I find it refreshing when I find a full flavor stout with a wonderful aroma that is not strong or imperial. Firestone-Walker Brewing has done a wonderful job in doing this with creating this superb oatmeal stout with a familiar, yet complex, aroma and flavor profile.

Although Velvet Merlin is now available in bottles since 2010, and 6-packs for that matter, it started it’s life as a very limited release beer under a different name. It was previously called Velvet Merkin. Due to potential issues with labeling as well as possible marketing problems with the work merkin [wikipedia link but still NSFW], the name was changed to Merlin and a magical beer it is. Update: Additionally, Velvet Merkin is a slightly different beer, it is 100% barrel-aged whereas Velvet Merlin is partially barrel-aged.

One of the unique aspects of this beer is that it is partially aged in bourbon barrels. It’s not enough to detect a strong bourbon flavor but it does provide a little something extra that you might not find in a traditional oatmeal stout.

Date Reviewed. November 1, 2011

Where I Found It. Whole Foods Market in San Francisco, CA.

Serving Type. 12 oz. bottles into a nonick pint glass.

Appearance. Velvet Merlin has an opaque inky black color with just a tinge of glowing dark brown on the edges of the glass. The head is a tan color with large foamy bubble and a little above average head retention.

Aroma. This beer smells fantastic. It has a hint of oats that, when combined with the malt aromas, makes the beer smell a bit like an oatmeal cookie. It also has a creaminess that comes off like milk chocolate. The typical roastiness of a stout is nicely balanced by the sweet creamy bouquet. There is no discernable hops and little to no coffee aromas. If it were not for the oat smells, I would think this to be a milk stout. There is just a small hint of cola in the background.

Taste. Velvet Merlin falls half-way between a sweet stout and a dry stout. It has strong flavors of malt and dark roasted malt with out being too sweet. It is also not dry by any means. The bitterness from both the hops and the malt is quite light. The flavor is reminiscent of a chocolate milk with a dash of espresso with an oatmeal cookie on the side. The bourbon barrel aging comes off in the flavor as a hint of vanilla.

Mouthfeel. This beer has a smooth texture that is just short of velvety, despite it’s name. Even though this is a beer made with very dark roasted malt, it comes off as smooth with little to no astringency.

Overall. Velvet Merlin is a great stout that keeps you going for more and allows you to drink more without falling off your chair. It has just as much flavor as many stouts, that are higher in alcohol percentage. This is a full flavored oatmeal stout that I feel fits well into the category with the added benefit of a slightly creamy aroma pushing it close to a milk stout in aroma but not in sweetness.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (6%): 4.0
• Aroma (24%): 5.0
• Taste (40%): 4.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.5
• Overall (20%): 4.5
• Total: 4.59

Information

• Style: oatmeal stout
• Brewery: Firestone-Walker Brewing Company [more info]
• Alcohol by volume: 5.5%
• Original Gravity: 1.061
• Hops: U.S. Fuggle
• Malt: Maris Otter, 2-Row Pale, Roast Barley, English Dark Caramel, Medium Caramel, Carafa Malt, Oats (15%)
• Other ingredients: Partially aged in bourbon barrels
• RateBeer rating: 97 overal, 97 style (as of November 2, 2011)

Sculpin IPA is a delicious IPA where dominated by citrusy hops yet with an expertly crafted balance of sweetness and bitterness. Sculpin IPA comes out of San Diego, CA from Ballast Point Brewing Company. Ballast Point was founded in 1996 after two home brewers, Jack White and Yuseff, built a brewery in the back of a the homebrew shop that White had opened 4 years prior.

In the years since opening, Ballast Point grew their reputation of producing well crafted and delicious beer. It was exciting to finally find their top notch beer available in the San Francisco Bay Area, especially Sculpin IPA, which won a Gold Medal at the World Beer Cup in 2010 for International Pale Ale.

Although Ballast Point produces a wonderful line of craft beer Sculpin IPA and Calico Amber are consistently beers that I seek out and clear off the shelves whenever I see them available.

Date Reviewed. June 14, 2011

Where I Found It. La Beau Nob Hill Market, San Francisco, CA

Serving Type. 22oz. bottle to nonick pint glass

Appearance. Although it started to pour crystal clear, the agitation of pouring must have loosened some sediment and it eventually poured as hazy glowing golden orange color. The head is slightly off white with good retention with a thick foamy texture. It leaves a nice thin lacing on the sides of the glass.

