Beers In BC And So Cal

[Trent]

Some more pics from Stone

Pics 1 and 2 - The much lauded (on their website) Stone Gardens

Pic 3 - Some kinda water feature thingy they have in the beer garden

Pic 4 - Tom reckons this is where the staff chill on their breaks

Pic 5 - Solid granite table. The have about a dozen of these things around the place. Wouldnt like to have carried it in!

T.
PS Off to bed now, will put up some pics of the fermenters etc... tomorrow.

 

[Doc]

BREAKFAST BURRITO
Every morning we would walk down to the mexican takeaway next to the beach, and get our favourite breaky - a breakfast burrito.

When I first heard of the breakfast burrito I was disgusted. Got talked into it by a mate, and loved it.
Great for an average head after living it up at Russian River the night before too

Doc


edit: and double oaked aged arrogant imperial stoned ******* for being at Stone. I get their monthly newsletter and wish I was closer. Did you try some of Mikes Beer Cheese ?

 

[Trent]

Doc
That was classic! I have never been called so many names in the once sentence before :lol: Sadly, though, I didnt try any of Mike's beer cheese, didnt even think of it Next time, I will try some. I tell ya what, though, being closer to Stone would not be a bad thing ('cept for the fact you would never wanna go to work!)

Here are a few pics of their fermenters, mash tuns, etc....

The first pic is th eoverview of the fermenting room. We were there fairly late in the arvo, and no-one would take us for a brewery tour, so this is the view from the offices above (the perks of being there with a Stone consultant). Note the 1200L fermenters in the bottom left hand corner :blink: In the middle, are their "triple batch" fermenters, at a whopping 360 barrel (approx 50,000L) and on the right hand side are their single batch fermenters, 120 barrel (approx 16,500L) They will do about 70,000 barrels this year and I think there is somewhere around 130L in a barrel, so you do the maths. The CEO was telling me that if they ran at full capacity, they could be around 250,000 barrels in a year Thats alot of brewski's. If they ever get that big, I sure hope their quality doesnt slide, though you'd assume it would have to.

Pic 2, is of their HLT and mash tuns. I think that there are 2 mash tuns so they can be doing 2 brews at once, but I didnt confirm this. The little door on top of the closest one (and maybe all three) is glass/perspex and has the stone emblem etched in there.
T.

 

[Trent]

After wandering around, I decided to try the Old Guardian Barleywine for old times sake. It weighs in at 11.26%, so is a very big beer, but to be quite honest, I found it to be pretty well balanced. All the hops, malt, bitterness, everything seemed well balanced, almost to the point of making this an easy drinking beer. Wish I had a few more bottles to bring home, and replace the ones that WERE in my cellar. For what it is worth, I found the draft version to be much smoother than the bottles version, though it could have something to do with the fact I had been drinking sour beers beforehand.

Pic 2 - Before I left, I tried a sampler of the oaked arrogant ******* that they now carry as a permanent fixtue in 6 packs. HAve to say that it tasted way to "green woody" for mine, and I didnt really like it. Basically an AB with some woodchips thrown into it I reckon. Still, if yer into woody beers, this would be a good one (though as with the Japanese IPA, the first few sips were terrible, until my palate got used to it, so it could be a very nice beer)

 

[Trent]

Just as a quick one, here are both sides of the beer menu for the day at Stone. You can see on the draft menu, that they have the date printed on there, so I can only assume that they print them up every day, due to rotating different beers, etc...

 

[bconnery]

To repay the blokes genourosity in sharing their 10 commandments with us, Tom ordered something special to share with them, and at $22 a bottle, I wasnt sure what to expect, as it is a blended lambic with fruit. I have always heard that lambics are a very sour beer, but all the lambics I have ever tried taste like super sweet fruit drinks! I was not holding my breath, but what I got was probably my "beer of the trip", and it wasnt even american. Kinda like a beer epiphany for me really, and I will forever hunt out the best that this style has to offer. Enter......
CANTILLON'S ROSE DE GAMBRINUS
This is a raspberry brewed blended lambic. It poured a really vibrant pink colour, and there was a fair amount of acidity and raspberry on the nose, but when I took that first sip - wow. Every sucked on one of those lollies "sour warheads"? Well, it was like that, it turned my saliva really thin, and I pulled a sour face. It was so sour it was ridiculous, but strangely, in a very balanced way. It wasnt something that was disgusting, it just added something to the incredible complexity of the beer, the raspberries didnt add any sweetness, only flavour, and the finish (IIRC) was quite dry, and almost palate cleansing. This was a beer that deserves to be known as "world class", and unless I am mistaken, Cantillon is considered one of the permier lambic makers in the world, and I can see why. I dont recall any real bitterness, the sourness did the bittering, it is really hard to describe, but something you have to try for yourself one day. If Tom hadn't been driving, I would have requested a bottle of Cantillon Gueze, just to see what a good one tastes like. I am taking a bottle of this home for my cellar, it is like the champagne of the beer world. I dont swear on this forum, usually, but this beer was ******* amazing. Couldnt recommend it highly enough.
T.

