A heads up for fans of Nelson hops. King Harbor has a new West Coast – Double IPA – DDH in cans now.
Distorted
King Postponed
Thanks to the stupid unvaccinated we are still not out of the woods, so it is no surprise that this happened…
But fear not because of these two bits of news from King Harbor Brewing…
“First, while the anniversary party may be postponed, our special anniversary beers are not. We’re so stoked to share the brews we’ve been cooking up behind the scenes with some of our friends/collaborators. Keep an eye out for those special releases in the weeks to come!
And secondly, we’ll be offering some “Almost Anniversary” packages that’ll include KHBC merch and a 4-pack of exclusive beers. More details to come, but don’t sleep on these packages cos they’re sure to go quick!”
Sunk
It has been a bit since I have spoken about King Harbor Brewing but they have a new beer out for us all…Sink Beneath the Surface
“Built with headliners Mosaic and Cashmere plus a nice Citra support. Utilizes a splash OG golden naked oats for a golden orange tint.
Light vanilla and a nice grapefruit jab in the background… A 3lb per barrel dry hopped beer.”
Cookie Collab
King Harbor has started up a bakery collaboration with fellow Redondo Beach business, Isabella’s Cookie Company. They have created “4 beers based on their amazing cookie recipes” and starting tomorrow, September 7th, they will release the beers…
Maui Wowie – Imperial stout w/ macadamia nuts, white chocolate, pineapple, and coconut
The Muffy – Imperial stout w/ white chocolate, blueberry, cacao, and lactose
Red Velvet – Red stout w/ cacao and vanilla bean
Hot Chocolate – Imperial stout w/ cacao and chipotle peppers
Two Tiki’s
You may not think of tiki in regards to Claremont Craft Ales. or jacaranda when it comes to King Harbor. But they know each other and have collaborated on a dueling set of IPA’s.
King Harbor – “Tiki Jac IPA – is our Tiki Hut IPA recipe with a hint Claremont’s Jacaranda Rye IPA. Rye spice malt bill with a big juicy tropical hop layered on top.”
Claremont – “Tiki Hut Dry IPA – is their awesome Mosaic Dry IPA with a hint of our Tiki Hut IPA hop profile. Bone dry west coast style IPA with dank mosaic and tropically fantastic citra sending a roundhouse kick to your pallet.”
If you can find both, would be a good brewing comparison.
You’re Welcome
King Harbor has a new canned offering coming, but it is not hazy or a DIPA, it is smooth sailing…
…which I take to mean, the King Harbor equivalent of a table beer (or in popular sales parlance, the 805).
Perhaps this will take-off and be seen out on the beaches of Hermosa, Manhattan and others in the South Bay.
Rising
The second time in less than a week that I have seen a new beer that is a lager with lime.
(Thank goodness limes are not being added to IPA’s yet). King Harbor Brewing has teamed with the near-ish by Select Beer Store to bring a summer brew to the South Bay.
Swirly is Three
…and (obviously) King Harbor Brewing is too. Starting today, you can buy tickets for their party in Redondo Beach where you will get the following….
-Outdoor beer garden
-Unlimited pours
-20+ beers on tap including specialty one-offs and King Swirly the 3rd
-Live tunes
-AJ’s BBQ
-The return of the D(r)unk Tank
And if you are a fan of the anniversary “king”ly editions of Swirly then you will be very happy because King Swirly the 3rd will debut.
for 2017 KS is a Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Dark Ale w/ cacao nibs, vanilla beans, cold brew coffee, and lactose.
You will also be able to partake of four Variations – The Original, Hawaiian, Hazelnut, and Double Chocolate.
Endless Rant
Yesterday, I moseyed down to Redondo Beach to try the Endless Rant IPA, a collaboration between King Harbor Brewing and radio/podcast personality, Adam Carolla.
When I first moved to L.A. from Portland, I would listen to radio station KROQ and listen to Carolla and Jimmy Kimmel horsing around with Kevin & Bean so it is a bit hard to separate that memory from the radio voice and branding a beer. But it is comforting to see that the voice I heard in the mornings on the way to work hasn’t really changed all that much. I just had to see the bottles of “Mangria” floating through the taproom to see that testosterone humor still was being mined.
But I wasn’t at King Harbor to talk humor. I was there to try the beer and Endless Rant straddles two hop worlds. One is lighter based on the honey malt while the other delivers a stern kick of hops. It’s as if a Session IPA merged with a super dry and piney DIPA. The beer tastes and hits higher than its advertised ABV. As I commented to the other beer folk in attendance, it is certainly different from the IPA pack in that regard. It is decidedly un-fruited and more old school hoppy.
Some on intolerant Reddit or Beer Advocate forums may decry the celebrity beer angle, it is not, in and of itself a bad thing, Carolla has a taste that is different from mine in some respects but the fact that he podcasts shouldn’t bar him from working with a brewery to create a beer. He can bring attention to craft beer to a segment of people who might not be aware of it, yet. And true beer fans should not discourage people but rather encourage them. You never know, creativity can feed from one discipline (podcasting) to another (beer).
The Endless Rant is a fine beer. King Harbor is a damn fine brewery, so no surprise. But maybe, the next podcast beer is even better. Maybe a Dr. Drew – Carolla Loveline Gratzer? Or they could do a podcast about beer, wind and spirits.
You can get the beer at King Harbor in 22oz bombers or online via Carolla Drinks.
Sean Suggests for March 2016
Has spring sprung? Hard to tell in Los Angeles where the sun is always in the sky. Even when it is raining. But here are three fruit tinged beers with enough alcohol heft to make them good selections for cool and windy days.
~LIGHT
Almanac/ Apricot de Brettaville 6.50% ABV
For this special release, we set out with the goal of making a beer where every ingredient and process contributed to one ambition: creating layers of apricot flavor. The natural flavors of the brett yeast create tropical and stone fruit flavors in the barrel, which we matched with a small mountain of San Joaquin Valley apricots and finish with a delicate dry hop of aromatic hops. The result is every aspect of the beer, from the yeast, to the fruit to the hops add apricot flavor and aroma – resulting in a delicious wild ale.
~MEDIUM
King Harbor/ Coconut IPA 6.70% ABV
If a tropical beach vacation could be captured in a beer, this would be it. the pineapple, mango, and citrus hop character of our flagship IPA blended with lightly toasted coconut creates a tropical party on your palate. Go ahead, drink it out of a coconut with a mini umbrealla. We won’t judge you.
~DARK
Allagash/ Evora 9.00% ABV
“Evora is a golden hued beer, brewed with a 2-Row and Maris Otter malt blend. It was hopped with Northern Brewer, Mt Hood and Sorachi Ace hops. The primary fermentation used a classic Belgian yeast strain. The beer was then aged for 16 months in Portuguese Brandy barrels with Brettanomyces. The finished beer exhibits notes of honey and stone fruit in the aroma. Citrus and oak dominate the flavor giving way to hints of bread crust. Evora is medium bodied with a fruity, dry finish.”