Aroma. Sculpin IPA has wonderful floral hop notes with a strong bouquet of citrus-like sweet oranges, ruby red grapefruit, and a touch of pine. It has a malty-sweet aroma, which is almost biscuit-like in nature. The sweet citrus hops combined with this malt aromas almost reminds me of a slightly melted gourmet creamsicle, made of orange sorbet and creamy vanilla ice cream.

Taste. This is an excellent tasting IPA with just the perfect balance of sweetness and hop bitterness. This is certainly not a dry IPA and I might go so far as to describe it as just a little sweet but not overly so. The effect of the sweetness is enhanced by the floral and citrus aromas that you experience while drinking it. The bitterness is slightly harsh but not quite as prickly as a sculpin fish. The bitterness and builds on your palette over time but is cooled by the sweet malt flavors.

Mouthfeel. It is a full-bodied beer with a smooth and a nearly velvety texture that helps contrast and cool against the ever building bitterness accumulating on your palette.. The carbonation is just the right level.

Overall. Starting with the pour and the light color, this beer is inviting you to quaff it down. As you bring it close to you mouth, the aromas from Sculpin IPA get you salvating until you taste this wonderful IPA. The sweetness and the bitterness combine into a wondeful experience. I wouldn’t consider this a dessert beer by any means but I also would not characterize it as a crisp and refreshing beer. It is a slightly-sweet very-hoppy IPA. As you can see by my rating the high point is the wonderful aromas, which Ballast Point has mastered in so many of their beers. The taste does not disappoint but the aroma is incredible.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (6%): 4.0
• Aroma (24%): 5.0
• Taste (40%): 4.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 5.0
• Overal (20%): 4.5
• Total: 4.64 

Information

• Style: American IPA
• Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Company [more info]
• Alcohol by volume: 7%
• Bitterness: 70 IBU

Other Reviews

Guest Beer Review: Sculpin IPA – By Bernardo Pena | BarleyPop – A Beer Blog Gotta love having friends that are as passionate about beer as much as I am. Mr. Bernardo Pena, close friend of 20+ years has been sending me tons of texts about all the beers he’s been trying in LA and abroad the past few years.

Sculpin IPA | Mike Loves Beer Name – Sculpin IPACountry – United StatesType – American IPA A little over a week ago I did my first video review for Ballast Point’s Big Eye IPA. And during I said that a review would be coming soon the IPA brother in the Ballast Point household, Sculpin.

The Barley Blog » Ballast Point Sculpin IPA California’s Ballast Point Brewing makes an IPA that, when I can find it, is a favorite of the household here on the East coast. My wife and I have enjoyed the piny, hoppy Big Eye IPA on several occasions through the years.

Cleveland Food and Brews-CraftBeer: Ballast Point Sculpin IPA Here is what the Brewer says: The Sculpin is a testament to our humble beginnings as Home Brew Mart. It showcases bright flavors and aromas of apricot, peach, mango & lemon. The lighter body also brings out the crispness of the hops.

Ballast Point Sculpin IPA – Voted Best IPA! | thefullpint.com We had a close race for our Best IPA poll. With so many tasty, hoppy dank IPAs to choose from, San Diego’s Ballast Point Brewing and Spirits Sculpin IPA came out on top as the Best IPA. While there was nothing in the rules discouraging disproportionate voting, this poll was pretty even Steven as far as online polls go.

If you’re not familiar with Telegraph Brewing Company, they are a craft brewery based out of Santa Barbara, CA. They offer distinctive beers presented in distinctive packaging; i.e. I really like their labels and I like their beer even more.

While I was tasting the beer I has an opportunity to talk briefly with Brian Thompson, the Founder and CEO, of Telegraph Brewing. When I mentioned that I liked the fact that his beer was refreshingly unique, he said, “[we] don’t want to do the same beers as everybody else.” And I think they have succeeded in that endeavor. He also mentioned that they are trying to get a larger presence in San Francisco and the Bay Area and will be planning more events over the next year.  I think this will be a welcome addition to what we can already find in the Bay Area, especially Telegraph’s special releases.

For only $15, the Jug Shop offered Telegraph beers that are both readily available in stores and also a few that are not, or at least will not be back in stores for several months. The tasting included samples of White Ale, Golden Wheat Ale, Reserve Wheat, Gypsy Ale, Oatmeal Stout, California Ale, Robust Ale, Stock Porter, Winter Ale, and Rhinoceros. The following are my tasting notes and a few details about each of the beers that were served at the tasting.

