The Bruery: Shegöat

8.7% ABV

It's kind of funny, sometimes you get so wrapped up in all the exotic beers that are out there theses days - exotic hops from a far off land, various types of barrel aging, different types of sours, etc. Then you come across a bottle that is described as "German-style ale"... Sounds sort of pedestrian when compared to many of the descriptions for beer nowadays. Then you try it and it reminds you that sometimes the simplest things in life are great.

Shegöat from The Bruery (Placentia, CA) is just that. Understated goodness in a bottle. It pours out nice and dark brown with plenty of carbonation. The malt aroma and the banana were immediately apparent. It tasted just like it smelled and had great mouthfeel. Overall a great beer.

I also think it is pretty cool too that it comes from one of Patrick's original home brew recipes!

Noble Ale Works: 3rd Anniversary Party

Noble Ale Works has really gained some local notoriety over the last two years or so. I have had the chance to make it by there a few times before Ducks games and a handful of times on the weekend. Each time I have been there they have had a unique selection of brews. I am also strangely attracted to their location where you have the semi-enclosed rustic tasting room, but you are free to walk back and hang out in the brewery area.









You start to realize that is is going to be a great day for a craft beer party when it is 80 degrees and perfectly clear skies in early February. It doesn't get much better than spending a harsh winter in Southern California in your shorts and sandals drinking great beer! (As I am writing this it is a few weeks later and it is pouring rain outside. We really need it here...)







Walking up to the event I was not surprised to see a pretty long line stretching down the street. Not newsworthy other than that it moved really quickly. A few minutes later, tasting glass and tasting sheet in hand, I was fiesta ready!








The few advertisements I had seen for the event reported 30 or so beers, but they ended up with a few more including some special casks and beer cocktails. There was a large tent in the parking lot with a serving station on each side and then the indoor tasting room had quite a few selections. In the parking lot there were three food trucks serving up some good smelling food. Right off the bat I noticed that the waiting in line situation was going to be a problem. Not sure how many people they were expecting, but there had to be close to a thousand.

After a quick walk around the event, I made my way to the shortest line and got to work. Here is what I had a chance to try throughout the day (in no particular order):

Bean Bump (Imperial Naughty Sauce) - This was their 3rd Anniversary beer. It said it was 12.7% ABV, but it went down the hatch dangerously smoothly...

Citra Showers (Citra DIPA) - A solid IPA. I love Citra hops, but for some reason the batch this year seems to taste a little weird to me.

The Messenger (IPA collaboration w/ Three Weavers) - I really enjoyed this one. A nice balance of hops and citrus from additions of Buddha's Hand and Pomelo.

Nelson Showers (Nelson DIPA) - Another version of their single hop DIPA series. This one was solid.

Cocoa Bump (Bean Bump w/ cocoa nibs) - Their first special cask. Very similar to bean bump. Not overly cocoa.

Barrel 1 is Nuts (Barrel aged strong ale w/ toasted pecans) - The last special cask. I'm not sure the pecan flavor from actual additions of nuts worked for me.

The Brown Note (Belgian-style Brown Ale) - Nice name... It tasted awesome too.... One of my favorites of the day.

Cinnamon Roast Crunch (Naughty Sauce w/ cinnamon) - Tasted just like you would think from the name.

Earl's Grey Dinghy (English Bitter w/ Earl Grey Tea) - I had had this one (or something very similar) at their tasting room before and enjoyed it. The addition of tea really gives it a unique character.

Picnic Bubbly (American Saison) - I have been on a bit of a Saison kick lately. This one was great. Just the right amount of funk and pepper that I like. 8.5% ABV also. I think this was my favorite of the day.

Shandyland (Picnic Bubbly and grapefruit juice w/ sugar and bitters) - Good, but I still preferred the straight Picnic Bubbly.

Gosebusters (German Gose w/ Oolong Tea) - Nice light sourness with the tea and fruit flavors in the background.

Mr. Sparkle (Golden ale w/ Sorachi Ace hops) - Nice golden Belgian ale with some citrus.

Rosalita (Pistol Whip'd w/ hibiscus flowers) - Nice pink color. I couldn't taste the hibiscus too much.

Luckily the tasters were not big.... Overall an incredible day in the sun with great beer. Now I am looking forward to their 4th Anniversary!

Bootlegger's: Wildfire Wheat

5.2% ABV  17.7 IBU's

When I was on my value binge at Total Wine there was a 22 oz. bottle of Bootlegger's Wildfire Wheat for only $2.99. I couldn't resist...

When I got home and was ready to open the bottle I read the description and it said that it was a smoked beer to go along with the wildfire theme. I was a bit cautious at first because I have had a couple of smoked beers over the years and I haven't liked them.

I was pleasantly surprised though. There was just a little smokiness where you could detect it and enjoy it, but it wasn't overpowing at all. Kind of an interesing twist on a wheat beer.

Bootlegger's impresses me again!

OC Breweries: Valiant Brewing (Grand Opening), Old Orange Brewing, and Noble Ale Works

This last weekend was the grand opening of the newest brewery in Orange County, Valiant Brewing Company (Orange, CA). I had a chance to check out their website before going over there and it seemed like their beers listed were primarily strong ales.







I got to Valiant just a bit after the doors opened at noon and the place was packed. I had heard about these guys a while back, but then things were quiet for a while. It's great to see that they got things up and running. Upon entering you immediately noticed that they have put a lot of time and money into their whole setup. Everything is still brand new and shiny and it looks like they have quite a bit of room to expand.

For the grand opening they only had 3 brews on tap: Mavericks Mighty Ale (Bitter), 31 King's (IPA), and Veranda (French Ale). They all had a nice malt profile, but not too much hoppiness. I think the Veranda was my favorite. It was a bit sweet and masked the alcohol well. I can't wait to get back there once they have more on tap!






They serve all their beers in branded glasses!

FYI, the industrial park where they are located in is a bit tricky to find. Look for this sign when you are on Batavia and then follow the driveway back along the drainage ditch. They are tucked away back on the left.

Since Valiant was super busy that afternoon, we made our way down to Old Orange Brewing Company (Orange, CA). It's literally two blocks South on Batavia. I like Old Orange because they always have a wide variety of brews on tap.

With tasters at $1 ($2 for some of the strong/special beers) I usually just make my way right down the menu.I think my favorite was the Thumb Master Double IPA.










After a bit it seemed like a number of people from the Valiant grand Opening had filtered over to Old Orange so it started to get packed too. The only solution was to hit another brewery just a mile or so away!

Noble Ale Works (Anaheim, CA) is a cool little spot to hit before an Angels or Ducks game because it is right near the stadiums (Valiant and Old Orange are really close too). They usually have some interesting stuff on tap.








The most memorable was their Good Time Imperial Stout with Morita chilies and yellow curry (2nd from the right). It was pretty hot.











Looking forward to some warmer weather to visit all of these places again!