Brewery Rex 'Cosmic Latte' Golden Stout. 7.8% abv. Yellow-gold color. Slightly hazy. Thin white head, small-bead carb. Good retention, excellent lacing. Nose of stone fruit, white coffee, pale malt, bright cocoa notes. Coffee aroma steps forward as the temp rises.

Front taste is light berry, brewed coffee, bittersweet chocolate, sweet cream, vanilla, with a sweet finish. Roasted malt emerges in time. Aftertaste is milk chocolate, floral hops, ground coffee. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, creamy, silky, sticky, foamy.

This is a lovely, unique beer, one that challenged me to pinpoint with its myriad of flavors. The predominate taste was milk chocolate throughout, with light coffee notes underneath all across. The lead flavors, coupled with the creamy texture and lactose expression, bring to mind a gourmet milkshake made with chocolate, ground coffee, and a few red berries added to the blender. Calling it a stout feel like a reach, but it's definitely an experimental beer, one that scores points with me. A wonderful taste that was a pleasure to enjoy. Well recommended.

From the brewery:

"Our 7.8% Golden Stout is brewed with 20% lactose and three different types of flaked grain to create a silky smooth, full-mouth feel. After fermentation, we added TCHO Ecuador cocoa nibs, vanilla bean and Kenya Nyeri coffee beans from our friends at Bangarang Coffee Roasters."
[source: breweryrex.com]

Tap 79 Brewing Co. Double IPA. 8% abv. 80 IBU. Hazy straw color. Finger of white foamy head. Excellent retention and lacing. Nose of citrus, tropical fruit, juicy, floral. 

Front taste of grapefruit rind, sweet light fruit, bitter floral hops, bitter botanical end note. Flavors of pine emerge as the temp rises. Aftertaste is grapefruit, candy sugar, bitter fruity hop bouquet. Light-medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, carby, dry, sticky, resiny.

This is one of those contract house beers made for and sold by good ol' Trader Joe's, this one brewed by Golden Road out of Los Angeles, CA. TJ's house beers run the gamut from swill to gold, and this DIPA is somewhere in the middle, leaning toward gold. It's clearly modeled after the famous Pliny The Elder, with its bundle of floral hops and plenty of juicy tropics, coming across as a moderately successful clone.

At it's very friendly price point, its definitely worth your time, particularly if you enjoy citrus taste in your IPA. It may become on of your go-to low-price beers, or you may never have it again. Either way, you may be pleasantly surprised. Recommended.

Duvel 'Tripel Hop' Special Edition Belgian Golden Ale 2014. 9.5% abv. Pale lemon color. Hazy. Two fingers of bubbly head. Good retention, fair lace. Nose of bright tropical, pineapple, grapefruit, floral spice notes. Front taste of pine, abundant floral hops, bitter citrus rind. Aftertaste is tall bitter floral hops, grapefruit, white bread, white wine, dry finish. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm-hot, juicy, resiny, tangy, hop sting on the back of the tongue.

This is a wonderful little big beer, a golden ale with a bushel of floral citrus hops in every sip. The aroma is an overflowing garden of flowers, tropical fruits, and fresh hops. The taste is juicy and bittersweet throughout, with the hop bill leading you every moment.

I had the 2014 special edition, a full two years from its bottling. Hoppy brews are normally not meant to be aged, and so I'm curious how this would taste closer to birth. Nevertheless, it was an excellent beer all around, one that makes me want to try the younger years. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"For this 2014 edition, our brewers have selected Mosaic. This new U.S. hop variety enhances the beer with a tangerine sweetness, hints of tropical fruit, and an interesting blueberry flavor."

[source: bottle]

"Duvel is traditionally brewed with two hop varieties. Duvel Tripel Hop is brewed with three hop varieties and each year the third hop is changed to provide its own unique taste and aroma. This keeps the final flavor profile surprisingly exciting for any true beer lover. For 2016 our brewers selected HBC 291 from the Yakima Valley in the USA. By using three instead of two hop varieties to brew, we obtain additional hop aromas and an increased bitterness. The typical Duvel palate is enriched with HBC 291 hops providing fresh notes of citrus, black pepper, lavender and roses. HBC 291 hops are added again during ‘dry-hopping’, extracting additional hop aromas into the beer. The higher aromatic intensity rounds out the beer, backing the final alcohol content of 9.5%."

