Tag: Topa Topa Brewing

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Extra Coast Please

Topa Topa Brewing Co. Brewmaster Casey Harris got together with San Diego’s Craft Coast Beer + Tacos Head Brewer Blake Masoner to collaborate on a new beer, and went with the little seen XPA, one they named Extra Coasty.

The duo “developed a selection of hops and explored different processes to create a beer showcasing clean hop bitterness without the hard, bitter bite nor an aggressive alcohol content that comes with other popular hoppy beer styles.”

And here are those Hops: Mosaic, Strata, Nectaron, Krush; Mosaic Cryo and Mosaic Dyna Boost, oh, if you were curious about the malt, that is Pure Idaho Pilsner, White Wheat, and Carapils.

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Variety Box of Solitude

Topa Topa Brewing is setting out their first variety6-pack just before Labor Day weekend. The Solitude Series IPA Mixed Pack harkens back to the single hop IPA craze of years past.

You will get two beers each of Mosaic, Citra and Talus.  Here are the brewers notes from Brewmaster Casey Harris – “Mosaic has always been a standout hop, as it’s so diverse in its flavor and aroma with an array of fruity, tropical, and earthy notes. Citra is one of my favorites, and kind of finds its way into a lot of our beers – perfect for rounding things out with its strong citrus qualities. Talus is a new one, and it’s really a unique hop with intense flavors of grapefruit, stone fruit, and oak.”

There is also an “interactive QR code on the base of the mixed 6-pack provides an opportunity to share feedback on which hop pleases their palate the most.”  If this sells well, I would expect another set of three hops in box 2.

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Sean Suggests for February 2024

As much as I enjoy a good themed beer shopping list, sometimes you just want to go around the style horn and end up with a wide variety of beers. Here are three to try…

Highland Park Brewery Bird Bier – 5.2% – “Witbier brewed with locally grown Buddha’s Hand plus Purple Sage & Pink Peppercorn foraged from The Audubon Center at Debs Park!”

Topa Topa Brewing Pava Rosa Sangria-style Kettle Sour – 6.5% – “Brewed in collaboration with Carhartt Family Wines.” 

MadeWest 8th Anniversary DIPA – 8% – “West Coast Double IPA with notes of pink grapefruit, blueberry and pine. Hopped with Nelson, Simcoe Cryo and Mosaic Incognito in the whirlpool followed by a generous dry hop of Vista, Mosaic, Ekuanot & Columbus Cryo.”

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Double 1st Visit – Bright Spark & Topa Topa HQ

The Thanksgiving break was the perfect time to make a drive up to Ventura to visit new Bright Spark Brewing and since I was there, the nearby Colt HQ of Topa Topa Brewing.

Bright Spark is the classic industrial park locale. They had (4) beers on tap from them and (3) guest taps as well. Pale, red, IPA and porter on the menu, all that is missing is an amber for truly old school vibes.

Twilight Porter was the beertenders fav and was mine as well with the pale coming in second from the taster tray with the IPA your typical new brewery hoppy beer.

Quite a big amount of seating but from barstools to larger tables, to couches the place is airy and warm with games on one side of the L shaped space. The furniture seemed a bit better than the usual as well.

They have pizza and small bites as well as some cool and unusual salads like the one that I had with golden coconut dressing and pomegranate.

Topa Topa HQ is a beautiful, bucolic garden spot for a beer that even has a little free library. Just needs hop or malt fields to complete the picture.

There are 13 beers on tap with 2 Single hop beers and a Patagonia test beer too. There is a built in crowler machine. Lots of video and non-video games in a blank-ish event space. They even TT soccer jerseys.

This Colt Street space is an oasis for beer, dogs, kids and nature. Just a wonderful location inside and out.

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KQ Express

Sometimes you miss a beer the first (even second time) around the horn. Such is the case for KQ Express from Topa Topa Brewing.

Since SoCal receives extra weeks of sun while others get autumn temperatures, this could be that bridge from summer to fall beers.

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At the Moon

Topa Topa is my favorite Ventura brewery. No dis to others. So I will be interested to see how they spin a coffee IPA. Like the Black IPA, the balancing act of hops and coffee is tricky. I will also need to try Beacon Coffee too.

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Go Back

Now, if a delivery truck could go back in time think of the possibilities. For now, just be aware that two cool Ventura County breweries have teamed up on an IPA that is not hazy or West Coast. Maybe East Coast Clear is the next thing. And we would have Topa Topa and Casa Agria to thank.