Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Looks like Maui Brewing has another IPA heading to the mainland and this new rye IPA is named after the famous Haleakala Crater and the sunrises that entrance visitors to the island. Along with the rye malt, Maui uses Chinook and Zythos hops for this canned offering.
At this pace, I will be thoroughly grounded in Hawaiiaan geography.
It is time to pit one canned Kolsch vs another.
Who will win when Maui Brewing Kihei Kolsch takes on Flat Tail Tailgater of Corvallis, Oregon. Both new to L.A. shelves.
Design – hands down win for Maui with the striking Germanic colors over a rendering of their Kihei taproom. Tailgater has the Orange State of Oregon but little else.
Color – slight edge to Maui. A little more eye candy lacing than the Flat Tail.
Aroma – Tailgater smells more traditional. A little too much spice in the Kihei. Edge to Corvallis.
Taste – Kihei is bright with orange notes and spice character much like an orange pekoe tea. Tailgater is crisp and clean with with just the right touch of viscosity and citrus notes.
Verdict – if you are looking for a clean and crisp Kolsch without bells and whistles than Flat Tail is the choice. If you are looking for a Kolsch evocative of the islands than the Maui Brewing can is for you.
Maui Brewing had me at Blood Orange. But why not add some more local citrus and some Maui Cane sugar to a Double IPA. And I am always at attention when the Sorachi Ace hop is mentioned. I wonder what color this beer will turn out to be.
Oh, and proceeds from sales will go to shark research. Thankfully not to Shark Week or Sharknados.
It being hot and humid in July, here are some lighter beers for you to try ranging from Hawaii to California and then on to Belgium!
Maui Brewing & Lost Abbey / Lemongrass Saison 5.0% abv
“Maui Brewing Co. (MBC) is happy to announce their collaboration with Lost Abbey, using 100% local Maui raised lemongrass! Lemongrass Saison is a 5% ABV beer utilizing White Wheat, Oats, Pilsner malt, Lemongrass, Citra and Nelson Sauvin hops. ”
Lost Coast / Tangerine Wheat 5.0% abv
“A refreshing citrus ale, Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat combines our Lost Coast Harvest Wheat with natural tangerine flavors. Brewed with a combination of wheat and crystal malts, and finished with Perle hops.”
Brasserie Dupont / Saison Dupont Cuvée Dry Hopping 6.5%
A dry hopped version of the world famous standard bearer for saisons. As the Vanberg & DeWulf website notes, “featuring the famous Triskel hop varietal from Alsace. Triskel is bred from the French Strissespalt and English Yeoman hops.”
Time to video review another beer and we head to Maui Brewing for their Liquid Breadfruit collaboration with Dogfish Head.
Here is part of the description from the brewery, “Dogfish Head superstar – Sam Calagione, will be our fearless collaborator! The result – a beer-epiphany never before innovated called Liquid Breadfruit!
To celebrate the cornucopia of a Maui-grown harvest, we will ingeniously combine local breadfruit (or ulu) & toasted papaya seeds into the recipe of an imperial golden ale fermented using Dogfish Head’s DNA ( Delaware-Native-Ale) yeast.”
Maui Brewing has been busy. Canning collaborations with Jolly Pumpkin and Dogfish Head before going all Mayan at the end of the year.
“Maui Lillikoi and Michigan Cherries? Saccharo-fermented in Maui while Brett-fermented and barrel-aged in Michigan – and all to get released during Savor in our nation’s capital in June? What’s that crazy name they’re calling this by? The Sobrehumano Palena’ole? Superhuman and without limits? Sounds about right…
If you think that’s not super enough, we plan to really blow some socks off with the third installment our 2012 canned seasonal series. This time, Dogfish Head superstar – Sam Calagione, will be our fearless collaborator! The result – a beer-epiphany never before innovated called Liquid Breadfruit!
