Stone Brewing Company Stochasticity Project Grapefruit Slam IPA - ale with grapefruit peel added

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Stone Brewing Company Stochasticity Project Grapefruit Slam IPA - ale with grapefruit peel added.

From the Stochasticity Project website: “India pale ales harness the inherent flavor characteristics of hops to bring forward familiar flavors of pine, resin, spice, and citrus. In some cases, those botanicals are so potent, they exactly mirror specific edibles. Such is the case with Centennial hops, which hail from the Great Northwest and come across on the palate like a mouthful of citrus fruit. That sensation is amplified with this, the first beer introduced via the Stochasticity Project–a double IPA brewed with Centennial, Chinook and Magnum hops as well as an immense dosing of fresh grapefruit peel. The result is over-the-top bittersweet grapefruit intensity that is at once refreshing and bracing in its citrusy bitterness.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a pale orange color with a soapy white head leaving lots of lacing.

Aroma: Citrus, fruity and pine hop scents, bready, pale and caramel malts.

Taste: Grapefruit upfront with grassy and other citrus bitterness, spice, sweet and grainy malts round out the flavors.

Overall: Refreshing and very grapefruity, Stone Brewing Company Stochasticity Project Grapefruit Slam IPA is enjoyable.  This 8.2% ABV offering is certainly worth a try for a change of pace.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Knee Deep Brewing Company Wet Wittee Belgian-Style White Ale

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Knee Deep Brewing Company Wet Wittee Belgian-Style White Ale.

From the Knee Deep Brewing Company website: “Belgian-Style White Ale brewed with Spices”.

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a pale golden yellow with a dense off-white head and excellent lacing.

Aroma: Grain, cardamom, Belgian yeast, fruity esters, wheat and some earthy notes.

Taste: Wheat, light grains, citrus, Belgian yeast, spice and earthy hops.

Overall: Crisp and light, Knee Deep Brewing Company Wet Wittee Belgian-Style White Ale is delicious. This 5.3% ABV offering is easy to drink and worth a try!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Pizza Port Brewing Company Chronic Ale Amber Ale

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Pizza Port Brewing Company Chronic Ale Amber Ale.  I picked this can up at The Wine Club in San Jose (here). They have a small craft beer section, but they have an incredible selection.  If you're anywhere near The Wine Club go visit them and tell 'em Mark from NorCal Beer Blog sent you!

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours clear amber with a thin white head leaving lots of spotty lacing.

Aroma: Sweet malts, caramel, citrus, grainy and bready.

Taste: Caramel, bready, nutty and grainy malts with touches of citrus and grassy hops.

Overall: Refreshing and balanced, Pizza Port Brewing Company Chronic Ale Amber Ale is a solid beverage.  This 4.9% ABV offering is absolutely worth trying if you’re a fan of Amber ales.  I enjoyed it!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Modern Times Beer Black House Coffee Roasty Stout

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Modern Times Beer Black House Coffee Roasty Stout.  I picked this can up at The Wine Club in San Jose (here). They have a small craft beer section, but they have an incredible selection.  If you're anywhere near The Wine Club go visit them and tell 'em Mark from NorCal Beer Blog sent you!

From the Modern Times Beer website: “Black House is an oatmeal coffee stout bursting with coffee aroma and flavor. Modern Times is one of the only breweries in the world to roast our own coffee, which allows us to be exceptionally picky about which coffees we use and how we roast them. The result is an abundantly flavorful beer that's incredibly complex and aromatic, with loads of roast character and a chocolate-covered espresso bean finish. Black House is also available on Nitro. So creamy.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours very dark brown with a tan head and spotty lacing.

Aroma: Roasted coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, sweet malts, oats  and a touch of spice.

Taste: Roasted coffee, roasted malts, dark chocolate, sweet malts, oats  with some light flavors of caramel and brown sugar.

Overall: Balanced and highly drinkable, Modern Times Beer Black House Coffee Roasty Stout is tasty.  This 5.8% ABV offering is worth checking out.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Green Flash Brewing Company Soul Style IPA

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Green Flash Brewing Company Soul Style IPA.

From the Green Flash Brewing Company website: “Our brewers rip—creating huge and complex double and triple IPAs at the pinnacle of craft beer enlightenment. Soul Style is their effortless and pure manifestation of the Single IPA. Citra, Simcoe and Cascade hops are layered, allowing bright tropical waves of flavorful citrus and floral notes to break gently on the palate. Get stoked on a laid back single and ride a wave to soothe your soul.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a golden orange color with a fluffy white head and great lacing.

Aroma: Tropical, citrus and floral hops balanced nicely with bready pale malt scents.

