Reviews from First Friday November 2010

Thanks to everyone who came out for the 24th "First Friday."

For those who couldn't make it, there's always next month on Dec. 3 @ 8 p.m.

A run-down of our favorite beers from November 2010:

Avery Old Jubilation Ale
Probably my favorite beer of the night
Jubilicious!!
Nutty, dark and thick... like my men :)

Anchor Humming Ale
So hoppy it's like drinking a pogo stick
No-no vote
Bitter
Grapefruity in a good way
Perfect
My version of an ideal everyday drinking beer

Bruery Two Turtle Doves
Coffee latte on ice -- not for beer
Giving us a wide awake and fucked up feeling
One of The Bruery's best

Samuel Adams Winter Lager
Excellent paired with the chili
Muy bueno!

Bruery Orchard White
Whoo-hooters! Chi-Chi loves it

Tied House Alpine Gold Blonde Ale
Sour and full of fun, like an albino clown

Blue Moon Harvest Moon
Liked it

Samuel Adams Oktoberfest
Good

Alaska Brewing Smoked Porter
Hickory BBQ flavor -- try marinating ribs!
Like liquid smoked salmon -- where's the tartar sauce?

Strongbow Cider
Average
A bit tart
Tortilla dipped in apple sauce
A throwback

Wild Blue Blueberry Lager
Way sweet, probably good poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream
Too much blue
Loved it. Smooth...
Yumm. Doesn't taste like beer.

The Craft Beer Chronicles: Sipping seasonals at the Bruery

An interview with Bruery founder Patrick Rue by Brand X (the L.A. Times' one-time alternative weekly that is now online only).

Reviews from First Friday October 2010

Thanks to everyone who came out for the 23rd "First Friday."

For those who couldn't make it, there's always next month on Nov. 5 @ 8 p.m.

As we approach the second anniversary of First Friday, we have sampled 255 beers.

A run-down of our favorite beers from October 2010:

Bruery Mischief
If Hawaii and a devious German midget met and started a micro-brewery, this might be their first release. Yummy, refreshing, evil and citrusy.

Hacker Pschorr
Lots of flavor, but without the bite.
Smooth and tasty... like me. Hardy har har

Ayinger Oktoberfest Marzen
Favorite of the night

Barons Lemon Myrtle Witbeer
I like this. It seems like a nice summer beer.
Is this lemon Budweiser?
Better than I expected.
Lemon face
Light, tasty and lemony

Saint Somewhere Saison Athene
Kind of got a medicine taste to it
Might be my favorite beer of the night.
Has a champagney effervescence

Hinano Tahiti
Very good body, no after taste
Nice and smooooooth -- another one I could drink all night long!

Blue Moon Grand Cru
Way better than your average Blue Moon
So smooth -- another winner tonight!
Yum

Sierra Nevada Torpedo
My favorite Sierra Nevada of all time

Wells Banana Bread Beer
Banana-rama ding dong!
Better than I would have guessed

Delirium Tremens
Always top notch

Duvel Belgian Golden
Smooth and something I could drink a lot of

Hoegaarden
De-lish and smooth

Boddingtons Cream Ale
The first English beer I tried, way back when

Gordon Biersch Marzen
Good!

Simple Times Lager
Nice!

Here, here: 23 of our favorite beers

The L.A. Times Food section lists their favorite beers.
Check out the photo gallery if you're curious -- or thirsty.

Poster: The Very Many Varieties of Beer

You can zoom in on the chart at Pop Chart Lab.

Very cool. And lots of good beers.

Library Alehouse tapping into rare brews for L.A. Beer Week

The Library Alehouse in Santa Monica bar will tap one new rare beer a night from Oct. 8-17 for L.A. Beer Week, starting with Karl Strauss Big Barrel DIPA and continuing with such hard-to-find offerings as Russian River Consecration and Port Brewing's Older Viscosity.

Full story on Brand X

Pictures: Beer 101

An extensive guide to 60 styles of beer from barleywines to blondes, weizenbocks to winter warmers.