White Ale. The white ale is a Belgian-style witbier made with chamomile. It has the characteristic banana with a hint of clove. Similar in some ways to Allagash White but more floral. The coriander gives it a nice spice while the chamomile enhances the floral nature of the beer.

Golden Wheat Ale from April ’10. This beer was actually infected by lactobacillus. Although this was not intentional, it does add something interesting to the beer. It has a little tart sourness, a hint of bitterness, and is light with a little sweetness.

Reserve Wheat Ale. Where the Golden Wheat Ale was not intentionally sour, this beer was purposefully inoculated with both lactobacillus and brettanomyces.   Reserve wheat is sour and earthy like hay or a farm. It also has a touch of sweetness that comes through like a crisp apple or an Asian pears. It is quite delicious especially if you like sour beer.

Gypsy Ale. This beer was a real treat, delicious, and very unique. It is another sour beer and this one is made with local Santa Rosa variety plums and also inoculated with brettanomyces. Brian informed me that the plums actually came from his back yard. For next Fall’s batch, however, they’ll need more so the plums will be coming from a farm. Gypsy Ale has a strong plum and sour presence, which makes it smell a lot like umeboshi, Japanese pickled plums. It is also earthy, like hay, a possibly a bit earthy like mushrooms. It has a nice balance of both sourness and sweetness.  It is complex and  interesting and maybe even a tiny bit spicy. I picked up two bottles for myself, which I plan on aging to see how the brett will change the beer over time.

Oatmeal Stout. This beer is rich and creamy with a chocolate quality making it quite delicious.

California Ale. The Califonia Ale has a subtle and clean sour flavor balanced with some maltiness, which is almost like caramel. It also has some bitterness and spice to it as well.

Robust Ale. This is another malty, sweet, and earthy beer. The earthiness in this one is a little bit like mushrooms.

Stock Porter. Telegraph makes a great porter that is full bodied, roasty, and coffee-like with notes of chocolate.

Winter Ale. This is a winter all like no others. The cinnamon and ancho chile in this beer give it a quality  reminiscent of Chinese five-spice but without the fennel and anise. In addition to the ancho and cinnamon, this beer also has a noticeable and pleasant helping of allspice. The Mexican hot chocolate inspired beer is scrumptious, spicy, unique, and awesome.

Rhinoceros. This beer is a “rye wine” made like a barleywine but with a significant about of rye. It is very malty, sweet, earthy but not astrigent fo a beer with 10% abv. The sweetness is nicely balanced by bitterness from the hops to give it that dark-sugar molasses-like sweetness. The texture is quite viscous, some bitterness. Rhinoceros is a bold and tasty brew.

I was pleased to find that it was difficult to find a favorite from all of these beers that I sampled. Every beer was well crafted and had its own unique qualities but the three that stood out the most for me were Gypsy Ale, Winter Ale, and Rhinoceros. They had unique, yet well balanced flavors while exhibiting quality craftsmanship.

Thank you to Eric, from the Jug Shop, and Brian Thompson for putting on a great event that exposed me to such wonderful new beer. I can’t wait to have Telegraph beer more readily available in the San Francisco Bay Area.

On a recent trip to City Beer Store in San Francisco I was browsing the beer fridge, after having tried De Ranke’s Père Noel, trying to figure out what other winter season beer to try. As soon as I spotted 2 Turtle Doves by The Bruery, I grabbed a 750ml to try. I first heard about 2 Turtle Doves (or sometimes Two Turtle Doves) on twitter from @aircoleman who recommended it with this tweet: “2 Turtle Doves” is a Belgian-style Dark Ale brewed with cocoa nibs and toasted pecans. A very nice 12% winter beer!”

2 Turtle Doves is crafted by a brewery in Orange County, CA called The Bruery, who specialize mostly in Belgian-style ales found either in 750ml bottles or on tap. This beer is the second winter seasonal beer they have produced in their series of the “Twelve Beers of Christmas” with the first being “Partridge in a Pear Tree.”

This is truly a wonderful winter beer which I initially described on Twitter as “like chocolate syrup muddled with a sweet stout with a little cola, gourmet coffee, and spices.” These flavors are not on accident. The bottle caption describes 2 Turtle Doves as follows:

Belgian-Style Dark Ale Brewed with Cocoa Nibs & Toasted Pecans

The second verse of our “Twelves Beers of Christmas” saga begins with caramel and toasty, nutty malt with a luscious layer of chocolate. Happy Holidays!

Date Reviewed. December 11, 2009

Where I Found It. City Beer Store in San Francisco, CA

Serving Type. Served from a 750ml bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance. 2 Turtle Doves has a dark black or very dark brown color with a pleasant mocha colored head. Head didn’t last to long in the tulip glass.

