Tag: October

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Best Beers of October 2020

Sadly, no pumpkin beers made the list for best of the month, thankfully no winter seasonals did either. In the bronze and silver spots are the Gaviota Coffee Ale reviewed on this very blog at the beginning of the month. I still remember that bright green coffee bean flavor. Next is a beer I had yesterday, Tiki IPA from AleSmith. This beer popped with coconut aroma in a way that other tiki themed beers haven’t and then it settled into a well done IPA.

The winner though is Black Tuesday from The Bruery. So smooth and surprisingly not needing to age to get to that point. Just a lovely bourbon barrel beer just in time for the fall.

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Sean Suggests for October 2020

This month, let’s go big. The way this year is going, might as well have a blowout, so Trick or Treat Yo’ Self.

BIG

Tarantula Hill Sleep Now in the Haze – 8% – “Tropical Juicy Hazy Double IPA with a great Citra and Vic Secret hop profile, creating a smooth drinkable DIPA.”

BIGGER

The Bruery Pistachio Mustachio– 10.3% – “Inspired by a beer in our coveted Black Tuesday Box – we took the Pistachio Vanilla concept and went full pastry stout with it. Deep rich vanilla flavors with a hint of pistachio are sure to tickle your senses.”

BIGGEST

Bell’s 35th Anniversary Expedition Stout – 11.5% – “Expedition® Stout is the longest brewed Imperial Stout in the US. First brewed in 1989 to be robust enough to hold up to time and travel, we couldn’t think of a better beer to honor for our 35th Anniversary. We’ve brewed a special, stronger version for your cellar, your travels, or those special occasions of your own.”

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The Firkin for October 2019

The comedian Michael Che was on a talk show this month and he made the remark that “Twitter is like, if everybody you hated had your phone number.”

Now I didn’t get hatred directed at me. Not being confrontational and not being on Twitter a heckuva lot saved me from that fate, but even so, I ran across all levels of anger and I mostly just followed breweries and beer people. Why did my “feed” contain all this anger and outrage? It wasn’t like I was following anything deeply divided along fault lines.

So I have stepped back from Twitter. Haven’t visited for months and only post beers being consumed via Untappd. I figure that ticking isn’t adding any negativity to the platform.

Now this isn’t some, my life is so much better for leaving social media, post. I still check Facebook and Instagram on a daily basis. But I don’t close the tab or app feeling scuzzy or like a looky-loo scoping out a highway accident the way that I do when done with Twitter. And to be honest, I do not know why Twitter has become so cringe inducing to me. Perhaps I am still de-unsensitized to it. Maybe if I patrolled other sites like Reddit where even more vitriol is apparently seen then I wouldn’t feel this way about Twitter.

Part of what really pushed me out the Twitter door was how outrage was being cheapened on a daily basis and how a savvy social media manager would be better served to not engage and let one of these mini-controversies (real or imagined) pass from view and be replaced by the next. No actual debate was happening just a bit of shouting until someone else shouted louder.

Leaving has not left a Twitter sized hole in my life, and may even make me happier at the end of the day since I don’t hear about the weird and the rude side of the beer world. And perhaps I will dip my toe back into the conflict filled waters one day.

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Sean Suggests for October 2019

Instead of pulling from the bottles and cans list from the Sunset Beer Co. weekly e-mail, this time I am pulling from the draft list and focusing local.

~LIGHT
Lucky Luke / Guest Wi-Fi Kolsch ??% ABV
“from Palmdale”

~MEDIUM
Smog City / Sunny Dipping Hefeweizen 4.50% ABV
“from Torrance”

~BIG
Institution / Batch 500 IPA 6.40% ABV
“from Camarillo”

All of these beers can be found at Sunset Beer Co. (unless they got bought up real quick)

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In the Tap Lines for October

header_attractionsHave we entered Fall?  L.A. has seen 90+ then practically shady temps, then back up again.  The weather whipsaw might be best suited to those lighter Oktoberfest beers.  Now onto what is coming up this month….

