beer blah blog

Tröegs Nugget Nectar

2008-05-01T17:22:00.000-07:00

92 / 100

Third day in a row he is blogging? Get the fuck out.

I really like the make up of this beer - an ultrahoppy amber ale. I admit ambers are not toward the top of my favorites. Hop the shit outta them and now we're talking!!!

The color is (wait for it...) amber. Little bit of a head tops it off. First inhale - boom, hops. I tried to get the malty red character but enough my nose wasn't having it or it simply wasn't there. Oh well - I like hops. The taste mellowed out with some of the toasted characteristics you would expect from a red, all of the while hammered by hops.

This is how I like my reds.

Father's Office Los Angeles

2008-04-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

3229 Helms Avenue

Los Angeles, California

(310) 736-2224

I've always liked the original Father's Office but it had 3 things that always kept me from loving it: the crowd - Westside yuppie types, the hassle - having to fight for a table / waiting to get in & distance - I live on the East Siiiiiiiiiiide. This improved greatly for me in all 3 categories.

It's roughly 3 times the size of the SM location with one long room almost entirely open to the outside. There's an outdoor patio that increases the size even more. The bar runs along the length of the room with the taps behind it. There are 72 taps in total BUT each is duplicated, so actually there are only 36 draught beers available. The beer selection, while quite good, is a bit more pedestrian than the other one. Nothing really stands out as something you couldn't find elsewhere. That said, there's plenty there to enjoy.

The food is exceptional. The sweet potatoe fries with bleu cheese are unbelievable. Of course, they are known for their hamburger and that will not disappoint. Love it. It's worth looking into some of their other dishes as well as everything I've tried has been extremely tasty. I kinda went with what I know, so I didn't ask for any pairings; but I guess each dish has a corresponding beer to go with it. Unlike the previous location, this one has a full liquor license. With that they have an impressive selection of spirits much in the way they pick particular beer. I saw someone order a a drink that came with a dropper full of liquid - a bit pretentious, yes.

With all the good beers though, I didn't feel any need to go into the liquor section.

Again, you pay for what you get. A tulip of Delirium Tremens is $8. The food isn't cheap either. The location is dangerously close to my office, so I'm hoping they will remain open only a few days for lunch so I don't become a poor man.

Trumer Pils

2008-04-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

89 / 100

As of 2005, Trumer set up a 2nd brewery in Berkeley, California - the 1st is in Salzberg, Austria. It always puzzles me why I cannot find this beer easily in Los Angeles. In the Bay Area, every corner liquor shop has this everywhere.

It's a fine, easy-drinking pilsener. Everything about it shouts "session time". Nice straw color with a minimal head. Nice and balanced with a slight more hop kick than a German (or in this case, Austrian) made beer in this style.

The only drawback is the green bottling, I've come across some sun contaminated ones that have made me sad.

Yebisu

2008-03-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

81 / 100

My favorite fish spot in Los Angeles, Sushi Zo, just started carrying this which is a step up from my usual draught Kirin.I actually quite like some of the macro rice Japanese lagers when paired with raw fish. I realize they are all made somewhere other than Japan. Yebisu is not.It's has a nice malt profile - something you won't find in the rice beers. It also has a slight yeast flavor - something I've never really came across in lagers.

It's a unique beer and quite tasty. Enjoy with some sushi, if every you get the chance.

Telegraph California Ale

2008-02-13T11:33:00.000-08:00

90 / 100

I've had this beer now several times and each time I find myself enjoying it more. My brother now lives in Santa Barbara; so one fine sunny afternoon while visiting him, we biked over to the Telegraph Brewing. It's a small operation that offers tastings - I definitely recommend swinging by if in SB.

Since then I've been seeing their quality beers popping up throughout Los Angeles and more often than not - it's this one.

It's generally considered a saison but thisdarker and a bit maltier than a traditional one. In fact, there's no indication by Telegraph themselves that this is a saison. The rest of the elements certainly suggest it though. It has the pepper and citrus tones. A flavor that is quite complex but enjoyed so simply. The malty edge Telegraph infuses will probably be a bit confusing initially - for me the first two times I've tried it. But it warms up to you and you can easily see how this helps it transcend to a be a beer that can be enjoyed all year round.

Imperial Norway

2008-01-08T21:54:00.000-08:00

At an iceberg pace, fine Scandinavian craft brewed offerings are slowly coming to the United States, though quite difficult to find. Three of these breweries seem to be popping up in superlatives everywhere: from Denmark - Ølfabrikken and from Norway - Haandbryggeriet and Nøgne Ø, the two I've been lucky to come across. Both were dark and scary stouts.

Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout
84 / 100

The more intimidating bottle was from Nøgne Ø - det kompromissløse bryggeri. The text on the label told of "The Uncompromising Brewery" poetically. I'm sure Vikings would gets with this.

The stout itself was dark as night. Viscous as a motor oil with a slight cappuccino head, I immediately thought this foreboding libation would be conqueringly murderous. It was quite tame actually. A nice sweetness added to the dark malt texture and slight bitterness.

Haandbryggeriet Dark Force
90 / 100

I poured this into a tulip glass, the color was motor oil though seemingly a little less viscous. The aroma was coffee, roasted malts and a touch of smokiness. The flavor came as almost a cross between a RIS and a strong porter. The malts were foremost with the smokiness in the finish. Despite the 8.5% ABV it went down like less potent porter. Fine beer.

Pure Luck

2007-12-23T13:44:00.000-08:00

Pure Luck
707 N Heliotrope Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 660-5993

Somewhat new vegan restaurant / pub in my hood that I somehow only found out about last night. They have 15 beers on draught: some incredibly tasty stuff (6 from Craftsman, 3 from Stone, AleSmith Speedway Stout , Hop Rod Rye and about 5 others). One of the best beer selections in Los Angeles, I was floored. For $4, you get a 16oz OR 20oz "pint", which is about as cheap as pretty much anywhere for quality beer.

The food is really good as well. I got the "carnitas" which were made of marinated jackfruit. I was very impressed. It didn't taste like pork, but was very flavorful and definitely seemed meat-like. I saw their french fries, which looked great and their plantain taco is supposed to be bomb.

I definitely recommend. And Scoops is right across the street for desert.

Hollister Brewing Company

2007-11-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

Since my brother has moved to Santa Barbara, it has been an easy excuse to skip out of LA to meet him and grab a few pints. The Santa Barbara region is booming now with new breweries and brewpubs and none is better than Hollister just a few minutes north in Goleta.

I would kill for a place like Hollister in Los Angeles or even a place half of what Hollister is. Set in a shopping plaza (perhaps the only drawback), its décor is modern but not stuffy. It’s a bit more than your average brewpub but still a place you could feel comfortable catching a game and throwing back a few pints.

The brewer who’s name escapes me, formerly of SB Brew Co has big awards – most notably a GABF Gold Medal for his Santa Barbara IPA, a mighty fine beer at that. At Hollister, he shows that he can do many styles and do them well. Of there many beers, that change quite frequently I’ve tasted the gamut from Saison to DIPA, from Brown Ale to Hefe Weisen. All have been quite tasty. I’m an IPA guy at heart and his IPAs are nothing short of outstanding.

The food is a bit better than you would expect from a brewpub in a big college town. There’s some creativity in the menu – not just your traditional pub faire. The duck fat fries are a must. Yum. I’ve never made it to any of the entrées, but I’ve been compelled.

The reason we’ve stuck with a few beers and some appetizers is that the location makes it a little bit difficult to really make a night of it if you are in / staying in SB. We had some big beers and wanted to be sure we could make the drive back down the 101 out of Goleta. Again, a minor drawback, but certainly no reason to not stop and have a few beers at this fantastic brewpub.

Do you know the HARVEST??!!!

2007-11-09T18:22:00.000-08:00

Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale
86 / 100

Pizza Port High Tide IPA
89 / 100

Every Autumn the finest of American hops are harvested. Most of these hops are dried and preserved to last until next harvest. Notice I said MOST. Some of the fresh hops get shipped directly to brewers so that they can unearth some of the flavors lost later down the line. The result are freshly hopped ales, some have been known to call them Harvest Ales.

Sierra Nevada have been making their Harvest Ale since 1996, but this is the first year they have bottled it. Previously, it was hard to come by,
only in keg form and usually in bars close to the California source. It was always a pleasure for me as Father's Office in Santa Monica; they had in on draught every Autumn. Being a HUGE fan of IPAs, it was always the different subtleties that the fresh hops resonated that pleased me. You get the big hop profile but it's far more subtle - the balance seems just right. In a way it seems like a muted IPA - not in the flavor but in the bittering. And I don't mean that negatively - this is a fine fucking beer.

Pizza Port's High Tide takes this idea and improves on it. The flavors are more fresh and the different hops really pronounce themselves: Centennial - I getcha, citrus but now boom in your face like Cascade (think West Coast hopbombs), Chinook - I'm with ya - dry hopped to give that floral and bitter cut.

