AleSmith Horny Devil mirrors Louie C.K. tonight

David's been saving this AleSmith since December 2010 and we're hoping to compare it to a newer Horny Devil soon. The room is filling with great irony as Warren, David and I are watching Louie C.K.'s latest episode, which is entirely focused upon the topic of masturbation. This season of LOUIE has been outrageously funny. This is the opening sequence from tonight's episode:

Louie is awesome, but the Fox News reporter gets a few jabs in as well, "Shakespeare definitely masturbated" being my favorite. Onto the beer! And Louie's "O" Face...oh oh oh

This is an 11% belgian golden strong brewed with coriander. The spice is deftly utilized with a soft touch. There's a light yeast aroma and the flavor is smooth and slightly sweet, not a lot of caramel going on but a very balanced sweetness. The alcohol is skillfuly hidden as well. This is a nectar of the gods. Did Michelangelo brew this ale? I'm very excited to see what an un-aged 2011 Horny Devil is like. BAD BOYS rating.

AleSmith Speedway Stout would be at my Last Supper

The Speedway Stout is that lady in the red dress at black tie affair - you might never forget forget her.

We picked up a bottle from the brewery during our San Diego trip in May. It's in the top 20 for it's style and the first time I had it on draft at the daily pint, I saw stars. It's 12% alcohol and pours a deep black color and an inspiring tan colored 2 finger head. High carbonation in high alcohol beers are tough to achieve but not for AleSmith.  It is glorious.

The Speedway Stout has a rich and complex aroma of coffee and chocolate. The malts are terrifically roasted and the taste is so smooth. Nothing overpowers here and the flavors combine superbly. This is full bodied and as with any really dank stout, reminds me of motor oil. Delicious, nurturing motor oil. It may be $12 a bottle, but it is worth every penny. BAD BOYS rating.  

I recently filled out an interview for a blog, which will hopefully appear soon, and they asked me a question and my response was a Speedway Stout :

"You were caught smuggling beer illegally, which has now been made punishable by death. Right before you are sent to the executioner, you are offered one last beer. What beer would you chose and why?"

AleSmith Speedway Stout – it is so rich and complex that I would not only still be savoring it as I was walking up the gallows, but its dankness would still be with me as I greeted sweet, sweet death. Plus it is 12% so maybe I’d go out buzzed; isn’t that how we should all go?

San Diego Beer Tour Saturday and AleSmith's English Nut Brown

I'm titillated for the beer cornucopia we're about to experience just north of San Diego. David and I have been planning a San Diego trip since the first several weeks of this blog and we have been foiled twice, the second time we were on the launch pad but had to scuttle the mission at the last moment when David was offered an all expenses paid trip to Oktoberfest 3 days before the weekend. My parents wanting to visit me in California made this weekend's trip possible, and I'm very happy they've become willing and enthusiastic supporters of beer. Or maybe the truth is they're terrific lushes and make my drinking escapades look like a scene from Sister Act 2. We shall see...

Just kidding, they're lovely and responsible

And drink we did. David and I counted our tallies and we actually sampled 40 different beers. Now, we didn't drink 40 different beers, but between the different samplers we and my parents drank, we drunk and/or sipped 40 various brews.

Here's the actual beer/drunk talley for the weekend: Samplers - 4 from Ballast Point, AleSmith 6, Hess 3, Irotn Fist 4, Stone 5, Lost Abbey 5. 27 tastings each 4 oz  = 108 oz, or 9 beers. But most of the beers were between 6 and 10%, so double that roughly and we drank 18 'coors light' worth of beer after two days of sampling. Plus we had 4 beers at Pizza Port, 1 Karl Strauss and 1 at Stone and we split a growler Sunday night. Also, two shots of Fernet and several whiskeys Saturday night. Party.

I'm surprised my body hasn't revolted against me. Accordingly, if you see Nicholas Cage, let him know I need the exact same shot he injected into his heart at the end of THE ROCK and I plan to stab this into my liver, post haste.

The craft brewing scene in San Diego is a Mecca. This trip's purpose is to not just see where the magic is made, but it's also a pilgrimage to experience a beer soaked culture. People in San Diego love their craft brew and I can't wait to dive into a tank brimming with fervor for barley and hop.

Momma Davis exhibits a book that ****

Because we tasted so many beers (and took so many pics), my tasting notes are going to be brief. Our first stop was Ballast Point.

