Wet Exit by Kern River Brewing Company (Kernville, CA) - IPA
Very fresh tasting WCIPA with more tropical notes than expected but those quite quickly get pushed into the piney and resinous flavor direction with a spicy kick. Dry, medium bitter finish.
Secret Secret by Wayfinder Beer (Portland, OR) - Dark Czech Lager
Excellent dark Czech lager with quite prominent roasted malts mixed with flavors of brown bread, figs, prunes and some toasted bread, sometimes even light hints of coffee. Dry, low-to-medium bitter finish
Wiggle by Great Notion Brewing (Portland, OR) - NEIPA
Very drinkable and good NEIPA but at the same time also a bit “middle of the road” with a some “generic” flavors (fruity, stone fruit, citrus, piney, light dank, bready malts, lower bitterness finish) where nothing stands out.
Cynosure (Blackcurrant, Pineapple) by Homes Brewery (Ann Arbor, MI) - Sour IPA
Really nice sour IPA which finds a good balance between the tart component, some (but not overwhelming) sweetness from the pineapple and hoppiness from the hops. Works very well together and creates an unique flavor combination.
Parabolita by Firestone Walker Brewing Company (Paso Robles, CA) - Imperial Stout
Surprisingly thin imperial stout as it starts with roasted malts, molasses, malted chocolate and hints of coffee. As the caramel flavor gets a bit more prominent these other flavors disappear and the second half of the sip is mainly caramel with hints of vanilla and bourbon and a very long salty aftertaste. As the stout warms up the flavors start to work a bit better together but it still doesn’t feel really well balanced
@honkman what store do you normally buy your beers?
I have several local (Bay Area) shop where I trust they know how to handle and store beer and a few selected national shops where I pick stuff hard to get in SF. (I am also mainly interested in shops which sell single cans/bottles vs 4-packs as I am more interested to try out new stuff)
Local:
-Giant Liquor (Mountain View)
National:
It’a also surprising how good the selection is in some of the “regular” independent supermarkets in the Bay Area, so that it is always a good idea to check them out when exploring to areas
I miss being able to go down to my local bodega/corner store and get decent single bottles. Some of the Eastern European stores here carry them, but that limits you to beers from Germany/Russia/Poland/etc. And Total Wine is a bit of a shlep for me–I go there when I need several items.
The Bear by Great Notion Brewing (Portland, OR) - Hazy DIPA
Tropical fruit bomb with tons of mango flavor (and a bit of pineapple in the background) but not overly sweet. Some piney flavors come in but the fruitiness stays quite prominent throughout and even the dry, low bitterness finish isn’t much of a change. Overall a bit too much of a good thing and some more bitterness would have balanced the dominating tropical flavors better
Kook Sled by Humble Sea Brewing Company (Santa Cruz, CA) - Hazy DIPA
Very creamy mouthfeel, nearly chewy with strong pineapple and mango flavors, followed by some floral, herbal notes with a dry, low bitterness finish. Overall good but quite dominated by the tropical flavors and could have used some more bitterness to balance it better.
Tropical Trinity by Pure Project Brewing (San Diego, CA) - Hazy IPA
Despite the name this beer was less tropical than expected and had quite strong grapefruit flavors upfront with some tangerine and pineapple notes in the background. Some floral/herbal flavors creep in the second half of the sip before a dry, medium bitter finish. Not bad but a bit too strong on the citrus flavors for a good balance
Konkey Dong 4 UP by Hoof Hearted Brewing (Marengo, OH) - Triple IPA
Very smooth TIPA which hides the ABV very well and isn’t overly sweet and tropical but has mainly citrus, grape and some peach flavors upfront before a nice balance of pine notes come in. Dry, medium bitter finish - overall very well balanced IPA which drinks very easy
North Coast Old Stock Ale, 2023 edition. Super-malty, which I like, with a bit of sweetness. 10.9% ABV, but it didn’t feel like it.
N/A Black Butte Porter from Deschutes out of Bend OR. I haven’t had a regular one of these in a while so I can’t compare, but this is pretty good for N/A porter. Very drinkable. 100 calories / 12 fl oz.
Early Leaf by The Drowned Land Brewery (Warwick, NY) - NEDIPA
Excellent example of a hazy DIPA with a very soft, smooth mouthfeel, balanced tropical and citrus flavors without being overly sweet, balancing floral and piney tastes and a dry, medium bitter finish.
Supreme Diesel by Fieldwork Brewing Company (Berkeley, CA) - Hazy DIPA
Good hazy DIPA which showcases some flavors from Nelson hops with notes to grapefruit, peach and guava before it gets quite grassy, herbal and dank with a dry, medium-to-high bitter finish. Very good balance between fruitiness, some restrained sweetness and the namesake “diesel”.
Deth’s Tar by Revolution Brewing (Chicago, IL) - Imperial Oatmeal Stout
Sipping oatmeal stout with a lot of complex flavors from the bourbon barrels with a very smooth mouthfeel. Flavors of chocolate, vanilla and coconut in addition to the bourbon dominate the stout. A slightly bitter finish with some sweetness (which is bordering towards distracting) hides the 15% ABV very well.
Unholy by Coppertail Brewing Company (Tampa, FL) - Belgian Tripel
Unusual for a Belgian tripel as it has a bit too much resemblance to an American IPA and comes over too hoppy. Citrus notes upfront before some spicy and herbal flavors. Would expect a bit more maltiness and Belgian yeast flavors. Overall not a bad flavor profile but not really close to a Belgian tripel.
I haven’t seen many dark lagers in a while. Hope they make a comeback.
It’s Beer Week in SF again! Actually it starts next week but Toronado is starting early this year.
Cellarmaker Triple Mt. Nelson - Triple NEIPA w/Nelson hops from NZ. Very hoppy and fruity, tasted a bit of pineapple. Great!
Sante Adairius Point Being - American Pale Ale, slightly hazy. Crisp, hoppy, easy to drink. I like it.