This is something I recommend to everyone. Bitter not your thing? This is so well-rounded you'll push through. Get this soon, it's not going to last. And the fresher the better.

Holiday Beers up next...

Kennebunkport Brewing Company

2007-09-29T17:37:00.001-07:00

If you've been to Trader Joe's recently you may have noticed a new line of beers they're selling. Bottles read Kennebunkport Brewing Company, which is also known as Federal Jack's. The bottles say that they are brewed at The Pugsley Brewing Company in Portland, Maine. Along with Shipyard and Sea Dog, these are all under the same parent company. I wouldn't be surprised if these beers and Sea Dog's are exactly the same.

Pumpkin Ale
49 / 100

This time of year is glorious for pumpkin ales but there is a dearth of them available in SoCal. Trader Joe's often has "orphans" (singles) available; so with the jonesing for a pumpkin ale, I had to give this a try.

It's orange in color (surprise!) with virtually no head. The initial scent is gumball, quite pungently sweet. Notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin follow up. But really it's sickly sweet, tasting more like a soft drink than a beer.

Why did I buy 2?

IPA
70 / 100

This was thankfully much better, but still nothing special. Probably more of an English IPA than the American hop monsters I'm used to; I could taste the Fuggle hops but they weren't that in your face. This is definitely more on the malty side. There was a little buttery taste I could have done without. Passable IPA but I probably won't be buying again.

In all, I haven't been impressed by the Kennebunkport Brewing Company. If you are into the Sea Dog beers, these will probably please you. Otherwise, Trader Joe's has plenty of better options.

Stone 11th Anniversary Ale

2007-09-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

87 / 100

I've been hearing the myths of the "black IPA" and at last I've found stock of them and am able to try it for myself.

My initially thoughts: Arrogant Bastard meets Ruination. Ruined Bastard? Kinda like the sounds of that. It pours "pitch dark" as the label alludes. Brilliant looking - full frothed head, lacing all over the fucking place. Just looking at it you'd reckon you're dealing with a Trappist quadruple. But that couldn't be further off. It's the roasted malt and caramel flavors of Arrogant Bastard meshed wit h the hop bang of an IPA. After half of a bottle the flavors have proved my "Ruined Bastard" presumptuous. There is a big hop presence, but not as far as Ruination.

As you can see this beer confused me. One thing I can say, is that it's a delicious confusion, drink some.

A Tale of 2 Rogues

2007-09-08T15:42:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Stout
94 / 100

This has long been one of my alltime favorites stouts. It's a breakfast beer. It's a dessert beer. It's chocolate. It's stout. It's fucking delicious.

I always use a chalice for this fine beer. It's beautiful - deep dark coffee color with a nice frothy cappuccino head, lace cascading throughout as I roll the glass about. The initial aroma is bittersweat chocolate followed by flavors of toast and roasted malt. The chocolate is in the forefront of taste too. What is truly remarkable about the taste is the high hop content. Hops are certainly not something that comes to mind when you think about a stout, no less a chocolate stout. Somehow the fine brewers of Rogue make this effortless and most importantly - truly delicious.

A phenomenal beer for any time.

Glen Ale
72 / 100

I had this on-draught at Father’s Office in Santa Monica the other day.

I knew very little about this beer going into it, but the chalkboard read “new Rogue – malt and very hoppy” so I was sold. It was served in a chalice for an unbecoming $8. The color was a reddish brown, nicely poured with a finger-width cappuccino head. The aroma was very subtle. After some searching I came upon some chestnut, caramel and a slight grassy scent. The taste too was subdued but the roasted malts were the most prominent flavors, slight bitterness. I definitely noticed the higher ABV. This reminded me a bit of Lagunitas’ Big Shugga though not quite as tasty. In all, I was glad to have tried it but won’t drop $8 on it again.

Craftsman 1903 Lager

2007-08-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

80 / 100

I wish I could get this in bottle form to convert some friends from their Bud/Miller/Coors standards. This is usually on draught at the Library Bar in downtown LA, where I used to work. So I've had this a bunch of times but always want more.

The first thing you notice is the glorious malt profile in the nose. Touches of corn also come through. It's a full flavored lager - slight peaks of hops show through, but this is malty beverage. Refreshing in the summer, with high drinkability.

Stone Brewing Old Guardian early 2007 release

2007-07-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

84 / 100

I don't often partake in Barleywines, except around winter when SN Bigfoot is an annual staple. Aside from a few other various offerings that pretty much makes up my barleywine intake. Every year I buy a few and they always linger. They're big, intense offerings that often scare me when I look into my refrigerator. So in that regard, I find them quite easy to age - not drinking it = best way to age, of course.

