Tag: review

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Halloween Featured Review – Hollywood Movie Madness from Ex Novo


The (early) Halloween beer is from Portland’s Ex Novo Brewing. They have collaborated with The Hollywood Theater on a beer named Movie Madness Cult Classic Pale. The beer is made to celebrate the start of beer and wine sales at Movie Madness the classic video store in Portland.

On to the review: Cult classic pours a bright orange color. This tastes like an old school NW ale. Bracing with a bite. Grapefruit is the dominant aroma. General citrus pith leads the flavors of what is called a pale ale though I would call it IPA. There is a little rye like malt spicy component. Finishes lightly which allows a final pop of hops.

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Featured Beer Review – Epoch Fresh Hop IPA from Groundbreaker

Our next out of Cali review is for Epoch Fresh Hop IPA from Groundbreaker Brewing.

Here is the description from their website, “We’re celebrating the era of the IPA with fresh Strata hops, a new hop variety from Oregon State University and Indie Hops. Tropical citrus layered with herbal dankness.”

This is grapefruit juice. And not that ruby red stuff. There is a smidge of pith in the aroma of this darkish orange gluten-free IPA but man does the full bitter grapefruit come out in the taste. There is an underlying fruit punch note as well. Don’t know if this stark flavor is due to the Strata hop. I could see making a radler with this to give a toned down version even though the ABV is not high. This could be a polarizing amount of citrus. Certainly none of the softness of hazy. Overall, I like it but maybe in 12oz cans more.

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Featured Review – Steel Beach Lager from Mike Hess Brewing

Let’s review a lager! Haven’t done enough of that. And continuing on the theme of south of L.A. breweries we head to Mike Hess Brewing for their Steel Beach lager.

I do like the drink straight from the can pop top from Hess. Big malty aroma up front. Not a super light beer though there are some scrubbing bubbles here. Getting some sugary notes as well. Some toast notes come through as well. I would classify as a Vienna Lager. As such, it does the job and then some.

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Featured Review – Ferruginous from Mason Ale Works and Horus Aged Ales


Heading down south again and this time for a collaboration between Mason Ale Works and Horus Aged Ales (of which this is my first 1/2 of beer from)

Really detailed can design with Horus and their logo on one side and Mason on the flip side, plus little logos in the background. This DIPA poured a clear orange color. Orange rind and malt aroma duking it out. Getting some grapefruit notes as well. This comes across really strong. Much more alcohol hit from this than an earlier beer drunk with ABV close to it. More triple than double to me. Sticky on the tongue. This is a sipper.

Recommend? Take a flyer. One can will only be about $3 so go for it.

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Featured Review – Two Beers from Roadhouse Brewery – Part 1 The Light

This month, I will be featuring reviews from the Wyoming brewery, Roadhouse. We starting with the two lightest options….

Family Vacation
Called a crushable ale. Pours a vivid lemony color. Super light. Bready with minerality. Can label is a bit much. There’s a little beer story, an image of a growling bear, a style/ pairs with and notes, the independent seal plus a red band across the bottom. This is a simple and nice beer. Family Vacation is a great name for it. Malt sticks to the roof of the mouth.

Trout Whistle
Pours a nice orange color with good head and lacing. Smell seems a bit off. Butter and pine. First sip is fine though. Some tangerine notes. A little creamy. Nice subdued level of bitterness

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Review – Lion Claaws from Los Angeles Ale Works and Firestone Walker


This milkshake collab between Los Angeles Ale Works and the Firestone Walker – Propagator pours like a grapefruit juice. The aroma is pineapple mixed with coconut. First taste unveils a lot of lactose. A lot. This is sugary. Only little over a week old and the hops of a DIPA are just not to be found. There is some orange juice but that just creates a creamsicle effect.

As it warms some of the bitterness starts to peek through but by then the battle has been won by the lactose. Strong fun flavors but the balance is off to me.

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Review – Boom Sauce from Lord Hobo


The Sauce doesn’t pour super hazy. Nice orange color. I tasted this beer and more from Lord Hobo for the first time on draft (at Barbara’s at the Brewery) and preferred Glorious more. I love the can design the verticality and font is cool. The IPA has that pillowy hop smell. A certain fuzziness. Boom Sauce tasted better in the can but is still feels as if it has road wear to it. A little butter undercurrent runs throughts. Maybe the hype has led to too high expectations.

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Review – BFD from Sierra Nevada

There are more of the “stovepipe” cans out on shelves and one that I have recently tasted is from the venerable Sierra Nevada, BFD. Is it a big deal?

Pours a light yellow and oh so clear. Straightforward and simple. Lightly dusted with bitterness. Aroma is very muted. I am reaching when I say a sweet bready note. Very lip smacking. Light pineapple note to it. Kings Hawaiian roll? If you are watching an NFL Draft or the Freakin’ Pelicans, this is a beer you can enjoy without worry about having had too many.