If you find yourself hard pressed to get to the local brewery because it may not be so local to you, see if any local eating establishments are beer enthusiasts. That is what today's blog is, a taste of (mostly) Southern California.
Bootlegger's Brewery out of Fullerton, CA, offers a wide variety of beers. I have visited the brewery itself and found the experience very enjoyable.
Old World Hefe 5.0% ABV - A German style Hefeweizen, this beer presents a nice golden color, low carbonation, with a wheaty, citrusy aroma. The taste is very smooth with a hint of banana and clove. Tasted without a fruit garnish
Rustic Rye IPA 6.2% ABV - Slight dark golden color, good clarity and good head retention. The aroma is a mix of hops, rye, and some floral notes, very hop forward with hint of rye towards the end. My companion/ IPA enthusiast adds, that the beer seems fairly sweet for a rye and is a fairly thick beer.
Golden Chaos 8.5% ABV - Notes on the beer: Belgian Style Golden, Bottle conditioned for 2-3 weeks and brewed with American Rock Candy - This beer presents with a cloudy golden color, good head and a slight malt aroma. The beer tastes very sweet and kind of bananay.
Black Phoenix 6.7% ABV Chipotle Coffee Stout - dark color with tan head, good head retention. This beer has a strong coffee aroma and is spicy sweet, pretty confusing on the tongue, with a roasted coffee to finish.
Our next brewery is one, I have mentioned before, The Bruery. The Bruery offers two locations to taste their Belgian Style beers, at the Breury Provisions in Downtown Orange, or at the brewery itself in Placentia. Both places are great places to go to try their beers.
Orchard White 5.7% ABV - This beer presents a light golden color with good head retention, with a clove/coriander/lavender aroma, it is very spice forward in taste and very well balanced.
Rugbrod 8.0% ABV Dark Rye Ale - This beer has a nice dark amber color with limited head. It has a slight rye aroma, with a roasted malt forward with a nutty finish.
Mischief 8.5% ABV Hoppy Belgian Style Golden Strong Ale - This beer has a dark golden color, good head retention and a floral hoppy aroma. This beer is very hop forward and finishes with a slight malt flavor and a citrus tartness. As I have mentioned before this is my favorite beer the Bruery has to offer.
We move next to Rubicon Brewing Company which is actually in Sacramento, I have not had the chance to visit yet.
Capricorn Black Ale 6.5% ABV Black IPA - This beer is dark in color, with good head retention with a slight hop/ malt aroma. The beer is actually malt forward with a strong hop finish with a hint of roasted flavor overall.
Our tour ends at Kern River Brewing Company in Kernville, CA another brewery I have yet to visit.
Class V Stout 8.5% ABV - This beer is dark, with a nice tan head, a nice cascade and excellent head retention. This beer has a sweet malty aroma with a sweet malty/ coffee forward and slight bitter finish, as you continue to drink this beer, a hint of chocolate starts to present itself. This was another favorite of the overall tasting and was a nice way to finish it off.
So there you have it. If you are in your local beer store and find any of the above intriguing, grab yourself a bottle and share with a friend or two, or if you are one of those "does not share well with others" types, that's OK too.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Brew Review: Squatters Brew Pub - Salt Lake City, UT
Squatters Brew Pub is apart of the Utah Brewer's Cooperative with Wasatch Brewing Company. They brew a wide range of beer styles.
The tasting took place at their Park City, UT location, the sampler presentation is pretty fun in my opinion:
From tip to tail:
American Wheat Hefeweizen 4% ABV described as follows: This unfiltered wheat beer is brewed with German yeast and tettnanger hops and has delicate citrus flavors. Try it with a lemon wedge!
This has a nice golden color, with what I can only describe as your typical domestic lager aroma, very mild taste, with a slight banana finish. Note: this was tasted ungarnished with any fruit.
Chasing Tail Golden Ale 4% ABV Described as follows: A real tail wagger! This inviting golden ale is brewed with premium English barley, English Golding and Fuggle hops producing the delicate bitterness and aroma.
This beer has a nice clean golden color, not much in terms of aroma, pretty mild at first taste, with a hint of hops and citrus to finish
Provo Girl Pilsner 4% ABV Described as follows: In the Bavarian tradition, this golden-hued Pilsner is brewed with German variety Magnum hops, then lagered for 30 days for superb drinkability.
This beer has a nice straw color to it, with a slight hop aroma, but, to me, kind of a soapy taste, which could be from the hops.
Full Suspension Pale 4% ABV Described as follows: A rich northwest style pale ale. Unfiltered, dry-hopped and staggeringly drinkable. A local favorite.
This beer has an amber color, with really good head retention. The aroma is very mild and very hop forward, it was hard to taste much else.
Bobsled Brown Seasonal Brown ABV and description unavailable on the website.
