... GREAT DIVIDE ... YETI taphandle sighting ...

It's here!! The newest brewery exposed to the south bay is upon us. Great Divide comes to us from Denver, Colorado bring none other than deliciously crafted ales of various styles. We here at WFM El Segundo have brought in two amazing kegs. Tapped right now is YETI. "It starts with big, roasty malt flavor that gives way to rich caramel and toffee notes. YETI gets its bold hop character from an enormous quantity of American hops. It weighs in at a hefty 75 IBUs.  9.5% ABV" (from Great Divide.com) YETI is a multi award winner and a perfect fix to these soggy days that are upon us.

CHEERS!!

Just wanted to thank all those that have been coming to all the LABEERWEEK events so far, especially ours here at Whole Foods Market El Segundo. It's been quite a successful celebration so far so lets keep it going for a few more days. Don't forget, Rob Tod from ALLAGASH will be here on Thursday and Sunday will be the Schneider's tasting wrapping up our LA Beer Week festivities. Plenty of Schneider's draught to pour and glasses to give away \ so come in have a pint and stay a while.

New Belgium – Fat Tire Amber Ale 6.2%

Fort Collins, CO

            What we have here is an old, new favorite. My first introduction to Fat Tire was years ago and didn’t go so well. As of today you can find me reaching for this moderately hopped amber at any given point in time throughout the week. A nose and taste of sweet hazelnuts followed by a perfect balance of malt can be delivered in each bottle, can or pint glass. I suggest going out today and rediscovering what is a super tasty flagship brew from New Belgium Brewing Company. Cheers Dallas!!

Just Tapped.....

LA Beer Week is off and running!! as promised, 2 fresh kegs from Schneiders are tapped and ready for all. Come by the bar and order either a glass of the original Schneider-Weiss or Schneider Aventinus and walk away with a complimentary Schneider glass!! Proper glass for the proper beer! This deal is running only until the 17th so be sure to come in quick and often. CHEERS!!

Stone Brewing Co. – Sublimely Self Righteous 7.5%

Escondido, CA

            Black Double IPA. Confused?? You should be. Nowhere in the world could you imagine a beer of such crafting. STONE, has answered the calling. I have known about this beer for a few years now (um, Stone 11^th anniv??) and it easily fits top of my charts. HUGE piney, citrus hop aromas climb out of the glass where a sophisticated body with dark malts encompasses an IPA with a dark jacket of goodness. This beer will confuse most, but just know it is an amazingly delicious Black DIPA. Find it on draft (or bottle) because my growler is near empty, which means another trip to Stone!!

Also, if you happened to drop by NAJAS last night for the kickoff of LA BEER WEEK (labeerweek.com) than you had a chance to try a supercharged sublimely self righteous with an intense amount of dryhopping. amazing.

Cascade Brewing Co. – Kriek 2009 7.3%

Oregon
            SOUR!! This ale is a full, frontal assault of oak, wood and sourness that is amazingly delicious. With just enough Kriek (cherry) to give it a tart funkiness, this beer is a sipper and a great way to finish a night of tasting big beers. Not an overwhelming sourness but just enough to amuse the biggest sour fans out there.

Lost Abbey – Deliverance 11%

San Diego, Ca

            Lost Abbey is the one of the few leaders of Belgian inspired ales coming from San Diego county. A blend of Bourbon Barrel Aged Serpent’s Stout and Brandy Barrel Aged Angel’s Share, this dark beauty is a beer to be enjoyed by many. It pours darker than midnight, with sweet, oakey robust flavors emanating out of the chalice. Each sip makes the palette decide whether you are drinking serpents stout OR angel share. Enjoyed on draft and will be searched for by bottle!!

Brouwerij Bosteels – Triple Karmeleite 8.4%

Belgium

            Belgian triples are known for their fruity esters and this is no different. A light, golden body leads to an incredibly refreshing Belgian beer that goes down super smooth with a crisp and dry finish. The oats, barley and wheat gives a complexity that entertains the palette on each sip. Coriander and sweet orange peel dominate this ale, which masks the alcohol and allows it to pair up with light seafood or salads. Hailed as “Best Ale in the World” in the not to distant past. Comes in a 750ml or 4-pk of 12oz bottles.