To celebrate the cornucopia of a Maui-grown harvest, we will ingeniously combine local breadfruit (or ulu) & toasted papaya seeds into the recipe of an imperial golden ale fermented using Dogfish Head’s DNA ( Delaware-Native-Ale) yeast. You won’t want to wait until October to try it, but oh it will be worth the wait!
The forth and final seasonal of 2012 will be inspired by an indigenous people not so different from those of the ancestral kingdoms in Hawaii. The Mayans of Central America were civilized hunters and gathers who used a long count calender that measures the increments of time according to celestial movements they observed in the sky – the longest period indicated by the passage of a B’ak’tun (or approximately 394 Gregorian years). On December 20th, 2012 – the 12th such B’ak’tun will end and on the 21st, the 13th will begin.
To honor such an enduring occasion, MBC will release a Brussels-style Stout brewed with Mayan chocolate, cinnamon, and cayenne – to be called the Aloha B’ak’tun, with aloha carrying both the meaning of farewell and greeting. It’ll be a beer that you’ll want at your side no matter what happens…”
My beer partner in crime Richard went to Maui Brewing in 2010 and here are some photos for those (like me) who have yet to be to Hawai’i.
all photos courtesy of Richard Rosen
Two events to talk about today:
Stone Archival at Tony’s Darts Away.
I have to admit that I had planned on visiting the Oinkster for Craftsman beer and BBQ. For whatever reason, I thought I could just mosey in an order some cue and a beer. It was not that kind of event. And I missed the ticket window. Bummer for me. But the great thing about LA Beer Week is that there are other things to do!
So I headed to Burbank for more Stone. I had a nice glass of the 09/09/09. It was rich and mellow. Belgian notes had really receded to the background and added a slight tint at the end. The orange and vanilla talked about when it was brewed had also faded a bit. All in all, a lovely dessert beer if you have any and are willing to open it now.
I was going to have another Double Dry-hopped Sublimely Self-Righteous but the taps were pitching a fit. The crew at Tony’s soon got the snafu fixed and had to play catch up with the large and growing crowd. So to finish, I had another San Diego beer. San Salvador Saison from Ballast Point.
This is what the brewery says about it, “The idea started as a San Diego Farmhouse Ale using local ingredients. We wondered what the Kumeyaay Indian’s were eating when Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo climbed out of his flagship boat, the San Salvador, and onto the shore of Ballast Point in 1542. Also, what might have Cabrillo stocked on his boat before he left Acapulco (then called Navidad) 3 1/2 months earlier? So with some research we tracked down a fun mix of ingredients for a Belgian inspired San Diego indigenous Ale.
With some help from our friends at The Linkery, North Park Native Plants and Wingshadow’s Farm we were able to track down ingredients like corn, pine nuts, agave, elder flower, white sage, manzanita berries, curacao and local sage honey. The malt bill consisted of Belgian pale malt, caramunich, biscuit, wheat and corn. The result is a 7.5% ABV, brown beer that really has to be tasted to be understood. It tastes like the San Diego countryside.”
As you can see, it is a beer without a category. Is it brown, saison, regular Belgian? More the first with a bit of the latter and not the middle. A very good beer with lots of individual flavors. Just don’t order one hoping for a saison.
Last night, again I was not vigilant enough to the Beer Week Calendar. I thought I could saunter into the Surly Goat and maybe have cheese and beer presented by the Hot Knives. Well, A it was another sold out ticketed event and B, it wasn’t even at the Surly Goat!
But again the depth of events saved me. Surly Goat was pouring some special Maui Brewing beers. I tried Ode to Carol which either didn’t survive the journey to the mainland or was one of the lightest Belgian ales on record. I also had their Hula Honey Lager which was only OK in my book. Others at the bar though really enjoyed it.
3 DAYS LEFT. Be sure to check out all the happenings at the LA Beer Week event page.
Please enjoy…
MMMMM! Espresso Oak Aged Yeti from Great Divide
Me and Aged Wood.
Maui Cruiser Pale Ale
If you enjoyed the cans of Maui Brewing’s CoCoNut porter then this might pique your interest. They have a version aged in RUM barrels!