Beer - #640 - Coronado - Blue Bridge Coffee Stout

Indeed, Coronado - Blue Bridge Coffee Stout. Coffee Beer, StarSailor (which is close to Starbucks right), 5 stars and sitting under the stars.

A dry stout with the addition of local Cafe Moto dark roast coffee from San Diego

This is a really well presented bottle of 650ml size, and 5.4% ABV,  it is listed as a quite mild  27-30 IBU things, and at 162 calories a serve size, I make this to be 2.77 standard drink units.

Coronado Brewing Company in the style that is Dry Stout and they are in Coronado, California  USA

[caption id="attachment_11555" align="alignleft" width="300"] A beer to make anyone smile[/caption]

Just as the iconic Coronado Bay Bridge connects our island home to the mainland, this java-tinged dry stout, brewed using dark roasted coffee beans from a local San Diego artisanal roaster, provides a bridge uniting craft beer drinkers with CBC’s rich, flavorful SoCal brewing traditions.

So what could possibly go wrong?

A lot of coffee in the aroma on opening, as it did with a vigorous hiss.  Brilliant!

Pour seems to be a beer that isn't pitch black, a lot lighter and perhaps this is why it didn't seem 'thick' but what a head. I'm on a roll.

Aroma is still a lot of coffee, very intense. Coffee grounds.

It's very carbonated, and I feel that this reduces your ability to taste directly on the tongue. Green earthy coffee is the first thing, and  a nice middling dry finish.

What's missing though is some of that deep fruit thing that you might get. But are you confusing Porter and Stout again?  I think I am.

I had to get up and leave this sitting for a few minutes, I came back and it really is a lovely coffee ale.  Soft, yet rich and in an odd way refreshing.  Forget the fruit thing, I have no idea what I was thinking of.

Does it matter that it's not 'thick' or coats the palate, not at all, it might be the better because it makes it a beer that you could have a few of without being exhausted or overloaded and jaded, particularly if you like coffee.

It is quite rewarding, deserves a bit of praise and wider enjoyment, which I might add it has already.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8.5 a of its things from the thing. This might be the perfect stout to session on, it's not sweet, it's not dry, it's not heavy on aroma, but it has all those things, and it looks pretty, and you know that pretty beers are nice to drink.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? I am !
Would I have another? I would !
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Indeed, this is nice on a colder evening, and I think would make a long lat drink session. A favourite.

Music for this is the quite delightful  Starsailor. Their album 'all the plans' you can listen here on the Spotify, or all the other places mostly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwB4YlsJbDA

as an aside other reviews for this beer are at  : 365Blog 

Dry Stout

The “Irish-style” stout is typically a low-gravity stout with bitterness ranging between 30-45 IBUs. Roastiness is present, but restrained, and there should not be hops in either the flavour or aroma. A little bit of acidity can be present. Often, this type of stout is serving via nitrogen, with all the effects that has on a beer – low carbonation, extra-thick head, lifeless palate and muted flavour and aroma

Beer- #618 - Coronado - Islander IPA

Week two of BeerJerkNZ Beer Club. This week an IPA.  Mermaid beer, Siren Songs, Singing the numbers and Sea you at the party.

What would a mermaid drink?‏

The 330ml bottle of a 7% ABV beer, which is 75 IBU, and 210 calories a serving size, This would be around the 1.82  standard drinks worth.

Brewed by Coronado Brewing Company  in the style that is of India Pale Ale (IPA) and they're in, surprisingly, Coronado, California  USA

[caption id="attachment_11289" align="alignleft" width="300"] What would a mermaid drink[/caption]

Named after Coronado Island, our original India Pale Ale is a liquid expression of hometown pride.

Cascade, Chinook, and Columbus hops combine to provide an explosive burst of piney bitterness and lucioius notes of apricot, grapefruit, and mango that are sure to envoke imagery of swinging palms and sun-kissed shores

So what could possibly go wrong?

I thought I'd had this beer, I was wrong. I am often it should not be a surprise.

Wonderfully hoppy aroma on opening, of course I get passion fruit as an aroma, naturally the fruit not mentioned, so I'll pretend it's mango.

It's really a nice orangy orange pour with a fantastic sugary sweet aroma that comes through in spades in the glass, where you get to pick your tropical fruit of choice, Passion Fruit Mango for me. Very pleasant.

It's very crips to drink and the finish starts neutral but moves to dry as it settles and warms sightly.

The tropical hold their own in this not being subdued by the bitterness which remains in check and not over the top, this is possibly a beer you could have quite a few of before you cottoned on that it's higher in ABV, but then dive on in for another.

I like the fruitiness, I like the drier finish, and there sin't a dip from the top to the back on this, it is very well rounded and polished. I can't believe that I'd not had it before, I feel sheepish.