Mate that is pretty much the reaction I had on drinking this beer. I tasted it alongside many of their other offerings at the actual brewery and this one still stood out. There is just so much to this beer it is unbelievable. I still consider this to be one of the two best beers I have ever had, and for many years I considered it the best.

Sickly sweet fruit lambics, made with extract or syrup, are blinding people to the way that these beers should be made and Cantillon knows just how that is.

Their gueze and lambics are sensational too but there is something about the addition of the fruit, apparently it is rasberry and a little cherry I believe, that sends this beer into another world.

 

[T.D.]

Last pic is of some of the urban sprawl that is LA. It doesnt really show too much of it, but when you fly in, this is the kind of thing that stretches as far as the eye can see. Hardly anything above 3 stories, and just sprawling, monotone and dreary looking. LA isnt that bad when ya know where to go, but jeez it can look awful from the air.
T.

Every time I have ever gone to LA I have been absolutely gob-smacked by the scale of the place. Its usually on the way to Canada so I rarely see much more of it than the airport (which is probably not the best that LA has to offer).

 

[Trent]

BConnery
Glad to hear that you also enjoyed this beer, especially when it was at the actual brewery. I would have to rate it as one of the best beers I have ever had also.

TD
Just keep on avoiding LA, it isnt my fave place in the world. If you ever have to stop there, head straight to San Diego, much nicer IMHO, but Santa Monica is pretty nice from a tourists perspective. Hardly had to set foot out of there this trip, and I quite enjoyed it.

Back to the beers...
On the way back from Stone we stopped at another bar (called Churchills, I think), and had a pint each of
GREEN FLASH'S WEST COAST IPA - 6.7%, served on a beer engine
Cant find my notes on this beer either (lost me wallet somewhere it seems), but it poured a deep amber colour, settling like a guiness does, it looked pretty wierd to see! Anyway, it has a really strong aroma of citrus and piney hops, and some malt. The flavour was great, it was malty, bitter and really really hoppy. The hops were citrusy, and also fairly piney, but it was a really nice blend. The malt stood up to the bitterness very well, and complimented the hops. Very high bitterness, but everything else was right there in your face too. Very well balanced IPA, probably one of the best I have had over here, and nice and creamy on handpump. As I said a few posts back, Green Flash is a brewery I havent heard of before, but I will be looking for their products every time I am back over here - they seem to make excellent, well balanced ales.
The bottle selection at this pub was also really good. Pics 1 and 2 are of the IPA settling and being drunk. Pic 3 is of the bottle selection there. How I want a pub like this near my house.
T.

 

[Trent]

Ended up not being able to drink any more after that IPA, cause I think the 3-4 hours in the sun in the morning, followed by plenty of beer tasting, combined to give me sun stroke (curse the wimpy aussie winter sun!) SO, I had to bypass a glass of Alagash Curieux with Blake, which is a bourbon barrel aged beer (belgian style I think).
Lucky enough for me, though, that Tom gave me a bottle of Stone's 7th Anniversary Ale, a bigger version of the Pale Ale, from memory. I wasnt sure how it would last, and seeings as Hoover held onto the 9th anniversary ale for me for 2 years, I saw it as only fitting to open it with him, so if it were any good, he could enjoy it too.

STONE'S 7TH ANNIVERSARY ALE - 7.7%
Poured a deep red/amber colour, with some low oxidation notes on the nose, no real hop aroma (as ya would expect after 4 years). In the mouth, there is sweet oxidised malt, that is checked by a firm bitterness. There is not much hop flavour, as expected, again, its 4 years old. The beer is actually very much like a well aged strong ale, almost barleywine-esque. I wasnt really expecting much from it, especially after the oxidised aroma, but this beer is exceptionally good. I just wish some of my beers would stand up this well after ever 1 year! If you have a bottle stashed away in your cellar, you are very lucky, and it is drinking very well, so get into it!
T.

 

[Trent]

Next cab off the rank was OMMEGANG'S ABBEY DUBBEL - 8% IIRC, and $7 for a 750mL bottle
Poured a deep brown, almost black, with dark ruby highlights. I couldnt really get too much out of the aroma. It tasted like a young dubbel, slightly metallic, with dark fruits, but also kinda green. There is a slight acidity that I assume will mellow with time. Moderate bitterness, with a malty finish. This beer is something I have actually heard some very good reports about, but I think it needs to age some more. Probably something to buy a case of every 6 months and stick it in the cellar for a few years.
T.

 

[Trent]

Final beer I had in the US was FULL SAIL'S IPA. It says it is brewed by their small staff of 47, and on the lid it says "brewed to stoke stoked to brew". Probably not the best IPA I have ever had, but there is a fair bitterness there, a bit of malt, could do with some more, and a decent amount of hop flavour. Pours an amber colour, and is nice and clear. It is fairly well balanced, and very drinkable, something you could have a session on. Didnt take any notes, but I did enjoy this beer.
T.