Smell. The aroma of this beer is heavily like dark chocolate syrup. It also has hints of cola, rum, with a dash of holiday spices like cloves or nutmeg. The spicy quality plus the cola undertones give it a smell like an artisan root beer or sassafras. The aroma also has hints of gourmet coffee. Finally, as the beer warms it reveals a bouquet of caramel, nutty pecans, and toasty malt.

Taste. I originally described 2 Turtle Doves on Twitter as follows, “it’s like chocolate syrup muddled with a sweet stout with a little cola, gourmet coffee, and spices.” The dark roasted malt flavor comes through like an iced coffee made with gourmet coffee and artisan dark chocolate bittersweet syrup. The sweetness and the alcohol come through like a 18-year aged rum while not being boozy. The hints of cola flavor complement all of the other flavors. Also picy cloves. Finally, the malt has a nice roasty and caramel flavor. 2 Turtles Does is a delectable dessert in a bottle.

Mouthfeel. This beer is full boded, thick, and smooth but there may be a few tannins, that come through, giving it a hint of chalkiness.

Drinkability. 2 Turtle Doves is pure liquid dessert, a treat, and delicious. Although it is 12% alcohol by volume, it drinks smoothly and easily.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 4.0
• Smell (20%): 5.0
• Taste (40%): 4.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.0
• Drinkability (10%): 4.5
• Overall: 4.45

Information

• Style: Belgian-style dark strong ale.
• Brewery: The Bruery
• Alcohol by volume: 12% abv
• Other ingredients: cocoa nibs and toasted pecans
• Beer Advocate rating: 4.1 (as of Dec. 21, 2009)

Other Reviews

• Westworld Denver Food Blog – Beer and Cheer: The Bruery’s 2 Turtle Doves
• Hoosier Beer Geek – KOTBR #92 – Knights of the Thanksgiving Table 2
• The Full Pint – The Bruery 2 Turtle Doves
• Beer Advocate – 2 Turtle Doves
• 97 Bottles – 2 Turtle Doves

AleSmith is an awarding winning brewery out of San Diego, CA where all of the employees are homebrewers. In fact, according to their website, the owner and the head brewer were both past presidents of their homebrew club.

AleSmith touts that, “every AleSmith ale is an all-natural, unpasteurized, handcrafted artisan product brewed using only premium domestic and imported malts and hops, precisely conditioned water and our quality yeast strains.” This quality craftsmanship is readily apparent when you try the AleSmith IPA, an IPA that has won numerous awards including Silver at the World Beer Championships and Bronze at the Great American Beer Festival. The brewery describes AleSmith IPA beer as follows:

Deep golden to light amber color, and a nice off-white head, with good retention when properly served. Starts off with pleasantly strong hop flavors, balanced by a firm malt backdrop, then fades to a dry finish with a lingering hoppiness.

Where I Found It. BevMo in La Quinta, CA.

Serving Type. 22 oz. bottle into a glass.

Date Reviewed. June 26, 2009.

Appearance. AleSmith IPA has a golden honey color with an orange hue. It is very clear as long as you don’t pout the yeast into your glass. This IPA has a foamy and frothy head that lingers for a very long time. It just doesn’t seem to go away; half-way done with the beer and there is still a thin layer of head on top.

Smell. This beer smells like hoppy goodness. The sweet maltiness combined with the fruity hops made me think of fresh plums while I was taking the photos. There is a hint of vanilla or caramel and the hops are clean and fresh. This IPA has a slight hint of cedar (instead of pine) and a slight hint of spice but also fruity like fresh pineapple. There was a slight bready yeast smell when I first opened the bottle but could not pick it up after that.

Taste. I tried AleSmith IPA closer to 50ºF on a hot evening in the desert and although it does not sound like ideal conditions, it was fantastic. This beer has a nice malt flavor with a hint of caramel and vanilla sweetness. The maltiness is topped by a generous dose of hops. The hop flavor is like white pepper spice, grapefruit citrus, and for the first few sips I tasted fresh plum.

Mouthfeel. This is a big IPA and has a smooth silky nature to help glide the strong flavors through your palate. It is a full bodied beer that is almost creamy in texture and well carbonated.

