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**The Two Minute Beer Review**

Tasting all the beer two minutes at a time!

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S1E63 - Left Coast Brewing's Orange County IPA Oct 15, 2019

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Episode Notes

Episode 64: Left Coast Orange County IPA

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum and it’s that time of the week again where we pick a bottle from that massive craft brew aisle hoping to find a hidden treasure.

This week we’re going to take a look at Orange County IPA by Left Coast Brewing in San Clemente, CA. Is this one a perfect companion for that trip to the beach? Let’s find out!!

Orange County IPA pours golden orange and slightly hazy. It smells of apricot and ripe bananas with a little bit of orange blossom in the background.

But what about the taste? According to the website, “We create a slight sweetness and bitterness by adding California grown oranges to the boil.” Well it definitely shows in the flavor. The beer starts up front with a nice, strong hop bitterness. Then it develops out into fruity and tart but not too sweet fruitiness with that signature orange leading the way. At the end of the swallow there’s way more bitterness left over than I would have expected from the strength of the fruit flavor in the beer, but I’m definitely not complaining.

Orange County IPA is a drinker for sure. It’s got both the hop bitterness and the fruit juiciness to make it a grade-A IPA offering in what we know is an oversaturated market. If you’re a lover of IPAs at all, I recommend you run out and grab this wherever you can find it. Orange County IPA clocks in with a 7.1% ABV, so it’s right in the not-too-strong, not-too-weak category where I like it.

Well that’s all for this week, but I hope you’ll join me next week as I take a look at Oatmeal Stout from East Brother Beer Company in Richmond, CA. Is this the Stout we’ve been looking for? We’ll find out next week! Look for links to this week’s beer and brewery in the show notes.

Don’t forget to let me know what you’re drinking and what you’re thinking about the show. Tweet me @2minutebeer with the number two or drop me an email at 2minutebeer@gmail.com. And if you’re listening to the show on your favorite podcast app, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review to help other people find the show. You can also support us with a small donation on our Patreon—there’s a link in the show notes.

That’s all for now, but I’ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

Have you supported the Phoenix Creative Collective and the Phoenix Podcast Network through Patreon yet? It's easy, just click here

Send questions, comments and recommendations to 2minutebeer@gmail.com

Music: River Meditation by Jason Shaw used under Creative Commons License

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S1E62 - Blaker Brewing's Vanilla Bean Milk Stout Oct 07, 2019

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Episode Notes

Episode 62: Blaker Brewing’s Vanilla Bean Milk Stout

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum and it’s that time of the week again where we pick a bottle from that massive craft brew aisle hoping to find a hidden treasure.

This week we’re going to take a look at Vanilla Bean Milk Stout by Blaker Brewing in Ceres, CA. Is this one a dairy full of goodness? Let’s find out!!

Vanilla Bean Milk Stout is reportedly just what it advertises—a Milk Stout base with Vanilla Beans added. It pours predictably black into the glass and smells of chocolate, vanilla and milk—again, just what you would expect based on the label.

But what about the taste? It’s not as sweet as I anticipated based on the title and the scent. It hits right up front with a good coffee bitterness that wraps around the tongue and then resolves into a kind of a tangy sensation with that nice aromatic vanilla pervasive in the aftertaste. The tiny bit of sweetness on the back end of the swallow is all milk sweetness and no sugar so it doesn’t throw the beer out of balance with that nice bitterness from the beginning of the sip. It’s a little thin on the palate for a milk stout, which is worth noting but it loses no points for all that.

Vanilla Bean Milk Stout is not an overly complex beer, but it performs perfectly in terms of being what it claims to be. It’s likeable and very easy to drink. And at a 5.5% Alcohol by Volume it’s not going to knock you out after a single serving, either. If the name sounds at all enticing, I can definitely recommend this beer to you! And you don’t just have to take my word for it—Vanilla Bean Milk Stout comes in with an average 3.91 out of 5 on Untappd. You can check out the link in the show notes for more reviews.

Well that’s all for this week, but I hope you’ll join me next week as I take a look at Orange County IPA from Left Coast Brewing in San Clemente California. Is this one worthy of the OC label? We’ll find out next week! Look for links to this week’s beer and brewery in the show notes.

