Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
The best way to defeat the bitterness of this election, (We say that every election nowadays, don’t we) is by having a bitter IPA that makes us feel independent even when the election process doesn’t.
So sit back and follow the results with a 22oz bomber from
If you have heard of the famed Daisy Cutter Hoppy Pale Ale, well then you will want to be in Long Beach at Beachwood tomorrow night.
Yeah, DC will be on tap alongside Akira American Wheat Ale, get Right Kolsch and Navaja DIPA for the very first time here in Los Angeles.
Thanks to a second brewery location, the Chicago brewery location has been expanding their beer’s reach.
With any luck the heat in Los Angeles will start to drop into fall-ish temperature ranges because there are quite a few Oktoberfest biers heading our way as well as the annual influx of gourd beers. Speaking of the pumpkin, considering the backlash and overproduction of the pumpkin beers last year, it will be interesting to see how much does get to shelves and if it is a little less this year. Now onto what you will see this month on this blog….
~ e-visits to three of the new arrivals to the filled Portland, Oregon scene. Ross Island Brewing, Ferment & Scout Beer.
~ special featured reviews of a mix of styles with fruits and herbs (but no fruited IPAs this month).
~ Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ A Book & A Beer reads City of the Lost
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world
Here are two events to get your August started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) August 2nd – Hopernicus DIPA re-release at Beachwood
2) August 11th – Nisei Week Pre-Launch Tap Take Over with Coedo Brewing at Far Bar.
…and here is the beer photo of the month…(OK, no beer this month but this time lapse photo of the moon in front of the Earth is too wicked cool to not re-post)
Getting bottles of those hoppy IPA’s from Beachwood will become a lot easier once this deal goes through….
“We are getting ready to embark on a pretty large expansion; while the deal isn’t done yet, we recognize that many people have come to learn that we’ll be acquiring Beach City Brewing in Huntington Beach. We are still in the process of securing the proper licenses that will allow us to take over the facility, so we’ve been a bit coy on the topic. Our hope, once the purchase of the assets and the transfer of the licenses takes place, is to increase our production capabilities over the next five years to upwards of 8,000 barrels. This will allow us to introduce more consumers to a steady line of Beachwood Brewing products via retail outlets such as bottle shops and grocery stores as well as restaurants and bars throughout Southern California. Our beers are increasingly growing in demand and this production facility allows us to expand at a rate we believe the market can sustain.” – Gabe Gordon
It is too bad about Beach City. Apart from the poorly executed labels, the minimal amount of beer that I had from them was quite above average and showed promise though it never achieved wider distribution. The failure of one business though will lead to expansion for others. I am flabbergasted each week when I look at the tap list of Beachwood beers then I remember the Blendery beers too and am more amazed at how Julian Shrago does it. He must be a logistics maven. This new space will allow more flexibility for his skills which is great news.
I hope that you survived Black Friday and Cyber Monday and any other days of the week in this holiday season and are ready to sample all the Christmas beers out there. Here is what is on tap for December on the blog.
~ e-visits to three breweries that brew beers with figs
~ special reviews of holiday beers plus a special Anchor Holiday Ale review
~ Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ Holiday Beer Daily started last month and continues up to Christmas.
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world
~ … and Session # 106 is all about the holiday ales
Here are two events to get your December started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) December 5th – Smog City + Vagabond Cheese pairing
2) December 17th – Beachwood 9th Anniversary
I know that I haven’t even posted about Beachwood’s L.A. Beer Week events but their anniversary party this year looks to be a mega tap list of goodies.
As seen from this screenshot, there is enough casks and aged rarities to keep one busy for days. Plus a new beer!
That is one month from now!
I am late to the party. This is my first time tasting the famed Citraholic from Beachwood Brewery.
This West-Coast IPA pours a pretty orange color. The aroma is mostly spice with lemon peel backing that up. The taste reinforces that duo with the lemon taking more of a co-star role. It tastes strong and a bit heavy almost to DIPA territory for me. But the lemon notes that alternate between just cut and a lemon pledge really works. And in the end it has an almost emonade quality.
Plus, Bless Beachwood for date stamping too. This bottle was 5 days old when I cracked it open.
How do you impress in a saturated barrel-age marketplace? Well you let Beachwood concoct an Imperial rye brown ale aged in American Rye Whiskey barrels for a year.
This beer packs the whiskey heat but it is no one trick eagle. There is a load of milk chocolate flavor here that matches the rye whiskey and wood notes. There is a bit of vanilla cream sweetness here as well. Texture wise it is almost silky but far from syrupy where many a barrel beer ends up.
I don’t know if it is the touch of Udder Love blended in or the age but this is one of the rare 10%+ beers that is drinkable right now. Three months into the year and I may have found one of the best beers of 2015. It totally reminds me of the Firestone Walker anniversary beers.
Expensive, yes. But this beer is worth it.
What was started after Thanksgiving continues as the Holiday Ale Daily Advent Calendar (HADAC) highlights Winter Warmers from all over the globe. Including the infamous Anchor Holiday Ale which I will review many years of. There will also be many Portland beers to review from my recent trip but don’t fret, there will be plenty of LA Beer news to convey.
~ E-visits to three breweries from the Dallas Design District such as Texas Ale Project, Noble Rey and Peticolas
~ Reviews of various years of the Anchor Holiday Ale including the new 2014 version
~ Heads-Up on festive Los Angeles Beer Events throughout the month
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world
~ … and Session # 94 will converge bloggers onto a single topic, this month it is Your Role in the Beer Scene
Here are two events to get your December started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) December 5th New Belgium Sour Seminar at Library Alehouse
2) December 18th Beachwood 8 Double IPA Release
Beachwood Brewing will soon be releasing the third beer in Beachwood Brewing’s 2014 series of barrel-aged beers, Sadie.
Tasting notes from the brewery describe Sadie as having “Rich accents of caramel and vanilla are carefully intertwined with delicate notes of oak and toasted oats.”
SADIE will be released as a limited edition beer on Tuesday, October 14th at 6pm at Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach and Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, California.
Saduewill be available in 22oz. bottles on October 14th at 6pm at both Beachwood locations for the price of $25.