Old Guardian is one I try every year. So far, it's been until today nearly August for me to sample Stone's 07 offering, and to be honest, I'm not sure what drove me to try it today, but I'm certainly glad I did.

As expected this is a big beer. Chewy malt characteristics up and down with tons of hop bitterness. Not as floral as my favorite, Bigfoot, but some say that has too much hop character for a barleywine. I like lots of hops so perhaps that is what makes me so comfortable with that. This is far more balanced, which is not to say there are subtleties - everything is there and there in spades.

Wonderful caramel and bready flavors fill out the hops and chewy malts. The body is rich and full with a smooth finish. Quite tasty. Why have I waited so long to try this?

Thankfully, I have another one to age for a few years to see how it mellows out.

Miller Chill

2007-07-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

43 / 100

This is basically a hatecrime in a bottle.

For whatever reason this seems to be the rage. The lime flavoring taste is very artificial. Almost like someone dropped green Skittles in my beer. My very bad beer. Oh and there's salt flavoring too. Surprisingly, the salt taste was actually not terrible.

Anyhow. Avoid this.

San Pedro Brewing Company

2007-07-05T15:50:00.001-07:00

I was in the area for work and one of our clients wanted to get lunch here. A brewing company lunch? Done and done.

The inside has a very collegiate feeling - TONS of UCLA memorabilia. Port photos - some of which very impressive - line the walls. It was a cozy, neighborhood brewpub. Most of the people there looked to be locals - longshoremen / truck drivers.

I don't quite remember what was on tap but I went with their Point Fermin Pale Ale. I would definitely have had another were this not work time. I ordered the tri-tip sandwich and it was tasty. It was a lot of food with the sides and all. I couldn't finish it.

Los Angeles could use a lot more places like this.

Redwood Bar and Grill

2007-07-02T07:43:00.001-07:00

The moment I walked in I knew I would like this place. It was a late lunch and as we were being escorted to our table we passed the bar which had the Red Sox vs. Rangers game on and a Stone IPA tap handle. This Boston ex-pat was sold.

Just having Stone IPA on tap raises anything in Los Angeles to the upper echelon of beer bars even if slowly more and more I'm seeing places catch on to better beers. They also had a couple Craftsman and some better Germans amongst others. The pirate theme of it all is not subtle, but nor is it irritating. The staff were very pleasant, making sure our party was kept happy.

The food was decent. The menu said about the hamburger being the "best in town" or some other sweeping accolade. It wasn't but it was good.

Good friends, good food, good beer and the Red Sox game on? Can't beat that.

The Redwood Bar and Grill
316 W. 2nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
www.theredwoodbar.com

Full Sail Brewing LTD Series 02

2007-06-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

74 / 100

Saw this at my local Trader Joe's for $5.99 a 6er, so I figured might as well give it a go - the other Full Sail Ltds did me right.

It poured an orange color - almost as the same color as the label! Nice retained head topped it off. Sweet malts dominated the aroma along with a slight helium smell that I've noticed it heavily malted beers such as Arrogant Bastard. It sounds more off-putting than it really is. The taste is rather sweet as well. It has a creaminess to it that was kind of unexpected but welcome.

I have 5 more left and I'll drink them but it's doubtful I'll be rushing back for more.

Stout Week: Day 4 - Brooklyn Chocolate Stout

2007-04-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

89 / 100

I keep liking all these stouts as you can see. This one I acquired in a trade from someone on the East Coast. I remember drinking this back in my eastside days. It's pretty damn good.

This combines the best of the Russian Imperial Stout and the Sweet Stout to one particular thick and creamy tasty beer. It's thick and resiny, with a slight cappuccino head. Dark chocolate and espresso dominate the nose. Very full with little subtleties. The taste is quite filling - full of the chocolate and coffee flavors with some roasted malt and even a bite of vanilla.

This has become an East Coast classic. Worth looking for this one.

Stout Week: Day 3 - Young's Double Chocolate Stout

2007-04-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

80 / 100

Young's Double Chocolate Stout is the world's most popular sweet stout. Stout and chocolate just make sense together.

After the pour the most immediate thing you notice is the frothy head. There seems to be a lot of carbonation too. The color is a thick black. The aroma is milk chocolate with some grain. The taste is full of chocolate and a slight hop bite. The taste actually improves as it warms up.

I was drinking the 500mL bottle, I remember it being better in the nitro-can - more creamy.

