Beer Review

Here are the brews that I sampled at the LMU Alumni Beer Tasting. All the beers were from California breweries. Although there weren't that many beers sampled, the chosen candidates seem to cover a large spectrum of brews. There was a clear winner, a definite loser, and everything in between.

Please, don't let me discourage anyone from trying any of these beers even when my opinion of it is less than craptacular. You might have an acquired taste for bottled piss water. Regardless, it'll provide contrast between beers that you do like and beers that you don't.

Brewery: Karl Strauss
Location: San Diego, CA
Name: Woodie Gold
Type: Pilsner




















My thoughts: Not bad. It wasn't terrible but I wouldn't buy a 6 pack of it. I had such higher hopes for a beer with the words "woodie" and "blonde" in its name. If I saw it in a cooler at a party, then I'd pick it up over a Corona.

Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Location: Chico, CA
Name: Wheat
Type: Wheat Ale















My thoughts: This one didn't leave much of an impression on me. It wasn't as assy as their more popular Sierra Nevada Pale Ale that can be found in supermarkets but it didn't make me want a refill. I think I would take a corona over this one.

Brewery: Stone
Location: Escondido, CA
Name: IPA
Type: Indian Pale Ale

















My thoughts: Stone is one of those brands that can not do right by me. I know a couple peeps that really enjoy their brews but I'm not one of them. Couple this with the fact that this is an IPA and I immediately dismissed this as gas station toilet water. I'm just not down with their hoppyness. The other Stone brew that I have tried is the Arrogant Bastard Ale. I felt it puts the ass in basstard, but I digress. I would crack open a frosty Coors Light before I open another Stone IPA. That's right, I said it.

Brewery: Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Location: Boonville, CA
Name: Boont
Type: Amber Ale
















My thoughts: This one was actually not new to me at the time of the tasting. I had had it on more than one occasion and I continue to pick up a 6 pack from time to time. It's got good flavor that is not bitter at all and actually tastes a bit sweet going down. For those that aren't into dark ales, this one would be a good one to try. This beer has the added advantage over the other beers in this list in that it is available at Trader Joe's. You don't have to make a pilgrimage to Beverage Warehouse or BevMo.

Brewery: Moylans
Location: Novato, CA
Name: Kilt Lifter
Type: Scotch Ale












My thoughts: This brew was the winner for the evening. It's got great flavor that isn't bitter. It's like a strong pimp hand that doesn't slap the taste out cho mouf'. It's like a rub n' tug in a bottle. OK, not quite but it's pretty damn good. I rank this as a possible favorite. It's not quite at the Newcastle and Fat Tire level but it's up there.

Brewery: North Coast
Location: Fort Bragg, CA
Name: Old Rasputin
Type: Russian Imperial Stout
























My thoughts: Where to begin... perhaps a verse!

It boggles my mind...
How did they teach a horse to
shit in a bottle?

This stool sample was easily the loser of the evening. No one that attended the tasting could choke down this crap. All around the tasting room, people had poured this out into discarded pint glasses.

It's hoppy like an IPA.
Except it's like an IPA on crack.
And the crack is just more hops.
And when the said horse could shit no more, more hops were added to the brew.

Russian Imperial Stout is another brew that was traditionally over-hopped so that it would survive a long sea journey. This time it had to go all the way to Russia. In communist Russia, the beer drinks you! They shoulda stuck to vodka.