That’s all for now, but I’ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

Have you supported the Phoenix Creative Collective and the Phoenix Podcast Network through Patreon yet? It's easy, just click here

Send questions, comments and recommendations to 2minutebeer@gmail.com

Music: River Meditation by Jason Shaw used under Creative Commons License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

Find out more at https://the-two-minute-beer-review.pinecast.co

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S1E61 - Jack Russell Farm Brewery's Captain Boomer's IPA Oct 01, 2019

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Episode 61: Jack Russel Farm Brewing’s Captain Boomer’s IPA

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum and it’s that time of the week again where we pick a bottle from that massive craft brew aisle hoping to find a hidden treasure.

This week we’re going to take a look at Captain Boomer’s IPA from Jack Russell Farm Brewery in Camino, CA. Is this one worthy of a literary masterpiece? Let’s find out!!

Captain Boomer’s is named after the character in Moby Dick as well as the name of the adorable terrier that graces the label. It pours a hearty amber color with a nicely developed foamy head. It smells exciting and refreshing with a scent full of nectarine and pine needles.

But what about the taste? According to the website, Captain Boomer’s is is a departure from the traditional English style in its sea of flavors and big, chewy mouthfeel. I found it actually to be just a little thinner than I expected based on that description. It’s not bad by any means but I definitely wouldn’t call it chewy. It has a lovely all-over bitterness that has just gone missing in this current trend of juicy IPAs. It’s got that solid pine flavor that takes me back to the early days of the IPA craze where the goal seemed to be to pack as much evergreen as possible into the beer. The flavor hangs around for a good while after the swallow. The website also mentions a “coffee bitterness,” and while it’s not roasty and toasty like a porter or a stout I can definitely get the essence of that bitterness here.

I have to say that I’m a tremendous fan of this beer. It’s something that might have been a conventional IPA just a few years ago but it definitely bucks the current trends and stays true to a more classical IPA profile. I love this and I hope that Jack Russell has great success with this beer and continues to produce it for many years to come. It’s a 7.1% Alcohol by Volume. It receives the Two Minute Beer Review seal of approval!

Well that’s all for this week, but I hope you’ll join me next week as I take a look at Vanilla Bean Milk Stout from Blaker Brewing in Ceres, CA. Is this one straight-from-the-cow delicious? We’ll find out next week! Look for links to this week’s beer and brewery in the show notes.

That’s all for now, but I’ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

Have you supported the Phoenix Creative Collective and the Phoenix Podcast Network through Patreon yet? It's easy, just click here

Send questions, comments and recommendations to 2minutebeer@gmail.com

Music: River Meditation by Jason Shaw used under Creative Commons License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

Find out more at https://the-two-minute-beer-review.pinecast.co

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

S1E60 - 21st Amendment's El Sully Mexican Style Lager Sep 24, 2019

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Episode Notes

Episode 60: 21st Amendment’s El Sully Mexican Style Lager

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum and it’s that time of the week again where we pick a bottle from that massive craft brew aisle hoping to find a hidden treasure.

This week we’re going to take a look at El Sully Mexican Style Lager from https://www.21st-amendment.com/. Will this beer transport us out of our everyday lives and onto a beautiful Mexican beach? Let’s find out!!

Named after the alter ego of 21st Amendment’s Brewmaster, Shaun O’sullivan, El Sully pours a perfect pale yellow and is just a tiny bit cloudy rather than the normal clear as water pour of most Mexican style pale lagers. The scent is slightly fruity and just a tiny bit acidic. Again, for a Mexican style lager, this one has a pretty well-developed scent.

But what about the taste? O’sullivan has been quoted as saying it’s a “… smooth, easy drinking beer,” He goes on to say, “Having grown up in Southern California near the Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach communities where I would spend many afternoons surfing and skateboarding, I would always enjoy Mexican-style golden, lighter and refreshing beers at the end of the day. Washing it down after a plate of carne asada tacos, it seemed fitting to recreate that experience and brew and package El Sully for all to enjoy.”

The beer hits bitter right at the front of the tongue and just a tiny bit sour on the palate but with no sweetness. This resolves to a nice, bready cereal flavor. It drinks nice and clean as expected, but there’s way more flavor than you would get out of a lot of Mexican style knockoffs. This is a pleasant surprise. O’Sullivan has truly succeeded in taking a ubiquitous beer style (here in California, anyway) and elevating it to something that maintains the spirit of the original but takes it one step further.

As far as American Mexican Lagers go, this one is a major winner. It’s got a bit more flavor than I would have expected, a nice bitterness to round things out all the while maintaining the drinkable, thirst-quenching quality that is vital to this type of beer. If you’re a fan of one of the cheap Mexican beers that are out there right now do yourself a favor and pick up a can of El Sully and give it a shot. I’ll be surprised if you don’t discover you have a new favorite! El Sully is 4.8% Alcohol by Volume and is sold primarily in cans, so it’s perfect for keeping you properly hydrated all day long.

