Noble Ale Works - Anaheim, CA

 Another industrial warehouse adventure. The town car slows and circles, and though welcomed by the site of the silo, it doesn't appear to be open. The driver encourages Lady Ellamie to try the door, pulling away to the thump of funk.

 It's early for a Thursday, an away game day. The tasting room is sparse. A few picnic tables, and a short bar. The carved wooden signs hanging from pegs tell her today is a short list day. Only 5 on tap, which makes selecting the 5 beers for the sampler a no brainer.

  Pistol Whips Pils: 4.5% 26 IBUs - Full bodied with a unique nose, her name is Mouteka, and she's from New Zealand. At first, she's hard to place, but then you hope to recognize her special scent in the future. Not too dry and not too malt. Heavier hitter than the traditional Czech style. Break Away Pale Ale: 5.0% 41 IBU - pale, bitter, golden, low carb. Another hard to place scent, kinda stinky, but not in a bad way. The Good Ship ESB 5.8% 35 IBU Swirling with the color of wildflower honey, and oh so little head. Smooth and silky, slipping down your throat. Tight, tiny bubbles tickle your tongue. Not much of smell, vaguely antiseptic. The taste sweetens as it warms. Big Whig IPA 6.8% 77 IBU, but which hops did they use? An earthy, faint cat piss aroma. Adequately bittered for this style. Rosalita 4.5% 26 IBU A slight pink hue shines through the goblet, invoking thoughts of grandma's pink wine in a jug, imperceptible head. Hibiscus imbues color and tartness, and perhaps the green peppers too? Mmmm.... Peppers. Wanting Mexican food... which would pair well with Rosalita. What a shame! No food truck today, and limited beer selection = short visit.

Perhaps induced by these conditions, there was the rare sighting of aurora beerealis!

 

Overall: Near Angels Stadium, which means decent beer before a game, and a projector promises views of the game at all times. The crowd today was mostly men after a white collar work day. A couple of beer geeks swish clean water in the glass prior to noting the elements of their swig. The crowd grew lively but not friendly, people seemed to keep to themselves. Danielle, the beer maiden, is a gem. Knowledgeable and friendly, full of enthusiasm. The beers which had the best reviews were not available that day.

An ad on the cork board announces it is the second anniversary of a local blog, promising 13 beers on Saturday.  And what of the brews for the party on Saturday?  Danielle can't be bribed for information, and with tribute band "Slaves Against The Machine" playing, it sounds like a good time. In the future, a call to inquire the taps, it might save a mediocre trip.

Anaheim Brewing Company

A recent unplanned visit to The Anaheim Brewing Company was a pleasant surprise. The driver tried to find a place to drop Lady Ellamie, but it was surrounded by parking, and the entrance was not easily located.  Turns out the entrance is in 'the back', and allows for a much more casual feel. The historic area is in the midst of revival, and what was an over-grown weed-riddled  parking lot in the rear, is turning into a centrally located park, developed specifically for a farmers market. The open air seating anchoring the scene, will be THE place to get your groceries, sip some good beer, and listen to live music. 

The ritual flight was ordered, and the following was tasted: Conrads Kolsch 5.1% - a top fermented wheat fashioned after beers from Koln (Cologne) Germany. It is slightly sweet and refreshing with a closing bitterness that seems just right, a good place to start. Anaheim Gold  4.5% made with honey malt, has a nice full, smooth body, and a lovely honey color. A plain Jane sort of beer, but acceptable by all means.  Anaheim Hefeweizen 5.5% hazy-pale yellow-straw lacking that banana. A questionably green pepper finish. Anaheim Red  5.5% slight roastiness and a grainy nose, carbonated bitterness. 1888 5.5% Tasty and fragrant, almost flowery with a bit-o-malt. Mellowly carbonated, it makes for easy drinkin, and was pint worthy. Coast to Coast IPA 7.0%  this seemed to be the locals favorite, with pints and growlers in constant pour. An East Coast IPA, it is not nearly as hoprageous as the West Coast style, making it much more drinkable (rather than sip-able). Dark Scotch Ale 6.1% - Peat and smokiness take a back seat to the malts, though both were present. 

                     

This was a very friendly place, and while they do not serve food, Umami Burger is right next door, and will happily deliver to the bar, if they aren't slammed. The locals will talk your ear off about, well, just about anything. There is lots of laughter to be heard, even with a small crowd. Many of them walk from the local hood, and are eager to talk to you, if you want them to. Samantha and Amber were very attentive and happy to be there, even when you walk in at closing and ask for three growler fills.

The brewery itself is visible from the bar, and was quiet that Thursday night. While this  probably won't be a regular stop, its hard not to envision having a lovely afternoon with a pint or three while noshing on farm fresh goodies, on a summer afternoon. 

The Bruery - Orange County

The town car picks Lady Ellamie up at the hotel, and after a grueling drive on the smog choked orange highway, a couple of u-turns, and a whole lotta funk, we arrived in a warehouse industrial complex. Were we in the right place? There were not many "signs of life" but there it was, tucked back in the corner.

