review – Page 16 – Beer Search Party

June 21, 2015August 31, 2018

Review – Session Gap (in bottles)

All Starburst rants aside, I was intrigued to see that MacLeod’s was bottling. Brewer Andy Black is protective of his beer and rightfully so because it really shines when presented right. That right being on cask at the right temperature.

But the attractive label lured me in and now it is time to see how the bottled version compares.
And there is quite a difference. There is zero lacing on this beer. Absolutely none. Plus it is many shades nuttier than what I remember. There is a nice hit of bitterness here that seems stronger than on cask as well. Sort of a tea/lemonade mix going on. Normally I would say this was a thin beer but because MacLeod Ales generally are on the less strident side, this isn’t much different to me.

I would hazard a guess that the darker, maltier beers like Jackie Tar would fare better with the bottle treatment.

May 21, 2015August 31, 2018

Featured Review – Summer Wheat from Anchor

For our next canned beer we head back to Anchor Brewing and their Summer Wheat. Which pours a little darker than I expected it to. More orange than the yellow that I was looking for.

The taste is also a bit heavier than my palate was ready for afte a day of work crunching numbers. There is a lime and bread mixture to the aroma which is more in line with my wheat beer definition. That lime note is the main push of this beer, flavor-wise as well. Like a laser of citrus that flares and dies.

It is not bad but it is more abrupt than I would like and doesn’t have some of the refreshing qualities of other lighter beers.

May 17, 2015August 31, 2018

Review – Ride On IPA from Golden Road

Another IPA from the blue building at Golden Road is in cans now, Ride On IPA at 6.4% ABV is supposed to have notes of melon and pine and be perfect for skateboarding. Will I find that, or something else?

Ride On pours a light yellow with a rocky head of foam. The aroma hits me as honeydew melon and spice. So, yeah. The description matches my tastebuds. Additionally there is a hit of grapefruit juice that is almost rubbing alcohol-esque. But that rises and fades pretty quickly. This IPA seems a little more viscous than biting on the tongue. Which is not what I was expecting at all. It is certainly an IPA that is less like most of the market for sure. I would label it as a change of pace IPA.

April 20, 2015August 31, 2018

Featured Review – Java Stout from Bell’s

Coffee beers are one of my favorites and to get a different taste of beans from Michigan is tempting.

Here is my review of Java Stout from Bell’s.

Java Stout is really strong on the Starbuck-ian very roasted bean side of the equation. Burnt notes with a bit of smoke are the dominate notes here. The base stout is overwhelmed in one sense but also holds the beer up. There is a load of bitter coffee acidity here as well. There are some fig and anise notes tucked into the beer as well. It is, in the end, well balanced despite the darkness of the roast.

I just wish the label weren’t some sort of Jigsaw meets coffee mug dementia.

April 13, 2015August 31, 2018

Review – Citraholic from Beachwood

I am late to the party. This is my first time tasting the famed Citraholic from Beachwood Brewery.

This West-Coast IPA pours a pretty orange color. The aroma is mostly spice with lemon peel backing that up. The taste reinforces that duo with the lemon taking more of a co-star role. It tastes strong and a bit heavy almost to DIPA territory for me. But the lemon notes that alternate between just cut and a lemon pledge really works. And in the end it has an almost emonade quality.

Plus, Bless Beachwood for date stamping too. This bottle was 5 days old when I cracked it open.

April 10, 2015August 31, 2018

Review – Expedition Stout from Bell’s

While the IPA obsessed on the West Coast were giddy about getting Two Hearted (and it is deserved giddiness). I was more excited about the stouts and porters. Ales made to warm on cold days. Cold days that L.A. brewers don’t normally experience. So let’s check out what the Expedition Stout from Bell’s is like.

It pours an inky black with some nice coffee colored foam that fades off but clings to the edges of the glass for a pretty picture of light and dark brown. Expedition is a really dark bitter roast. In line with a Starbucks coffee. There are also some burnt wood notes. This is a heavy, slightly viscous brew that lingers on the palate. Not much in the way of chocolate or fruit notes to balance out the near rauch character. Some balancing flavor or a rounding of the sharp edges would make this stout more tuned to my palate but it is a good late night beer.

March 23, 2015August 31, 2018

Review – Sweet Crude from Beach City

The second Huntington Beach brew to review is Sweet Crude Stout. And though I don’t like comparing beer to petroleum products, I am glad that Beach City bottles their scaled down or small version of their Imperial Stout.

Now, on to the review: Dark chocolate and a smokey roast greet the nose from the Sweet Crude. There is a sharp tinge with some metallic note to it that is the dominant take-away from the beer. Underneath is a coffee ground taste that would play well as a brunch beer if there wasn’t also a smoke note there as well. A well-carbonated rauch meets stout.

For me, there is too much of a spike to this beer where it needs to be velvety. Also the taste really sticks to the top of the palate and makes me want a drink of water to release it. Nothing technically wrong here, it just doesn’t have the flavors that I desire, in the right balance, for me to really enjoy it.

March 18, 2015August 31, 2018

Home Brew Review – Imperial Pepper

Now I am not a fan of the “heat”. I keep trying pepper laced beers and I keep having to hose my burning tongue down.

But this beer gives me a nice hit of spice mixed with vanilla and chocolate. Balance! Thanks God for the brew that mixes well. There is a really heady capsaicin hit on the nose that worried me but the flavor brings out a milder and milk stoutier taste that I like. Even though no lactose was added

Some people enjoying the “crime” and “punishment” of pepper, but I much prefer the balance and this beer has it.

March 15, 2015August 31, 2018

Review – Hang Five IPA from Beach City

I have been hearing good things about Beach City beers but I haven’t been able to visit their space. But thanks to the enterprising folks at Sunset Beer,I found two bottles that I could bring home.

First things first. Both the beer name and label need work. Compared to other L.A. Breweries, those two aspects pale. Maybe use a more obscure surfing reference and find a cleaner, less busy piece of label art.

On to the beer. It pours a light orange witha bit of head to it. The aroma is spice with some wood notes. The taste is fine though I think it is faded a bit. Maybe too old of a bottle. Still has a bit of hop hit to it but seems less rounded. Even the carbonation seems dulled.

I will have to reserve full judgement until I have it fresh on tap but this is only so-so.

March 8, 2015August 31, 2018

Review – King Harbor IPA

I am so glad that King Harbor is bottling. And also glad the bottle design is cool, compared to Beach City and Bell’s which are also in fiber beer shoppes.

Enough art talk though. What about the IPA?

It pours a dark yellow and the aroma toggles between pineapple, grape and cat pee in equal measure. The taste is solid to above average. I am a big fan of their Swirly beer, so I think they target my darker malt palate but I do enjoy this IPA. It has a nice mixture of flavors without being beat upon the head with hops. I much prefer this method so den though the finish is a little alcohol burn heavy for me, I still like this offering. And I hope for more bottles in the future.
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