Kev's Beers of the Week - The Bruery!

I recently took a trip to Southern California for a wedding and flew out a day early to visit The Bruery down in Placentia (near Anaheim).  Here are my notes on the beers I had:

The Bruery A Stein's Throw

Kev Rating: B+
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 8.50%
IBUs: ?

Availability: Part of the Provisions Series
Had: On Tap at The Bruery
Region: Placentia, CA

Malty, maple sweetness, a bit acidic.  Nose was super sweet and had mild hops throughout.
 

The Bruery Humulus Lager

Kev Rating: B
Style: Imperial Pilsner
ABV: 7.20%
IBUs: 70

Availability: Year Round
Had: On Tap at The Bruery
Region: Placentia, CA

Dank, hoppy nose, strong lager malts and then a really nice lingering piney hop.

The Bruery Loakal Red

Kev Rating: C+
Style: American Red / Amber Ale
ABV: 6.90%
IBUs: 35

Availability: Year Round
Had: On Tap at The Bruery
Region: Placentia, CA

Earthy, nice balance of malt and hops - smooth red.

The Bruery Old Richland

Flight of great beer!

Kev Rating: B
Style: American Barleywine
ABV: 9.00%
IBUs: 80

Availability: Part of the Provisions Series
Had: On Tap at The Bruery
Region: Placentia, CA

Big boozey nose, a bit tinny, sweet malts into a nice citrus hop.

The Bruery Smoking Wood Rye Barrel Aged with Espresso

Kev Rating: A-
Style: Smoked Rye Ale
ABV: 10.00%
IBUs: ?

Availability: Special limited brew
Had: On Tap at The Bruery
Region: Placentia, CA

Big chocolate, licorice, smokey nose.  Rye malts again with heavy smokey malt. Strong rye barrel presence...reminded me of Georgia Moonshine Whiskey. 

The Bruery Sour Rugbrod

Sour Rugbrod

Kev Rating: B
Style: Sour Rye
ABV: 8.70%
IBUs: ?

Availability: Special limited brew
Had: On Tap at The Bruery
Region: Placentia, CA

Dark cherry, funk, nice underlying rye malt presence.  One of the better Sours I've had (yet).

Kev's Beer of the Week - Voodoo Doughnut Maple Bacon Ale

Kev's Beer of the Week ending 4/27/12

Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Maple Bacon Ale

Kev Rating: C
Style: Smoked Beer/Brown Ale
ABV: 5.60%
IBUs: 30

Availability:  Very limited outside of the brewery
Had:  Picked up a bottle from Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont & shared it with Jimmy & George
Region: Newport, OR 

 

I first heard of Voodoo Doughnuts in Oregon because of various food shows I'd seen on TV.  I've always been a fan of Rogue beers and when I heard they were doing a tribute to Voodoo Doughnuts, I was definitely intrigued.  I finally got my hands on a bottle and decided to save it to enjoy with Jimmy & George.  George just got back from a trip to Portland, OR and Seattle, WA so I figured this would be a perfect "welcome home" beer to share.  Also, I didn't think I'd be able to stomach the whole 750ml bottle on my own.  

According to Rogue's website, "Rogue Ales has collided with Voodoo Doughnut to create Bacon Maple Ale! This unique artisan creation contains a baker’s dozen number of ingredients including bacon and maple syrup from one of Voodoo’s signature doughnuts."

After staring at the super pink bottle for awhile, I opened it up and poured it out into a few glasses.  I really didn't know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised with the color - a nice light brown with a white frothy head.  

After putting my nose in the glass, it really was like smelling a big sweet doughnut.  I was hoping that this intense doughnut smell wouldn't translate completely to the first sip; it didn't.  The first sip was a bit of an odd one, mostly bacon/smoked malt.  After a few more sips to see if the smokiness would subside, I decided to let it sit a bit.  This was a good move, as it opened up a bit, it was more about the maple.  

 

If I saw this beer again, I probably wouldn't buy it, but for the novelty alone it was worth it.  And really, how many times do you get to say you had a Voodoo Doughnut inspired beer made with bacon and maple?!