Well that’s all for this week, but I hope you’ll join me next week as I take a look at Captain Boomer’s IPA from Jack Russell Farm Brewing in Camino, CA. Will this one help us hunt down that white whale at last? We’ll find out next week! Look for links to this week’s beer and brewery in the show notes.

That’s all for now, but I’ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

Have you supported the Phoenix Creative Collective and the Phoenix Podcast Network through Patreon yet? It's easy, just click here

Send questions, comments and recommendations to 2minutebeer@gmail.com

Music: River Meditation by Jason Shaw used under Creative Commons License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

Find out more at https://the-two-minute-beer-review.pinecast.co

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

S1E59 - Deschutes Brewery's Only Slightly Exaggerated IPA Sep 17, 2019

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Episode Notes

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum and it’s that time of the week again where we pick a bottle from that massive craft brew aisle hoping to find a hidden treasure.

This week we’re going to take a look at Only Slightly Exaggerated IPA by Deschutes Brewery in Portland, Oregon. Is this one exaggerated enough to make a statement? Let’s find out!

Only Slightly Exaggerated pours very cloudy with tons of visible particles. It follows this up with the smell of tropical fruit, peach and gummy bears. Smells like a pretty typical hazy IPA to me. But what about the taste? On the website, Deschutes describes the beer as “A collaboration with Travel Oregon that captures the magic of Oregon like a whimsical fairy tale in a bottle. Explore a realm of unreal splendor, where tropical hops bloom amidst evergreen rainforests and light flavors of coconut come tumbling down clear alpine streams, descending into the dreamy depths of citrus zest.” For all that description, I found Only Slightly Exaggerated to be pretty mild in flavor. There’s good bitterness right up front, working its way around to the sides and the back of my tongue. I mostly get the tropical fruit, but I do get a nice hint of those piney hops that are too frequently missing from modern, popular juicy IPAs. This is an important factor in making the beer taste like a representation of Oregon, so major points go to Deschutes for executing on this flavor profile. On the back end there’s that peach that I was smelling as well as a little bit of pear. The flavor doesn’t hang around too long after the swallow, but it does leave me wanting another sip! I do feel like the beer is just a bit more energetic on the front end than on the back end, but maybe that’s just to represent the fact that recreational marijuana has been legal in Oregon for a lot longer than in most places in the United States.

I like this beer. Its unpretentious but it’s just interesting enough to keep me coming back for more. It’s the kind of beer that I’d love to have six pack of to last me through a nice summer afternoon among the Oregon evergreens. And at a 6.0% Alcohol by Volume, as long as I paced myself I’d still be able to walk to my tent at the end of the day. Verdict? Two Minute Beer Review Approved!

Well that’s all for this week, but I hope you’ll join me next week as I take a look at another great craft brew. Will we uncover another hidden treasure that we’ve been missing all along? We’ll find out next week! Look for links to this week’s beer and brewery in the show notes.

That’s all for now, but I’ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

Have you supported the Phoenix Creative Collective and the Phoenix Podcast Network through Patreon yet? It's easy, just click here

Send questions, comments and recommendations to 2minutebeer@gmail.com

Music: River Meditation by Jason Shaw used under Creative Commons License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

Find out more at https://the-two-minute-beer-review.pinecast.co

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

S1E58 - Dust Bowl Brewing's Buck Hazy DIPA Sep 02, 2019

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Episode Notes

Episode 57: Dust Bowl Brewing’s Buck Hazy DIPA

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum and it’s that time of the week again where we pick a bottle from that massive craft brew aisle hoping to find a hidden treasure.

This week we’re going to take a look at Buck Double IPA from Dust Bowl Brewing in Turlock, CA. Is this one destined to be a legend like its musical namesake? Let’s find out!

Buck is the second in Dust Bowl’s Music Man series, celebrating some of the great musicians connected to California’s Central Valley region. For the first in the series, go back and listen to our previous episode on their Merle Hazy IPA. Buck smells exactly the way that you want a hazy IPA to smell. It’s nice and juicy with tons of grapefruit and apricot right at the front. There’s just a little dank stank in there to level things out as well. It pours a nice dark orangey brown color and the more you pour the hazier it gets.