~ e-visits to three breweries from Ohio (see A Book & A Beer below)
~ special featured reviews of the Firestone Walker Hoppy Lion Variety Pack
~ 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 Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Eaters Digest
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your October started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) October 1st – MacLeod Ale night at Tony’s Darts Away
2) October 13th – DTLA Brewers United Fest

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Sean Suggests for October 2018

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I could not settle on 1 solitary theme for this month’s beer picks, so two are big and boozy and the light one is still at least a brown ale for the random hot days we encounter in SoCal October.

~LIGHT
Indie Brewing / Embers 5.50% ABV
“A sessionable brown lager that’s perfect for the fall!”

~MEDIUM
Fremont / Bourbon Barrel-Aged Dark Star 13.60% ABV
“This year’s release is a blend of 24, 18, 12, and 8-month Bourbon Barrel-Aged Dark Star in 7-12-year old Kentucky bourbon barrels. The roasted and chocolate malts complement the smooth oats to bring you a stout delight wrapped in the gentle embrace of bourbon barrel-aged warmth. A touch of sweetness dances in balance with the hops to finish with a wave, and then she’s gone.”

~BIG
Dogfish Head / Fruitfull Fort 15.00% ABV
“A twist on our beloved Fort, Fruit-Full Fort is brewed with four types of berries – Raspberry, Blackberry, Boysenberry and Elderberry! This juicy blend of dark berries creates depth and complexity reminiscent of a jammy red wine. “

All of these beers can be found at Sunset Beer Co. (unless they got bought up real quick)

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In the Tap Lines for October 2018

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It’s time to PSL your world! Now that we are in October it is officially BSP sanctioned that you can drink pumpkin beers. It is also Doctor Who season as Jodie Whitaker takes the controls of the Tardis and my Blazers start the 18/19 campaign as well.

~ e-visits to three 2018 GABF winning breweries: Cloudburst Brewing, Smylie Brothers Brewing and Wolverine State Brewing
~ special featured reviews of Non-LA 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 Miss Subways by David Duchovny
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your October started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) October 5th – Hoptoberfest: West Coast vs New England style IPA at 38 Degrees in Monrovia
2) October 6th – Enegren Oktoberfest 2018

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Sean Suggests for October 2017

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This month, I didn’t choose a theme, I just made a quick scan of a beer list and chose the three that struck me either due to brewery or ingredients. I am a sucker for beers with tea.

~LIGHT
SoLArc/ Steve’s Clocks6% ABV
“Pale Ale brewed with Cardamom and Jasmine Green Tea.”

~MEDIUM
Captain Fatty’s/ The Blue IPA7.6% ABV
“The Blue was born from a required hop substitution when we ran out of Amarillo and had to use Columbus in the dry-hopping. A happy turn that resulted in a 99.1% Pure West Coast IPA.”

~DARK
High Water/ Sugaree Maple Pecan9.8% ABV
“Ale brewed with Vermont maple sugar, Bourbon barrel oak chips and pecan. Sugaree offers a big slice of flavors that you wish Grandma had put in her famous Thanksgiving pie. Sit back, relax and enjoy a wonderful bottle of liquid love. You will be transported back to times of holiday joy and family get togethers from the past. This is a special treat from us to you, to help relive some of those special memories or maybe help create some new ones.”

All of these beers can be found at Sunset Beer Co. (unless they got bought up real quick)

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In the Tap Lines for October 2017

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Yes, I did review a pumpkin beer in September but thankfully the too early onslaught did not materialize this year. Leaving me feeling more disposed to talk of them before Halloween.

~ e-visits to three breweries from Oakland in solidarity against Trump and Golden Road.
~ special featured reviews of pumpkin and seasonal 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 Safe by Ryan Gattis
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your October started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) October 6th – Barrel-Aged Beer Day – The Bruery
2) October 7th – Oktoberfest at Enegren Brewing