Tovarish

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Beachwood Brewing (home to many a 2013 GABF medal) is finishing their bottle year with an Imperial Espresso Stout.  And they had me at Portola Coffee Lab….

“Tovarish is a bold Russian imperial stout brewed with a base of British Maris Otter barley, heaping amounts of roasted barley, and specialty malts. “Tovarish is a remarkably rich and complex beer,” says Brewmaster & Co-owner Julian Shrago. It is finished with a touch of black-strap molasses along with a custom roasted coffee blend by Portola Coffee Lab in Costa Mesa, CA. “Savor the layers of roast, coffee, and dark fruits with every sip,” continues Shrago.”

Some British Oak

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It is good to see more oak aged beers from Great Britain.  At least for now, until Scottish voters decide on their political fate.  And though this isn’t spelled in the 10th Doctor way, I would love to see how Tennent’s is treated by whisky oak.  Might add a whole new dimension.

German Alt Comeback

Now the Freigeist folks have a seriously cool design thing.  Sort of horror movie font and black and white but with brewery images.  Love the whole design of the label….

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…and I love that it is an altiber!  I have seen some Freigeist bottles around L.A. and now I will have to look even harder.

Otto

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If you have had Fred from Hair of the Dog then you will need to try this companion beer “from the wood” that bears the name of Otto.  And wears the jaunty Germanic hat.  This palindromic twist on Fred is another aged beer from HotD.  And they certainly know how to make them.

Two from Temecula

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I haven’t had the fortune to taste any beers from the Wiens (pronounced, “Weenz”) Brewing Co.  But I like the labels and I would like to taste these and maybe a bottle or two will find their way to L.A. County.  Nudge, nudge.

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The Desolation of Hops

I wasn’t a big fan of the Hobbit (aka, the one big dinner scene movie) but even that poorly paced flick might be made better by this hop-punned beer from Moa….

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They seem to be catching flak in their native land because they are thought of as more brand than beer. Fair point. The craft community has a history book full of brands masquerading as beer so that reflex is understandable. But, as I tell people, it is the beer that counts. Not the marketing. Not the size of the brewery. Not the reputation of the brewer. Not the hipster location. Beer comes first. Then you can filter and sort by the other stuff after that. The few Moa beers that I have had stood out to my tastebuds so I hope they soldier on.

Who Said?

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Another wacky collaboration from 21st Amendment and this time they have teamed with the Pumpkin King, Dick Cantwell of Elysian Brewing for a unique 2-pack of seasonal treats.

“He Said let’s brew a dark beer with pumpkin and spices and put it in a light colored can. He Said let’s brew a light beer with pumpkin and spices and put it in a dark colored can. So they did both and produced a pumpkin beer collaboration like no other: two black pumpkin beers and two white pumpkin beers, together in one box.

He Said is a white Belgian-Style Tripel ale brewed with pumpkin, tarragon and galangal.  He Said is also a black Baltic-Style Porter lager brewed with pumpkin, Vietnamese cinnamon and ground caraway. Both beers have an ABV of 8.2%.”

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Gerald Ford and Beer

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Not too many craft beers out there named after aircraft carriers (as far as I know) and probably not many with a president’s name on it (unless you count the mocking ones) either.  But what is most important on this label is the brewery name, Founders.  That is all I need to know. (That plus dry hopped).

Santa Clara comes to Los Angeles

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Santa Clara Valley Brewing has signed on to be distributed by California Craft Distributors “to bring its golden goodness to the Golden State.” In a wider distribution.

Here is some extra information on them, “..Santa Clara Valley Brewing became a reality in March of 2012, their history dates back years prior. Winning four consecutive medals at the Great American Beer Festival from 2008 to 2011, local brewer Steve Donohue has been making great beer since he started professionally brewing seventeen years ago.”

Now L.A. might get some of their offerings like, “One of the first products to hit the market will be the Electric Tower IPA. Named after the San Jose landmark, which was one of the largest “moonlight towers” of the era, this IPA is the perfect balance of massive hop character.”

“Another bottled beauty is the Peralta Porter, named after the small adobe house that was built in 1807 in Pueblo San Jose and still stands today. Built with the flavors of chocolate, coffee, and an earthy hoppiness, this beer displays the same hearty character as the resilient landmark it’s named after.”

And if we are “lucky, you might even run across some of their draft beers, like the Little Orchard Saison or something from their upcoming rotating seasonal draught selection.”

Beets Me

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I have had only one of the “Spontan” series from Mikkeller.  And though I enjoyed The Wild Strawberry, I have to say that I wasn’t thinking to myself.  I sure wish he would do a beet version.  That’s not what I have a hankering for.  But I guess you can tell from the RateBeer list of Mikkeller beers that he has done pretty much the gamut of fruits so maybe now he will work through the vegetables.