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The Common Space Brewery in Hawthorne might be releasing a beer soon. The beer, named 25=100 is a Double IPA “that won’t be released to the public until we collectively raise enough funds to provide 10,000 meals in our community.”
So if you want some hops, hit up the Food Bank webpage.
We start our featured reviews with the first beer in the Leo Vs. Ursus series. AKA Chronology. AKA Fortem. This series of rotating beers follows on the success that Firestone Walker has with Luponic Distortion.
Here is how the brewery describes the canned beer: “Fortem is a new-age imperial IPA that draws upon a range of influences, all while exhibiting DNA from our own forays into the IPA style. As such, it blends newer hop varieties from the Pacific Northwest and Hallertau, Germany along with pale malt, wheat malt and flaked oats for a full body and rounded mouthfeel. Fortem has been left unfiltered for a full hop impact.”
Pours a clear peach orange color. Stone fruit and caramel in the initial taste. This doesn’t taste hefty like some triple IPAs but it certainly isn’t a sneaky high ABV beer. As it warms some grape notes start to emerge. Has a touch of silkiness in the mouthfeel without sacrificing bubbly carbonation. I feel like this series could be the stronger brother to the Luponic Distortion.
I will make the assumption that pigeons have something to do with Drake and ships on the open sea and war. Mostly because I think the label is really cool and not only is quite stylistically apart from “normal” Drakes Brewing labels while also still being recognizably Drakes but also sports a cool font and a green/orange color scheme that works really well.
Oh, and they know a bit about hops up there so a DIPA is firmly in their wheelhouse.
I thought I had missed out on the Double IPA release from Angel City but then, a package arrived at my door a little worse for wear with the new beer undamaged inside.
Double IPA is part of their special Limited 22oz bomber series. It is hopped up with a blend of Warrior, Galena, Citra, Centennial,Amarillo and Motueka hops. It is almost a British DIPA to me. There is a strong malt presence in this offering. The aroma exudes orange pekoe and spice. It is more “wet” than others. Not quite silky but certainly strong without over bounding the style parameters.
Of the Angel City beers, this lands higher on my list. It achieves what many DIPA’s don’t. Deliver a bitterness punch with a strong malt base.
El Nino has made his first mark on Los Angeles and we can finally drink some heavier beers while huddled under rainwear outside or better yet, blankets inside. Here are three beers to warm you up in January.
~LIGHT
Angel City/ Double IPA 8.60% ABV
“Angel City Double IPA is a veiled, light copper-toned, robustly hopped ale. Huge sweet papaya and floral hop aromas leap off a dense white head of foam, leading into a full malty body, with a cutting piney bitterness.”
~MEDIUM
Modern Times/ Devil’s Teeth 10.00% ABV
“Devil’s Teeth is a hybrid of an Old Ale and an Imperial Stout, two English beer styles designed to withstand long voyages and dark winters. It brings rich maltiness and robust roastiness in a thick, tongue-coating, aggressively flavorful package. To this chewy mix of old world beasts, we brought a massive dose of our house roasted mix of blueberry-forward Ethiopian and chocolate-forward Sumatran coffees.”
~DARK
Dogfish Head/ Higher Math 17.00% ABV
“A golden strong ale fermented with sour cherry juice and cocoa nibs. Higher Math has forward notes of cherries, pineapple and stewed fruit, with late notes of cocoa. It has a lingering sweetness and a notable warmth from the alcohol.”
Maui Brewing had me at Blood Orange. But why not add some more local citrus and some Maui Cane sugar to a Double IPA. And I am always at attention when the Sorachi Ace hop is mentioned. I wonder what color this beer will turn out to be.
Oh, and proceeds from sales will go to shark research. Thankfully not to Shark Week or Sharknados.
I am not one for baseball but even the faux baseball stitching on the can of Double IPA from Strike Brewing of San Jose, did not deter me from picking up a can. I have heard about this brewery but as with many new, smaller brewers not in LA, their beer had not reached us. Now we have one to base a summary judgement on.
This DIPA clocks in at 93 IBU’s. Quite the fastball that is. The aroma is very spicy and pepper filled and the taste that follows is nice and strong. After a pair of herbaceous fresh hop ales it is nice to get back to a truly bitter beer that has a nice balance of carbonation. It is sprightly and I am glad it is in the 8% realm of ABV. I am torn as to whether I like the aroma or flavor better. Leaning towards the aroma though. I would have liked to try their other baseball themed XPA, Chin Music to see how they work hops at the lighter end of the spectrum. But this beer was brewed with a deft touch and for a first beer tried, is a really strong start.
This DIPA from Alaskan Brewing pours a light orange and clear color. You never know what to expect anymore from IPA’s. Are they really doubles? or are they regular IPA’s? This one tastes more like a session American barley wine to be precise. It doesn’t have the hop bite that many doubles or even regular IPA’s have. It has a caramel-y set of aromas and it tastes boozier than the ABV stated on the bottle. There is a mixture of tea tannin and citrus notes and it does stick to the tongue, so age may have set in a bit but I don’t think the bitterness was reduced except aroma wise where I got a more fusel set of smells.
I would like to try this fresher to see if it is indeed just a freshness issue.
In the past few months, I have had beer from 32oz can”nons” from Mission Brewing and now with Resin from Sixpoint, I am reviewing a super skinny 12oz can.
Odd shaped can. Almost energy drink size. Resin pours a bright orange. Leaves plenty of lacing on the glass. Aroma is herbal and dank. Taste has some navel orange notes but also carries a wallop of alcohol. The bitterness is there at the top of the mouth. But doesn’t really smack you much. A bit medicinal too.
Plus it has a cool Statue of Liberty graphic embedded in the bar code.
I first encountered Sound Brewery at the Great American Beer Festival. Even got a chance to talk to them for a bit which is always cool for a beer geek. And thanks to a gift card for Christmas, I was able to re-acquaint myself with the Poulsbo, Washington brewery. Here are my brief thoughts on Humulo Nimbus.
Pours a dark orange. Nice bubbly head to this one and right after popping the cap, I literally got a blast of grapefruit. One of the stronger aromas that has hit me in recent times. That initial hit faded considerably after and what remained was a really, really strong Double IPA. I know some lighter in color and malt bill are triples so I would have to re-classify this one as an Imperial IPA. Some pith citrus notes remain but as the beer warms in the glass more caramel notes and more of a pine bitterness take center stage. As if the grapefruit was the opening act and then the caramel is the main attraction.
They also brew a Belgian DIPA which I hope to one day compare and contrast with this one.