Reviews from First Friday August 2010

Thanks to everyone who came out for the 22nd "First Friday."

For those who couldn't make it, there's always next month on Sept. 3 @ 9:30 p.m. (Note the later post Street Fair start time.)

A run-down of our favorite (and not so favorite) beers from August 2010:

Allagash White
Great flavor, clove taste, crispy
Very good!
Love it -- Want to try it with orange
The Best

Dog Fish Head Red & White
Different, but really good
Yummy -- loads of flavor
Wrong, just wrong

O'Dell Brewing 90 Shilling Ale
Delicious!

Karl Strauss Zinfandel
Sweet, rich, wine notes
I like a * at the end of the night
Not a fan

Sunset Wheat
Yum: Blueberries!
Great

Red Hook Long Hammer
Tasty

Tangerine Wheat
Bitter
Lite and citrusy

Fullers Porter
Great coffee aftertaste

White Rascal
Great Ale with spicy finish

Bitch Creek ESB
Strong

Kona Wailua
Lite hint of passion!

Kona Fire Rock
Da-Kine Stay Ono!!
Broke da mout!

Guinness Draught
Yum!

Harp Lager
Solid, as always

Bass
Great!

Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Decent
Not bad, not great

Bootleggers Knuckle Sandwich
Tastes like basil

Orange Blossom Ale
Terrible

Czechvar
Awful

Dixie Blackened Voodoo
Not a fan
Not so much
Not a favorite

Samuel Adams Chery Wheat
Cough syrup
Yuck!

OMG: Bruery opening shop & micro-bar in Old Towne Orange

Award-winning craft beer maker, The Bruery, plans to open its first retail outlet in Old Towne Orange.

The Bruery Provisions shop, which will sell beer and offer "samples," replaces the old Frog's Breath cheese and wine store.

Read more at the Fast Food Maven.

Reviews from First Friday May 2010

Thanks to everyone who came out for the 19th "First Friday."

For those who couldn't make it, there's always next month (June 4 @ 8 p.m.).

A run-down of our favorite (and not so favorite) beers from May 2010:

Hangar 24 IPA (Growler)
Probably my favorite beer of the night
Fresh -- First sip was tasty, but then it went harsh
Bitter! Stuck to the top of my mouth - Nice bottle

Hangar 24 Orange Wheat
Delish -- light and refreshing without being boring.
Good

Shipyard Export
Full bodied and solid
Arrgh -- Ahoy matey, a mighty good grog
Harsh at the end

Paulaner Hefe-Weizen
Yum! Yum!

Bayhawk Chocolate Porter
Great with the hot salsa
Smells and tastes weird.
Not for me

Birra Moretti La Rossa
Tastes like bananas foster
Yuck! :(

Grand Canyon Horseshoe Bend Pale Ale
I think they used water from the Grand Canyon
Harsh

Breweries vie to create world's strongest beer

Enterprising brewers are ratcheting up the stakes with alcohol content that rivals that of whiskey.

When Scottish brewers Martin Dickie and James Watt came up with the cheeky idea to make a beer as potent as whiskey, they couldn't wait to share it with the world.

They didn't know they would trigger an arms race.

But that's what ensued when their brewery, BrewDog, released the first limited-edition bottles of "Tactical Nuclear Penguin," a stout that measures 32% alcohol and was quickly crowned "strongest beer in the world" — for less than a month.

Then the buildup began.

Full story at LAT

Reviews from First Friday April 2010

Thanks to everyone who came out for the 18th "First Friday."

For those who couldn't make it, there's always next month (May 7 @ 8 p.m.).

A run-down of our favorite (and not so favorite) beers from April 2010:

Allagash Tripel Ale
This is really good. A whole lotta flavor
Smooth!
A full meal
It's doable
Delicious. I started with this brew and I'm happy I did.
Bitter

Ayinger Ur-Weisse Bavarian Dunkel Weizen
Trace's favorite beer in the whole world
A little too sour for me
Very good -- Sweet taste at the end
Bananarama-ish

Moe's Backroom Ale
(Tap Room #21 Brewing Co.)
Very good ambler ale

Chambly Noire
Yum!

