Sequoia Brewing Co. Fresno, CA

It's been a while... But alas, it is time to get back to writing a little about beer. While I have consumed many good brews over the last few months, I really have not been doing so with the intent of writing anything of interest about them. I have literally just been drinking them for pure enjoyment... a noble reason if I may say so. I could easily write about many of these beers, but without any coherent tasting notes to accompany them, it would just be conjectural rambling and praise most likely. Instead, I had the pleasure of going to a central valley brewery that I may have never gone to if not for my work situation. On the way back from 29 palms California, our crew decided to stop at the Sequoia Brewing Company for lunch. So, here I will give my personal run down of the joint and the brews they offered.

Sequoia Brewing Company Bar & Grill was started in October
of 2003 by Scott and Michele Kendall who purchased Butterfield Brewing Company in February 2000. Butterfield's started in the Spring of 1989 with award winning Brewmaster Kevin Cox in the heart of the historical Tower District, Fresno, California. The Micro Brewing Company and Restaurant is known as a neighborhood icon in Fresno. Scott and Michele changed the name to wholesale their beer throughout the United States. The brewery has a second location in Northeast Fresno in July of 2005 at Piazza del Fiore. (http://www.sequoiabrewing.com) 

As most breweries go, the decor and set-up was fairly standard. Comfortable banquet room adjacent to a more intimate taproom/ gift shop area. The menu offered a fair spread of normal pub grub... nothing particularly inventive or unique. The price point was average, and everyone including me seemed to enjoy their food. However, I was interested in the beer most of all and I ordered the 10 beer sampler as my appetizer... 

Beers: Half-Dome (Hefeweizen-Pale Ale hybrid), Blossom Trail (Wheat orange blossom pale), China Peak Pilsner, Moto Brew (Pale-Ale), Hopfest (Dry Hopped Pale-Ale), General Sherman IPA, Tamarack Amber Ale, Black Oak Porter, Del Oro (Mexican Style Light Ale), and a Seasonal Red IPA.   

Half- Dome: This beer was confusing at first. The Hefe style comes through right away. Good wheat flavor with a little bit of the yeast profile coming through, a little clove taste but not too strong. The more interesting part of this beer is the Pale Ale half which come through as hoppy and little bit a bready malt taste. As you let it sit on the palette, the mixture of both beer styles start to compliment each other and it actually creates a pretty tasty brew. This would be the taste of summertime if I had to be poetic... I enjoyed it! 

Blossom Trail: One of the hands-down oddest beers I have had in a long time. Very pale in color and slightly hazy. The first taste is light wheat taste with very little malt behind it, but the star of this show is the orange blossom honey. It comes towards the end and is very floral in taste. No the least bit hoppy... at all. I am not really a fan of this beer in particular, but it literally achieves its goal as a beer. It is well done and probably enjoyed by many who come here. 

China Peak Pilsner: A fairly standard pilsner in any case. Kind of a sweet maltiness, the hops are skunky and aromatic. I tend to prefer a pilsner a little more on the dry side, but this beer is described as a Kolsch and is therefore an Ale. The name pilsner might not be accurate for this beer, however as a light tasty german-style beer it is pretty spot on. 

Moto Brew: This Pale-Ale seems to adhere to a more conservative variation on the theme. Not very hop driven and more of a light malty ale with some bitterness behind it, I find that it is a little underwhelming. It is more comparable to Oregon varations of pale ale like Mirror Pond from Deschutes. Fairly standard brew, however it would not be my go to beer. 

Hopfest: This beer was good from the first taste to the last. This is easily a well balanced IPA of sorts. Very good up front bitterness, somewhat citrus and floral aromas on the nose, but balanced with a good malt that was dry and a little bready. This one was my favorite of the sampler. I would have easily knocked back a couple of these and been quite content. 

General Sherman IPA: As IPA's go this one is a textbook example. It has a fair amount of hops and malt. Not a ton of aroma coming off of this one, but the bitterness of the hops is upfront enough. I could see this being an old stand-by kinda beer. Nice and strong. I liked it.

