Tag: beer review

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Featured Beer Review – LA – Strategic Partnership IIPA from Ogopogo (and friends)

Ogopogo gathered a flock of brewers for their IIPA, Strategic Partnership…

Here are my tasting notes…

Right off the bat, fruit punch, concord grape and bubbly as well. Light for the style at 8.5% I kept waiting for a hit of alcohol or some form of heaviness but it never came. There was a little hop speedbump but the big fruit notes zoom you past it in a jiff. The label does make me note what “lupomax Citra” brings to the table as well. Two thumbs up here and if you are looking for fruit without the haze, this is for you.

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Bonus Christmas Beer Review – Utopias Barrel-Aged World Wide Stout

I always try to leave space for a beer that I received at Christmas, this year that beer is …a combo of partners Dogfish Head and Sam Adams.

This is a big one. First hit is maple and lots of it. Not sugary though, more dry. It is an odd duck. I get some notes of Utopias peering through but that maple is the keynote. The cheeks warm after just a couple sips but the alcohol is not a large presence. I do get some tobacco / coffee ground combo. Chicory maybe. Due to the cost per bottle and the ABV, this is a special occasion beer.

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Review – Anchor Christmas 2021

Time to finally review the 2021 version (or 47th version) of Anchor Brewing’s holiday seasonal.

2021 pours a dark brown almost black with a nice latte rim of lace on top. Upon first inspection the aroma is citrus meets mulling spices. Very holiday indeed. There is more of a hop hit this year. Within distance of a black IPA. Nice roasty finish. A very filling beer. If my poor memory serves, this is one of my favorite iterations of this classic.

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Santa’s Pint Glass – Day 21

I am accustomed to the big Belgian bottle of St. Bernardus Christmas Ale so it took some getting used to it being in a twelve ounce can.

Here is how the brewery describes this Quad, “St.Bernardus Christmas Ale is an intensely dark beer with a full, yet slightly fruity flavour, overflowing with the tastes of winter and zesty seasonal aromas. Aniseed notes are complemented by hints of creamy caramel and fire-roasted chestnuts. This zestiness shows no signes of abating, pushing through to a magnificent finish of dried fruits and chocolate.”

Will the can compare to that? And will my comparison bottle taste similar, let’s get to the results…

A little toffee, a little fruit. Bang on fruitcake with this. There is a nice bite to it as well. It is too light for chocolate and roasted nuts aren’t there for me but has a zest and a malt backbone to it that means it could easily pair with practically any food course from salad to turkey to dessert. Just lovely.

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Review – XX Anniversary from Firestone Walker

I keep a rolling five years of the Firestone Walker Anniversary Vintages and this year marks the last of the 22oz bombers.

As a reminder, this anniversary blend was devised by Scott Hawley from the Paso Robles winery, Torrin. It is 40% Parabola aged in Bourbon barrels and new oak, 20% Stickee Monkee aged in Bourbon and Brandy barrels, 17.5% Velvet Merkin, 12.5% Bravo and 10% Helldorado, all Bourbon barrel aged.

It pours a dark brown with a bit of a reddish tint. As you would expect, Bourbon is on the nose. It is still a touch hot in the initial sips as well even after five years in the box. It is sweet as well with a fruit note that I can’t quite catch (maybe cherry). There is a bit of dark but not roasted malt character as this tastes like an amplified brown ale.

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Review – Juiced by HenHouse Brewing

I have been staying away from sours for a bit. 16oz of acid can wreak havoc on a stomach. But I was intrigued by the Carmen Miranda hen on the can of Juiced from HenHouse so I put it in my cart.

The duo of Kiwi and strawberry seemed good for an unseasonably hot SoCal day. It is quite tart up front. More in the Americanized style since the salt and wheat don’t really feature. This is designed for fruit. And I mostly taste? Lime. There is a tiny bit of berry sweetness tucked inside but not a lot. As you drink more and if you pay close attention, the kiwi and strawberry are there but you do have to look for it.

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Review – Tropical Hazy Mixed Pack from Firestone Walker

Prior to my trip up to the Central Coast, I snagged a variety pack of the Tropical Mind Haze Variants from Firestone Walker.

Starting from left to right with the Tiki Smash which is a winning combination of coconut and pineapple. I thought I was drinking pineapple juice for a moment. The bitterness is really low and I am not getting any mango notes to speak of, but it has the tropical nailed.

Next up is Hopical Crush with no specific flavors mentioned on the box. This has a lovely citrus aroma. Big navel orange flavor complemented by a grassy bitterness. I also get a bit of vanilla.

Lastly is the Citrus Cyclone, made with real tangerine. Comes across at first as like a Radler. That tangerine comes through in the aroma. Bitterness is buried beneath the juice note. Nice and refreshing but I would call it more a pale in profile.

Tiki Smash is my winner.

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Review – 2 from AleSmith

Two new releases hit my doorstep courtesy of AleSmith Brewing and I couldn’t choose which to review, so I chose both!

Here are the brewery details on the latest Speedway Imperial Stout variant, “We used the comforting trio of Mexican dark chocolate, sea salt, and Mexican coffee to give the beer delectable notes of cacao and dark fruit, a subtle touch of cinnamon, and a kiss of roasty earthiness.”

The Tower of Flower is described thusly, “We’ve teamed up once again with our good friends at Beachwood Brewing to make this behemoth west coast-style India pale ale that has been double dry-hopped with Galaxy, Cashmere, and Nelson hops. This monstrous hop blend gives this beer intense notes of passion fruit, citrus, peach, and melon.”

On to the reviews…

The Tower of Flower pours a medium yellow shade. Initial thoughts are that it is crisp and bright, almost like an IPL. The dominant flavor for me is Concord grape. The four fruits listed in the description elude me. I also get a grasy bitterness as well. And that really sticks.

I expected more from the Speedway. Chocolate, coffee and sea salt are big flavors. I didn’t get much of a hit of that trio. Slightly like a milk chocolate covered espresso bean but really toned down.

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Review – Unity 2021 Hoppy Pilsner from Common Space

Unity is back! After a forced hiatus, there is a new Guild beer. Loaded with Talus and two forms of Cashmere hops, Common Space with help from others, of course has chosen a hoppy pilsner.

Guava, white nectarine and Asian pear are the adjectives summoned by the brewery and, to me, the pear notes come through the strongest. Unity pours a super clear yellow and has what I consider a “wet” character. Not slick or bubbly. It seems more lager than pilsner to me. A little more filling. Naming aside, this beer has a really good bitter to beer style balance.