Tag: Torrance

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Where the Dudes’ Abide

So the Dudes’ Brewery opened up their taproom to the world in mid-September and a month later, I am my craft co-pilot Richard are in Torrance having a fine time at Smog City when we decide to also check out the Dudes’ since it is so close.

And I must say that the abode where the Dudes’s abide is quite nice.  A grouping of picnic tables.  A couple of TV’s for the sports enthusiasts without internet access and a nice little bar fronting their canning line and brewing operations.  As per the norm, it is in an industrial area with plenty of weekend parking.  Plus they have the cool glassware that you can adjust to make it balance on an edge like you are a magician of Copperfield-ian proportions. There was a nice flow of people coming in and out so the place was filled as well.

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I had the South Bay Session IPA while Richard had the dry-hopped Kolsch.  Both were tasty but the prices seemed really low.  Now I know that sounds strange to say.  But lower prices (barring happy hour time) is a bit of a warning bell to me.  My glass was $3 which I have paid for a taster glass in the past and will probably do again.  Either the Dudes have an incredibly economy of scale or they are using different ingredients than other people.  Only their Double IPA reached $7 bucks for a pint.  Now our beers were perfectly fine.  Not jaw dropping but certainly improved from past encounters with The Dudes’ so I am optimistic that they can continue to build the beer profile up to compete with the folks nearby.

You can check out this recent menu to see what you would order:

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Goldie, No 3 Bears

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The start of something special is coming on Saturday, Oct 11th, when the first of Smog City’s bourbon barrel-aged beers will released into the world.

Goldie has a longer style category than name. It is “a Belgian Golden Strong Ale aged in bourbon barrels stored in our brewery for over five months.”  And each and every bottle has “the bottle #, abv and bottled on date handwritten on it.”

Starting at noon, you can also get the re-release of Smoked Smaug Lager and Atomic 82, the base Belgian ale for Goldie.

These will be L.A. souvenirs so I would pick up a bottle if I were you.

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Review – Harvest Ball Orange Witbier from Strand Brewing Co.

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I am starting to wonder if Torrance will have it’s own terroir desgination.  That pondering occurred to me whilst staring at the really simple and classy label for Strand Brewing Co.’s Harvest Ball Orange witbier.  Which is their 4th anniversary beer that will probably be around for years to come.

Their version of the classic wit style pours a hazy light orange color with a thin white head to it.  It is a pretty beer to look at.  The smell though is fairly medicinal with a tinge of really dried fruit to it. Or maybe that is orange peel.  I wish the fruit would come after me in both the aroma and the taste which has a tiny touch of orange that is there from the beginning of the sip until the end but wheat and coriander and a bit of metal is more predominant to me.

This is one of those beers that is really close to being a really nice fruit beer.  But that nice citrus taste seems just out of reach and it lets other flavors take over that I am not digging on as much.

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Absolution Brewing Company

Slowly but surely, I have been visiting the new breweries of SoCal.  And now it is Absolution Brewing in the spotlight.

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As per craft usual the brewery sits in a big warehous-y space. Nice wooden bar with a dark wood on top and the base made out of barrel staves. Big chalkboard cpvered walkin with large wooden tap handles but only four of the beers on tap when I visited.   Lots of kegs sit in a row like soliders. Since their soft opening in the first weekend of March they have had big crowds which makes the pew sitting seem like a bad choice. It forces you to stand at the bar with your taster tray. And that is what I ordered….
Sinner Stout – Which is light with a good roast taste.  Their porter has more ABV to it.  Could use a little more backbone.
Possessed porter – a little on the root beer-ish tip to me. Too light to me. They use it as a base for other experiments but still needs more oomph.
Fallen Angel – This was a citrusy soapy creamsicle of a beer.  Not much hop bite to it.  More XPA than IPA to my palate
Cardinal Sin – Another so so offering. Not much to it. Not bad.  But nothing jumps out at me.

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I will have to visit when more of the line are unveiled to see if the others are better representations of the brewer and also to see how they grow.  They are currently behind the other Torrance breweries and I would suggest them before Absolution. (for now)

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Cask Showdown

It won’t be a showdown with bloody knuckles at the end but rather a showdown with Bloody Knuckle as the base beer for some wild, cask beers.

And it all goes down at Smog City in Torrance on the 28th.

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Here is the info for the event and if you miss it, you’ll have to wait until March for the next one.  So get your calendars out.

“We’re going head to head in our inaugural Smog City Battle of the Cask!! Each member of our Smog City crew has designed their own cask recipe, yes, even Laurie and we need your help to determine a winner!

At Noon on Saturday, Dec 28th, we will be tapping all five at the same time in a. Who’s cask will win? It’s up to the fans to chose!

In honor of the holidays and the lovely chilly weather, all of the casks will be made using the Bloody Knuckle, our Robust Porter, as the base beer. “

Cask Line-Up
*Fruit and Maple Cask
Contains Dried Orange Cranberries and Maple Syrup

*Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cask
Contains Dried PB, Chocolate Powder and Cocoa Nibs

*Mint Chocolate Cask
Contains Chocolate Powder, Cocoa Nibs, Mint Oil and Vanilla Beans

*Toasted Coconut Cask
Contains Toasted Coconut and Vanilla Beanks

*5th- Raspberry chocolate sticks porter
Contains: Raspberry Purée, Freeze dried raspberries. Coco powder, Cocoa nibs, Vanilla beans

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Appreciating the Fans of Smog City

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Smog City wants to appreciate the people who appreciate them.  Take a read….

