Drinking Now

Noble Ale Works in Anaheim, CA

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Weekly ALEment

Loakal Red

Quick Facts

Brewery: The Bruery

Beer Style: American Red Ale

Origin: Orange County, CA, USA (Available only in Orange County)

ABV: 6.9%

IBU: 35

Glassware: Pint Glass

Serve Temp: 45°-50°

Brewer’s Profile: Centennial hops, sweet malt, oak-aged

Summary

Color poured is a light brown, rich copper with a golden thick head that seems to stick around for a decent amount of time. When you first bring the glass to your nose, you immediately catch a whiff of the smoky oak flavor with some hints of spice. With the first sip, you start to notice the bitterness of the hops along with a splash of citrus flavor and spice. The bitter easily transitions to a warm flavor of oak and a sweet caramel finish. Medium bodied, with some light carbonation and a crisp finish.

Ok……So I have tasted this beer before. I first tried this beer in a flight when I visited The Bruery in Orange, CA recently. Justin, a friend and I had tasted some great beers that afternoon, but this one caught my attention. And since you can’t really fully enjoy the flavor of a beer from a small sample, I decided to bring this one home to further explore. Once you’ve tried this beer, you can fully appreciate the perfect balance between the bitterness and the sweet. I think it’s important for a red ale to have this balance. It’s also important that the flavor sticks around for a while, and not just wash away after each sip. The Loakal Red, definitely, had more complexity with a full glass that I didn’t get with the sample. I’m actually slightly disappointed in myself that I didn’t buy another bottle. I guess I’ll have to make another trip soon!

Weekly ALEment

Una Mas Amber Lager (Seasonal)

Quick Facts

Brewery: Left Coast Brewing co.

Beer Style: Vienna Lager

Origin: San Clemente, CA, USA

ABV: 6.4%

Glassware: Pilsner / Flute

Serve Temp: 40°-45°

Brewer’s Profile: Roasted Malt, Sweet

Summary

The color of this beer pours a very attractive copper / golden color. There is a light, thin head with a slight golden hue. The overall look of the beer is very pleasing to the eye. When you first taste the beer, you notice the toasty malt flavor right away; followed by some hints of smoky sweet, and caramel. The beer has very deep flavor, which is surprising for how light it feels, and there is no lingering bad aftertaste.

I have to admit, lagers can be hit or miss for me. Some I really enjoy and some I just completely avoid. In the spirit of trying to have an open mind, I picked this one up at your local Total Wine & More and decided to give it a real chance. The brewer describes the beer as a “lager styled after the popular amber lagers south of the border,” and that summary is pretty spot on. I was very impressed with the amount of flavor, and the fact that it was very true to its description. We kept the “south of the border” experience going the whole night by grilling up a great pollo asado dinner.

Drinking Now

Sampler flight @ Alcatraz Brewing Co., Orange, CA

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