 

[Trent]

Well, back in Australia, and I didnt even have a single drink on the flight home! Havent counted up the beers I tried, but I would assume it is somewhere in the vicinty of 60 or 70 different ones, including the ones I just drank and didnt review (or maybe even mention) on this thread. I can only conclude that some of the best beers on the planet are either made, or available, in either Canada or the US, and the next time you hear someone say the yanks cant make good beer, please tell them "Trent said....."
After much weight, and hoping they would make it back safe and sound, my beer cellar is going to be looking alot healthier. I may sporadically put up a review of some of these beers on this thread, as alot of thos eI bought back I have never even tried. I wont tell you where my cellar is located, incase someone goes and raids it :lol: I have to keep it several hours drive from me, so I cannot raid it myself! Anyway, here are all the beers I bought back with me.
Thanks for reading, and I hope ya's have a better idea of what beers to try if ya ever get the chance to head over that way.
All the best
Trent

 

[sam]

Quite the trip Trent. I'm looking forward to getting into the states some more.

A quick question, how much beer can you bring back from Canada to Australia per person?

And living in Vancouver, 3 blocks from Brewery Creek, I can confirm, this is the best bottlo in BC fer sure. They just got in some of the Flying Dog stuff and Rogue, including the imperial 2007 stout and imp. IPA in the ceramic bottles. Trying the IPA tonight. Yeah.

 

[Trent]

Sam - / rant on
Considering australia is supposed to be a nation of beer drinkers, we have some strange rules regarding how much beer you can bring in. Years back, before Lil' Johnny and Uncle Pete "reformed" our taxes and stuff, you were allowed to bring in the equivelant of one carton of beer, or 2 bottles (1.5L) of spirits. NOW, since their "reforms", you are allowed to bring in 3 bottles of spirits, or 3 bottles of beer. Tell me THATS not encouraging binge drinking. Sadly, you will have to declare all the alcohol you have in your posession, and dont try and get away with it, cause everything gets x-rayed coming back into the country now. They have some crazy system on how much it will cost, basedc on the amount of alcohol in each beer x the volume x the amount of bottles x their alcohol excise (very expensive IMO). Then they add onto that what they think all these beers cost you, then take 10% of that total, and add that "fake GST" to your excise total, and hey presto - you may have to mortgage the house.
Still, better to have to pay the excise and have a great cellar, than be stuck drinking VB. Its the same alcohol tax system that see's micro brew here prohibitively expensive, and needs to be upgraded badly. Anyone know wher ethat petition is on this site? / rant off
All the best
Trent

 

[goatherder]

Great thread Trent, I've enjoyed every post. You're living my dream...

 

[Trent]

Gday lads
I am just trying one of the beers I bought back, and as promised, I will update some of them for you (dont hate me!). I have cracked one that my mate Blake sent me home with as a gift - a $US15 bottle of Allagash Curieux "ale aged in oak bourbon barrels". At 11% I was expecting a big beer, and what I got didnt disappoint, though it has kinda amazed me a little. I can see why my mate spends 15 a bottle, in the land of $3-5 imperial beers (650mL bottle) This beer is a 750mL monster, pours a light amber, slightly hazy, with a dense, long lastiung white head. First thing you smell is the oak, it has an almost indescribable spiciness, that is prominent and subtle at the same time. I have had other oaked beers that smelt (and tasted) like liquid wood, but this is different. You get the woody spiciness, then some sweet malt, and another aroma that is very hard to put your finger on. After my first sip, I can tell you that aroma is bourbon! It doesnt really smell very strongly of bourbon, but jeez, can you taste it :beerbang: It isnt even on the front of your palate, but after you have swallowed, about 3 seconds after, you get the taste in your mouth like you have been drinking straight Jack Daniels (only way to drink it in my opinion), and it is incredibly smooth. Starts out sweet, then you get that woody spiciness, medium-moderate bitterness and then you can taste the oak. A few seconds later, it is the bourbon, and some fairly strong (yet not really hot) alcohol prescense that warms the throat as it slides down. There is alot going on in this beer, and it is fairly hard to describe properly. Despite the moderate bitterness, the sweetness isnt cloying, cause it is "bittered" with the oak, and the alcohol presence seems to dry it out a touch. It is extremely complex,and I wish that I had've bought a dozen for the cellar! At about $AUS20 a bottle, it is much better value than most wines, and WAY more complex. Almost feels like a waste to drink it like I am, but I will enjoy it none the less.
I am kinda glad I didnt have this beer over there, as I woulda had to bring at least 6 home, on top of the 19 beers I already did, and the Rose de ganmbrinus woulda had a contender for "beer of the trip" title. I would have to say this is the bext beer I have had on Aussie soil. Anyone going through the states, FIND THIS BEER!!!!
I think I may have said it before in this thread (and to anyone who would listen to me in the states), but OH! the cellar I would have if I lived over there. Imagine if all the $5 bottles of shiraz out here were the quality of grange hermitage - THATS the kind of cellar I would have....
All the best, and sorry if i am starting to drivel, it IS 11% you know!
Trent