In the IPA category it's hard to be above beyond on at the front, this though should gather all those accolades around it because you'd have to go a bit further to find a better beer that isn't all in your face and one sided.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 of its random things from the thing. 9 is 'Very Good' and I had no problem with that, it probably more a 8.5, closer to 9 because it's just a nice drink.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? I am, I was surprised by the aroma, the palate and the finish.
Would I have another? I would love to have had a bigger bottle, but I'd easily go again.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Of course, this is a fantastic beer to share and share around, it should appeal to a wide range of beer drinkers as it's not totally overboard on hops and bitters, and has a wonderful aroma.

Music for this. Hard to believe this music is 40 years old! Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement. This is the track  'Horses' Which you can find here on the Spotify, and most other places I imagine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPwOfwhpiW8

INDIA PALE ALE & IPA

India Pale Ale gets its name and unique style from British brewers who were making beer for export to India. This style has an intense hop flavor which was used to preserve the beer for the long voyage. India Pale Ale has a golden to copper color with a medium maltiness and body. The aroma is moderate to very strong. IPAs work especially well at cutting the heat of chili, vindaloo or Sichuan cuisine.

Beer - #285 - Coronado - 17th Anniversary IIPA

Clearly a limited edition beer - the Coronado 17th Anniversary IIPA

Brewed by Coronado Brewing Company in the style of an Imperial/Double IPA and they are of course in Coronado, California USA

This is a 20fl oz, 650ml bottle, 9.5% ABV, and 285 calories a serve. This would be 4.88 standard drink units in NZ.

When we opened our doors 17 years ago, imposing India Pale Ales didn’t even have a style name, but thanks to the bravaddo and ingenuity of American craft brewers, ourselves included, the "Imperial IPA" has grown into one of the most coveted and delicious styles of beer around and one we feel is perfectly suited to serve as this year’s anniversary beer. A quintet of hops--Citra, Green Bullet, Pacific Gem, Pacific Jade, and Wakatu--lend a spicy tropical spike balanced out by clean breadiness on the finish. It makes for the perfect specialty ale to toast to 17 years of brewing immensely flavorful beers. Prost!

I've been looking forward to this too. Fantastic  hop aroma on opening, sharp but not peppery.

Pours orange - goldfish golden with a small and disappearing head. Great hop aroma that has oranges and other citrus in it.

Oh wow that's a flavour burst of some good measure. Corker! Decently carbonated you get a real burst of sweet flavours all up front and a really nice long finish to a slight bitterness. I get, or sense, a lot of oranges.

I have to say that I am really pleasantly surprised by this, I was expecting something a little heavier and bitter.  But It's really nice to have something a little sweeter that is quite full in the mouth, and that finishes to a reasonably easy bitterness.

I'm going to argue that this is a 9, making it for am a great beer. I'd easily sit and attempt a session of this. Might get to two, since it's a bit heavy n the ABV, but what a way to finish.

I never did get that initial rush of flavours again, which is a pity, it really was eye popping, I'd pay for that again. I've easily managed to drink the first half in my enthusiasm for this, it's a bit good.

Given that I have to drink even less in the next few months, this would be a beer that I'd be happy to benchmark that against.  One of those occasional beers where I might be tempted to bet you your money back if you didn't like it, however I think that the bright orange flavours might not be to everyone's taste. However I could think of so many other beers where you wouldn't get this much entertainment in a glass.

This is nice with a bit of Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes - on in the background, and a good old fashioned pie cooking in the oven, one of the few days recently where I don't have to stand outside and cook.

As this warms the stronger hop grassiness begins to nose through in the glass. This is pleasant too.  There isn't too much left to drink though, I have accidentally managed to drink the most of it. On the Bruce Springsteen though, I get the idea that he might be trying to sing a bit tough and story. I may get back to that .

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The beer fridge was empty

So I went and had a quick shopping trip



As well as a growler/bomber of Liberty Brewing Oh Brother Pale Ale I have;

• Stone  - Subliminally Self Righteous Ale


• DogFish Head - Palo Santo Marron


• Coronado - Anniversary Ale


• Trappistes Rochefort 8


• Trappistes Rochefort 10


• Yeastie Boys - Gunnamatta Tea Leaf IPA


• Yeastie Boys - His Majesty 2013


• Yeastie Boys - Her Majesty 2013

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Beer - #118 - Coronado - Red Devil

The Red Devil they say an Imperial Red Ale -  Brewed by Coronado Brewing Company in the style of an  American Strong Ale, in of all places Coronado, California 'merica.

Talking it up Coronado says that The Red Devil is a "double dose of our "Mermaid's Red Ale"  We simply doubled the ingredients (double the malt, double the hops) and created an award winning Ale. An incredibly balanced and smooth beer with a strong finish."

Worries me when they say "simply" did something, which might be code-word for this one time we had a new kid and he didn't pay attention and threw a second helping in the pot, which we had to sell, and it  turned out ok, so we carried on with it.

This is a 8.5% ABV beer in a 650ml (pint) bottle, the attached label says however 10.7% abv which is about 5.5 standard drinks, the plot thickens somewhat. Is there a US and a Foreign ABV rating that I'm not aware of? I'm picking the lower number since it's on the bottle and in other places. Weirdly though the original Red Devil appears to be a 10.7% ABV beer. Perhaps it's mellowed in it's age?



