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The Second invasion of West Coast breweries is well underway!
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n the early 1990s, breweries such as Sierra Nevada, Anderson Valley, Widmer, Pyramid and Rogue made their presence felt on the East Coast. Some stayed and remain popular while others retreated. Now a new Tsunami from the West Coast has hit the Northeast.
The innovative brewers at Stone, Bear Republic, and most recently Lagunitas as well as Colorado’s Avery Brewing Co. have responded to beer geek demand on the opposite coast. These West Coast giants are known for taking traditional beer styles to the extreme and for brewing some of the most full-bodied, hi-octane beers in the country.
There is nothing subtle about San Marcos, CA’s Stone Brewing Co. or the beers that they market. Once a rare, cult beer Arrogant Bastard Ale can now be purchased at many local supermarkets. Arrogant Bastard is a strong ale that is malty, chewy and slightly winy with hops in the background.
Stone’s silk screen etched bottle boldly challenges the consumer by stating "that he is not worthy of this beer." Stone’s Ruination IPA is an Imperial IPA with over 100 IBUs. It has a full-bodied powerful hop taste with orange, grapefruit and a hint of malt. The hops in this beer linger on your tongue long after your last sip.
One Stone experimental beer has caused quite a stir in beer geekdom. Vertical Epic Ale was first brewed in 2002 and has subsequently been brewed once a year in limited quantities. Stone will brew a different style of this beer until the year 2012 where upon a vertical tasting can be achieved with all of the unique Epic ales side by side (or on top of each other?).
The 2003 version of Epic weighs in at 8.5% and is like a Belgian dubbel on steroids. This version is malty and highly carbonated with a hoppy spicy bite due in part to the use of alligator pepper as an ingredient. The bite reminds me of the Mustard beers that are brewed in Belgium. The 2004 version of Epic is a biere de garde made with kaffir lime leaf. Only time will tell how well these complex ales will age.
Another West Coast favorite that is Bear Republic Brewing Co. out of Healdsburg, CA. Their IPA is called Racer 5. It is beautifully balanced with a malt backbone and crisp floral hops. Hop Rod Rye is both an Imperial IPA, (it has 100 IBU’s), and an outrageously hoppy Roggen "Rye" beer; there is 18% rye malt added. Look for flavors such as strawberry jam and lemon rind as well. Bear Republic’s Big Bear Stout is an Imperial Stout which is medium bodied and has tastes of chocolate syrup, caramel and cocoa with an aftertaste of coffee and subtle hops.
Lagunitas Brewing Co., from Petaluma, CA makes a number of specialty beers. Censored Ale a.k.a. "The Kronic" is a strong ale with a dry malty middle and a long steely yeasty finish. Laguntas IPA tastes extremely hoppy although there are less than 50 IBUs. Unlike most breweries Lagunitas brews more than one barley wine. Brown Shugga’ at 9.9% and Old Gnarley at 9.9% are two of their American style barley wines. These barley wines are sweet, bready and hoppy. Lagunitas also brews an English style barley wine called Hairy Eyeball ale and a Weizenbock called Eye of the Hairball ale.
Avery Brewing Co. is known for their "huge" well-balanced beers and their innovative brewing styles. The Reverend is Avery’s fruity yeasty Quadruple weighing in at 10%. Hog Heaven is a malty and hoppy barley wine which weighs in at 9.2% and has 100 IBU’s. Salvation is a Belgium style golden ale which weighs in at 9%. Believe it or not, these are their standard beers that they brew year round!
Avery’s seasonals include the Czar a huge Imperial stout that weighs in at over 12% and the Mammoth Belgian Grand Crew, the Beast at 15.7%. Avery’s newest creation is an Imperial Oktoberfest called the Kaiser at 9.3%. It is no wonder that Avery has as their motto: "Small brewery, big beers."
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