I’ve taken a vow of sobriety this month. February, as the Swan Fungus Farmers Almanac probably states, was the wettest month on record. I drank an unsettling amount. It began with a week of pre-Super Bowl nerves and ended with a disastrous trip to Las Vegas. Outside of one night when I let myself have a few drinks with some friends at Pornstar Karaoke (I had to…Max Hardcore was there and it was just…weird) March has been dry. I plan on continuing this sobriety through the middle of April. Why? Because sometimes it’s just as cool to not drink as it is to drink. Or, at least, that’s what motivational speakers used to tell me in high school.
The last I wrote of my recent beer tastings was when I compiled the list of the Top Ten Beers I Consumed In 2011. I think you’re due for an update. The first two months of 2012 led me to try a slew of new beers. Is it just me or are more bars regularly rotating their taps now? I’ve also noticed that more restaurants are rethinking their beer selection and offering a wider variety. I can’t say I’m disappointed by these recent developments in the Los Angeles booze scene. More craft beer options can only improve my drinking experiences.
So what have I consumed so far in 2012? Well, allow me to check the beer app on my iPhone (it’s called Untappd and you should both download it and send me a friend request so we can keep track of our drinking problems). Ah, here it is. And here’s a random list of new brews that I added to my resume in January and February:
Kronenbourg 1664 – Terrible. I drank this swill at an overrated rooftop bar downtown. I’d heard bad things about the place from a friend, but when a female friend invited me I couldn’t resist. To make matters worse, they had Ommegang on the menu but when I tried to order it I was told they were out and this was the replacement. That’s like replacing foie gras with roadkill.
Mad River Steelhead Scotch Porter – Los Angeles is an IPA-obsessed city. Because of this I typically cease reading all draught lists the moment I spy the first dark beer a bar offers. This one wasn’t as rich as I’d hoped for, but it had a subtle smokiness that was enjoyable. Hell, anything is better than yet another similarly hoppy beer. It’s still winter, right? I want rich and hearty beers, not this flowery, crystalline junk.
Shipyard Blue Fin Stout – A dry stout from the East Coast that, once again, wasn’t mind-blowing but satisfied given the alternatives. Maybe I’m drinking in at the wrong bars?
Drake’s Drakonic – Finally, an imperial stout. 8.75% ABV. Two-row malt blended with chocolate malt, roasted barley and dark Crystal malts. Lots of dark chocolate and coffee make this one of the standout beers I’ve consumed so far this year.
Big Sky Montana Trout Slayer Ale – I don’t care how bad wheat ales are, whenever I see a Big Sky beer that I haven’t had before (and, shockingly, there are some mass produced ones I’ve missed) I have to buy it. When I saw Trout Slayer at a liquor store as I was heading to a party in North Hollywood I decided to skip the 18 rack I was supposed to grab, and instead bought a sixer of this. Then I kept it all to myself. What great party etiquette I have!
Telegraph Stock Porter – The commercial description of Stock Porter said that the brewery combined fresh beer with oak-barrel aged ale, but with a pitiful 5.7% ABV I have a hard time believing that it is accurate. I guess they could have aged their ale in an empty oak barrel, but doesn’t that defeat the purpose? Aren’t you supposed to buy old barrels from Pappy Van Winkle or some fancy bourbon distillery? That said, for a dark beer Stock Porter very drinkable, and were it not for some better options on the menu that night I would have been fine with this as a session beer.
Craftsman Acorn Saison – This was cool, it was a dark Saison that was brewed with acorns. It had the spicy aroma you would expect from a fall or winter seasonal, but it was heavier bodied than your typical light ale. At 8.1% ABV it was also a bit stronger than I anticipated for an autumn beer. I liked the nuttiness with the hint of citrus.
Lost Abbey Angel’s Share – The only barley wine I’ve consumed so far this year. I think this might have been at Surly Goat? I don’t remember. I recall the dark fruit flavor (which seems to be present in a lot of Lost Abbey beer), and the traces of whiskey, which is probably what accounts for its 11% or more ABV.
Ladyface Trois Filles Tripel – The brewery in Agoura Hills is quickly climbing my list of the best California beer-makers. My introduction to Ladyface came at the IPA Fest in Redondo Beach last year, and now I find myself ordering whatever is offered when I see their name on a menu. It’s an abbey, so it was strong on the yeast and malt. The alcohol finish was supplemented by a tangy sensation that was brilliant. I really enjoyed this and would definitely consume it again in the future. 8.3% ABV is no joke, either.
Craftsman Angelino Weisse – Is it weird that I’ve been into sour beers lately? I don’t know why I’m asking because I don’t care what you think. This was great. The tartiness remained from start to finish, and at 6.1% it’s a safe session beer.
El Segundo Double Dry Hopped Blue House Pale Ale – See, I told you all LA bars and restaurants are in a pale ale kick. Maybe it’s because it’s usually warm outside here. I don’t know for certain, but I know that plenty of bars’ beer lists are skewed towards light beer. As for the beer, it features solid carbonation, it is easily drinkable, and the bitterness is not overwhelming. That’s how I’d describe it.
Firestone Private Label IPA – I have never really liked Firestone. That’s why I’m confused when I see on Twitter or Facebook that many of the bars I like keep it in their rotation. I might be mis-remembering this, but was Firestone represented at the sad excuse for a beer festival that was held at the Music Box a few years ago? I thought they were one of the least impressive breweries represented at the festival, and the mix of breweries was altogether unimpressive. Has something changed during the past few years? Were they acquired by another brewery, or did they acquire another brewery? I ask because the Internet says Private Label IPA is an alias of Nectar Ales Nectar IPA. Who knew!? I sure didn’t!
Ballast Point Piper Down Scottish Ale – Even though I’ve been to the Ballast Point brewery twice it’s hard to believe that some of their beers slip out the door without my having already tasted them. This is a — wait for it — Scottish Ale! Sweet caramel aroma, malty flavor and a smooth finish. Sounds great, right? Well, duh. It comes from Ballast Point! Their Sculpin IPA with habanero is one of the greatest beers to ever touch my palate.
Stone La Citrueille Celeste de Citracado – Any Stone beer you have on tap at the brewery is going to taste amazing. This collaborative effort with the Bruery and Elysian is as good as its namesakes would imply. They call it a spice beer, and it’s brewed with pumpkin, yams, fenugreek, birch bark and lemon verbena. So…yes? I don’t know what spice beers are typically made with, so I’m going to assume the commercial description is accurate. Good malt/hop balance with a hit of cinnamon. Delicious.
Heretic Evil Twin – Not just Stone beers taste great at the Stone Brewery. Take for example the blood-red ale known as Evil Twin. It arrives smelling like it’s going to offer a hop explosion. Instead you get tons of citrus and hazelnut. The hops are there, but they’re expertly balanced. It also looks awesome in your glass with the red color and off-white head that leaves great lacing.
Rogue Chatoe Rogue Pumpkin Patch Ale – Ha! Apparently I’ve had two spice beers this year. Who knew? I certainly didn’t. Is pumpkin a spice? I thought it was a vegetable. The pumpkins are grown alongside Rogue’s hops and are roasted before being tossed into the brew kettle. Does it make a difference? Eh. It’s alright. Considering how many amazing beers are brewed by Rogue, this one would get lost in the shuffle if you asked me to name my favorite 10 or 20 I’ve ever tasted.
Brendon Small – Timmy! (Medley) [MP3]
