Tag: beer review

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Review – Two from Ten Mile

I ventured out on a smoke filled sky Saturday to Signal Hill to pick up beers from Ten Mile Brewing who seem to have just what is needed for fall beer drinking.

First up to review is their Oktoberfest beer, Evidence of Autumn. This garnet colored gem is a really excellent example of grains being the star flavor of the show. Crackery and toasty yet crisp . It is a filling beer but not in a can’t have another pint way.

Dark Side of the Moo. Sitting on the line of dark brown and black this six percent milk stout is smooth except for a carbonated prickle mid sip.  No dark coffee or chocolate or even vanilla here.  Not super sweet either.  There is a touch of the cream here but it is faint.

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Featured Review – Trend Vampire from Fieldwork

I was so taken by Canopy Pale Ale from Fieldwork that came in my Summit Experience package from the California Craft Brewers Association that I went to their website and saw that they had better shipping options than some of my locals, so I picked up two divergent styles.

Next up is a hazy, Trend Vampire…

Super low ABV.  Love the name and all the DDH, hazy, low-cal descriptors.  Has that scrappy tongue feel.  More OG hazy, less the current fruity bombs.  A bit minty.  Certainly doesn’t taste low ABV

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Review – Smog City’s version of Black is Beautiful

First and hopefully not last of the multitude of beers in Los Angeles under the Black is Beautiful banner of stouts that I hope to enjoy. . The Smog City version has a slightly burnt / roasted caramel aroma. Really nice chicory and chocolate mix  of flavors. Nice balance of the two competing flavors. Has a campfire smokey essence to it as well as being ver smooth. Would pair really well with a sweet, milk chocolate. 

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Review – Wild Little Thing from Sierra Nevada

It has taken me awhile to trying the Wild sibling of Sierra Nevada’s Little Things lineup but I am embracing the color red now. This pours a pink color tending towards red. Even the foam is pink. The nose is very much candied strawberry. This has a soda pop flavor to me. No real sour or tart notes here. Getting that fruit punch flavor as a co-star with the berry. It’s only so-so to me. Not much beer here.

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Featured Review – Fancy Pants Kolsch from Paperback Brewing

Our second beer from Paperback Brewing is Fancy Pants Kolsch.

That is a crazy design for the crowler, though I really do like the sign that doubles as the beer description, that is quite clever. This Germanic beer has a fancy name for a time when most people are wearing shorts. It pours a bright and clear yellow. The taste is crisp with a bit of salty minerality to it. The aroma has a nice corn and grain sweet note to it. Not fizzy but forceful, I just wish it was a little less salty.

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Featured Review – What the Fuck from Paperback Brewing

Very pulp, horror, racy dime store novel label from Paperback How they got away with the actual F word is beyond me. The IPA pours a bright, clear orange color. Aroma is very minimal to me. I took multiple sniffs and did not get much. Flavor wise, getting a mix of candied orange and pine.  A little bit of a juicy note as well. Tastes bigger than 7%. An above average first IPA take for a new brewery.

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Featured Review – Partake Stout

We are at the end of the five part series of reviews of Partake Brewing, and we close with the Stout.

This beer garners the silver medal even though it is more a porter or brown ale. It has good flavor and is less watery than the rest. There is a bit of coffee taste as well as a slight tinge of cola. A bit of minerality in the finish that could be toned down but overall decent.

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Featured Review – Partake IPA

The penultimate in the five part series of reviews of Partake Brewing is the IPA. Let’s see how hoppy this N/A beer is.

Initially, this did not taste great. Had a weird aftertaste. As it warmed, it improved. More grapefruit pith notes came out. It is still a pretty thin and watery beer. Practically indistinguishable from the Pale. But I expect something more from IPA because you can use the hops to create vibrant palates. If this was labeled as a Pale or Session, I would review it more favorably.

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Featured Review – Partake Pale Ale

Next up in the five part series of reviews of Partake Brewing is the Pale Ale. Check out the first review of the Blonde Ale which was an inauspicious start to the five beer reviews.

The Pale Ale is much better. Firstly, the aroma pops off with light grassy and pine notes. The body is a little watery but has none of the weird “underdone” notes that the Blonde had. There is a refreshing smack of bitterness here and it is quite nice. A bit one dimensional but that dimension is solid.