Tag: beer reviews

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Super Beers 2020

Yesterday, the ol’ pigskin was tossed around at…

Here is my ranking of the beers tasted during the pre-game, the game, the half-time and finally watching the Chiefs accepting the trophy after a very long wait.

  1. Stone 02.02.2020 Epic Palindrome Ale -sort of an amped up Witbier meets Belgian Golden. This had a touch of spice and a smaller touch of citrus but after a pile of IPA’s this was the most interesting beer sip after sip.
  2. Port Brewing Wipeout IPA – Solid and nicely bitter in the West Coast Style. Light malt base and one that I did not forget during the game.
  3. Strand Brewing White Sand DIPA – As is usual with Strand, malt forward with hops filling in gaps like linebackers. Very old school.
  4. Track 7 Left Eye, Right Eye DIPA – Fine. Didn’t move the needle for me.
  5. New Belgium Voodoo Ranger IPA – This gets a pass because I think it was old and stale.
  6. Cellador Petalum – First, this gushed. And it gushed bright red. Then the smell of beets just took over. No sour, no wild just beet juice. I took a few swallows and was done.
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Up From the Cellar – Propagation 001 from Beachwood Blendery

I dipped back into my purposefully dwindling cellar stash since the weather has turned a bit cold at night and hot at day so I needed something in-between and I found this gem from the early days of Beachwood Blendery...

This brings back memories from the very start of Beachwood Blendery. The cage was harder to pry off than the cork but once inside I found a simple Brett-astic small Saison.  It made my stomach gurgle that night but this was a lovely sipper. Pours with a thick meringue foam.  The flavor is all Brett but not overpoweringly so.  It is easy to imagine this being a part of a blend. Lot of barnyard funk. Tiny bit of old hat as well. 

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In the Tap Lines for November 2019

header_attractionsWe are close to the end of the decade but we have two big holidays left on the calendar.  So some holiday beers will be seen popping up plus a bunch of other fun stuff.

~ e-visits to three breweries from Portland, Oregon to honor the start of the Portland Trailblazers 50th season in the NBA
~ special featured reviews of Saison Dupont matched against other Saisons
~ 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 Full Throttle by Joe Hill
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Startup to Storefront
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your November started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) November 2nd – Field of Drafts Festival in Lancaster
2) November 16th – Highpoint Brewing 1st Anniversary

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In the Tap Lines for October

header_attractionsHave we entered Fall?  L.A. has seen 90+ then practically shady temps, then back up again.  The weather whipsaw might be best suited to those lighter Oktoberfest beers.  Now onto what is coming up this month….

~ e-visits to three breweries from Ohio (see A Book & A Beer below)
~ special featured reviews of the Firestone Walker Hoppy Lion Variety Pack
~ 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 Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Eaters Digest
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your October started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) October 1st – MacLeod Ale night at Tony’s Darts Away
2) October 13th – DTLA Brewers United Fest

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In the Tap Lines for September 2019

header_attractionsThis month the big event is in Long Beach as the California Craft Beer Summit comes south for their 2019 iteration.  There will be tips about the festival as well as events surrounding the gathering of the state’s brewers in the coastal town.

~ e-visits to three breweries coming to Long Beach for the Summit Beer Festival
~ special featured reviews of beers in the tall chimney hat can format
~ 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 Kafka by the Shore
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to 30 for 30 – The Sterling Affairs
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your September started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) September 21st – Craft Beer LB Festival
2) September 21st – Oktoberfest Kick-Off at Rasselbock Long Beach

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In the Tap Lines for August 2019

header_attractionsINTRO

~ e-visits to three breweries with “bear” in the name
~ special featured reviews of beers for super hot weather, from Angel City
~ 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 The Porpoise by Mark Haddon
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Noble Blood
~ 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 – Brew at the L.A. Zoo
2) August 4th – New Original Breweries Beer Tour

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In the Tap Lines for July 2019

header_attractionsIt has been an up and down climate change type of weather year here in SoCal.  Lots of cloudy and not hot days leaving one free to not just desire lighter beers but heck, even barrel-aged north of 10% beers.  I can’t predict the weather but here is what is coming on the blog…

~ e-visits to three breweries with 4th of July patriotic ties such as Talea Beer Co., Backwards Flag Brewing and 14th Star Brewing
~ special featured reviews of Topa Topa canned beers
~ 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 This Searing Light, the Sun and Everything Else
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to 13 Minutes to the Moon
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your July started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) July 4th – 4th of July at Angel City Brewery
2) July 13th – Lagerville at Figueroa Mountain

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In the Tap Lines for May 2019

header_attractionsYesterday, I re-capped the 3rd Anniversary of the Propagator branch of Firestone Walker and that was just a small taste of the FWIBF coverage that will appear in the run up to the 2019 festival as well as my coverage of the actual fest itself.

~ e-visits to three breweries that will be pouring at FWIBF 2019
~ special featured reviews of from Four Corners Brewing
~ 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 The Best Mystery Stories of 2018
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your May started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) May 4th – Yorkshire Square 2nd Anniversary
2) May 15th – May 22nd – Naja’s Place IPA Festival

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In the Tap Lines for April 2019

header_attractionsHope you are ready for pranks today.  I fell for one briefly already before catching myself.  Hopefully, the beers you have this month are not pranks.

~ e-visits to three breweries that made the Fastest Growing Breweries like Werner Brewing of Tillamook, Oregon, Humble Sea of Santa Cruz, California and Oak Road Brewery of Summerville, South Carolina
~ special featured reviews of Orange County beers since it is there month for beer week.
~ 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 The Milkman by Anna Burns
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your April started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) April 9th – Tuesday’s at Tonys features the beers of Enegren Brewing
2) April 20th – Smog City Anniversary Party

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N/A Day – Athletic Brewing Review

I have been long fascinated by the Non-Alcoholic sector of craft beer. It seems so wide open. Then I taste an N/A beer and realize that it must be harder than thought ’cause they always taste off in one small way or another.

In one of my bursts of podcast binging, I heard about Athletic Brewing and for Christmas, I bought the IPA and Stout. Will my bad run continue?


Starting with the IPA, Run Wild, there is a pronounced orange and grapefruit aroma as you pop the can.  This is quite hoppy with a bracing bitter finish.  It has a watery quenching mouthfeel like a session IPA.  As the beer warms up I get pine and grapefruit pith tastes.

All Out Stout starts off with a big pillowy espresso hued head.  A bit like a cold brew coffee taste. It is a little thin with a mixture of tastes like licorice and cocoa beans.  It is more a porter to me and a touch too sweet.

Overall though, these taste like beer.  None of my quibbles are do to the usual N/A complaints of tasting like wort or having a weird secondary flavor.  I would drink the hell out of the IPA, especially on a hot day.  I guess the best recommendation is that I want to try more.  Their Saison really intrigues me.