Beer Reviews – Page 71 – Beer Search Party

May 3, 2014September 5, 2018

Review – Easy Jack Summer Session IPA

Since I am in the middle of two posts about my trip to all places Firestone Walker and since I just reviewed a lovely, light IPA from Kona Brewing I thought I would review another lovely, light IPA (Session, in this case) from FW.

This SIPA pours a very yellow color with loads of bubbles. Looks more like a sparkling cider than a beer once the head fades down. I get both fruit and wine notes along a skosh of cat pee in the aroma. But the taste is delightful. A mix of citrus notes. I get orange and lime and lemon all mixed up. There is a bit of wheat and light grain notes as well but this is a very light drink. It is not watery but it is quite close. It is bubbly and sparkles on the taste buds. The bottles are date stamped so make sure you get a fresh one otherwise I fear that it may not hold that bright note for too long. It has a bit of white wine character too as it warms up. Delicious all the way through.

May 3, 2014September 5, 2018

Review – Double Simcoe from Weyerbacher

Despite some hops becoming hip, some have staying power and cachet. Simcoe is such a hop. And Weyerbacher has doubled it.

DS pours a hazy dark amber color. And before I go further, I am glad that they have time stamped the bottle. I assume, since there are two dates, that one is the bottle date and the second is best buy. Which means I caught this a month before it technically expired.

It does taste a bit aged. The hops haven’t dropped out but they have changed. This is a bit in barley wine territory. But there is a big juicy orange taste that just sticks to the tongue that is balanced/fought by a caramel sweetness. There is a bit of a cola taste here as well.

It doesn’t taste super boozy despite the 9% ABV. The cheeks are warming though. This beer shows glimpses of what it probably was fresh. And is a good example of why beer fans need to travel and taste beer fresh. If this is an indication, I will like the full Weyerbacher.

April 28, 2014September 5, 2018

Review – Hi-Res from Sixpoint Craft Ales

Hi-Res pours a bright but dark orange. Individual hops seem to be vying for attention in the aroma which is not a good sign to me. You can smell the alcohol coming off it too. The taste is very muddled. Dank and alcoholic to the point where no other flavors can escape. More a hoppy strong ale that needs to age and mellow.

I was expecting more from this Sixpoint beer. But I will wager, without looking at ratings first that this one is probably 90+ out of 100. I wish the citrus was more pronounced to make this less boozy. The 11.5% is way too strong here.

P.S. The Ratebeer score was 98 out of 100. Hops win again

April 27, 2014September 5, 2018

Review – Four Seasons of Mother Earth

Vista, California and Mother Earth Brew Co. have gone transatlantic to collaborate with a French brewer, Brasserie du Pays Flamand, to create a hoppy tripel.

Or as the label calls it, a spring ale. And the label is quite a work of art. Beautifully screened directly onto the bottle. I haven’t been fond of the
of the other labels. The artwork didn’t appeal to me and the one color didn’t work on the bottle. But this is quite pretty.

It pours a medium orange color. I would expect more yellow highlights from a tripel though. It has a perfumey citrus aroma to it. A light potpourri note. The taste has a bit of spice to it. With grapefruit and orange peel hints to it. The flavor fades away fairly quickly. I would say it has better aroma than lasting flavor. And it doesn’t taste like 8.2% at all.

I have been more fond of Mother Earth beers than St. Archer but not not as much as Modern Times. But this beer which is more Spring Ale than tripel raises them in my estimation.

April 25, 2014September 5, 2018

Review – Seef – The Original Antwerp Beer

Full Disclosure – on the side, I am now extolling the virtues of beers in the Artisanal Imports line-up, of which Seef is a part. But, as always, I will review this straight up with no hemming and/or hawing.

This is a rarely seen beer in Los Angeles. Despite the distinctive retro label and fat bodied bottle which make it stand out from the crowd. In five years, I have had this beer only twice.

It pours a hazy light orange color and quite foamy. A graphic on the label instructs you to swirl the bottle while pouring which I do. There is a coriander spice and vanilla taste here that mirrors the aroma. It is crisp and light with a small touch of orange and even banana.

It is almost a mash up of a blonde ale and a wit with a touch of tripel and hefe to it. Like a DJ did a remix of four different songs.

April 24, 2014September 5, 2018

Review – Castaway IPA from Kona Brewing

It’s not everyday that you get a hollowed out volleyball with two beers in it. But Kona Brewing has always been a bit creative with their beers.

And for some reason, they don’t get much craft love because they are part of a bigger umbrella brewing concern but they make solid beers that need to be appreciated on their own merits.

Castaway IPA pours a light orange color with a a bit of a foamy head that evaporates quickly. The aroma is fairly light as well. Some citrus with hints of bitterness to come.