Tamarack Amber Ale: As a category, amber ales are kind of ambiguous, the flavor profile is anything but consistent. Basically if the beer is somewhat red in color it can be an amber. That said, this version is quite enjoyable and little bit more than ordinary. The key in my opinion in making one of these beers good is by creating a tasty malt base and only accenting the beer with a mild hop character. This beer does it. Slightly sweet bready malt with alot of flavor, a nice hop finish that gives the beer a little spice at the end. I really like this one. 

Black Oak Porter: Coffee anyone? Yeah, this is definitely a porter. Burnt, sweet and good. Cant really give much more of an opinion on it. A really good porter...

Del Oro: This was kind of an odd ball beer. A mexican style-ale is fairly ambitious. This one is pretty spot on. A light ale with a dry finish. It lacks that distinctive Mexican beer after taste, but a valiant effort none the less. 

Seasonal Red IPA: This beer is a definite double IPA, pretty strong and bit more malt than hop in this one. But the hops do make their presence. Good aroma with nice spicy citrus finish. Not the best IPA on the plate, but a good one worth a second pint or two. 

Overall I enjoyed this place and will probably go back if given the opportunity... good beers for a small operation... until next time!!!

Odonata Saison v 2.0 : From the Bottle!!!

Odonata is the new face of microbrew in Sacramento as I have previously mentioned... (see previous Odonata post) Their flagship brew is the Saison, and for over a month now the draft version of this beer has been available at various places around Northern CA and has been really good. However, the real premier of this beer is now underway as the bottles have hit the shelves. The saison style is notorious for being finished in the bottle and now I feel as if I am finally getting the finished product from Odonata in their Saison. In one very general statement I can say that this version is perfection. Read on...

Brewed by: Odonata Beer Co., Sacramento, CA

ABV: 6.4%

Through various social networking outlets I found out that the bottles would be on the shelves Tuesday, June 8th... I mentally marked my calendar and as soon as work was done on Tuesday, I headed over to Corti Brothers grocery, a very good place for good beers, and purchased a bottle. I let it sit in my fridge for a day and now having consumed it, I have the data necessary to give my opinion. 

Right away I notice that this version is much more carbonated than it's draft counterpart. The aroma is amazingly complex and has a clove like spice with a citrusy tang. This I would find out is indicative of the flavor. The body of this beer is lighter than expected given the slightly heavier draft version and has a crisper bite on the palate. A very balanced sweetness combined with a sharp hop flavor that is subtle , rounds out the initial character. However, this beer showcases one thing and one thing rightfully... the yeast!!! The Dupont yeast strain has really been given a chance to shine in the bottle. It is so much the character of the beer that I could swear this beer was made by Brasserie Dupont with one caveat... This beer may be better than Dupont. Without a side by side comparison I can't be absolute on that, but given what I can taste here, this beer is crisper and cleaner tasting overall. This is still a rustic, downhome beer... but the bottle conditioning has refined it to such a degree that one could crack this open on the farm or in a five star restaurant and be completely satisfied. Hands down, in my subjective opinion, this is my favorite Saison. Objectively, this beer is damn good and deserves to be in ones fridge as a staple brew. Sacramento has it's new pinnacle of brewing and I can only hope it is a perpetual  and prosperous endeavor. Cheers !!!        

Odonata Saison Release Party @ The Shack 4/30/2010

Sacramento has a relatively new name in Belgian-Style Ales. Odonata Beer Co. has been producing some choice beers recently and now I have the pleasure of reviewing one of them and being part of something that I think has a bright and prosperous future. With the unexpected close up of Sacramento Brewing Company, head brewmaster Peter Hoey and partner Rick Sellers formed Odonata Beer Co. in 2009. In the past I have had the opportunity to sample the Odonata Water Witch Belgian Strong Ale. That brew alone got me hooked and needless to say I was stoked to be one of the first to try the Saison.

Saisons are sometimes referred to as Farmhouse ales and the style has its roots with ales that were brewed early in the year for summer consumption. Today the style has been reintroduced and defined by Brasserie Dupont in Belgium and often the yeast strains cultivated for Saisons are derivative of the Dupont yeast. The style is very unique in many ways, however there is no real homogeneity in the flavors of the Saisons I have come across.

