After some amazing Lemon Ricotta Pancakes at Torrey Pines (I finally know how a cloud tastes), we head to Stone. I've referenced the whole trip as being a pilgramige to Mecca, but if I were to chose a single brewery as THE Mecca, it'd be Stone. Stone is an landmark in the craft brewing world. They defined the current era of outrageously hoppy IPA's.
Their ambitious beers are matched by an ambitious team, led by Greg Koch. I know their facility not only has brewery tours and a tasting, but a bistro and a bar - an entire operation. They are the only American craft brewer who is building a brewery in Europe (plan to start on a Belgian factory in August) to bring their beers to another continent. David and I tallied the beers we've drank this year by stone, and the number is 18, by far the most of any brewery. It's the only brewery we felt it necessary to tour.
Oddly, their are no signs marking the brewery and we actually drive past it the first time by. The path to the facility (above) is guided by stones and a jungle like atmosphere. Everyone agrees that it feels like a nature reserve.
I see bamboo like structures and hope there are pandas here. David and the parental units believe if any animal lived here, it would be Giraffes. Pandas are drunk on the time because they're allergeic to the only food they eat, eucalyptus, but whatever, Giraffes are cool if you're into eating the top of trees off.
Sadly , there are no animals but this scenery is spectacular. There is a big lot, maybe an acre big, that includes walkways through a botanical enclave. It's incredibly peaceful here and if I lived in the area I would find myself here often. Friend Lindsey B who we're meeting up later at Pizza Port said the Duck Tacos and Tilapia are amazing. Next time Walker, next time.
Getting tickets for the tour happens 2 hours in advance, on the hour, so we each sample a beer that we won't taste after the tour. I have a glass of Cali-Belgique, which as a Belgian IPA is my favorite beer style. David chooses a Sublimely Self-Righteous, a dark ale with a name only bettered by Stone's Arrogant Bastard. Mom and Dad split a Ruination IPA (Double IPA, intense!) and a Levitation, their amber ale. All are verified as delicious by the thirsty parties.
We hangout in their zen garden drinking until it's time to get a 2pm tour ticket. At noon the tickets are ours and we head to Lost Abbey/Port Brewing to kill the two hours before the tour.
Lost Abbey/Port Brewing
We're coming to the brewery a day after Lost Abbey's 5th Anniversary party and even though Lost Abbey's brews have not been on David and I's favorites list, I'm glad they decided to stay open today because tasting their full selection flipped my opinion.
Here's what I sampled:
Red Barn - spiced saison made with ginger. Very intense spice but well balanced. David thinks this is interesting, but I'm not sold on it. He also wanted to have a child with Bruery's Gunga Galunga, a brew also made with ginger. I always thought David shared the same distrust for red-heads as me, but apparently his true colors showed through so I'm just gonna say it: Ginger Lover. We'll probably resort to fisticuffs after he reads this. Calling him that name is like telling your girlfriend she's fat in three different languages.
Judgment Day - a Belgian style quadruple with raisins. I really love this. The raisins mellow and sweeten beer. Love this strong but mellow fellow.
Older Viscosity - this is an Old Viscosity, an imperial stout, aged in whiskey barrel. At 12% alcohol, the flavor profile is rich dark chocolate and as Lost Abbey says, "a bit sludgy." Apparently, I love me some dark sludge. The alcohol is apparent but forgotten by its richness. I am doing this beer a disservice in describing it as a liquid chocolate beer, because it is so much more. It is simply phenomenal. BAD BOYS rating. I would buy a bottle to take back with me but it's $15 for a 375 bottle. That is what oilmen call 'black gold.'
For the next two bottles, we benefited from the disinterest of another customer. Someone's girlfriend said she didn't like most beers, so our server Molly, a salty and likable woman, took it as a personal quest to find a beer she licked. We were the beneficiary of two beers that weren't being poured today (their taps ran out during yesterday's celebration).
Inferno - strong belgian ale. It's sweet and malty, pretty damn good. Bought a bottle.
Lost and Found - Belgian Dubbel with Raisins. This is a Last Judgment that's 'halved' (8%). Only, it's easier to drink than Judgment Day. It's not as complex but it's smooth and drinkability is high. This will rate highly when we officially review it.
We tasted but tasted but not pictured - Shark Attack red ale, Avant Garde Beire de Garde, 5 year Anniversary, Hot Rocks German Brown Ale.
There were very few remnants that a huge anniversary party had taken place 24 hours earlier with over 900 attendees, except for a huge white board they allowed people to write all over. Below are pictures of several hilarious quotes it is necessary to share, for the sake of comedy and humanity.
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| Can't argue that quote. Also, love how Ewok is terriblly misspelled. |
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| "Tactical Nuclear Penguin" HA |
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| Their Christmas Ale is called "Santa's Little Helper." This is precious |
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| HAHAHA |
Platt and David have a staring contest.
'SUP
Aww, Ma and Pa and Walker.
We traveled back to Stone for our brewery tour, which was led by the funny and knowledgeable Ken.