Ballast began well over a decade ago and they an air conditioned building to show for it. The other breweries around LA are much new and don't have proper tasting rooms. It was nice but kinda odd to visit a brewery that actually felt like a bar.

Because we've tasted their first five beers, David and I sampled the bottom 4 beers on the chart above.

The beer names and decor are aquatic themed. This is either a tail or a mythological serpent

Nitro Sextant Oatmeal Stout - oatmeal helps create a more subtle stout that isn't very complex but is balanced.

She seems like she'd have a nice personality

Even Keel - is about as even as a drunk sailor walking the poopdeck during a raging Nor'easter. It's simply hops with some body thrown in as an after thought. I would...keelhaul this one. Zing

Dorado Double IPA - the first DIPA I've tasted that has more malt than hops. Here, hops are simply an afterthought and the result is a malt which tastes like bubble gum or hard cider. David says it's a case of shooting for the moon on alcohol content and coming up short. It's a cautionary tale - a lot of homebrewers who want to make a dank, alcoholic beer because they're interested in getting drunk. To them I say stick to the hard alcohol or Four Loko for getting pissed. 

Sculpin IPA - I've tasted before; it's award winning and fantastic with tasty herbal hops. When I see this on tap, I get excited about it.

We walked in just after it opened at 11am and the crowd was minimal. In half an hour 4 Beer Tour vans had dumped their thirsty cargo into the tasting room and it was packed, at least 40 people in a really small space, the size of my living room. At one point, David saw the two women tending the bar go back to the brewer in the back and basically freak out. He saw the number of people and freaked out. Apparently this wasn't your normal Saturday. Right before 12pm we decided to get the hell outta Dodge and beat the groups to our next destination, AleSmith.

AleSmith was one of two breweries we absolutely had to hit. David's mom two years ago sent him 8 bottles of the stuff for Christmas. They make some incredible stuff - rich and dank beer.

They have more on tap than I knew they produced and super stoked!

It begins:

Lil Devil - made with coriander and is 5.8% alcohol. The smell and taste reflect a very light and refreshing beer. The spices are tasty but I'm under the suspicion they might overhwlem me if I were drinking a full pint.

Nautical Nut Brown - not a huge brown ale fan, but this is not overwhelming and crisp. It's decent, and that's praise coming from my keystrokes.

Wee Heavy Scotch Ale - 10% alcohol, which I believe is strong for this style. I love this malt base and I'm becoming a big advocate of the style, however, the alcohol here is prevalent and overwhelms the brew's other characteristics. I like it a lot, but would appreciate a mellower alcohol profile.

Old Numbskull - 11% barleywine and I love the name. Sweet caramel malt and hoppy bitterness, it's tasty but not delicious. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing how this is after it ages.

English Nut Brown - *Our beer of the day* We chose this out of all the other because it's a seasonal brew, and it must be pretty new because it's not on BeerAdvocate. It's smooth and the English yeast leaves a very indelible mark, especially compared to the Nautical Nut. Because I enjoyed the Nautical Nut more than this, I bestow an ARMAGEDDON rating on the English Nut Brown .

Check out the Obama Tap they have. I also had a taster of Speedway Stout but because it's one of the most phenomenal beers I've ever tasted and I got really excited about it, there is no picture. Maybe I drank it too fast. If you like Stouts and have never tried this, it's an absolute must. Plus it's 12% alcohol, so you know, party time.

Sears catalog models on their day off

David has a Horny Devil bottle from two years ago left and he bought a newer vintage so we could to a side-by-side comparison. We're also bringing home a bottle of Speedway Stout, YESSS.

Next up is a brewer I know nothing about, but why shouldn't we try something completely new? Plus it's super close by to AleSmith. Hess Brewing, welcome to Beereveryday.com.

I'm not sure how long Mike Hess has been brewing professionally, but he recently upgraded from a 20 gallon to a 50 gallon brewery equipment. He's a small brewer trying to do big things.

This is the first time I've actually seen the nut and bolts of a brewing operation. And it looks like they swept everything under the couch just before the brew tasting guests arrived.  I feel like this is just how it is when you first start a company.

3 very unique beers to try.

Grazias Vienna Cream Ale - inspired by the classic Vienna Lagers brought to Mexica from Austria in the 1800's but with a Hess Brewing twist. I'm very unfamiliar with this style. It's well made and unique but the style makes for an odd malt.  