The Odonata take on the style is first of all really good. Coming in at 6.4% abv, the beer packs a mild punch and fits well in the Saison flavor spectrum. The aroma is mildly sweet and the initial sip is as well. However, after that the flavor get much more complex. This is a hoppy take on a Saison without a doubt. The malt is not heavy and somewhat drier then I would have expected. In an effort to be constructive here, I would say that the yeast (Dupont yeast to be exact)  is being outshone by the hops. Saisons, in my experience and opinion, are a showcase for the yeast. In reality though, I actually enjoy this rendition because of its use of hops. I feel that any ale made in California should be a little heavy handed with hops... This beer can be summed up in one word in my opinion, rustic! It has an earthy and rustic taste that is unique and awesome. I am really looking forward to the bottle version of this beer. I think the bottle conditioning will create some flavors from the yeast that are missing from the tap version.

For good measure my compatriots and I put this beer along a Dupont Foret. Needless to say these are wildly different beers and comparing them doesn't do justice to either one. The Odonata is even more hoppy after drinking the Foret and the Foret is wildly aromatic and sweet when compared to the Odonata.

Either way, two Kick-Ass beers and one Kick-Ass release party at a place that never fails to produce good food and good beer. 

-Cheers!!!

Beer Review #2: Samuel Adams "Noble Pils", Spring Seasonal

For my second review posting I have decided to look at a beer I was skeptical of at first but am quickly becoming a fan of. The Sam Adams Noble Pils is distinctive in its production as it is claimed to have been brewed using all five Noble hop varieties. These include Hallertau Mittelfrueh, Tettnang Tettnanger, Spalt Spalter, and Hersbrucker Hersbrucker. The Noble hop variety from Bohemia in the Czech Republic is Saaz. This is also a spring seasonal, replacing the White Ale normally released. It apparently was chosen during a contest and overwhelmingly voted in.

http://beernews.org/2010/01/samuel-adams-noble-pils-replaces-white-ale-as-spring-seasonal/

Brewed by:

Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

ABV: 5.2%

Before the first drink there is an apparent hop aroma that hits the nose upfront. It has a light golden color and is fairly transparent. The head was thick during the pour but quickly diminished into a thin band. Light to slightly medium body, somewhat uncharacteristic for a pilsner. The real character of this beer is definitely the hops. It comprises the overall flavor as well as the aromatic nature of the beer. The mouth-feel seems slightly heavier than one might expect. There is a characteristic malt base that is ubiquitous across most Sam Adams beers ( Boston Lager and oktoberfest come to mind). The hops are not bitter but there is a light citrus aroma and flavorful balance between the hops and malt that work exquisitely well. A dry finish that is not too sweet yet you get a hint of it in the after taste. The earthy malt is very bright at first, somewhat crisp with the initial sips and smooth going down. As a pilsner it is not nearly as dry or one dimensional as others I have come across.

Although this is a lagered Pilsner one might experience the upfront hops and think European style pale ale. Overall, very good and drinkable and one of my go to beers. Summer is coming fast I suspect and this beer won't be around for long, so stock up now...

Chimay Grande Reserve Ale

This is a pilot review and I have decided to write about a very well known and very good Belgian... Chimay Grande Reserve Ale. This Dark strong ale comes in at 9% ABV. A dark reddish brown color with a thin head. This beer is flavorful yet not over the top. If you had no preconceptions about the strength of the beer itself you would not think it was strong. Many heavier ales with high alcohols tend to exhibit their strength in the taste. Grande Reserve is not at all like this. It is smooth and easy to drink. There is a dried fruit character and it is not sweet or real heavy. The body feels medium and it is relatively dry yet aromatic. This bottle (750 ml) in particular had slightly less flavor that others I have tasted. Overall it is one of the best Dark Belgians one can spend about $12 (bevmo) on and not feel guilty about the expenditure. After the bottle was finished... needless to say so was I. Even though you can't taste the alcohol, believe me it's there!!!

Brewed by:

Bières de Chimay (Abbaye Notre Dame de Scourmont)

ABV: 9%

Note: The glass I poured into as you can see is not the traditional Chimay goblet, it is the Samuel Adams Boston Lager perfect pour glass. Somewhat of a novelty, yet the construction of this glass is very similar to the Belgian tulip style glass. In all honesty I do not own a Chimay goblet... this glass was the best I had and worked just fine.

In the future I plan on doing a linear tasting of different beers I have become fond of using a regular 16 oz. pint glass and the Samuel Adams glass to determine if it exhibits any taste benefits...