that is the way I prefer, a little of it goes a long way for me.

I was worried that this would be too much but Rogue has mixologisted it up in balance.

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Review – Sneaky Sips & Juicy Drips

Two breweries. One mission. Use the same hop combo of Galaxy, Mosaic and Cryo Pop.

That is the challenge for Three Weavers and Tarantula Hill and now is the time to see who wore the hops best…

Juicy Drips – pours a light yellow with a light bit of haze to it. Strong stone fruit aroma. Getting peach and nectarine in both the aroma and taste. Also a bit of wine character as well. Body is light as well with a deceptive bitter kick to it.

Sneaky Sips – looks like a pilsner in the glass. Initially this was 100% pine needle with a sharp bitter hit at the beginning of the sip but as it warms up a little bit of fruit flavor kinda like grape adds a secondary note that the beer needed to avoid being one dimensional.

You would not know from tasting that these beers used the same hops, at all. I was more partial to the Three Weavers with that peach fuzz taste.

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Featured Review – Unity 2023 led by Eagle Rock Brewery

LA Beer Week is going full blast, so it is time to review the Unity beer for 2023. Labeled as “a community-made hoppy Helles Lager”.

It pours a dark orange color. Lemon and tea notes on the nose. Dare I say, it tastes more like Session IPA or a Cold Pale Ale? Don’t get me wrong, it tastes great. The base for this beer is very light but the hops are well in proportion so everything stays bright.