Drinkability. This is a smoother IPA that has a nice balance between smooth bitterness and spicy bitterness with a bite.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 4.5
• Smell (20%): 4.5
• Taste (40%): 4.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.5
• Drinkability (10%): 4.5
• Overall: 4.5

Caption on the Bottle

The following caption appears on the back of a 22 oz. bottle of AleSmith IPA:

I prefer AleSmith it’s pretty awesome. That’s what our People’s Choice Award says to us. Each year at the San Diego Real Ale Festival , everyone is asked to vote for their favorite beer. In 2001, they chose AleSmith IPA over all the others. If you like your beer hoppy, you’re gonna love this one.

AleSmith IPA is brewed using only premium-quality malts, along with pounds and pounds of the freshest hops and our championship yeast strain. Even the water we use is precisely conditioned to make sure everything is just right for the best possible product. The results is a hoppy, malty hand-forged American-style IPA with a tantalizing aroma and a flavor that’ll have your taste buds in ecstasy!

The brewer’s yeast at the bottom of the bottle is living proof that this is a top-quality bottle-conditioned beer. Conditioning in the bottle gives the beer a lush, velvety texture that you just can’t get with force-carbonating. The bubbles are smaller, giving your taste buds a lot more surface are to grab onto, and the difference shows from the first sip to the last.

To serve, chill to approximately 45-50º and pour gently into an AleSmith pint glass, leaving the yeast in the bottle. To learn more about AleSmith Brewing Company and our many other premium products, please visit our website.

Information

• Style: IPA
• Brewery: AleSmith
• Alcohol by volume: 7.25%
• Original Gravity: 1.072
• Final Gravity: 1.018 (calculated)
• Hops: Columbus, Warrior, Amarillo, Simcoe, Cascade, Chinook, Palisades [source]
• Beer Advocate rating: 4.36 (as of Nov. 15, 2009)

Other Reviews

• Brewed for Thought - Beer of the Week – AleSmith IPA
• The Full Pint – Review – AleSmith IPA
• The Beer Spot – AleSmith Brewing Co. IPA review
• The Drunken Polack - AleSmith IPA
• Emerald City Super Tasters – AleSmith IPA
• BoozeReviews.net – AleSmith IPA
• The Vice Blog – AleSmith IPA
• Two Beer Dudes – AleSmith IPA
• Premium Bitter – AleSmith IPA
• 97 Bottles – AleSmith IPA
• Beer Advocate - AleSmith IPA

Hop-15 Ale is a big double IPA brewed by Port Brewing in the town of San Marcos, CA in the San Diego area. This 10% alcohol by volume beer is brewed using 15 different varieties of hops that are added every 15 minutes. It was originally brewer for the 15th Anniversary of Port Brewing but is now available year round.

Hop-15 Ale has received numerous awards. The brewer’s website lists them off as follows:

It has won two silver medals at the Great American Beer Festival. It also was named Alpha King in 2004 and received a first place award at the Bistro Double IPA beer festival in Hayward, CA. Hop 15 remains won of the stickiest most resinous beers we have ever tasted and for that, we are thankful it is on tap at our brewery each and every day.

Where I Found It. BevMo in La Quinta, CA.

Date Reviewed. June 10, 2009

Serving Type. 22 0z. bottle to a glass.

Appearance. Hop-15 has a hazy appearance with an orange, clover-honey color. The head is an off-white tan color and the head does not last very long. The head does, however, last as a very very thin layer of loose bubbles on the top of the beer.

Smell. The hop bouquet of this beer is leafy green hops with a touch of pine and a hint of citrus and maybe just a bit of pineapple. The hop bouquet is not quite as intense as other IPAs and Double IPAs that I have tried recently. The aroma has a subtle roasty malt sweetness.

Taste. Hop-15 Ale starts with a smooth hop bitterness that is followed up by a bite of bitterness on the finish. The hops flavor is primarily spicy with a touch of pine. The citrus does not come out in the taste but I taste a little pineapple with the sweetness from the malt. It has a nice roasty and malted barley sweetness that smooths out the bitter hops that are jam packed into this beer. Although there is a lot of alcohol in this beer, this beer is not harsh and lacks astringency.

Mouthfeel. This is a medium to full bodied beer with plenty of carbonation that you can feel. The mouthfeel is about right.