But what about the taste? Buck is very juicy up front with all that lovely fruit we smelled before but there’s no pounding bitterness to drive it home like you might expect in a double. It starts and stays balanced from sip to swallow and finishes just like it starts. It’s a consistent and delicious brew that will delight anyone who is a fan of the Hazy IPA trend. I can absolutely say that it is one of my personal favorites in the style.

After tasting both Merle and Buck I am happy to say that I am eagerly anticipating the other beers that Dust Bowl will be introducing into this Music Man series. Both of the existing beers are winners in my opinion and continue with the Dust Bowl tradition of incredibly balanced and immaculately tasty IPAs. If you see a can of Buck or Merle sitting around on your store’s shelf, by all means snap it up! You won’t be disappointed. This one is Two Minute Beer Review approved, especially thanks to the healthy 8.5% Alcohol by Volume.

Well that’s all for this week, but I hope you’ll join me next week as I take a look at Buck Hazy Double IPA by Dust Bowl Brewing in Turlock, CA. Will this one make us say Hee Haw? We’ll find out next week! Look for links to this week’s beer and brewery in the show notes.

That’s all for now, but I’ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

Have you supported the Phoenix Creative Collective and the Phoenix Podcast Network through Patreon yet? It's easy, just click here

Send questions, comments and recommendations to 2minutebeer@gmail.com

Music: River Meditation by Jason Shaw used under Creative Commons License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

Find out more at https://the-two-minute-beer-review.pinecast.co

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

S1E57 - The Bruery's Trade Winds Belgian Tripel Ale Aug 27, 2019

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Episode Notes

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum and it’s that time of the week again where we pick a bottle from that massive craft brew aisle hoping to find a hidden treasure.

This week we’re going to take a look at Trade Winds Belgian Style Tripel Ale from The Bruery in Placentia CA. Will these winds blow us toward our fortune? Let’s find out!

Trade winds pours a hazy golden color like a classic Belgian should. It smells like a bit of dried fruit with maybe just a bit of menthol in the background? There’s a strange pungency there that for the life of me I just cannot place. It’s a scent profile that’s not out of line with what I would expect from a Belgian, but it is incredibly strong.

But what about the taste? I can only say that it’s kind of a pedestrian Belgian ale. The label claims that the beer is brewed with Thai Basil and rice but I just can’t see any of that in the beer’s flavor. What I do get is a tremendous amount of that banana clove flavor that’s traditional for a Belgian. It begs for some bitterness that it just never gets.

I am sure there are Belgian die-hards out there that would drink this and totally love it, but for me—admittedly not a fan of the style as I have said before—this beer is almost completely impenetrable. I really want to like it but I simply cannot find anything in there that’s for me, other than the 8.5% Alcohol by Volume. Take all that with as many grains of salt as you’d like, but I just can’t recommend Trade Winds.

That’s all for now, but I’ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

Have you supported the Phoenix Creative Collective and the Phoenix Podcast Network through Patreon yet? It's easy, just click here

Send questions, comments and recommendations to 2minutebeer@gmail.com

Music: River Meditation by Jason Shaw used under Creative Commons License

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Find out more at https://the-two-minute-beer-review.pinecast.co

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S1E56 - Amador Brewing Company's Altbier German Amber Ale Aug 19, 2019

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Episode 56: Amador Brewing Company’s Altbier

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum and it’s that time of the week again where we pick a bottle from that massive craft brew aisle hoping to find a hidden treasure.

This week we’re going to take a look at Altbier German Amber Ale from Amador Brewing Company in Plymouth, CA. Is this a traditional German delight? Let’s find out!

Amador’s Altbier pours cloudy brown. It smells nutty with just a little bit of a savory hint in there somewhere.

But what about the taste? The taste is full of nut—notably hazelnut--with just a tiny bit of coffee in there as well, but without any of the coffee bitterness that you would typically get from that flavor. The nut flavors are very good and developed, but I wish there was as much flavor on the end of the swallow as there is on the front of the sip. The beer feels a bit thin in the mouth as well.

Sadly, I just don’t love this beer. It’s perfectly drinkable, but it simply didn’t have enough depth of flavor or staying power—and didn’t differentiate itself enough—for me to make it a recommendation. Having said that, this beer was a 2018 California State Fair Gold Medalist, so if it sounds like a style that you might like it might not hurt to track it down and give it a try. Altbier is 6.3% Alcohol by volume.

Well that’s all for this week, but I hope you’ll join me next week as I Head back over to the Bruery in Placentia CA to try out their Trade Winds Belgian Style Tripel. Will the winds blow in something worth trading for with this one?

We’ll find out next week! Look for links to this week’s beer and brewery in the show notes.

