Tag: Ritual Brewing

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IE IPA X2

A bit cryptic of a title for a blog post. Certainly not SEO friendly, but I have never been into that. Beer Geeks with a little LA knowledge will get the reference and that is enough for me.

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I will be comparing and contrasting (apple and orange-ing) two IPA’s from the Inland Empire.

First up is Wiens Brewing Type 3 IPA.  According to the label it is their 3rd IPA and it has five different hops in it.  It pours quite redder than most IPA’s which stay in the orange or yellow realm of the rainbow.  It leaves a lot of lacing on the glass especially for a beer at only 6.5% ABV.  I get a mango and tropical note that is in line with the pineapple that the label talks about which is a good start.  That fruit centric aroma fades as the bitterness is the star of the flavor show.  But it does dissipate quite quickly.

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The aroma is stronger than the flavor but there is a hearty dose of hops to contend with until they drop.  For my first beer from this particular brewery it makes for a promising start but will it better it’s Redlands counterpart?

Hop-O-Matic from Ritual Brewing is another beer that doesn’t make its way into Glendale or LA much if at all.  (Which is fine, I don’t mind if a brewery wants to serve it’s community first).

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This take on the IPA comes in a little heavier on the ABV and sits in the orange hued spectrum.  The aroma is quite spicy hence the pairing advice of Tikka Masala.  This one certainly has a front loaded jolt of bitterness and carbonation that strike the palate but then it, like the Wiens fades off very quickly.  And what I am left with is a reminder of bitterness and the taste of powdered cinnamon.  A taste that I don’t believe that I have had in an IPA before.  And that note is probably what triggered the donut and carrot cake pairing suggestions.

In the end, I would choose the Wiens first.  Yes it was watery in comparison but the tropical notes were quite nice in the aroma and while they lasted in the taste.  That strange spice in the Hop-O-Matic just didn’t grow on me like some beers can do.

 

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Ritual Brewing

Took a little time to find this new-ish Redlands brewery, but once the small sign saying “beer here” was spotted, I was sure that I had found Ritual Brewing for the first time.

I am accustomed to breweries wedged into industrial parks. Comes with the territory. But you walk into Ritual and feel dwarfed by the cavernous space. There is a tiny bar area and a few barrels upended to stand around but it mostly feels like an echo chamber. Not particularly a bad thing but it is a little off putting.

I got a sample tray of four beers that looked good despite the plastic cups and set forth to try a range of styles.

The wit looked good but boy did it taste of salt. A taste that I unsuccesfully attempted to rid my palate of. So, I set aside that offering and moved onto Hellion. Which was OK but was not super. Third in line was Extra Red. I had sampled it at Union Station as part of LA Beer Week and was impressed but this batch fell short of that one. I was left wondering where the water came from and what they did to it. The first three beers struggled to get the flavor through this salt water barricade. The stout at the end was the best of the day but not drive worthy like the samples at nearby Hangar 24.

I left most of the beer. That should tell you something.

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Ritual Brewing

Redlands is getting a new brewery, Ritual Brewing

Now the trip east becomes even more worth it now that there will be two stops in town.

Plus, thanks to a bright-eyed FoodGPS reader, there is another brewery fermenting in Riverside by the name of Thompson Brewing.