Tag: IPA

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LA IPA Fest

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I sauntered over to Mohawk Bend on Day 2 of the inaugural LA IPA Festival and was glad to see that all the beers sans the winner of the judging competition from Noble Ale Works was STILL on tap.  So many choices, here are my tasting notes from what I tasted along with my Yea or Nay vote….

Merry Taj from Lost Abbey
Strong bitterness. Hazy amber. Kind of muddy tasting. Some fruit punch straining in the back. Expecting more from this brewery. Nay.

The Pupil from Societe
Looks like lemonade. Wonderful aroma. Grapefruit pith. Super light. Big Time Yeah.  Love the lightness of this beer.

Fall IPA from Faction
Aroma is minimal. A bit harsh tasting. Earthy. Thumbs down. Not a good introduction to a new brewery. So, nay.

Flying Ace from Automatic
Smoked IPA?  Light in color. Some citrus in the nose.  Not very bitter. Another beer that I was expecting more from, nay.

Illusion from Refuge
Pours clear orange. Clove nose to it. Banana notes to it. Hops in the background.  Tastes better as it warms and is nicely balanced.  Yea to this and I hope to see more beers from Refuge in LA.

Sticky Fingers from The Brewery at Abigailes
Orange yellow in color. Foamy head. Great pepper melon aroma. Tinge of cat pee. Honeydew melon primarily. Treading a fine line but it works for me.  It doesn’t show from those notes but it was my favorite in a close tie with The Pupil.

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Review – Cluster from Double Mountain

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One of the favorite beers from my recent Portland trip. I had one while I was there and had to bring one home as well.  This orange hued beer has a big hop aroma and the taste is really herbal and spicy with a background of citrus. All three tastes play well together.  Certainly a NW hoppy beer as opposed to a San Diego HOPPPPPPY beer but I like the difference.  Glad that Artisan Ales in Pasadena will be bringing Double Mountain into SoCal, now we just have to get their single-hop beers as well.  Plus the label hints at a certain different Cluster.  Very cool.

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I have been listening to the latest Elvis Costello album (do they still call them albums?) “Wise Up Ghost” that he made with The Roots and I am still trying to say if I really like it or if it is just so different from the mainstream that it pricks my ears up.

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The Firkin for September 2013

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I was explaining the concept of IPA Day to my sister-in-law and she asked me a question that I reflexively laughed away.  If there is an IPA Day and a Stout Day and  Barrel Aged Day, why isn’t there a Wheat beer Day?

See, she prefers wheat beer, more specifically fruity wheat beers.  IPA’s are too bitter for her palate.  Give her a bottle of McMenamin’s Ruby ale and she is a happy camper.  Hand her an ounce of an XPA and she hands you half an ounce back.

But why did I pooh-pooh her idea so without thinking?  Why can’t Wheat beers have a day in the sun? Why was my first thought that it would make an excellent April Fool’s joke? (I still might use it) I talk about variety and not letting craft beer become pigeonholed as a bastion of bitterness but even I can’t fathom Wheat Beer Day!

Craft beer is trending toward a hop filled universe at the expense of ambers, quads and pilsners which I think is detrimental to craft beer as a whole.  At a recent forum, a chef at a noted restaurant/craft beer locale noted that they needed at least 1/2 the taps to be IPA’s.  That should be a warning sign.  I have said/typed it too many times to count, craft beer is/was a response to the monoculture of the BMC industrial water lagers.  If it moves backward to a monoculture of IPA’s, that is just as bad.  I hate seeing the “uncool” styles getting low marks while an average IPA gets 100% scores.  Especially unbalanced IPA’s with no nuance or flair.

Yes, these IPA’s can be great and are light years ahead of Blue Ribbons and Cold activated cans but if we are to grow the number of people that we siphon away from the light beer barons, we need to appeal to the wide spectrum that is not being served.  And you simply can’t do that on the back of one very popular style alone.

This is no anti-IPA screed.  I love them.  I always have some on hand but I also have a smoke porter, a sour blonde and a pumpkin/cranberry beer too.  And that is the way I like it.  I want multiple styles from multiple breweries from multiple states and countries.