The taste is pretty light on the IPA scale. I would call this more XPA or if current vogue is standard then Session IPA. Heavy on the grain taste. Which I like. Some faint citrus notes and a medium hit of hops to round it out. Not thin by any means, but lighter in body for sure.

This certainly is more Hawaiian to me even though I have never been. It just has a tropical, sun up in the sky sort of flavor. I wish it had more Citra or something to name it fruitier, hop wise but this is another straightforward and tasty beer.

April 14, 2014September 5, 2018

Review – Odyssey from Sly Fox

90 IBUs!

According to the back of the can, Sly Fox has made “well over” 40 pales and IPAs using different hop combinations and varietals and Odyssey is the capstone to that project. An 8.4% ABV Imperial IPA.

It pours a dark orange color with fast swirling bubbles that quickly recede along with the head. I get a strong dried orange smell alongside some dankness.

It does taste Imperial. The slightly metallic bitterness is sharp at first then really sticks to the roof of the mouth. And it stays there. There is a touch of spice (maybe pepper) in the mix but that dried fruit aroma is mirrored in the taste too. Along with a tiny hint of lemon.

This is certainly one of the happier East Coast IPAs that I have encountered.

April 12, 2014September 5, 2018

IE IPA X2

A bit cryptic of a title for a blog post. Certainly not SEO friendly, but I have never been into that. Beer Geeks with a little LA knowledge will get the reference and that is enough for me.

I will be comparing and contrasting (apple and orange-ing) two IPA’s from the Inland Empire.

First up is Wiens Brewing Type 3 IPA. According to the label it is their 3rd IPA and it has five different hops in it. It pours quite redder than most IPA’s which stay in the orange or yellow realm of the rainbow. It leaves a lot of lacing on the glass especially for a beer at only 6.5% ABV. I get a mango and tropical note that is in line with the pineapple that the label talks about which is a good start. That fruit centric aroma fades as the bitterness is the star of the flavor show. But it does dissipate quite quickly.

The aroma is stronger than the flavor but there is a hearty dose of hops to contend with until they drop. For my first beer from this particular brewery it makes for a promising start but will it better it’s Redlands counterpart?

Hop-O-Matic from Ritual Brewing is another beer that doesn’t make its way into Glendale or LA much if at all. (Which is fine, I don’t mind if a brewery wants to serve it’s community first).

This take on the IPA comes in a little heavier on the ABV and sits in the orange hued spectrum. The aroma is quite spicy hence the pairing advice of Tikka Masala. This one certainly has a front loaded jolt of bitterness and carbonation that strike the palate but then it, like the Wiens fades off very quickly. And what I am left with is a reminder of bitterness and the taste of powdered cinnamon. A taste that I don’t believe that I have had in an IPA before. And that note is probably what triggered the donut and carrot cake pairing suggestions.

In the end, I would choose the Wiens first. Yes it was watery in comparison but the tropical notes were quite nice in the aroma and while they lasted in the taste. That strange spice in the Hop-O-Matic just didn’t grow on me like some beers can do.

April 12, 2014September 5, 2018

Review – Pravda Bohemian Pils from Ninkasi

I recently got a sample of Spring Reign from Ninkasi Brewing which was decent, but what I was really looking forward to was Los Angeles getting some of the Prismatic Lager Series. And Lo and Behold, Pravda appeared as if by providence.

I was a little worried though. This won the 2013 GOLD at the Great American Beer Festival last year. It pours a very clear dark yellow hue. Thin head and many bubbles streaming from the bottom to the top of my pilsner glass. The aroma has that metallic and slightly sweet note that my taste buds tend to pick up from this style. The taste is very crisp and clean. With a touch of bitterness. It is light but not to the point of watery at all. Grain taste is not there but I do get a twinge of citrus as each sip fades off.

I recently had a Heater Allen pils (right here in LA!) and that beer matches up well to this one. Both are big on the mineral taste with a bit of salt/savory going on. The carbonation keeps the proceedings fresh and ready you for the next sip. I am looking forward to seeing where the Prismatic Series goes next.

April 9, 2014September 5, 2018

Review – Harvest Ball Orange Witbier from Strand Brewing Co.

I am starting to wonder if Torrance will have it’s own terroir desgination. That pondering occurred to me whilst staring at the really simple and classy label for Strand Brewing Co.’s Harvest Ball Orange witbier. Which is their 4th anniversary beer that will probably be around for years to come.

Their version of the classic wit style pours a hazy light orange color with a thin white head to it. It is a pretty beer to look at. The smell though is fairly medicinal with a tinge of really dried fruit to it. Or maybe that is orange peel. I wish the fruit would come after me in both the aroma and the taste which has a tiny touch of orange that is there from the beginning of the sip until the end but wheat and coriander and a bit of metal is more predominant to me.

This is one of those beers that is really close to being a really nice fruit beer. But that nice citrus taste seems just out of reach and it lets other flavors take over that I am not digging on as much.