Drinkability. Although Hop-15 is not a session beer due to the 10% alcohol by volume, it is a big giant tasty beer. After trying trying this beer, anything other than an IPA might taste flavorless. It is surprisingly smooth for being loaded with hops, which is likely due to the sweetness of the malt.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 3.5
• Smell (20%): 4.0
• Taste (40%): 4.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 3.5
• Drinkability (10%): 4.0
• Overall: 3.85

Information

• Brewers info: Hop-15 Ale
• Style: Double IPA
• Brewery: Port Brewing
• Alcohol by volume: 10.0%
• Original Gravity: 1.086
• Final Gravity: 1.014
• Hops: 15 different varieties
• Malt: Two Row and English Light Crystal
• Beer Advocate rating: 4.23 (as of September 25, 2009)

Caption on the Bottle

The following caption appears on the side of the bottle:

Out beer oozes all the hop goodness you would expect to find in a double IPA. In your nose, you will experience a citric hop quality which is balanced by a slight malt sweetness. The essence of a great double IPA is hops and as such the beer finishes with a pronounced spicy hop bite. Thankfully, for all of us hop-heads, we have decided to brew this beer more than once a year. Look for Hop 15 to make an appearance from time to time when space permits us to brew this one, one of our favorite ales.

Other Reviews

• Core Brewing – Pizza Port Hop 15
• The Full Pint – Review: Port Brewing Hop 15
• The Drunken Polack - Port Brewing Hop 15 Ale
• Slashfood – Port Brewing Hop 15 – Beer of the Week
• Hedonist Beer Jive – Port Brewing’s “HOP 15″ – Eeven a Giant May Stumble
• Beer Advocate – Hop 15
• Rate Beer – Pizza Port Hop 15

Over the summer while I was visiting Southern California I searched for a brewery in the area and found Hangar 24 Brewery in Redlands, California. I arranged for a visit and tried all of the beers on tap at the time. More on the brewery tour in a future post.

Hangar 24′s flagship and most popular beer is Orange Wheat, a wonderful summertime, or any time, American style wheat beer made with oranges. The oranges in this beer are organic and are sourced from local growers from the Inland Orange Conservancy. The oranges are pureed whole and added to the beer giving it a strong orange natural flavor.

Where I Found It. I tried this beer at Hangar 24 Brewery in Redlands, California on June 6, 2009.

Serving Type. I tried Orange Wheat from the tap into a plastic cup.

Appearance. This beer has a pale yellow pastel color and has a cloudy appearance, as you would expect a wheat beer to be. The head was frothy and lasted a good amount of time, especially for a fruit beer. With the style of beer in mind, it has a refreshing appearance like grapefruit juice.

Smell. The aroma and bouquet of Orange Wheat is primarily related to the oranges in the beer. It has a strong smell of fresh squeezed orange  juice, orange rind, and orange rind. It has an inviting tangy smell accompanied by a hint of grainy and bready aroma.

Taste. Orange Wheat is exactly how I think that an orange beer should taste. It has the perfect blend of fresh natural oranges and beer and does not taste nor like orange candy like some other of the orange beers on the market. Just like the smell it has flavors or orange juice and slightly tart and acidic making it clean and crisp. The malt reveals itself as a slight grainy sweetness of wheat and barley while finishing more dry than sweet. There is little to no discernible bitterness in this beer.

Mouthfeel. This beer is light bodied with a refreshing amount of carbonation. Orange Wheat has a slight and pleasant orange aftertaste.

Drinkability. This beer is thirst quenching and very easy to drink. It has an ideal blend of orange and beer and tastes fresh both with regard to the beer and the oranges. It is crisp, light, and easy to consume several in one sitting. Although it might be best suited for a warm summer day, it is also great for any time of day in any California season.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 4.0
• Smell (20%): 4.5
• Taste (40%): 5.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.0
• Drinkability (10%): 5.0
• Overall: 4.6

Information

• Style: American Wheat, Fruit Beer
• Brewery: Hangar 24 Brewery website, twitter, facebook
• Alcohol by volume: 4.6% abv
• Other ingredients: whole pureed oranges
• Beer Advocate rating: 3.83 (as of September 5, 2009)

Other Reviews

• Summer of Beer – Hangar 24 Brewery, Redlands, CA
• Beer Advocate - Orange Wheat
• Rate Beer – Hangar 24 Orange Wheat

Ballast Point Brewing Company is one of the several excellent breweries that are located in the San Diego area, who take their name from an area of San Diego. The Calico Amber Ale is an award winning American Amber Ale, including a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2001. The brewery states that this beer was inspired by the beers of England know as bitters and closely related to an ESB but brewed with American ingredients. Ballast Point describes this beer as follows:

The blend of crystal  malts give it flavors including toffee and caramel.  A blend of American Cascade and Centennial hops provide a counterpoint to the malt.  Finally our proprietary yeast provides a fruity background and a Madeira like richness that rounds out this gold medal winning ale.