They use hundreds and hundreds of lbs of grain in each batch, as much as 1000 LB. I used 5.5 lbs in last week's partial mash.
Interesting fact I learned, craft brew in America didn't get started until Jimmy Carter's administration passed a law allowing homebrewing. So a tip of my hat to that fellow.
These fermentation tanks are massive. Those pipes going down into the white barrels you see are known to home brewers as 'blow off tubes.' The process stays the same, just the machinery and technology changes. As you can see by the various pipes in the above pic as well as the below, Stone has invested an incredible amount of money and energy into creating a very clean and efficient brewing system. David and I have never seen such a clean industrial place.
To give perspective, those cases of beers on the right are around 30 ft tall. The tanks behind them are at least 4.5 stories tall.
After the toured ended, we were lead to the first of four tasters. First one was Stone Pale Ale, followed by their IPA, Arrogant Bastard and the Smoked Porter.
My parents had to catch a flight, so we bid farewell to an incredibly wonderful weekend. It's so much to do these things with my parents, and I'm very fortunate they are this cool. And can hold their liquor. David and I stayed after the tour left and chatted up Ken, which in turn led to a free taste of their Russian Imperial Stout. Influenced by their awesomeness, we purchased a growler of Arrogant Bastard and on a suggestion from Ken, proceeded to a brand new brewery, Iron Fist.
The story of this brewery is a fascinating. The brewer is 21 years old. His parents were in real estate and the market tanked. Well, said their son, I make pretty good beer maybe we should do that? So the parents pump some money into a beer setup
7 months ago and their barely legal son brews beer. And guess what? It's pretty damn good! I'm impressed.
Renegade Blonde Kolsch style ale - I used kolsch yeast with great success in my honey wheat and so I'm pretty hot on beers made with it. Here they used caramel malts with great success to create a sweet but crisp (kolsch yeast) beer that doesn't belay a tartness found in kolsch yeasts. I think he really nailed the malt. David said one of the drawbacks is the use of a singular hop, which is an interesting note. But I loved this one and brought a bottle home.
Golden Age golden Strong Ale - it's sweet, yeasty, a very belgian-style beer that is tasty without trying to be more. It's really close to a Pranqster. The sophistication of this beer compared to the brewer's age, is really impressive.
Dubbel Fisted Dubbel Belgian - sweet caramle malt, light, very drinkable not complex - reminds me of a better version of the St. Clairvoux Sierra Nevada Dubbel collaboration, only better.
Iron Fist Oatmeal Stout - I've drunk a before at the Surly Goat and it's fantastic. The 'teenage version' of Port Brewing's Older Viscosity. It's pretty damn great. We bought a growler of it to take home.
This is definitely a family run business. The mom and dad poured our tasters. The brewer's wife refilled our pretzel bowl. The brewer himself was taking a break - in the back office playing Xbox (where men should be) - but he came out and shook everyone's hand a little later. As a family unit, this is their life. Working 7 days a week, brewing and promoting beer. This family believes in their product and live it. Being an entrepreneur takes a lot of energy and dedication. People ask if I'd ever want to brew for a living and it's something I've thought about.
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| Two brews we bought, they really awesome growlers |
But...I'm basically of the perspective that it's a 50 week a year, 7 days a week and 10 hour a day job is not the lifestyle I want to have, at least right now. Entrepeneurs have to live and breathe their product, and I'm not ready for that. Maybe when I make phenomenal beer that I'm so incredibly passionate about that I will never want to stop sharing it with the world every hour of my life, then I will change my mind. But still, watching this family interact highlighted the qualitative positives of working together all the time I hadn't thought of. There is something to say about a family spending time together and the joy of creating something together. Something to ponder whilst I wonder.
One side of their tasting room was one big doodle bored and it kinda highlighted the shared experience that could happen. That and hilarious dragons and the octopus from the 3rd Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
We'll be back here soon and I'll be damned if I don't add something inappropriate to their wall.
Pizza Port Carlsbad - this is the capital of the Pizza Port restaurant chain. Bigger than the others and they have a pretty impressive beer bottle shop next door.
Beers on tap.
An old college friend Lindsey B lives in the area and stopped by while we enjoyed some pizzer and There & Here Belgian golden - which was crisp and delicious.
After a little while Lindsey left and we were chatted up by some evangelicals, who were nice but definitely pushed their agenda a bit. I wanted a beer before hitting the road, so I went to the bathroom and ordered a hoppy pale ale. Then chugged it outside the men's room, because looking like an alcoholic frat boy in the present company, I just didn't have on my agenda.
Back home, we celebrated our bounty from the breweries and the Carlsbad Bottle Room.
I know right?!! Awesome. No better way to end a weekend than killing a growler of Arrogant Bastard and catching up on SNL, which featured an Ace and Gary skit and was hilarious.
And that's how you end an incredible weekend. Thanks parents and David for being awesome, this was an incredible post birthday weekend and it couldn't of gone better. To beer!
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