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If you are not a fan of Jim Gaffigan, well what’s wrong with you? Super funny. Talks about food. In fact his latest book is about food. And now he has his own beer! (from the folks at Point Brewing) And from the look of that like counter, people are digging the idea at least.
What other comedians should have a beer? Aziz Ansari springs to mind for me.
It is gluten-free November! This is an area of brewing that is EVEN harder to do without off-flavors than regular brewing. So I am excited to see a new entrant in the field. Anyhoo, let’s get on to the review of the pale ale from Glutenberg…..
Ever had a beer collaboration? Sure, you have. There are plenty out there. Ever had a beer where all the ingredients were from one state? Longer shot but you might have. But I am sure that you haven’t had a beer brewed with Gargoyle hops. Oh and it’s a sessionable pale ale with local fruit.
And it is the signature beer for L.A. Beer Week the 6th. Of course I am talking about the beer named Unity. The beer was brewed at Eagle Rock Brewery with members of the Los Angeles County Brewers Guild. Country Malt Group also pitched in with a donation of California-Select malt and add in some Centennial hops to pair with the rare, native to California Gargoyle and you have one heck of a way to celebrate all things craft beer in Los Angeles.
UPDATE: I sampled 6 on its release day on the 12th and I really liked it. Nice and hoppy but it has the characteristic sessionability you come to expect from Eagle Rock. I detect quite a bit of grapefruit notes throughout but without crossing over into juice territory. I strongly suggest trying a pint and getting a bottle to toast with later.
…or perhaps a better way to headline this post is Born Yesterday. A new beer coming from Lagunitas that will be hitting shelves soon and will only travel 24 hours from the source.
I was treated to this news while at the Beer Bloggers Conference. It will be around 6.2% and will have the now beloved Citra along with Mosaic and Willamette hops but the kicker is that the store will get it 24 hours after it is packaged. This will be a beer that you MUST check the dates on. Freshness will be key and I do not want to see reviews of stale Born Yesterday. Lagunitas already makes one of my all time favorite beer in Sucks and a new favorite in Mandaraison (which damn well better come back) so you can expect goodness here.
Fall (which we don’t seem to be getting this year in L.A.) used to be a time for Oktoberfest biers. But more and more, you start seeing hoppy fall beers. And New Belgium is adding to that sub-genre with Tour de Fall, a beer that I thought, at first, was a signature beer for their bicycle festivals Tour de Fat. The Hop Kitchen in Fort Collins must be a busy place.
As threatened at the start of the month, I will be reviewing ALL 13 of the special Sierra Nevada Beer Camp collaborations in August. I had my non-drinking wife randomly select the order and we start here with 3 Floyds and the Chico King.
“Chico King is a mash-up of our mutual passion for hoppy pale ales and combines a uniquely robust malt body with intense citrusy and fruity new school hop varietals.”
The King pours a dark but still luminous orange color with quite a bit of foam and lacing to it. The aroma is split between a toasty malt note and grapefruit pith with the toast coming out more and more as you smell it.
The taste is bright and carbonated. Lot of bubbles rising in the glass as you watch it. Bitterness sticks everywhere and, for me, primarily on the front of the tongue. I keep coming back to toast but this is almost like having good bread with a tart marmalade on it. The peel note isn’t there but this has that type of flavor mix going on. The beer tastes heavier than the 6.5% noted on the label.
I have not had a pale quite like this though I would guess you could call this an IPA without anyone batting an eye. Good start to my randomized journey through Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp.
Collaboration review day continues with this New Belgium branded release with Odell Brewing. Their partner in FOrt COllins brewing crime.
The Prairie Dog labeled beer pours a darker shade of orange. And is pretty hoppy for a purportedly pale ale. The aroma is a strong medicinal with some woody notes to it. The taste is also strong but not in the muddled way that the Stone collaboration was.
There is quite a bit if bitterness here. Citra seems more background to this Centennial bomb which I would prefer a more even mix of for maximum efficiency. But the lighter hand and pale ale category does allow the hops to shine more.
And it may be one of the only ways to get even a partial Odell’s fix in Los Angeles.
My local Trader Joe’s (and by local, I mean across the street) has upped it’s beer game in the past 5-6 months. More options and newer options as well. But that hasn’t meant a stop to their “house” brands. So my beer radar was up when I saw Ol’ Burro Brewing of Los Angeles on their shelves.
Now their house brands are pretty solid. Unibroue and Gordon Biersch with Firestone Walker doing some as well and now it appears Golden Road as well. No mention of it on the box. Other than a mysterious “brewed in Los Angeles”.
Since there are not many breweries in Los Angeles and not many at all that can. It is not much of a leap to Golden Road. A cursory Googling found only an address. An address on West San Fernando Road. Which if you have been to Golden Road, is their street location. After my Sherlocking, I asked the clerk where it was brewed and you can guess the answer I got.
Now I don’t know why the subterfuge. The beer geeks will find out and all they are fooling are people who may not understand the contract beer thing. And that may turn people off if and when they find out. I would put proudly brewed for Trader Joe’s by Golden Road on the label and if people liked this lower priced offering, they might reach for the higher priced Heal the Bay Or Wolf Among Weeds the next time they beer shopped.
That is a topic oft covered on this blog so lets get to the beer…..
It pours a dark amber brownish/orange color. For a pale ale, there is not much hop nose at all. 45 IBUs doesn’t scream hoppy though it is more in line with a traditional pale ale. The first sips mirror the aroma. Primarily maltiness. Super easy to drink. Leaves a pretty lacing on the glass too. Very quenching but more an ESB than a pale. And if the box and can replaced pale with ESB, I would have been pleasantly surprised. As a pale ale, it is no great shakes and could use a serious bitter boost.
Obviously at a lower price point, you can’t expect Citra, Nelson or Rakau in your pale but you would expect more hoppiness to be there. They also have four packs of a blonde ale as well. Usually those don’t stray too far style wise. That makes the choice easier. If you want light, go for the blonde it will only set you back $4.99. If you are in a malty mood then pony up an extra buck for the Gold Brick (ESB).
Thanks to the folks in Eugene, I got hooked up with the spring pale seasonal ale and now is the time to review some Ninkasi beer.
Spring Reign pours a very clear light tangerine color. With little to no head at all. There is a slight citrus aroma to it that fools the drinker into expecting a traditional pale ale but then that first sip and subsequent ones are very British ESB’ish. Loads of minerality to it. That saltiness combined with the grain taste make an interesting combo. As it warms, you get a slight touch of orange at the back.
And us in L.A. are also lucky enough to find their Czech pils, Pravda and their IRA. I would suggest getting all three for an Oregon taste test.
Los Angeles has been the recipient of some East Coast beers of late including this British style pale ale from Cisco Brewers. I love the simple label, especially the 3/4 pint notation. Pours a very clear and dark orange color. Aroma is more British pale for sure so kudos to brewing to style. Taste is primarily cereal malt with a small dose of hops. Does taste a bit watery which is odd for a 5.6% beer. Upon re-checking the aroma, you can almost smell the lack of oomph behind the beer. I am not arguing for a more hop approach but this does taste a little on the weak side to me. Then again my palate has had to work through Green Bullett and Carrack from San Diego brewers so maybe this is just an adjustment.