“This year, we were among 11 breweries in L.A. entered into L.A. Hotlist’s voting for Best Local Brewery. To win it took your support, it took your votes and it took GREAT BEER! Thanks to YOU we were voted BEST LOCAL BREWERY of 2013!!

So….When you win something, it’s only appropriate to celebrate with a party and thank our fans!

Please join us

Saturday, Nov 16th:

12-4pm for celebratory $1 samples and $3 beers”

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Review- Feminist from Monkish

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Great to see this Monkish flagship beer in Bruery style bottles. I think that Henry is doing some really creative things in Torrance and I am glad that I have a growler to use at will, or whenever the traffic allows.  Feminist pours a reddish brown color. I first get hibiscus notes. Followed by a dry, antiseptic Belgian yeast strain. Puts cranberries in mind for some reason.  I have found that hibiscus can be way too overpowering but it works here.  It also puts me in mind of Thanksgiving.  I think this would be perfect with turkey and stuffing.

 

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Food GPS Teaser – Where to go in the South Bay

Tomorrow, the Food GPS “Where to go for Craft Beer” series returns with a survey of the South Bay.  Previously, I took a look at Downtown LA and at the Hollywood area.  As a travel guide for those who either are new to Los Angeles or native Angeleno’s who want to explore out of the area that they live or work in.

Those first two “neighborhoods” as it were are pretty easy to identify.  They have boundaries that are pretty well set.  And so does the South Bay, but people (like me) from the Glendale area may not know what those boundaries are per se.

So to prepare for my picks, here is a handy map detailing where we will be headed tomorrow…..

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As always, if you have suggestions that I missed.  Let me know.  My list of craft beer places is long but I want to be as informed as possible and will add even more.

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#LABW5 Pick of the Night – Saturday 9/28

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Each morning throught L.A. Beer Week, I will give you my Pick of the Night.  The ONE event I think rises to the top of the list.  Some days that choice will be harder and there might be 1A and 1B’s (if I get wishy-washy).  I will endeavor to pick events you can just head out to.  But if tickets are required, I will mention it.  But expect crowds.  Craft beer and craft beer in L.A. is popular.

Rarest of the Rare at Smog City Taproom

I cannot add anything that cannot be better said by this tap list:

Cask
2009 O.E.
2011 Callaborative Evil w/Vanilla Beans

Draft
Quercus Circus – 19 month sour barrel-aged belgian blonde
Tempest – 18 month barrel-aged sour red rye
Farmhouse Funk
Bourbon Collaborative Evil – 2011 Collaboration with Julian Shrago of Beachwood BBQ
Bourbon Red – 15 months in bourbon barrels
Bourbon O.E.- Bourbon barrel-aged Olde English
Bourbon Imperial Porter
Weird Beer- 5 Grain Saison with spices
Hive Five- LABW special ingredient beer! 5 different types of Honey at 5.5%abv
GrapeApe IPA- IPA made with 500lbs of flame grapes, pressed on site

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Forage Around

SmogCityLogo Smog City has debuted a new small batch series by the name of the Forager Series.

The first beers came out this time last month and are “based on the hunt for natural ingredients found and foraged around LA, the Forager Series uses hand harvested fruits and herbs to create unique beers that put a spin on traditional styles.” I missed the first couple (see below) and since these beers are brewed in very small batches they are only available in their taproom in Torrance.

And you can be a part of the beer, “We look forward to expanding this series and further exploring what LA has to offer in terms of ingredients. In the future we plan to brew larger batches for the Forager Series so if you are interested in helping out we’re looking for you!

We’ll send out requests as the recipes develop via the newsletter and of course, if you have an overabundance of fruits, herbs, peppers or the like please email laurie@smogcitybrewing.com and we might just design a recipe around it!”

Fennel Of Love- 5%abv
Sunday we will be tapping our 80 Shilling Scotch Ale brewed with fennel flowers harvested by Porter from wild growing fennel in Playa Vista. These flowers are not to be confused with fennel seed or fennel pollen, the flowers impart a subtly sweet anise character into a lightly malted and fruity beer. The result is a subtle licorice and fruity aroma balanced by a smooth crisp and lightly malty beer ending in the perfect amount of roast character thanks to the midnight wheat for added balance.

King Kumquat- Saison with Kumquats (tbd)abv
In the works and soon to be released is our second in the Forager Series, King Kumquat. Laurie harvested 60lbs of kumquats from the Porter household kumquat tree thereby leaving Porter and the guys with an excellent excuse to buy an immersion blender. New Toy! They then added the whole pureed kumquats into one of our 50gal stainless steel barrels and topped it up with actively fermenting L.A. Saison. As it has yet to finish out, we will all have to wait and see how the beer will ultimately taste.

Whether you participate or not this is a cool idea and a good way to make creative beers.