That’s all for now, but I’ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

Have you supported the Phoenix Creative Collective and the Phoenix Podcast Network through Patreon yet? It's easy, just click here

Send questions, comments and recommendations to 2minutebeer@gmail.com

Music: River Meditation by Jason Shaw used under Creative Commons License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

Find out more at https://the-two-minute-beer-review.pinecast.co

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S1E55 - The Bruery's Mischief Hoppy Belgian Style Ale Aug 12, 2019

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Episode 55: The Bruery’s Mischief Hoppy Belgian Style Ale

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum and it’s that time of the week again where we pick a bottle from that massive craft brew aisle hoping to find a hidden treasure.

This week we’re going to take a look at Mischief Hoppy Belgian Style Ale from the Bruery in Placentia CA. Are we about to get into trouble with this one? Let’s find out!

The front of the impressive-looking bottle that houses Mischief bears the Great American Beer Festival medal stamp. This beer was in fact the 2016 Gold Medalist for the American Belgian Style Ale. I don’t know about you, but that sets up all kinds of great expectations for me. The beer pours with a dark cloudy golden core and a bit of what I could almost describe as a halo on the outside. It’s definitely a looker. Smelling Mischief brings out fruity and bright notes but no discernible malt or hop aromas.

But what about the taste? Well, it tastes a lot like it smells. I get the impression of dried apricot with a noticeable balancing bitterness around the edges. Maybe there’s even just a hint of pear in there, but it’s delicate and elusive. There’s some spice in there as well as you would expect from a Belgian, but the primary flavors are all coming from the lovely dried fruit.

Now this is an excellent example of a style that is admittedly not my favorite. I don’t have anything against Belgians, they’re just never the first thing that I grab when I go to the store looking for a drinking beer. That being said, this is an excellent beer that is extremely well put together from a flavor and balance standpoint and I would have no hesitation recommending it to fans of the style or the Belgian-curious. And even if it’s not your cup of tea, the 8.5% ABV will make it worth the experiment.

Well that’s all for this week, but I hope you’ll join me next week as I take a look at Altbier German Amber Ale by Altamont Beer Works in Livermore, CA. Are the folks over there challenging the norm with this one? We’ll find out next week! Look for links to this week’s beer and brewery in the show notes.

Have you supported the Phoenix Creative Collective and the Phoenix Podcast Network through Patreon yet? It's easy, just click here

Send questions, comments and recommendations to 2minutebeer@gmail.com

Music: River Meditation by Jason Shaw used under Creative Commons License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

Find out more at https://the-two-minute-beer-review.pinecast.co

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

S1E54 - Lead Dog Brewing's Raspberry Blonde Aug 05, 2019

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Episode 54: Lead Dog Brewing’s Raspberry Blonde

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum and it’s that time of the week again where we pick a bottle from that massive craft brew aisle hoping to find a hidden treasure.

This week we’re going to take a look at Raspberry Blonde by Lead Dog Brewing in Reno, NV. Will gentlemen prefer this blonde? Let’s find out!

Raspberry Blonde is a deep gold to amber in color. The smell is almost completely and unmistakably that of raspberry jam.

But what about the taste? It is very raspberry! No false advertising on the label of this one. Sadly, I don’t find a whole lot of depth behind that fruit flavor. You just get all that berry right up front and then it’s gone without leaving much of an impression behind. It’s not sweet, but it also doesn’t really develop at all. It’s just there and then gone. I was kind of hoping, to be honest, for something more complex out of this one.

Raspberry blonde is a fine experiment in the combination of fruit and beer but at the end of the day I find it kind of a single note experience. On the upside it’s not too sweet, which could have taken it to some very bad places but honestly I’m having a hard time finding the beer in this one and as a beer lover first I sort of have a problem with that. For me it would not be a repeat experience. Raspberry Blonde is 5 percent alcohol by volume.

Well that’s all for this week, but I hope you’ll join me next week as I take a look at Mischief Hoppy Belgian Style Ale from the Bruery in Placentia CA. Will this one help us get up to no good? We’ll find out next week! Look for links to this week’s beer and brewery in the show notes.

That’s all for now, but I’ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

Have you supported the Phoenix Creative Collective and the Phoenix Podcast Network through Patreon yet? It's easy, just click here

Send questions, comments and recommendations to 2minutebeer@gmail.com

Music: River Meditation by Jason Shaw used under Creative Commons License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

Find out more at https://the-two-minute-beer-review.pinecast.co

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.