Taste: Tropical and citrus hop balanced well with pale malt sweetness.

Overall: Clean and refreshing, Green Flash Brewing Company Soul Style IPA is tasty.  This 6.5% ABV offering is highly drinkable and worth trying.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Alpine Beer Company Captain Stout

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Alpine Beer Company Captain Stout. This beer was brought back for me by a friend.

From the Alpine Beer Company website: “A Chocolate Oatmeal Dry Stout:
The Captain is leader of a fire crew. This beer takes charge of your taste buds with its rich flavor. Roasty malt character that has hints of chocolate and coffee which balances the smooth, velvety finish. The thick, creamy head lasts and lasts, leaving lace in your glass as your beer disappears. This beer pairs well with food. Great with dinner or as breakfast or even with a rich vanilla-bean ice cream. 1.060 OG 31 IBU 6% ABV”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours opaque black with brown highlights, a thin tan head and spotty lacing.

Aroma: Roasted malts, caramel, chocolate, coffee, slight vanilla and earthy hop bitterness.

Taste: Roasted malts, caramel, coffee, chocolate and a little bitterness in the finish – can’t determine whether it is the roasted malts or hops.

Overall: Dark, roasty and dry, Alpine Beer Company Captain Stout is very nice.  This 6% ABV offering is well worth trying for fans of the style.  I’d certainly drink again.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Firestone Walker Brewing Company Barrelworks Lil Opal Barrel-Aged Saison Farmhouse Ale

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Firestone Walker Brewing Company Barrelworks Lil Opal Barrel-Aged Saison Farmhouse Ale.

From the Firestone Walker Brewing Company website: “Our first 2013 blend from masterblender Jim Crooks! Lil' Opal is a cunning blend of two-year-old American oak and eight-month-old French oak saisons. Both go through a secondary fermentation and maturation in barrels.  This traditional Belgian farmhouse saison has notes of citrus and tropical fruit, a smooth mouthfeel, and tangy crisp finish. Round this all out with a little earthy funk and we have one refreshingly complex offering.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a clear golden color with a tall white head and nice lacing.

Aroma: Citrus, sweet dried and tart fruits, oak, vanilla, funk and light grains.

Taste: Tart and sour – citrus and grapes, oak, vanilla, light grains, Brett funk, some wheat and slight hop bitterness.

Overall: Crisp and refreshing, Firestone Walker Brewing Company Barrelworks Lil Opal Barrel-Aged Saison Farmhouse Ale is a delicious Saison.  This 5.9% ABV offering is well worth trying if you can source it.  I’m headed to Firestone Walker Brewing Company in hopes to pick more up. Well worth the drive!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Mission Brewery Dark Seas Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Mission Brewery Dark Seas Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout.

Commercial description: “Our award winning Russian Imperial Stout has been aging in Bourbon Barrels for 22 months to add complimenting notes of oak, vanilla, and bourbon to its massive coffee, chocolate, and roasted malts flavor profile!”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours black with a thin khaki head and great lacing.

Aroma: Bourbon, roasted malt, chocolate, oak, coffee and vanilla.

Taste: Roasted malts, coffee, dark chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, toffee and some oak.

Overall: Light and easy to drink, Mission Brewery Dark Seas Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout is delicious.  Weighing in at 11.25% ABV this drinks much lighter than the ABV.  Would drink again.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Escondido/San Diego Bottle Shop Recommendations

Hello,

I'm going to be heading down to Escondido and was looking for bottle shop recommendations.  I plan to visit a few breweries, but to maximize my time I wanted to drop in on a couple bottles shops so as to make sure I bring back some of the more rare beers that area has to offer.

Thank you in advance for your advice and thoughts!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Belching Beaver Brewery Horchata Imperial Stout

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Belching Beaver Brewery Horchata Imperial Stout. I picked this bottle up at The Wine Club in San Jose (here). They have a small craft beer section, but they have an incredible selection.  If you're anywhere near The Wine Club go visit them and tell 'em Mark from NorCal Beer Blog sent you!

From the Belching Beaver Brewery website: “A salute to our south of the border brothers brewing great beer! An imperial stout brewed with vanilla, cinnamon and rice malt with a creamy medium body. It’s a real treat and dessert in a glass!”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours black with a dense tan head and great lacing.

Aroma: Cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, chocolate, coconut and some coffee notes.

Taste: Lactose, cinnamon, chocolate, toasted coconut, vanilla and some coffee. 

Overall: They hit the nail on the head…an Imperial Stout that’s got the scents and flavors of Horchata.  Belching Beaver Brewery Horchata Imperial Stout is sweet, medium-bodied and delicious.  This 9% ABV offering is worth a try for fans of Imperial Stouts with a twist. 

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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