San Diego Mini Vacation

D and I have been looking forward to getting out of town for a LOONG time. It's so nice to get away from the day to day routine and even though it was only a little over an hour away in San Diego it was really nice.

We were invited by our friends the Hale's. They are newly weds like us and share the same wedding date just a month later so this weekend was our 3 month anniversary (1/4 of a year! woohoo!) and their 2 month.

We stayed in a nice hotel called La Pensione in Little Italy. The rooms were small but very clean and everything was literally right outside our door. Like this street market on Sunday. There also was a really cute dog that was in the lobby that somehow I didn't get a picture of. We could have attached a broom handle to his collar and used him as a mop. Our first meeting with "Rosie" involved her pilfering food from the refrigerator.

Dinner was Italian of course. There were several beers that preceded, and followed after the meal. Including Old Thumper ESB and Ballast Point's cult hit Sculpin IPA. I was shown up by a girl too. No, the weirdly layered concoction of Guinness and champagne is not mine. The itty bitty little port is mine. The big one? It's called a Black Velvet and it definitely made the Guinness better. I'm not a fan of Guinness, I know, blasphemy.

We ended the weekend at Hash House A Go-Go. This place is INsane. We all took turns walking around the room looking at everyone's food. Did you see the steak? I think they threw the whole cow on the grill! How is the table holding up the bathtub filled with salad? People, they put an entire branch of rosemary in the dish. Steakhouses use knives to hold their burgers together sometimes, this place used rosemary. We just wish that the taste was as big as the novelty. The food was so-so. Underseasoned, very underseasoned. Nevertheless it was a great two days and it left us with Sunday to relax and veg

Drake's Denogginizer Imperial IPA

This beer was a big surprise. Not for how good it was(coming from Drake's I expect nothing less) but for where it came from.

My brother, he of the fruit beer picked this one out and it was really, and I mean, really good. I thanked T for bringing it by sending him home with some Arrogant Bastard and a home brew stout.

The first thing I noticed about the pour was that it was much darker than most IPA's. Aside from a Cascadian Black this might be the darkest in color IPA I've had. Drake's said they added crystal malt to it so maybe they added a darker malt.

The head was huge and really sticky. It looked like mousse floating on top. The aroma was not overly aggressive but it was definitely heavy on the pine. I also got a whiff of some caramel and sugar so I knew the hops had some serious malt backing.

The first taste left me wanting a larger one and for the bottle to never empty. Aside from Deschutes Hop Henge this vaulted straight to the top of my all time IPA's. The body was thick and creamy with just enough bubble to keep it refreshing and the line between too bitter and too sweet was drawn perfectly down the middle.

This won a silver medal at GABF 2009 but it should have won gold in my eyes. Damn you Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland, OR. See you soon though.

Victory Wild Devil RE-Review

I've gotten back into Belgians of late after a detour to the land of IPA's. Yes, I know this is an IPA, but it's very different from your classic IPA. I've reviewed it before here, but this one has been cellaring for 6 months or so and I figured that the time might have mellowed some of the bitterness and brought out some of that sour fruit, funkiness of "Brett."

Yes and yes. Time had definitely brought out the funk. I like this beer a lot more now. Similar to a Belgian IPA which is a little sweeter Wild Devil brings a tinge of sweetness on the backend that makes this one enjoyable.

Ommegang Three Philosophers Quad

Fate has decided to keep me on my Belgian kick of late. My brother, who I've been missing brought over this one along with another fabulous beer the other night.

It was a great night too. We ended up at The Haven in the Orange Circle where again, I had some MORE great beers. It also was momentous for the four guys there because it was the first time we had all gone out and all been married. I had to smile at that, it made me happy. My brother, the youngest at the table by years, is also the longest married.

I've thought about buying this in the store about a thousand times and I also serve it at the wine bar I work at but I've never really had the impetus to pick it up.

This was the first beer from Ommegang I've had and I have to say that I was underwhelmed. It was good, nuanced, the kriek(2% cherry ale) came through as did the darker ale but what I really didn't like was that getting down to the last few sips, where the beer shoudl evolve, but in a good way, all I got was alchol. I know this is a quad and is heavy but good beers shouldn't have that burn in my opinion. I expect the burn from my whiskey but not from my beer. Even some beers that I've had at nearly twice the alchol masked the presence well.

I did however enjoy it until the last 3 or four sips.

Avery The Kaiser One Year Later

This is one of my ALL-TIME favorites. The first time I had this it was part of a flight at The Twisted Vine in Fullerton, Ca. It blew me away. This is a lager? I've never had a lager with SO much character. Maybe I haven't had the opportunity but I still see lagers as relatively bland compared to ales.

