Tag Archives: Imperial Stout

Beer Reviews

Intergalactic Brewing Double Hopped Andromeda IPA and Rebel Alliance Imperial Stout

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Yesterday I stopped by Intergalactic Brewing because I had to try their latest collaboration brew with 2Kids Brewing, an Imperial Stout brewed with cacao nibs, coconut, and vanilla beans. Little did I know that this stout was 10% and absolutely delicious. I did have high expectations because both breweries have made some delicious stouts in the past. 2Kids makes one of the best chocolate stouts in San Diego. I decided to get this particular beer from Intergalactic because I already have a growler there and they tend to have IPAs in the style I crave.

I ordered a taster of the Rebel Alliance Imperial Stout along with a pint of a specialty Double Hopped Andromeda IPA. When I tried the Rebel Alliance first I was blown away. This is one of the most delicious Imperial Stouts I have ever had. It is much sweeter than the delicious Sea Monster stout and doesn’t have the coffee flavors of Speedway Stout from Alesmith or Zumbar from New English. The flavors blend together nicely and give it a delicious sweet flavor that goes down smooth. Though I only had a taster at the brewery, I left with a 32oz growler, despite the $18 price tag, so that my husband can have some tomorrow at home (where there is air conditioning, unlike the brewery).

Rebel Alliance Imperial Stout.
Rebel Alliance Imperial Stout.

The Double Hopped Andromeda was also quite delicious. I have been quite happy with the direction the Andromeda has gone since it started. Originally it was a bit too malty for my tastes but this last batch really stepped up the hops. If you had any of the Andromeda from the last batch, this one is even better. The mosaic hops really help it knock you out with the fresh citrus flavor that I love so much. If I didn’t already have too many growlers at home and plenty of beers that need to be enjoyed fresh I would have left with a 32oz growler of this one as well.

Double Hopped Andromeda IPA.
Double Hopped Andromeda IPA.

Intergalactic is turning out to be one of my favorite small breweries in San Diego. 2Kids still has one of the best stouts in the middle of the alcohol range but just doesn’t have the hoppy beers I crave. I hope this collaboration will help get 2Kids some extra exposure because they have some interesting ideas to share.

Update: After tweeting to Intergalactic how much I love this double hopped IPA, they responded to let me know that it will be replacing the regular recipe for the next batch.

Paul McGuire

Paul McGuire is a craft beer enthusiast. He likes to travel with his husband and enjoy the great outdoors. In his day job, Paul is a divorce attorney serving clients in San Diego California.

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Beer Reviews

Craft Beer in Japan, My Adventures and Failures

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My exploration of Japanese craft beer was mostly a failure. In total I tried three Japanese IPAs and beers from a total of four different Japanese breweries. I visited only one brewery. I didn’t have the patience to search for the craft beer bars even though I knew exactly where they are. This is because getting around Tokyo can be a huge pain. In the end I drank more sake than beer in Japan and I would suggest you do the same.

I’m not sure the exact age of craft beer in Japan but it is clear that it is still very young or at least hasn’t gotten to be very popular. Most bars still heavily feature the big beer brands that you have probably seen in the United States (Asahi and Kirin). Like big beer brands around the world they are in the pilsner style. Though they aren’t bad, they are a bit boring for the IPA fan (me) or the stout and porter fan (my husband). Every restaurant that serves alcohol has plenty of Asahi, Kirin, and Sake.

The first full day in Japan I got to visit a small brewery on Tokyo Bay called T.Y. Harbor Brewery. This brewery is on a small island on Tokyo Bay that you have to take a few train lines to get to from either side. It is located at 〒140-0002 Tokyo, Shinagawa, Higashishinagawa, 2−1−3. They are open for lunch and dinner and if you arrive in between meals they will only serve you beer (perfectly fine for us). They are small enough that I got to speak with one of the owners there a little bit.

T.Y. Harbor Brewery Taps.
T.Y. Harbor Brewery Taps.

4oz tasters are not available like you might find in the USA so I only got to try the IPA and a small taste of a beer made with cherry blossoms. My husband got to try an Imperial Stout. The IPA was a different flavor than I typically expect in San Diego. It tends towards the tropical fruit and caramel malts, giving it a light sweetness. It was probably the best IPA I tried in Japan. Hy husband described the stout as having lots of coffee and roasted malts flavors.

T.Y. Harbor IPA.
T.Y. Harbor IPA.

The beers here cost about 800 yen (around $8) for 420ml. 500ml would be a pint but they compensate for the fact that the head of the beer typically means you don’t get a full pint of beer. From what I read online this is similar to the price at other major craft beer bars in Japan. Before I left I got to try a seasonal beer brewed with cherry blossoms. It was light on alcohol and color with a nice cherry flavor and some flavors similar to drinking tea.