PS......

All events at the store start at 5pm and go until roughly around 7:30. Be sure to get there early, get a good seat and not miss out on any tastings that may have run out!! See you all soon!!

Stone Brewing Co. – Sublimely Self Righteous 8.7%

Escondido, CA

            Black Double IPA. Confused?? You should be. Nowhere in the world could you imagine a beer of such crafting. STONE, has answered the calling. I have known about this beer for a few years now (um, Stone 11^th anniv??) and it easily fits top of my charts. HUGE piney, citrus hop aromas climb out of the glass where a sophisticated body with dark malts encompasses an IPA with a dark jacket of goodness. This beer will confuse most, but just know it is an amazingly delicious Black DIPA. Find it on draft (or bottle) because my growler is near empty, which means another trip to Stone!!

This Just Tapped....

2 new draughts are up and running!!

DOGFISH HEAD - Punkin ale - 7% abv
KERN BREWING - Pumpkin - 6% abv

LA BEER WEEK Oct 7th - Oct 17th

An 11-day celebration will begin on Oct 7th and run through Oct 17, celebrating all that is beer throughout LA county. Various events and tastings at your local craft beer bars will be holding festivities so be sure to checkout www.labeerweek.com to stay up to date. Here at Whole Foods Market, El Segundo, we will be doing our share with 4 events:
October 7th    
STRONG ALES     $10     - featuring ales that hold 9% abv and above

October 10th  

GREAT DIVIDE BREWING CO     $5  -a new addition to the south bay area. amazing!!

October 14th   

ALLAGASH           $10     - with host Rob Tod (founder) and some artisanal cheeses

October 17th  

Schneider-Weiss      $10    - with guest host and cheese pairings

Also we will have a Schneider-Weiss draft special running from Oct 7th - Oct 17, order a schneiders aventinus or schneider-weiss and keep the glass!!

Kern Brewing Company – Just Outstanding IPA 6.95%

Kern, CA

            The name says it all!! This IPA is outstanding and can be found in 22oz bottles and if you are lucky, a wise gastro-pub will be pouring this on draught. An aggressive hop profile climbs out of the glass when poured with peach, apricot and grapefruit notes being most notable. From that point, the taste and mouth feel are everything an IPA should be – spicy, bitter, notes of caramel and leaves the gums tingling from the resinous hops.

This just tapped!!

Saying goodbye is always hard to do. Especially when a super tasty double ipa keg from Mission Brewing (shipwrecked DIPA that is) runs dry. However, when that keg is replaced with another crazy good beer from San Diego, all becomes well in a hurry. So, next up is an immensely tasty, dark, dark, roasty oak barrel aged creation known none other Old Viscosity Ale by Port Brewing Co. This ale weighs in at 10% and pours darker than any motor oil known to mankind. With notes of cocoa, coffee and a bit of sweetness, this dark ale should not be taken lightly.

NEW EVENTS

October is here in a few days and our latest Tapas Calendar is up and ready. Be sure to stop by the tapas bar and pick up your copy.

Ballast Point Brewing Company – Sculpin IPA 7.0%

San Diego, CA

            One of my ultimate favorites, so it’s only fitting this would be my first post. First off, this IPA is bursting with notes of grapefruit and citrus permeating through a creamy dense head of foam. The taste is smooth and full of floral hops that leave the palette tingling with a mild bitterness. A killer 22oz. IPA from San Diego County and a must have for every fridge. Lastly, Ballast Point was voted Small Brewery of the Year at the World Beer Cup 2010.

Something new....

Welcome to the WFM, El Segundo Beer Blog. With so many new beers coming and going and so many people asking for " something new but really good", I felt it was time to tap into the virtual world and bring information about our beers to your PC. What this blog will do is keep you informed on new things hitting the shelves, status on new releases, tasting events and of course, reviews on beers!!

 CHEERS!!