As soon as I had this though I knew I needed to pick up some bottles. I got three 22's. I drank one that night, one about a week later, and this one, well, I'm not sure how I held onto it for a year but I did.

It was worth the wait. This beer actually turned into a celebration beer as I cracked it and shared it with my friend, his wife, and their new less than a year old addition who had just come back from 18 months in Germany.

This is Oktoberfest as it should be. Malty, bready, sweetness to the extreme. Caramel just oozes from the top and the body is so viscous it just seems to coat your tongue and glass in the best way possible. Lower carbonation just makes it all the more luxurious. This isn't a beer that you could drink a ton of because I think it might get cloying but I definitely did not want my glass to be empty.

Green Flash Le Freak Belgian IPA

D and I met our friends at The Haven the other night. We seem to spend a lot of time there. Maybe because the beer is so good? They took away our chicken wings so it can't be because of the wings. D had her usual Saison Dupont, although I did get her to try a different Saison called Solstice although the brewer's name escapes me right now. I however got to have a beer on tap that I've been looking forward to trying for a long time

Green Flash is a brewer out of San Diego that at first I didn't like. Their West Coast IPA just annihilated my taste buds. SOO bitter. Now though, I've either acclimated to IBU's, they've toned it down, or I had some monstrous mistake of a beer the first time because West Coast is one of my more favorite IPA's when I'm looking for a nuclear hop warhead. Their Imperial IPA is amazingly balanced and don't get me started on their red which is one of my favorites.

Le Freak is a Belgian IPA so I knew i was in for a little bit of a sweeter iteration of the style. The candi sugar they are known for lends to this taste and it is one that I actually enjoy with the bitterness. It tends to tone it down, add a level of complexity, and complements it quite well.

This one didn't let me down, light to medium body, floral, orange, and citrus on the nose. Maybe a little pine for good measure.

This one was definitely not overly bitter and had that sweetness on the backend. Slightly biscuity like a good French champagne as well. I picked up some floral notes as well.

Very enjoyable.

Full Sail Session

This is exactly what the name implies, a beer you can drink a lot of and still remember your name. It's a lager but that doesn't mean it can't have character. I've had a couple lagers that were out of this world(The Kaiser).

This beer is easy going down, slightly sweet finish, good carbonation, and the bottle is just awesome. I feel like I'm holding a beer grenade. Plus, you can play paper, rock, scissors, because they print one of the three under the cap!

Pick up a 6, or two, crack one open with a friend, hopefully you win the game, but if not you still have a great beer.

Avery Salvation Strong Pale Ale

I have never not liked a beer from Avery and the streak continues with Salvation.

This strong pale was noticeably lighter in color than most other pales I've had but that in no way detracted from my enjoyment of this beer.

Sweet on the nose with Belgian candi sugar, grapefruit, lemon and some spice, this American version definitely does its Belgian Brethren justice. Even at 9% ABV I couldn't get very much alcohol on first whiff.

Salvation has a decent amount of body and it only get chewier as it warms. It's light on the bubbles but it's just the right amount to not be drowned out in sweetness.

The alcohol also helps to overcome what could have been too sweet but instead is a perfect accompaniment to the slight hops bitterness. Overall a great beer that I think just tops Goose Island's Matilda, definitely outranks Russian River's Damnation, and slaughters North Coast's Pranqster(Golden Ale).  

I will never pass up the chance to drink Avery. I'm REALLY looking forward to opening up a Kaiser that I have been cellaring since last year. It's fall and that means new bottlings!

Abita Turbo Dog

This is the first brew I've had from Abita and I enjoyed it.
This is an English brown ale. 5.6% ABV. It poured really dark for a brown ale but thank goodness there wasn't any toast with that darkness. This is all sweet bready, malty, caramely goodness. Definitely a malt bomb with a teeny hop bitter backend. VERY nice. I'll get some more for sure

San Diego Session IPA

San Diego Session IPA. This beer is something I have been looking for. A low alcohol HIGH taste IPA. These two do not go hand in hand, or at least, I have yet to find one that is decent.

I think this is left over from a recent beer fest in San Diego. I had it on tap at The Haven in Orange. I'll be reviewing the place soon so look for that. Anyway, back to the beer.
4.2% alcohol and ALL the taste of a high class IPA. This isn't a pale ale in IPA clothing either. Pine, citrus, and a good bitter back bite. This isn't a knock you off your rocker IPA. It is what it purports to be. SESSIONABLE. Meaning, I can drink more than a few and be pleasantly warm. Not blitzed.