Intrepidus IPA - not a great nose and has a very piney and mixed malt. An intermediate beer that I would drink if someone had at a party. Mom pointed out that it smells different than tastes. David responds by noting, that's the trick in brewing - you can't confuse the two. Smell and taste are too intrinsically tied. Maybe he used the wrong hop combination in the boil and dry hopping.

Ex Umbris Rye Imperial Stout -  9.8% alcohol. He said it was 15%-20% rye. There is a lot of chocolate mal t in here. This is a great beer and my favorite of the three amigos. Ex Umbris = Steve Martin.

Love, love the style of the growlers. The woman far left is giving the funniest face. 

Our last stop was Port Brewing's brew pub, Pizza Port in Solana Beach. They have a bunch of locations and are spoken well of. I'm really needing some pizza by this point.

Pizza Port - I'm stoked to dig into this Shrimp and Clam pizza. My parents get a pint of California Honey and David and I try the Shark Bite, a red ale. We do love our red ales. 

While we wait for our pizzas, David decides to spend the time telling my parents about the time earlier this week that I made three trips to the freezer to get bowls filled with three different types of ice cream. Luckily, this isn't my parents first rodeo with their fat kid son and they are amused rather than appalled. 

The Shark bite is a solid tasting Irish Red with a great caramel flavor. Great stuff. The atmosphere in the Pizza Port is pretty odd - half the customers are families and meat head drinking parties, the other half or cyclists in spandex with pitchers full of beer and pizza. Randomly funny.

For Dessert, the Booya Staz IPA- bitter with piney hops piney, a very good ipa.

We took a break for a nap (I watched History Channel, which had an awesome episode about Pirates. I practically received an honorary degree from the University of Phoenix after watching that) and then headed to La Jolla for dinner at George's Ocean Terrace. Amazing views complimented the food, as we dined on halibut ceviche and mahi mahi over pan fried gnocchi. Amazeballs.

 

This was an amazing day, if you couldn't tell from the happy pictures and plethora of beer that we drank. Tomorrow looks like it could even be better. A huge thank you for my parents for making this happen!

For glancing through the article, here's a bonus picture from a license plate found in parking lot of our hotel. How could I resist?

I'm super mature

Alesmith My Bloody Valentine doesn't taste like sweets or blood, lonely fat people and vampries disappointed

Out for a late evening award winning Father's Office Cheeseburger with Jamie when I noticed this recently released Alesmith seasonal on tap, My Bloody Valentine. There are so many good beers on tap here, but how could I turn down a name like that?

It smells strangely like perfume and is an odd mix of dark caramel malt, floral notes and citrus hops. I'm put off by the odd mix initially but am warming up after draining it halfway.

When I begin the night with a Pliny the Elder (one of the highest ranked IPA's in the world), it's a tough act to follow. Especially when I could also marry the Father's Office burger and fries. Brown and Amber ales aren't my thing, but this one was an interesting drink. ARMAGEDDON rating

YuleSmith Holiday Ale helps my bottle King Moonracer's Revenge

Returning home after a double dose of Mexican food and cupcakes - a rough life I lead - David helped me transfer and bottle my first home brew, the winter seasonal King Moonracer's Revenge! Two weeks more in the bottles and it's ready to drink, but we did sample and both believe it'll turn out well. The flavor profile is in the ballpark of what I wanted and as a first time brewer, I'm a happy man. Can't wait to taste final product!

YuleSmith Holiday Ale from AleSmith with my KMR home brew in the background.

A very intense hoppy nose which is not reflected in the taste.YuleSmith has a grapefruit, piney taste. My pants are still on but it's not a poor choice for a holiday brew if you chance upon it in the beer aisle. ARMAGEDDON rating

Alesmith IPA, I've Never Doubted You

You know those moments when you look over at someone and say yep, that's happening? Happens to David and I when we agree to purchase this beer. Not one you buy all the time but when we do purchase, it always pleases our palates (and bellies). It's just a great beer. Full of hops, a rich malty base, it's just great. I was excited to see it on tap recently at O'Brien's pub on Main St.

It's a beer that's highly rated and thoroughly enjoyed. This is easily one of the knights of the round IPA table. One of the top cheeses, like Sir Lancelot or Sir Galahad. In addition, AleSmith cleverly creates an IPA acronym on the bottle back (top right). How can you turn down delicious and clever? Not I said the wolf. BAD BOYS rating