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In the Tap Lines for September 2022

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This month I will be making my first ever trip to Kentucky, specifically, the Bourbon Trail from Louisville to Bardstown.  So get a snifter out, there is going to be some bourbon talk this month.

~ e-visits to (3) breweries from cities that also distill spirits
~ special featured review of Kentucky
~Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ A Book & A Beer reads Bourbon Empire by Reid Mitenbuler
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Bourbon Pursuit
~ New Beer Releases and Best Beers of the Month
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

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New Brewery Alert # 2 – Los Barbones

L.A. has another cerveceria to look for on bottle shop shelves.  Los Barbones has highlighted three cans from brown to lager to hazy that you can check out the specs on HERE.

I checked their beer finder and The Heights Deli is on their distribution list, so I hope to find their stuff there and review on a future post.

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In the Tap Lines for July 2022

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Even though I have lived in Los Angeles for quite some time, I never like the sweaty season.  July is the start of the heat that beats me down.  But I will be escaping to Portland this month and will relay any NW beer news I find. But before that, a quick interview with brewer Brian Waters from Figueroa Mountain about him and the big L.A. news.

~ e-visits to (3) breweries from the Pacific Northwest
~ special featured review of Morning Phase Sour from Eagle Rock Brewery
~Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ A Book & A Beer reads Tracy Flick Can’t Win
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Betwixt the Sheets
~ Great Beer names and Best Beers of the Month
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

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In the Tap Lines for May 2022

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Moving into May with another month of fun beer news and maybe even longer visits to breweries and even maybier festivals but for sure, this…

~ e-visits to (3) breweries in NBA playoff team cities
~ special featured reviews of Abnormal beers
~Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ A Book & A Beer reads The Kaiju Preservation Society
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Dishing on Julia
~ Great Beer names and Best Beers of the Month
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

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4 of 8

Modern Times is halving their West Coast footprint as they seek a less perilous financial footing.

Portland, Oakland, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles will be closed. Not coincidentally, those are the furthest away from HQ and in the case of Los Angeles and maybe the others as well, the smallest outposts.

The San Diego brewery bolted out of the gate when they opened and followed that with ambitious plans but the last two to three years have brought lots of challenges and a new leadership team which did not like what they saw and hit the re-trench button.

Hopefully, Modern Times can navigate back with a leaner company.

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SoFi Super

Thankfully, no Brady. No Cowboys. No anti-vaxx Rodgers or Patriots. I can say, it doesn’t matter who wins Super Bowl 56, I will be happy. That leaves us the mental energy to plan great beer choices.

Home team Los Angeles Rams (who by NFL rules is the away team for this game) will face the surprising Bengals of Cincinnati.

So here is the plan for your beer buying:

Buy Local

Buy Crowlers to share or split 4-packs

Load up on low ABV beers…

but have a big TIPA or barrel-aged beer for the last part of the 4th quarter

Have plenty of water.

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Featured Beer Review – LA – In the Fronds Tropical IPA from Los Angeles Ale Works

I really like the plant shop vibe from this Los Angeles Ale Works can label. The shimmery silver and the greens are popping. Plus the name is spot on for a tropically tinged beer.

This beer is bursting with pineapple. I cracked the can and it was rushing with that distinctive aroma. That pineapple follows through into the taste but interestingly there is a significant hop bite here. Very West Coast IPA in temperament. It is a super light yellow color though. Contradictions aplenty but it is a really fine IPA.

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Featured Beer Review – LA – A Sense of Urgency from Liberation Brewing

The next L.A. beer to review is technically Long Beach, but I am gonna sneak it in because it is not only in a bottle (what’s that?) but also a Biere de Garde from Liberation Brewing.

After wrestling the cork out without hurting myself, I get a beer with a slightly toasted aroma, almost Quad like in taste and texture with a mineral finish to it. The label art and name are part of the reason that I bought it. Floating and on fire, very 2021-22. It pours with a luxuriant head to it that leaves some nice lacing on the bowl of the glass. There are some Belgian esters with a touch of fruit to them here.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. A different style is great to break up the hop monopoly.