In the Tap Lines for July 2015

header_attractionsNow that we are all recovered from L.A. Beer Week it is time to suss out what July will be like in the L.A. craft beer world Plus…..

~ e-visits to three breweries in Portland including Baerlic, Buckman Botanical & Culmination
~ special reviews of beers from new to L.A. Left Hand
~ Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ Beer-centric podcast review, 1 Beer, 1 Song
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world
~ … and Session # 101 will converge bloggers onto a single topic, this month it is Bottles, Caps and other Detritus

Here are two events to get your June started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) July 4th – 4th of July Backyard Boogie at Beer Belly
2) July 11th – Draft Day at Cismontane Brewing in Santa Ana

Sean Suggests for June 2015 – Unity 2015

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First and foremost, get your hands on a bottle of Unity 2015. The official tart saison of #LABW7. Then look for the rest to supplement your beer buying adventures.
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~LIGHT
Left Hand/ Polestar Pilsner 5.5% ABV
Once you have tasted a true Pilsner, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have  seen the light, and there you will always long to return. Let Polestar guide you out of the wilderness, just as the North Star has guided explorers to their destinations and back home again. Light, crisp and elegant, pilsner is the true test of brewing prowess. Less is more.

~MEDIUM
Port Brewing/ Summer Pale 6.0% ABV
“Our massively hoppy West Coast-style pale ale, we use Chinook, Cascade, Amarillo, and Simcoe hops to really put our mark on the beer. An initial nose of dankness with some subtle pine, Summer Pale Ale starts with a bite from the hops and finishes with a refreshing tangerine bitterness. Our Summer Pale Ale is the perfect accompaniment to any summer night! ”

~DARK
Saint Archer/ Scottish Export 7.0% ABV
“Cleanly malty with a drying finish, perhaps a few esters, and on occasion a faint bit of peaty earthiness (smoke). Most beers finish fairly dry considering their relatively sweet palate, and as such have a different balance than strong Scotch ales.”

Left in LA

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Looks like Los Angeles is on the Left Hand Brewing distribution list. Starting this spring the Craft Beer Guild of Los Angeles will be bringing in beers from the Colorado brewery into SoCal. From San Diego to Santa Barbara.

Whether or not they blitz the area like Bell’s did in February is an open question but it seems the amount of choices for the L.A. beer consumer is growing.

It will be interesting to see if their famed Nitro Milk Stout takes off here.

Defense against Dark Beer – Smoke Jumper

From time to time, I have a guest review of dark beers. Here is the summation of Left Hand’s Smokejumper.

“Dark, good head, nice lacing for a dark beer. Smoke hits you on first taste, top and back of palate, but it quickly changes to a molasses-y smoothness, before finishing with a light bitter, also akin to molasses. Sweetness grows as you drink.

I think for the second half of the beer, i’m going to barbecue some salmon in meyer lemon/molasses(just a little)/lemon basil marinade and see how that flies.”

Kris Kringle – Day 8

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“Brewed once a year by Left Hand Brewing to fight cabin fever, this spiced strong ale uses all natural ingredients, including crushed cinnamon, honey, chopped ginger, orange zest, cardamon & cloves. Deep red in color, this medium-bodied beer is a winter warmer – enjoy on a cold night in front of the fireplace.”