On day three without Nicci I decided to drive to San Diego. Even though I didn’t get to bed at a normal hour, I had already mapped out my day. I did not want to disrupt my preconceived plans for today, even when I awoke early this morning (read: before the sun rose) and could not fall back asleep. Oh no, I was damned sure still going to get my exercise for the day and then drive down to San Diego.
Maybe you remember about this time last month, Nicci and I tried our best to get to the AleSmith brewery. It was closed, so we decided to go to the Ballast Point brewery a few miles down the road. Today the AleSmith tasting room was open, so I raced down the Interstate to see if I couldn’t get my hands on some sweet, sweet booze.
I walked into the tasting room and found I was the only person there, other than the nice young woman who filled the temporary position of bartender. Within five our ten minutes, two other guys roughly my age stopped in to taste some beers, as well as an older gentleman. The four of us chatted a bit about different beers with the girl who was serving samples. At first I thought I might just sample some of the beers I haven’t had before, but I quickly realized it would be more fun to just run the line and sample all 10 of the available brews. It was only fifty-cents per cup, and I was not opposed to paying for good-sized samples. Here’s a quick rundown of everything I tried:
Lil Devil – A Belgian ale brewed with coriander and orange peel. Golden color with a white head. Aroma of spices, coriander and wheat. Flavor includes some citrus notes, maybe a hint of banana, and some floral hops. 5.8% ABV
Horny Devil – A Belgian strong ale. Cloudy gold pour with a rich white head. Aroma of coriander, yeast, spices and dry malts. Taste includes fruits, spices, candy sugar and wheat. 10% ABV
Grand Cru – A Belgian strong ale. Deep amber color, beige/off-white head. Aroma of fruit, toffee, cloves (?) and honey. Very smooth, warm notes of toffee, caramel, and dark fruits. Delicious. 10.6% ABV
Nautical Nut Brown Ale – A brown ale. Pours a nice translucent brown with a tiny, tiny head off-white in color. aroma is definitely nuts, and the taste is nuts, caramel and malts. so good, with a tiny bitter finish. i could drink this for ages. 5.25% ABV
Wee Heavy – A Scotch ale. Pours dark brown with a light tan/beige head. Aroma of roasted malts, caramel, dark fruit, and maybe a hint of bourbon. Dry, bitter caramel with lots of roasted malts. Noticeable alcohol. Finish includes some alcoholic warmth. Very, very fine brew. 10% ABV
Speedway Stout – An imperial stout. Oily, jet black with a small tan-colored head. Aroma is super-sweet with hints of malts and chocolates, maybe a tiny sense of alcohol in the nose. The flavor is mocha, roasted dark chocolate and malted hops. The back of the throat gets a wonderful aftertaste. Swishing around definitely heightens flavors. Such a wonderful stout. 12% ABV
X – An American pale ale. Very gold in color with a sticky, big white head that leaves good lacing. Aroma of citrus and light hops. Flavor is citrus with hops and very mild malty notes. 5% ABV
IPA – An India pale ale. Pours orange/amber with a medium-sized white head. Aroma fresh piney hops. Flavor includes citrus notes and malt to go along with the huge hop assault. Bitter finish. Amazing IPA. 7.25% ABV
Anvil – A premium bitter / extra-special bitter. Poured a very nice amber with a tiny white head. Some lacing. Aroma of malts and fruit. Favor is very malty with a perfectly enjoyable bitterness. Excellent rendition of an ESB. 5.5% ABV
After the other dudes left to go to Ballast Point (apparently today they were releasing a super-exclusive, limited beer), I hung around and finished up my samples. I wish I remembered the name of the girl who was working in the tasting room, because she was super nice and attentive during my visit. She even let me peek my head around the brewery and snap some photographs of the facility. Not only that, I think there was some kind of hidden discount taken off my tab, because even though I purchased a growler filled with Nautical Nut Brown Ale (which, by the way, should be available in bottled form soon, I heard) and an AleSmith pint glass, there’s no way I paid more than $20 for my afternoon at the tasting room. Good times, I highly recommend a trip to AleSmith if you’re in the San Diego area on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday afternoon and have nothing better to do. You will be awed. You will be buzzed.
I finished my afternoon with a trip to the Pizza Port brewery in San Clemente. I hadn’t been there since my first summer in Los Angeles. I had a Canadian bacon, sausage and pesto pizza with a pint of Oatmeal Stout. I watched the first quarter of the Titans/Steelers game as I tried to sober up, but it sadly did not help matters. I was forced to drive back to LA in a less-than-optimal state, but I arrived safe and sound. If only Nicci were here to take the wheel in an emergency situation. D’oh!
Spiritualized – I Want You [Live]
The Birthday Party – Zoo Music Girl [Live]
The Fall – Fit And Working Again
