I went to Toronado early this evening for two, quick IPAs. (Toronado has a great beer list and every time I go I tell myself I am going to try something different, but I always seem to resort to an IPA or two.) The first was an IPA from Santa Barbara's (Goleta) Hollister Brewing Company. It was the
White Star IPA. It was on nitro and that gave it creaminess. It had tight white foam that stayed all the way down the glass. My notes say that there was a taste of cloves, and a piney, floral bitterness. The bitterness remained strong throughout the finish. This was an excellent IPA. I don't know much about Hollister, but some posters on BeerAdvocate are complimentary. You don't see Hollister Brewing's beers that much, and I would recommend this beer if you get a chance.
I decided to stay with an IPA after priming (numbing) my taste buds with White Star's hop kick. I thought it a waste to try a more subtle Belgian-style beer. I was going to try Port's
Doheny Double IPA, but the bartender said it was 10% or more alcohol, which was just too much this afternoon. I opted for a
Blind Pig, which is an excellent consolation. I had not had one for some time and I have been missing out. While the White Star was damn good, Blind Pig was sublime. Its piney hop flavor and balanced malts make this IPA hard to beat.
I went to Toronado early this evening for two, quick IPAs. (Toronado has a great beer list and every time I go I tell myself I am going to try something different, but I always seem to resort to an IPA or two.) The first was an IPA from Santa Barbara's (Goleta) Hollister Brewing Company. It was the White Star IPA. It was on nitro and that gave it creaminess. It had tight white foam that stayed all the way down the glass. My notes say that there was a taste of cloves, and a piney, floral bitterness. The bitterness remained strong throughout the finish. This was an excellent IPA. I don't know much about Hollister, but some posters on BeerAdvocate are complimentary. You don't see Hollister Brewing's beers that much, and I would recommend this beer if you get a chance.
I decided to stay with an IPA after priming (numbing) my taste buds with White Star's hop kick. I thought it a waste to try a more subtle Belgian-style beer. I was going to try Port's Doheny Double IPA, but the bartender said it was 10% or more alcohol, which was just too much this afternoon. I opted for a Blind Pig, which is an excellent consolation. I had not had one for some time and I have been missing out. While the White Star was damn good, Blind Pig was sublime. Its piney hop flavor and balanced malts make this IPA hard to beat.
1 comment:
White Star is a great brew by Hollister indeed!
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