Immediately upon opening and pouring this beer you will indeed experience the richness of Calico Amber’s aroma.

Where I Found It. BevMo in La Quinta, CA.

Serving Type. 22 oz. bottle.

Appearance. The head of Calico Amber Ale is cappuccino colored and very frothy. The head stayed at an inch or more for an average amount of time but appears to keep a few millimeters of head indefinitely. This beer is crystal clear with a very appealing color. It has a deep red amber color but is not opaque. In fact, it is about as transparent as you can get and still have such a bold dark-red color.

Smell. The hop bouquet is faint can be described as a little spicy and a little coppery. The malt aroma is almost unmatched by any beer that I’ve had so far. It has a strong fresh roasted barley malt smell to it. It smells as if I had just opened the bin of crystal malt at the homebrew shop. It has a bit of brown sugar sweetness too but not like a barleywine. It also smells like boiling wort just before adding the hops.

Taste. Although the taste of Calico Amber Ale beer is very good, the taste is slightly overshadowed by the appearance and the aroma. Don’t get me wrong the flavor is excellent but it is just not as awesome as the appearance and smell. The flavor is sweet roasted barley malts and almost like the flavor of boiling or unfermented wort.  The hops give the beer a hint of copper flavor as well as a bit of spice. There is also the flavor of honey present. This beer is clearly more malty than hoppy but the hops are there to give some balance.

Mouthfeel. This is a medium bodied beer with just the right amount of carbonation. It leaves no hop bitterness on the tongue but does leave a nice sweetness of the malts in the aftertaste .

Drinkability. This is a wonderful beer with a complexity of malt flavors that make it easy to enjoy. The sweetness of the malt makes it smooth.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 5.0
• Smell (20%): 5.0
• Taste (40%): 4.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.0
• Drinkability (10%): 4.0
• Overall: 4.4

Information

• Style: American amber ale
• Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Company [more info]
• Alcohol by volume: 5.0%
• Hops: Cascade and Centennial
• Malt: a blend of crystal malts
• Beer Advocate rating: 3.96 (as of July 22, 2009)

Caption from the Bottle

The following caption is found on the side of the bottle:

Calico Amber Ale won the distinction of being judged “one of the best beers in the world” by winning the 2002 World Beer Cup Gold Medal in the American Amber Ale category. At the 2001 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado, Calico Amber Ale won the Gold Medal as the “Best Amber Ale in America”. Full-bodied and aromatic, this California style amber ale is a careful blend of four hops which provides a delicate spice flavor and perfectly balanced finish.

Get the Point!

Other Reviews

• Pacific Craft Beer Reviews – Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale & Calico Amber
• SustainaBrew – Tasting #9: Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale
• Beer, Bikes, and Butts – Tonight’s Tasting – Ashton VSG and Calico Amber Ale
• Brew Brain Blog – Brew Review – Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale
• Beer Advocate - Calico Copper Amber Ale
• Rate Beer – Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale
• 97 Bottles – Calico Amber Ale

]]> http://beer47.com/2009/07/ballast-point-calico-amber-ale-review/feed/ 0 http://beer47.com/2009/06/firestone-walker-lil-opal-review/ http://beer47.com/2009/06/firestone-walker-lil-opal-review/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:00:54 +0000 David Jensen http://beer47.com/?p=560 Continue reading →]]>

After my tour of the Firestone-Walker brewery, I had the opportunity to try a few of their beers. The first that I tried was Lil Opal. Lil Opal is a a Belgian style Farmhouse Ale and is Firestone-Walker’s summer seasonal offering this year. One reason behind the name “Lil Opal” is that it is a small beer created from the second runnings of a wheat wine, called Big Opal. The wonderful beer was fermented with Belgian Saison yeast and then racked into neutral Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc oak barrels.

Where I Found It. I enjoyed this beer at the Firestone-Walker brewery in Paso Robles, CA.

Serving Type. Lil Opal was served from the tap into a glass.

Appearance. The head of this beer is thick, foamy, frothy, and white. A thin layer of head remained in the glass throughout drinking it. The color of Lil Opal is orange-brown, or a clover honey-like hue. The beer is cloudy opaque as an unfiltered wheat beer of this style should be.

Smell. Lil Opal has a slight bouquet of cloves and an aroma of under-ripe bananas. It has a slight fruit flavor but the smell on the whole is not as intense as other Belgian saison beers.

