From left to right, Stone Pale Ale, Firehouse IPA (bottle and glass), and Stone IPA.

Beer of the Week

San Diego

By: Sam Parker

Posted: 3/9/09

Last week's College Newspaper Convention in San Diego provided me with plenty of new ideas to enhance my ad sales, as well as some great local brews to sample. The area is home to many microbrews which are always a better option than a 30 rack of Busch. In California the cheap beer of choice for many seemed to be Tecate Cervesa. The Tecate is straight from Mexico. Aside from the cheap beers there are many microbrew options elsewhere that are considerably tastier.

The first one that I sampled was a Stone Pale Ale. I purchased this one with dinner at the hotel when we first arrived. The beer comes off the tap in a pint glass with a finger's width of off-white head that has average retention. The brew is a dark amber color when held to the light. The lacing on the glass is decent, and the aromas are enjoyable, although nothing too exciting. The smell is fairly malty with hints of some citrus and minimal hops. The taste is well balanced and a good representation of the style. The medium mouthfeel combines with a fairly clean finish. Overall, this beer provides nothing new or spectacular, but it is a good session beer.

The next beer I had was another Stone. This time it was their IPA rolling in at a strong 6.9% alcohol per volume. Unlike the Pale Ale, this brew was served in a bottle.

I could not get a good sense of color and head retention as it was in a bottle. The aromas are strong, pine, malts, hops, and again some citrus. The taste is quite bitter, while still maintaining a decent balance with strong spices that complement the aromas. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation, leaving a slight coating this time. This beer is not for those with a weak palette. Overall I was fairly disappointed with this beer; I am not sure what I was expecting from it, but it definitely seemed to be lacking that extra something. The Stone IPA can be found at CJ's for those who wish to try it.

The next beer to disappoint me on the west coast was another IPA, this time made by the Firehouse Brewing Company. The beer was poured into a pint glass from the bottle. The beer is golden light brown when held to the light with about an inch and a half of white head. The head retention is good, as is the lacing on the glass. The aromas are quite plain compared to the other beers. There are hints of malts, pine, and citrus, but otherwise there was not much there. The taste is also quite mediocre and plain. The hops were not strong enough for the style. Lingering grapefruit and sweetness backup the slight bitterness. Overall I was disappointed with this beer as well.

The fourth and final beer on my San Diego beer tour was a Yellow Tail Pale Ale that I had with dinner on the last night of the conference. The brew was served as a 24 ounce draft in a frosted mug. The beer is golden in color with two inches of head that dissipates quickly. The lacing is minimal at best with a thin layer of head linger on top of the brew. The aromas are mostly that of citrus and malts; it seems that everyone in San Diego only knows how to make pale ales. The taste, again, is quite mediocre at best, seeming to be only a minor step above a beer such as Coors. It was quite refreshing, probably due to the fact that it was served ice cold in a frosted mug. Mouthfeel is light, crisp and clean. Overall, this is another fairly boring and mediocre beer.

It seems as though the only microbrewed beers produced in San Diego are boring pale ales. The brews by Stone were quite good, although nothing to be excited about. In all fairness, it could be a difference in taste preferences between New England and San Diego. These beers are definitely all worth trying, so do not neglect them based upon my poor reviews. As always, enjoy responsibly and respect your beer.