Nice darker amber color, slight malt aroma, hint of hops at first but with a nice nutty/ coffee finish. Very enjoyable and one of my favorites. I hope the brewers plan on bringing this one around again
Captain Bastard's Oatmeal Stout 4%ABV described as: Smooth as silk, full of flavor with a big malty finish. Brewed with Chinook hops, oatmeal, roasted barley, pale, caramel and chocolate malts.
Nice dark color with tan head. This beer features a roasted malt coffee aroma, coffee flavor forward with a wonderfully smooth finish. Another favorite in the Beer Lady household
Emigration Amber 4% ABV Described as: A house favorite at Squatters since 1989 this medium bodied, copper colored ale gets its flavors and aromas from pale and caramel malted barley and Cascade and Chinook whole flower hops.
I had a pint of this as a cask conditioned beer. This beer features a crisp amber color with a hoppy/malty aroma, smooth creamy forward flavor with a hint of hops to finish. My favorite of the tasting.
At a separate restaurant, I had the chance to enjoy Hell's Keep Belgian Style Golden Ale
Per Utah Law, this is only available in bottles due to it's high alcohol content of 7.75%ABV It is described as follows: Hell's Keep is deceptively refreshing and complex. A unique ester profile developed in fermentation and high level of carbonation produce this devilish golden strong ale.
This beer has a beautiful golden color, and superb head retention. The aroma is rich with malt and esters, with a mild banana forward flavor and a slightly bitter finish. Another pleasure to drink
As I mentioned earlier, Utah Law restricts the alcohol content you can serve on draft. If you want to enjoy (or brew) anything higher than 4%ABV, you have to have a bottle, which personally I think is unfortunate, because a lot of the beers above, and elsewhere in Utah, could have a much stronger aroma and flavor profile.
The tasting took place at their Park City, UT location, the sampler presentation is pretty fun in my opinion:
 |
| Better than a shot ski in my opinion |
From tip to tail:
American Wheat Hefeweizen 4% ABV described as follows: This unfiltered wheat beer is brewed with German yeast and tettnanger hops and has delicate citrus flavors. Try it with a lemon wedge!
This has a nice golden color, with what I can only describe as your typical domestic lager aroma, very mild taste, with a slight banana finish. Note: this was tasted ungarnished with any fruit.
Chasing Tail Golden Ale 4% ABV Described as follows: A real tail wagger! This inviting golden ale is brewed with premium English barley, English Golding and Fuggle hops producing the delicate bitterness and aroma.
This beer has a nice clean golden color, not much in terms of aroma, pretty mild at first taste, with a hint of hops and citrus to finish
Provo Girl Pilsner 4% ABV Described as follows: In the Bavarian tradition, this golden-hued Pilsner is brewed with German variety Magnum hops, then lagered for 30 days for superb drinkability.
This beer has a nice straw color to it, with a slight hop aroma, but, to me, kind of a soapy taste, which could be from the hops.
Full Suspension Pale 4% ABV Described as follows: A rich northwest style pale ale. Unfiltered, dry-hopped and staggeringly drinkable. A local favorite.
This beer has an amber color, with really good head retention. The aroma is very mild and very hop forward, it was hard to taste much else.
Bobsled Brown Seasonal Brown ABV and description unavailable on the website.
Nice darker amber color, slight malt aroma, hint of hops at first but with a nice nutty/ coffee finish. Very enjoyable and one of my favorites. I hope the brewers plan on bringing this one around again
Captain Bastard's Oatmeal Stout 4%ABV described as: Smooth as silk, full of flavor with a big malty finish. Brewed with Chinook hops, oatmeal, roasted barley, pale, caramel and chocolate malts.
Nice dark color with tan head. This beer features a roasted malt coffee aroma, coffee flavor forward with a wonderfully smooth finish. Another favorite in the Beer Lady household
Emigration Amber 4% ABV Described as: A house favorite at Squatters since 1989 this medium bodied, copper colored ale gets its flavors and aromas from pale and caramel malted barley and Cascade and Chinook whole flower hops.
I had a pint of this as a cask conditioned beer. This beer features a crisp amber color with a hoppy/malty aroma, smooth creamy forward flavor with a hint of hops to finish. My favorite of the tasting.
 |
| Cask conditioned Emigration Amber |
At a separate restaurant, I had the chance to enjoy Hell's Keep Belgian Style Golden Ale
Per Utah Law, this is only available in bottles due to it's high alcohol content of 7.75%ABV It is described as follows: Hell's Keep is deceptively refreshing and complex. A unique ester profile developed in fermentation and high level of carbonation produce this devilish golden strong ale.
This beer has a beautiful golden color, and superb head retention. The aroma is rich with malt and esters, with a mild banana forward flavor and a slightly bitter finish. Another pleasure to drink
 |
| From the Reserve Series |
As I mentioned earlier, Utah Law restricts the alcohol content you can serve on draft. If you want to enjoy (or brew) anything higher than 4%ABV, you have to have a bottle, which personally I think is unfortunate, because a lot of the beers above, and elsewhere in Utah, could have a much stronger aroma and flavor profile.
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