So I returned 24 hours later to pretty much the same spot in El Segundo to attend the debut of Mountain Goat beers in the U.S. at Rock & Brews.
Goes to show that great beer can come from anywhere. One of those came a little bit further though.
Both the Australian Pale Ale and the Hightail utilize the galaxy hop which we here in California don’t see a lot of examples in the craft beer market. Due to my recent preference for lighter ABV brews, the Australian Pale was my favorite. It really showcased the galaxy and had a nice bitter kick to it. The Hightail should win some barley wine fans though. Much bigger and maltier. A muscular beer for sure.
The third beer that was poured was the intriguing Coffee IPA. To me it had three stages on the palate. First was a hit of bitterness followed by a red bell pepper flavor that melted into a mild coffee note at the back end. Quite different from the usual coffee/porter combo. This would really work well with Japanese food.
You will be seeing their beer at BevMo’s around town and I strongly suggest picking up a bottle (or two). SoCal beer geeks (myself included) need to continue to taste what the entire world has to offer our lucky cosmopolitan city. We need to remember to support any and all craft beer.
Thanks to Cam and Tom for making that long flight out to talk about their beer. It was great to here their story and to taste their fine beers.