Stout Week: Day 2 - Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout

2007-04-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

85 / 100

I just noticed that I haven't reviewed many of Lagunitas Brewing Co's fine beers as of yet. Over the past 2 years I've noticed a steady improvement in their offerings to become one of Northern California's most underrated brewers. Their DIPA, Maximus has become a staple in my 'fridge and their seasonals are quite tasty.

The Cappuccino Stout is brewed with Sebastapole's Own Hard Core Coffee as listed on the label. It pours a medium bodied, medium thickness dark almost opaque color. The aroma is roasted malt, a bit of chocolate and guess what? Cappuccino! Or well, most likely coffee scents. The frothing makes it more cappuccino like even if the head does not hold very long.

The taste is great. Full of flavor - the aforementioned malt, chocolate and coffee with a surprising hop bitterness. The bite of the hops, the sweetness of the chocolate at the acidity of the coffee balance well together. It's has an after dinner quality to it, but I could also see myself drinking this in the morning - after all it does have coffee in it ;-)

Stout Week: Day 1 - Stone Russian Imperial Stout 2007

2007-04-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

84 / 100

As the missus noted this weekend, "Wow, you've really gotten stouty!" So true. Thus begins Stout Week.

To start Stout Week, I thought it fitting to have one of my favorites which happened to had it's 2007 release: Stone Imperial Russian Stout.

The 2006 version was incredible, as were the previous years'. Often big stouts like this are better over time and would expect that to be very true for the version this year. There was a edgey bitterness that I don't remember from past years' offerings. It wasn't all that unpleasant, but this could be better. In that it was slightly disappointing.

The malt character is very well pronounced. It hints at cocoa and caramel but is very much M A L T. The alcohol level is quite high, so be careful. f you're able to find years' past, I'd cozy up to one of those - this year's will be best with some time.

THIS SAT @ AVALON - Droog || Acquaviva || Wink || Freestylers

2007-04-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

Not necessarily beer related but my alter
ego is DJing this Saturday, as part of Droog.
This weekend, the lads continue the Avalon
residence playing main stage hosts to Josh
Wink, John Acquaviva and The Freestylers.
The terrace will be hosted by Droid Behavior.

AVALON HOLLYWOOD
2007 APRIL 14

RSVP to droog.la@gmail.com

www.myspace.com/droog_la

DOWNLOAD "DROOG - COUGAR" (right click, save as)

Full Sail Slipknot Imperial IPA

2007-04-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

83 / 100

2007 Brewmaster Reserve, 22 oz.

Found this in the back coolor of the West Hollywood, BevMo in my desperate attempt to find a half decent chilled beer. It was in a box that clearly had a few removed from it, so I figured that was like saying, "You can buy one too!" though the cashier gave me a bit of grizzled "Where you get this?" when I was at the check out. Oh well, I wasn't stopped and gots to take this new-to-me beer over to a buddy's for the evening.

The appearance was good not great: a bit light for a DIPA. The smell wasn't though - big citrus hops profile. There's sweetness in the underlining malt character but it takes a few sips to reach under the bombastic hops.

At 7.8 this is not an all day session beer, but it goes down very easily. Hopefully this beer gets made more often, I liked.

AleSmith Speedway Stout

2007-04-03T15:36:00.000-07:00

96 / 100

I'm finally getting around to reviewing this beer, my favorite stout.

Certain beers get to me sometimes and it becomes almost all I can think about. Usually with me it's an IPA or a Belgian ale, but every once in awhile it's a fine crafted stout. Speedway Stout is one of those beers.

This special beer works best in a snifter I've found (or perhaps a large red wine glass). The snifter allows the beauty of the deep, viscous blackness as it pours along the curve of the glass, leaving a creamy lace. The espresso frothed head is glorious in the small mouth of the snifter.

The aroma is wonderful - rich coffee, sweet malt and an almost vanilla flavor. It takes awhile to get around the complexities but it's very rewarding. The texture is thick and creamy - exactly what I like in a big stout. You can almost chew it.
Tasting it starts with an espresso flavor that gets a bit bitter before rounding out with a sweet malt backbone. There's a bitterness of dark chocolate with a sweetness of vanilla bean and hint of cherry wood. It's difficult to put a finger on all of the flavors, but it's enjoyable to try.

At 12% ABV, this is not for everyday / all day consumption. At that level it is rather remarkable how easily it does go down. The alcohol warmth makes this perfect for a colder night. Living in Los Angeles, I've enjoyed this just as much at bbqs and even for a nice weekend breakfast sipping. Stouts are not for everyone, but if you ever wanted to crossover this is the best place to start.