The Bruery (the spelling is a nod to the founding Rue family) is quite difficult to describe. On one hand, it is similar to many warehouse brewery conversions, with picnic type seating and no table service, or food (outside of the nightly gourmet food trucks). On the other, the beers, are somewhere between magnificent and mind blowing.

The days selections are listed on a board, and beer flight cheat sheets help you figure out just where to start.

Lady E starts with the "Classic" Flight: 

Hottenroth 3.1% Berliner style wheat - a stongly tart nose deceives you, as it is on the low end of the tartness spectrum and has a flirtatious bit of funk. Overall refreshing, but no more than a taster for me.
Tradewinds 8% spiced triple - a hard to place bubble gum tutti fruitiness greets you at the front door and welcomes you in, with its lovely golden sunshine glow. Each sip changes your perception as it warms. Mischeif 8.5% hoppy belgium - oh yum yum yum, the initial hoppiness dissapates quickly and lets the belgo shine. Rugbrod 8% Rye Brown - hold your horses! HUGE roastiness eminates from the humble goblet. Highly malted and sweetly warming, its like hugging grandma (without that soapy smell). Lokal Red 6.9% Pretty copper red, the dense head forming into a walruses' mustache, which means it's going to be a good night. Hop forward, without going agro,  and slight smoke, as if unpacking your tent from last summer, and yet the malty sweetness persists.



Onward, to the "Provision Series" flight! Ichigo Highway uh-oh... it smells like some one let the goat bake a cherry pie in the solar oven, and left it there! And the taste? Lets just say it made me miss the smell! Lawdy Lawd! I wouldn't even put this on my salad. (this is a collaboration with Hangar 24, and was actually strawberries (not cherries) and aged in wine barrels). Premier Hello, sweet baby jesus, you been listenin' to my prayers! The scent alone gives me goosebumps. From what barrel do you cometh? Thank you for bringing me to, uh, 'full attention'. Gunga Gunga  did I mention this place makes it impossible to classify their beers? The brewer is more like a happy chef, who does as he (or she) pleases. Well roasted with a beautiful balance and herbal nose, well carbonated, and over all pleasing (this is made with Kaffir limes and galanga root, started out as a black lager). Burly Gourd  um... I don't know what is going on here, I feel like I'm taking crazy Pils! I feel a burn from the high alcohol (but just sipped a Habi infused Humulus Lager) strong with cloves and cinnamon - oh is this a pumpkin beer? that makes more sense. Mother Funker No!!!! Oh God! What did I ever do to deserve this punishment? My taste buds have imploded, receding from the Atomic Sour Blast (how do you people drink this???). Melange #3 Holy funkin' sheet mengh! This is... Euphoric! Orgasmic! Epiphanous even. Hell No, I ain't sharin. The complexity is up there with Firestone Walker's Parabola.

Overall: This place has brews that will blow the top off your head. They don't care about design guidelines, and happily experiment with the wonders of the world. Never had I experienced so many breathtaking beers in one brewery. The layout is mingle friendly, and the folks were an after work beer geek crowd. The "Reserve Society" is the way to get special beers at first release, and a few select from that group are initiated into the highly coveted "Hoarders Club". The kind of club that comes with swagger. Beer aficionados, make this your pilgrimage. Cheers to new beers, Lady Ellamie

Lady Ellamie in the OC

 The Lady Ellamie is in the OC (she's building a hotel to host the masses in route to Mouse). Luckily, The Pizza Press is within walking distance, and offers 8 taps of local brew (and cider) with a 6 sampler option for those who can't say "No". Below are some notes on brews tasted...

Hangar 24 Helles Lager has that cold conditioned crispness and a bubbly bite. Not 'til the sweet tang of the BBQ sauce smeared on a taste of 'The Times' does the bitterness give you a shy wink from across the room.

Four Headed Hefe, from Craft Brewing Co, is surprisingly tasty (mostly surprising because the staff told me that was the Helles Lager). Belgian in character with low carbonation, banana and cloves in taste and nose. BBQ sauce killed its complexity and left it tasting like a bud. While delicate, the body is fuller than a Pils.

Bootlegger's Golden Chaos: Heeeyyyyy Baby, you can't make sense outta me. Banana cloudiness but a tricky lil' devil to describe, the 8.5 makes you think twice. A certain sweetness permeates, making you feel at home, but damn you, BBQ sauce, must you challenge everything?

Four Headed Hefe

Bootlegger's BLACK PHOENIX - What is this? A robust malty chocolate covered decaf coffee bean rising from the ashes of the chipotle fire pit? THIS is a damn tasty brew. Not overly heavy, a middle weight champ, reclaiming his title...kicking that BBQ @ss!

Speakeasy's Prohibition Ale - hellllooo my hoppy clear eyed Red Friend! I do so love it when we meet, like this, in private....

And Speakeasy's Double Daddy: Aye, Papi! You should ask permission, first. You know what I'm saying? Slapping me around like that. Good thing you got that Big Malty Back Bone to you back you up.

Until the next time, Beer Lover!

Lady Ellamie