One way for the kinda struggling festival format is to niche it out. Institution Ale Co. has done that with their upcoming festival devoted to the pale ale.
Pale Camarillo
Thai Citra
Spice and me are not generally friends. I prefer the bite of ginger over chiles but that said, a Thai Chile meets Citra hop IPA does intrigue me. And since Institution Ale Company is using their White Walls IPA as base, you can taste both versions.
Holiday Cheers – Day 14 – Winter Stout from Institution Ales
I like a beer that has the one of these things is not like the other ingredient. In the case of Winter Stout from Institution Ales, you have vanilla, cocao and …. pecan wood.
Not So Common
This month beer social media has been ramping up Oktofest beers along with way too early pumpkin beers, but for the next couple weeks, how about the humble California Common find a spot in the refrigerator?
One new on the market is from Institution Ale Company…
Lager Weather
Camarillo’s Institution Ales has some serious art on their labels even for what they describe as “A simple lager”
Here are the details of this American lager, “brewed with American 2-row and hopped lightly with Cascade, Liberty and Willamette. It’s crisp and refreshing with a hint of sweet honey and fruity hops.”
Cryo Seasonal
Summer seasonals do not get the same cred that winter ales do or bocks in spring but maybe that will change with breweries like Institution Ales coming out with a boldly branded summer IPA.
“This year’s Summer Seasonal is a Cryo IPA packed full of Citra and Mosaic Cryo hops. Intense tropical and sweet fruit flavors dominate this crushable West Coast Style IPA.l
Review – Fall Seasonal Black DIPA from Institution Ales
My love / hate relationship with Black IPA’s continues with the 2021 Fall Seasonal from Institution Ales.
It pours a dark brown, near black with a light tan head. It has a spiced coffee latte aroma. Not PSL but nice. The balance is tilted more to the malt side. Quite bready and filling. The bitterness is more of a counterpoint. I like the re-emerging trend back to this style but I just wish the hops would be more assertive.
Ten Years of Home Brewing
Institution Ales has released a new Pale Ale brewed in with the TOaked Homebrewers Club to honor their 10th Anniversary of brewing at home. (BFH)
Here is how the Camarillo brewery describes it, “This beer is a double-dry hopped Pale Ale featuring Nugget, Mosaic, & Cryo Pop. Cryo Pop is a proprietary hop blend by Yakima Chief hops that’s super tropical and citrusy.”
German Apparel
When a brewery ties itself to a specific style, it can cut a couple ways. One is that certain styles are left aside that are fun or hot sellers but it can also mean that hardcore fans get chuffed if you do anything other than what your mission statement from years ago said.
Enter the elegant solution of collaborating with another brewery when you want to break out of the straitjacket. Hence, Enegren teaming with Institution Ales for an IPA.
Survivor
Institution Ale Company has added to the California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA) range of beers with their ominously named Surviving California IPA. I don’t know what kind weird Westworld meets drama mask theme is about but I do like the lemony tumbleweed.