New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale
Yum!
Too toasty for me

Belhaven Scottish Ale
Very good!
Fizzy warm

Allagash Tripel Reserve
OK, but not great

Carmel Wheat Beer
It's like a story with no ending. Meh.

P.J. King Wingwalker Winter Brew
Not great

Bitburger
Oh yeah, I love me some ground up liquid beef in my beer... NOT!

Simpler Times Lager
Too 2 Buck Chuck for me
Yuck!

Video: First Friday April 2010

Reviews from First Friday March 2010

Thanks to everyone who came out for the 17th "First Friday."

For those who couldn't make it, there's always next month (April 2 @ 7:45 p.m.).

A run-down of our favorite (and not so favorite) beers from March 2010:

Avery Out of Bounds
Delicious
Wonderful

Fullers ESB
Very good
An old favorite that never disappoints

Al-Iksir Baladin
Winner!

Bruery Mischief
Bitter like coffee/espresso
Yummy
Bitter - if it was coffee I'd add sugar

Bruery Orchard White
Nice, light

Dixie Blackened Voodoo
Dark but not heavy - easy drinkin' dark

Murphy's Red
Very light taste, but you still have the burp

Stone Pale Ale
Pretty good

North Coast Old Stock Ale
Candy

Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale
"Nut" a problem
A nut? I'd rather have a rim shot. With an ass smack. (With suugaar)

Stone Smoked Porter
Yum!
Tastes like prophylactic

Russian River Consecration
Reminds me of the NIN song

Schneider Weisse Hefe-Weizen
Kinda spicy... like my men
Decent

O.K. Beer Okocim
(From Poland by way of Big Lots)
Better than I thought it would be. But is it better than O.K.?
That's not O.K.
O.K.? Not!
Tasted like urine

Puborama

The Avocadoville Library: World's Best Beers

My friend Raoul got me "World's Best Beers" for Christmas and asked that the Avocadoville faithful annotate the book with our thoughts and observations as we make our way through its 1,000 brews.

The author was voted Britain’s Beer Writer of the Year — twice.

You'll find the Beer Bible on the bar. Feel free to leave beer rings on its pages.

World's strongest beer: Schorschbräu Schorschbock

The 40% alcohol brew costs $130 (US) but isn't available in the states. The run was limited to 15 bottles but a Beer Advocate reviewer got his hands on one and literally lit the beer on fire.

Here' s the story.

Reviews from First Friday January 2010

Thanks to everyone who came out for the 15th "First Friday."



For those who couldn't make it, there's always next month (Feb. 5 @ 7:45 p.m.).

Remember that the February 2010 First Friday is a WINE & CHEESE tasting party.



A run-down of our favorite (and not so favorite) beers from January 2010:

Anderson Valley Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale
Glad fall is over. Winter solstice is thoroughly enjoyable on a cool California winter night
Another solid AV brew! I’ve had the very good Amber, too.
Thumbs up
Very good

Victory Moonglow Weizen Bock
Smooth, almost silky and honey-like
Definitely fruity – perhaps a “dessert beer”
Good – I could drink a whole one
No :(

Jaargang Golden Carolus Cuvee Van de Keizer
Verrrrrry good

Anchor Brewing Liberty Ale
Doable
Not a good aftertaste
:) Yummy
Good

Full Sail Wassail
Bitter
OK
Excellent!

Brew Dog The Physics
Quite good
OK

Firestone Walkers Reserve Robust Stout
:)

Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial
Sour. Really sour.
Funky and musty – Good

Trader Joe’s 2009 Vintage Ale
Chocolate taste :)
No
Thumbs up for me

Lost Abbey Angel’s Share
Carmel & vanilla soaked in brandy

Brothers Reserve Cherry Oak Doppelbock
Cough syrup
Oak, malt and slight cherry

High & Mighty Home for the Holidays
Decent

Cyrstal Weiss
Is this beer or is this water?
Could use some more taste

Wingwalker Amber Ale
Tastes like a candle
Light, no taste
Like water


Photo by Dave Rugh