I also got to buy an IPA from a convenience store somewhere. It was an IPA from Aooni brewing in Japan. It tasted like it was on the lighter end and seemed to have the same tropical fruit hops as the one from T.Y. Harbor Brewery above.

Aooni IPA can.
Aooni IPA can.

I then had another Japanese IPA I bought when I was in Manila, Philippines. It was an Imperial IPA from Baird Beer called Surugu Bay. It had a flavor heavy towards the malts and possibly rye with some seriously strong grapefruit flavor. It seemed different from the Nelson hops you typically taste and more like eating actual grapefruit (including the part of the flavor I could never enjoy).

Surugu Bay Imperial IPA.
Baird Beer Surugu Bay Imperial IPA.

Also at one point in The Philippines I found beer from Kiuchi brewing. I tried an interesting 7% beer made from Red Rice that had a nice fruity flavor without a strong alcohol taste. As far as I could tell the brewery didn’t make any IPA that I found.

If you do decide to visit Japan to try local craft breweries, I would suggest venturing outside of Tokyo. Hopefully Tokyo’s confusing street configuration doesn’t exist as much once you leave Tokyo. I didn’t ever get outside of Tokyo except when I was at Narita airport. Otherwise, I would try taking a taxi to one of the bars if you get confused. I don’t know how well the drivers know their way around but it isn’t too expensive for short trips that it might be worth it.

For most casual craft beer fans who can appreciate good sake, I would suggest you instead enjoy Japan’s rich selections of sake and possibly some single malt whiskey (though they are very expensive).

Paul McGuire

Paul McGuire is a craft beer enthusiast. He likes to travel with his husband and enjoy the great outdoors. In his day job, Paul is a divorce attorney serving clients in San Diego California.

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Tasting Room

Alesmith Jamaican Blue Mountain Speedway Stout

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Alesmith’s Speedway Stout has been one of the premier Imperial Stouts in San Diego for some time. The coffee-forward versions have been previously mostly relegated to special tasting flights and special releases (like the Vietnamese Coffee Speedway that shows up here and there on tap). This Jamaican Coffee version of the Speedway Stout is a special release that will have limited availability in bottles and otherwise be available only at the tasting room on tap.

Alesmith is releasing bottles of the Jamaican Speedway on March 3rd and then having a release party on March 8th. When I stopped by today they had a small amount available only on tasters. I was quite impressed by this new beer. The coffee was very strong on the nose, making me want a cuppa. It had a rich coffee flavor that I really enjoyed. At the same time on tap Alesmith had a special cask version of their Robust Porter with cacao nibs. I got a taster of this and really liked how it was smoothed out by the cask and the chocolate flavors came through nicely. They also still have the bourbon barrel aged wee heavy available, which is worth trying if you haven’t.

I will have to miss the bottle release and release party for the Jamaican Speedway but I hope you get to taste this delicious beer before it is gone. I expect it will be a hit and will show up again later but it is always more fun to try it when it is first available.

Paul McGuire

Paul McGuire is a craft beer enthusiast. He likes to travel with his husband and enjoy the great outdoors. In his day job, Paul is a divorce attorney serving clients in San Diego California.

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restaurant

Sublime Tavern in Del Mar, Great Food and Exhaustive Beer Selection

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As a sign that I have become too hooked on craft beer, or maybe just lazy when it comes to visiting breweries lately, I tend to go straight to The Westcoaster (San Diego’s Craft Beer Magazine) whenever I am looking for some place to eat. Wanting to find a place in Del Mar to meet a friend? Check The Westcoaster and find an interesting place like Sublime Tavern.

A little off the beaten path and further inland than you might expect to go in Del Mar lies Sublime Tavern. It isn’t where all the other Del Mar restaurants are, but instead is a few miles inland from the 5 freeway in what looks like an office building. Thankfully, once you make your way inside you easily forget its outer appearance and find yourself drawn in by the beer selection and food options.

The server seemed to have a decent knowledge of his beers. I was more interested that the bartender came out to deliver things himself. His enthusiasm and knowledge of his beer styles was quite impressive. My husband was trying to decide on a stout to order and he was quickly informed that the Old Rasputin on the menu was on nitro (a huge plus for an imperial stout) and that the Yeti (Great Divide’s Imperial Stout) was aged in oak barrels. This was not your typical presentation of beers by any means. He ended up with the Old Rasputin and quite enjoyed it.

