Telegraph Brewing

Telegraph Brewing Company of Santa Barbara makes good beer, but they are hard to find. I go to Ventura County quite a bit, but only know of one store that sells it, and it only has a special release. I want to visit the brewery and try several of its offerings, but haven't found the time to trek to Santa Barbara.

I got the beer pictured here, Telegraph's California Ale, at the Pizza Port Bottle Shop in Carlsbad. It comes in a 750 ml bottle, which is a great start. The picture makes the beer look dark, but it has a light, but flavorful taste, not indicative of its rich color. I have had one previous California Ale, and don't remember it as dark as this one. It poured a cloudy, deep amber with a good, white head that quickly dissipated. Malts and yeast were present.

It may say California on the label, but it has a distinct Belgian taste. To me, it tasted like a Belgian farmhouse ale. BeerAdvocate calls it a saison/farmhouse ale, so may taste buds are not too far off. (Surprisingly, the BeerAdvocate website only gives it an overall B rating, I would rate it A- at a minimum.) This is an enjoyable, refreshing beer and an excellent summer beer. It only has 6.2% alcohol so it won't put you away for the evening. I recommend trying Telegraph's offerings if you can find them.