[source: duvel.com]

Golden Road Brewing 'Point The Way' IPA. 5.9% abv. 60 IBU. Golden honey color. Nearly two inches of white bubbly head. Good retention, nice lacing. Nose of fruity hops, pineapple, bread. Notes of banana and faint corn emerge as the temp drops. Front taste of pine, grapefruit juice, biscuit, bitter floral hops. Aftertaste of light fruit, sweet light malt, citrus peel on the sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, tangy, somewhat thick, dry on the back.

This is a nice IPA, definitely of the WestCoast style, with bursts of fruity and floral hops, a light malt profile, and sweet citrus flavors throughout. Hop bitter is balanced well, as is the body, making a highly drinkable, almost sessionable brew. Slightly better than average for its category, if only because it's not a typical runaway hop train. I quite enjoyed this brew. Well recommended.

From the brewery:

"Point the Way IPA is our ode to the hop-crazed patrons of Los Angeles.  Its light malt body elevates the citrus zest, tropical and pine notes contributed by a generous hop dosing.  At 5.9%, this sessionable West-Coast IPA finishes dry for optimal repeatability."

[source: goldenroad.la]

Golden Road Brewing 'Wolf Among Weeds' Double IPA. 8.1% abv. 80 IBU. Golden-amber color. Thin white head off the tap. Moderate retention, nice lacing. Nose of sweet light malt, floral hop bouquet, mild citrus. Front taste of bright hops, flowers, sweet bread. Aftertaste of bitter hops, grapefruit rind, candy sugar notes. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, bubbly small carb, alcoholic on the back end.

This is an excellent double IPA, with a nice bittersweet balance a fresh hop bite. This brewery is impressing me with each offering. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"This beer is a balanced showcase of the majestic hop specie, in Latin, Humulus Lupulus, which translates 'Wolf Among Weeds.'  It’s our celebration of California’s enthusiasm for hop-forward IPAs.  At 8%, Wolf will sneak up on you from behind the robust citrus and dank earthy hop notes mirrored in its aroma and flavor profile."
[source: goldenroad.la]

Golden Road Brewing 'Get Up Offa That Brown.' 5.5% abv. 20 IBU. Dark brown color, thin cream head. Good retention and lace. Faint nose of caramel, roasted malt. Front taste is roasty, malty, nutty. Aftertaste is sweet, lingering malt, faint earthy hops. Medium body. Mouthfeel is rich, thick, sticky.

This is a solid beer, an excellent example of an American brown ale. Rich and nutty yet highly drinkable. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"For our brown ale we’ve added trace amounts of smoked malt to build a toasty complexity, balanced by rich notes of caramel and chocolate.  Ask your bartender to 'Get Up Offa That Brown!' "

Mammoth Brewing 'Golden Trout' Pilsner. 5.5% abv. 30 IBU. Pale golden color. Thin white bubbly head. Low retention. Almost no lace. Earthy aromas of grain and floral hops. Veggie-grassy tastes of cooked corn and peas with some floral hops in back. Thin-medium body. Mouthfeel is thin with warm bubbly carb. Aftertaste includes butter, grass, faint citrus.

This brew is a poor example of a pilsner.  I've had good beers from Mammoth before, so I'm willing to consider that this is a fluke, that something went slightly south during bottling. Still, I won't be trying this again anytime soon.

Note: This beer is not to be confused with 'Golden Trout' Ale from Sequoia Brewing.

From the brewery:

"Crisp and refreshing as a high Sierra stream, Golden Trout Pilsner combines a light malty body with a floral hop finish. Pilsner malt, Vienna malt, and Sterling hops make this a beer of exceptional flavor. Named after the state fish of California Golden Trout Pilsner is a regular companion to many a fishing tale."