I also want a mock-up of an Untappd Wheat Beer Day badge.  Because I cannot draw.

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RavenBeer # 2 – Tell Tale Hearty Ale

For September, I will be reviewing two new to me beers from RavenBeer.  I finish with hearty ale that tells tales….

For your Poe-ification, here is the website description, “Your first experience with this IPA is the citrus bouquet from its rocky white head. The initial taste is subdued but gradually becomes intense without any harsh bitterness. The Heartier the Better.”

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Review – Alphadelic from Hop Valley

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A double review! I first had this beer in December of 2012 and had these brief words to say, The canned version. Another strong IPA offering from Oregon. Restrained with a load of hops to work through. Nice and vibrant.

In my latest trip to Portland, I picked up another can of the Alpadelic from Hop Valley at the new Imperial Tap Room (where I also had a pint of Boring Brewing’s Oatmeal Pale ale) on Division Street on da’ Eastside. And this is what I think of the beer now, this IPA pours a light amber. The aroma is citrus with a hint of medicinal notes to it. The taste is pretty bitter but it fades away nicely before the next sip. Much better cold when there is a snap to it. The warmer it gets the more caramel sneaks in. Cool looking can design as well.

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And I have just started watching Moone Boy on Hulu. Funny stuff. Very much in the vein of “A Christmas Story” just set in 1989 Ireland.  And it has the very funny Chris O’Dowd in the imaginary friend role.

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Up and Down the Hill

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El Segundo Brewing went from a bevy of great pale ales to Two Five Left, a double.  Now they circle back to a locally named Grand Hill IPA.  Here is what one of our LA “bitter” breweries has to say about the new beer, “Named after the hill you have to slog back up from El Porto.. since it is precisely what you’ll be looking for after a day in the surf and sun, and a 1/4 mile climb straight back up to town!

Nothing but base malt, Big Bitterness, 7.2% ABV, and a heavy dose of Amarillo and Centennial  hops make this India Pale Ale a nod to what has made the California IPA what it is today.  Bright presence of lemon zest in the aroma leads well into a base of pine and citrus in the palate.”
I will be checking to see what Rob has up his hop sleeve here.
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Food GPS Teaser – IPA

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Tomorrow, the first in a series of California-centric postings on Food GPS.  With the recent passing of the 2013 IPA day, I will select 10 bitter bombs brewed in California.  Beer Styles will alternate with best beer spots in different parts of the vast and sprawling mega-plex that is Los Angeles.  Starting with Downtown L.A.

I fully expect and encourage comments and rants about what was included and what was left out.  Mostly I want people to know that you can come to Los Angeles and find the best in craft beer.

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Video Review – Mother Earth Auld Knucker

I reviewed one IPA from Mother Earth Brew Co. in June before the “hiatus”. and here (finally) is the second review of a  hoppy offering from San Diego that have become available in Los Angeles. I picked both up at Vendome in Toluca Lake, which is on my beer buying circuit.

And here is what the brewery has to say about it, ““Sometimes there is nothing like a simple, refreshing, single American-style India Pale Ale…especially the West Coast variety. In a world of over-complicated beers and brewing extremity, Auld Knucker (pronounced Old Nucker) stands out by using a simple grain bill of domestic Pale 2-Row, crystal malt, and a bit of honey malt, paired with a citrusy hop combo.”

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Review – Eye Patch IPA from Monday Night Brewing

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I received a lovely care package from Monday Night Brewing in Atlanta and I have moved onto their Eye Patch IPA.  Oh and just to add a little context to my mindset while reviewing, I am listening to Line of Fire by Junip and reading Life after Life by Kate Atkinson.  Not at the same time.  Not a multi-tasker am I. Anyhoo, on to the review…..

I like the eye patch guy on the label.  It is a really good design from the front logo to the back which includes a Mark Twain quote, what to pair with the beer glyphs and which hops and malt were used.  Nice packaging.  Eye Patch pours a light orange. Aroma is akin to peach skin to me. Faint but nice. Taste is again fairly mild for my West Coast IPA sensibilities but the taste is quite nice. Slight citrus notes and lots of bready notes that normally get buried under an avalanche of hops in many IPAs.

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