I was also quite impressed that they served most of the stronger beers in 11oz pours, in contrast to most newer beer bars that serve pints of everything including Alesmith’s 12% Speedway Stout. IPA wise there were a number of available offerings, though I started with a Belgian Session IPA from Belching Beaver called Ivan The Terrible. I finished off with an Ommegang beer called Chocolate Indulgence, a delicious dark Belgian style beer with just a hint of chocolate to the taste.

Other memorable beers on tap included a special Mayan recipe beer from Dogfish Head that was an interesting twist on the traditional Saison thanks to the introduction of cacao nibs that I tried a small taste of. There was also an Oak Aged version of Stone’s Double Bastard that I didn’t get to taste. Like any other restaurant with a large tap list, the beers will likely rotate fairly regularly but if they continue to keep this variety I will likely be back. Price wise, the beers ranged from $6 to a little over $8 for some of the specialty brews. The prices were largely in line with what I would expect at similar restaurants.

On the food end, my husband ordered a pizza called Sublime Pizza that tasted very similar to the Mac N’ Cheese I was sad to have not ordered that evening. Since I had been overdosing on carbs earlier in the day I went for a single sausage from a sausage platter that normally came with two with a side of garlic roasted kale ordered separately. The sausage was delicious and came with some tasty grilled peppers. The kale was a good sized serving with nice big chunks of roasted garlic here and there. Both were just what I was looking for.

Considering the lack of breweries in the area and beer pubs in general, Sublime Tavern was a welcome find. You can’t go wrong with their beer selection or food if you are looking for craft beer in Del Mar.

Paul McGuire

Paul McGuire is a craft beer enthusiast. He likes to travel with his husband and enjoy the great outdoors. In his day job, Paul is a divorce attorney serving clients in San Diego California.

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Tasting Room

Helms Brewing Company

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To start off I want to mention that I did get my flight for no charge thanks to the generosity of the server. This is not going to impact my views as you will see here. Helms is an interesting brewery that most people probably haven’t been to before. Despite having an idea before where it was I was a bit surprised when I actually arrived at the brewery. A number of breweries I have been to were a bit out of the way but this one is pretty obscure and might confuse a few people the first time you go. Thankfully, the beers are so good that you won’t mind a little side trip to get there.

Helms from the Outside.
Helms from the Outside.

There were more beers on tap than I got to review here but I had already stopped by another brewery before and didn’t have the stomach or the interest to try everything. I include a picture of the rest of the offerings in case you like different styles.

DSC_1666

Captain’s Pale ale  

I was quite impressed by this one. It is a bit stronger than I might have liked for a pale ale (it isn’t a session like I have been searching for.) Still, it has some nice citrus flavors and has a nice balance despite the malts that are there like we typically see in an American Pale Ale. The tropical fruit flavors come forward nicely.

Wicked as Sin Rye IPA
This IPA hit the spot quite nicely. It has some amazing hop flavors with the Citra and mosaic hops. The rye balances it out nicely. This might be a new favorite of mine. I left the brewery with a 22oz bottle to enjoy later. The rye makes it taste somewhat similar to the blazing world from modern times and gives it a nice contrast to the hops. This is one of those IPAs that might interest your friends who hate IPAs, or in my case my husband. Though he typically hates all IPAs, he said this one was “not bad.”

DSC_1668
Left to right, Imperial Stout, Imperial Porter, RIPA, IPA, Pale Ale,

Hop the RIPA
Though typically RIPA might stand for rye, this one stands for red. It has an interesting flavor but weighs heavy towards the malts. The flavors are based on an Irish red style, though for me it was a little too malty. The flavor is a bit on the syrupy side and sadly the hops don’t come through as much as I would like.
Beerucchino Imperial Coffee Porter
True to its name, this is a beer for coffee lovers. It has a nice smooth coffee flavor at the forefront with a light chocolate flavor on the back end. I wasn’t able to taste the pepper and almond wood that it says are in here but they might account for some of the mellow flavors it has. This beer really goes down easy despite its ABV of 7.2%
Chocolate night Imperial Stout
Hard to say what I don’t like here. The chocolate isn’t very prominent and the vanilla seems a little sour. Perhaps the malts were what got to me but I didn’t find that it had the flavors I like out of an imperial stout. Though my husband was quick to devour this one and thought it was nice because it wasn’t too bitter, I didn’t find the flavors hit the right spots.
Overall, I was quite impressed by the lineup and look forward to seeing some of these beers in a six-pack sometime in the future, especially the Pale Ale, Rye IPA, and Beerucchino. The Wicked As Sin has the types of hops I have come to love lately and would be worth picking up if you see it in stores near you.

Paul McGuire

Paul McGuire is a craft beer enthusiast. He likes to travel with his husband and enjoy the great outdoors. In his day job, Paul is a divorce attorney serving clients in San Diego California.

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