Taste. This beer has a light saison taste with less cloves and banana than is expected from the smell. Lil Opal has a more of fruity and sweet taste than would be expected. The fruity taste might be described as a hint of pineapple or maybe peach. Just a touch of bitterness comes through in the finish.

Mouthfeel. This is a light bodied beer with a lower alcohol content. Despite the light body this beer was well carbonated which gave it a wonderful creamy texture.

Drinkability. This is a great summer beer that is very smooth and easy to drink. The saison style makes it interesting but is not over the top and subdued enough to make this a great session beer for the summer.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 4.0
• Smell (20%): 4.0
• Taste (40%): 4.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.5
• Drinkability (10%): 4.5
• Overall: 4.1

Information

• Style: Belgian Saison/Farmhous Ale
• Brewery: Firestone-Walker Brewing Company [more info]
• Alcohol by volume: 3.8%
• Hops: 100% Saaz
• Malt: premium two-row malt (50%), wheat malt (25%), torrified wheat (25%)
• Yeast: Saison yeast
• Beer Advocate rating: 3.67 (as of June 24, 2009)

Other Reviews

• Beer and Nosh – ‘Lil Opal
• Better Beer Blog – Spotlight On: Hopmonk
• The Thirsty Hopster – Boonville Beer Festival 2008: The perfect Saturday, until the sun goes down…
• Beer Advocate – Lil’ Opal Saison
• Rate Beer – Firestone Little Opal

Back in April I arranged for a tour and visited the Firestone-Walker Brewery in Paso Robles, CA. During the tour of their facilities I took several photos and learned a few interesting facts about Firestone-Walker.

First off, the brewery was founded in 1996 by two brothers-in-law, Adam Firestone and David Walker, who also happen to be members of the Firestone family, known for making rubber and tires. The original location of the brewery (according to the ol label pictures below) was in Santa Maria, CA. In 2001, Firestone-Walker moved to their current facility in Paso Robles where the San Luis Obispo Brewery used to be.

Firestone-Walker distributes their beer only to locations that are within a 24 hour, or so, drive to make sure the beer stays cold and fresh. Their beer can currently be found in California, Nevada, and Oregon. They recently added Washington and Arizona to the list. Last year in 2008, they produced 60,000 barrels of beer and for 2009 they are planning for 75,000 barrels, that’s 1.86 M and  2.325 M gallons respectively. A barrel is 31 gallons and standard size kegs are considered half-barrels with 15.5 gallons of beer.

Firestone-Walker Brewery has created several award winning beers, including a Gold Medal at the 2008 GABF (Great American Beer Festival) for Union Jack IPA in the American Style IPA category. In 2007, Firestone-Walker was awarded with the Mid-sized Brewery of the Year at the GABF.

One interesting fact that I learned is that Firestone-Walker brews more than just their own brand of beer. In 2005, Firestone-Walker acquired Humboldt Brewing Company and their line of Nectar Ales, including their unique strand of yeast. Firestone also brews a few brands for exclusive distrubtion by Trader Joe’s including all of the Mission Street beers, Jumping Cow, and one of the Fat Weasel ales. If you want to know which brands at Trader Joe’s are brewed by Firestone-Walker, just look at the location of the brwery and if it says Paso Robles, CA it is brewed by Firestone. Although I have not tried Mission St., I much prefer Firestone-Walker branded beer to the other Trader Joe brands.

With regard to the brewing process, Firestone-Walker uses local water that is filtered using reverse-osmosis. Depending on the style, various salts are added to the water to replicate water from other areas of the world, like London. They have the ability to mash-in every three hours to produce up to 550 barrels every 24 hours. I was informed by one of the staff walking by that they use the step-mashing technique for the mash.

For fermentation, Firestone-Walker uses both their own house yeast as well as the proprietary Nectar Ales yeast. Sample of both are stored in an off-site lab for safe keeping. The brewers will re-pitch the yeast 10 times before discarding it.

Of all the beer that Firestone-Walker brews, 70% of the production is Double Barrel Ale. A portion of the wort used to make DBA is fermented in brand new 65 gallon American oak barrels. After it is fermented in the oak barrels, it is blended back with the beer and filtered. After a barrel is used 20 times, it is discarded.

At the brewery, Firestone-Walker is able to fill 50 kegs per hour using their kegging machine and 110 botles per minute on the bottling line, which requires 6 people to operate.

I concluded the tour with a sample of the Lil’ Opal farmhouse ale and Walker’s Reserve Porter. Both are very tasty beers.

I would like to thank Sarah and Firestone-Walker Brewery [more info] for the wonderful tour.