We only seem to have foreign diplomacy with dictators here in the ol’ U.S.A. in 2025 but at least craft beer has our better interests at heart, like El Segundo Brewing’s Foreign Affairs a new Belgian-Inspired IPA.
To Remember
Review: The Traveler from Adelbert’s Brewery
L.A. gets some Shiner beer and a bit of Jester King and now add Adelbert’s Brewery from Austin. A Mini Texas craft invasion.
Let’s see how The Traveler, a Belgian a Style IPA tastes…
Caged and corked. Making me work for it. This IPA pours a dark orange with lots of foam. The smell is primarily pine. Crisp tree and forest. The bubbly initial taste has that in the mix but then some Belgian banana notes start creeping in along with a tropical dried fruit taste. There is a lingering bitterness but it is light by West Coast standards for sure. Certainly a beer that progresses from flavor to flavor.
It does the job of wanting me to try more of their line-up for sure.
Review – Reboot White IPA from Boulevard Brewing
Apropos to start 2014 with a reboot. I mean Hollywood does it all the time. Every time with younger actors. This reboot is a re-release of the white IPA collaboration that Boulevard Brewing did with Deschutes Brewery and is now part of the Smokestack Series. It pours a light orange. Good crisp carbonation bite at first which fades into the familiar Belgian notes of clove and earth. (At least for me) The hops aren’t a big presence here so those looking for bitterness will only get a bit which are mostly in use to balance the Belgian side of the flavor ledger. Not bad. Smooth as it warms. I think that I prefer the first iteration of this beer, if forced to make a choice on a dessert island.
I am excited to find some new TV shows to watch in 2014 and the one that is now on the top of my wishlist after Sherlock is another BBC import, Orphan Black. I missed this one when it was airing but thanks to streaming and downloading, I have a 2nd chance to catch it.
New Oregon beer – Part 1
from Pelican Brewery in Pacific City, Oregon comes…
La Fleur Amère- With an abundance of floral, herbal hops and a rich, malty foundation, La Fleur Amère marries an assertive English-style IPA with exotic Belgian-style yeast. Brewed especially for the Oregon Brewers Guild’s “Cheers to Belgian Beers” event, but making a return appearance only at the Bite of Oregon, La Fleur Amère features a sparkling light gold color, an aroma of floral, earthy, herbal hops and a fruity, spicy yeast character. La Fleur Amère is dry-hopped with more than a pound of hops per barrel and finishes with a clean, snappy balance of malt flavor, hop bitterness, and slightly tart, spicy yeast character. ABV 7.% IBU’s 65 16.4 Plato