So a mixed start to start. They've changed the label and so they may have changed the mix for this and that is what I'm going to go with. Clearly their own information has to be taken as gospel.

So many words without any action then. And I've built up an expectation of having my thirst quenched because I've been making rib marinades this afternoon, and that's time in the kitchen, that I have to balance up with a beer. It's the law.

The alternate description is this This robust, roasty, aggressively hopped imperial red is an amplified, more sinful version of our flagship Mermaid's Red™. Heaping additions of Amarillo and Simcoe hops provide clean, botanic bitterness to slice straight through a well rounded caramel sweetness borne of chocolate malt.

There is definitely a load of hops on the aroma, and it's dark dark red on the pour with a faint and disappearing head. It's a lovely aroma, I could sit here enjoying just that, but I dither. Enjoying it though I get a lovely sweet fruits note too, like soaked raisins.

and it's initially as pleasant as any beer I've drunk for a long time, lovely soft bitter and overtones of a sweet malt and caramel, but it finishes on the bitter. Not that it's a bad thing, This isn't a beer that's going to leave you reaching for an elusive taste that's on the top of your tongue, it's fairly well all up front. The caramel is lovely and balanced with the bitterness, which after sitting takes a less dominant position. All in all a bit good.

The pdubyah-o-meter has this at 8.75 things on the scale of the way things work, which isn't shameful and makes this a beer that I'd reach for if I had my pick of things. So for a simply doubled up on a few ingredients they've managed to retain a marvellous balance of tastes, Good work.

 

Beer - #106 - Coronado - Frog’s Breath IPA

Coronado Frog’s Breath IPA - brewed at the Coronado Brewing Company
in the style of an India Pale Ale (IPA) and of course Coronado, is in  California 'Merica.

A classic west coast IPA brewed with a blend of citrus peel. Lime, orange and lemon peels were added at the end of the boil to make this IPA extra refreshing.

A Pint of 6.5% ABV beer (that's about 3.3 units equivalent.

And to be honest I'm a little bit middling on what to expect. An IPA with Spices sounds like to could work, or it could be a Frankenstein monster. But it is one of their "Crown Series" so I'm hoping that it's more top-shelf than bargain basement.

There is a very sharp hoppy aroma, but very earthy, pale golden yellow, decent head, and lively carbonation. It's not a bad start.

The aroma continues with citrus, almost grapefruit, the tongue gets a bursts of sharp hops, a bunch of fizz, and an annoying afterglow. Not a lot of length or depth though.The citrus top taste is almost irritating. If there is a malt content it's hiding it well.

I guess that where I'm at is that I'm not a fan of this, and I don't know that you could be, it's not a very good IPA and adding spices might just be that they're aware of this and are covering up, the conspiracy continues by giving this "Crown" status.

The pdubyah-o-meter says "no" and plonks this in the also ran category of 7 things on it arbitrary scale, making it a beer that's a "pass" but not a merit or distinction. I wouldn't send it back at a bar, but I'd be reluctant to go again.

Beer - #91 - Coronado - Orange Avenue Wit

A beer from the US of A, Coronado Brewery Orange Avenue Wit, of 650ml of a 5.2ABV beer - Coronado Brewing Company, Coronado, California USA in the style: Belgian White (Witbier).

Our spiced California style Wit is both refreshing and complex. Brewed with wheat, coriander, California orange peel and local orange blossom honey. From the first sip to the last you’ll find subtle flavors of bread, spice, citrus and a thirst quenching orange honey finish.

One of those beers that feels compelled to tell you what you're going to taste which should have been a bit of a flag, but I allow some leeway as it's a big bottle with a lot of real estate to fill in.

It's a very pale golden colour, lively carbonation,  and musty hops. The taste is overwhelmed by the bubbles. Either it's too cold or they're making it up about the smorgasbord of flavours that should be present, perhaps I left them in the bottle when I poured  the first part.

I like a wheat beer, I enjoy the fruits under the alcohol, the front and lingering taste. This isn't any of those things. It's all very 'meh', which means the pdubyah-o-meter arbitrarily really doesn't like this and makes it a massive swing-and-a-miss at 4 arbitrary things from it's equally arbitrary number.

If two thumbs up was the best this would be 1/2 of 1 thumb. Very disappointing,and disappointed in this. Without anything to reference, I can't find a best before date on the bottle,  but I did find an  importers sticker saying that it'd been imported over a year ago! (July 11) Quelle horreur!

I'd say based on that, that I might be drinking a beer that is past its' best, way way way past,  if I was being charitable.

If I was being uncharitable, I'd say avoid. I would say however take the extra two minutes to find a date. Lesson learnt. Gives self an uppercut.

Can't change my score on this, it was worth every one of the 4 arbitrary things, sadly making this possibly one of the worst beers I've had in ages.

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