Mongo

Pizza Port Brewing (Carlsbad, CA)

"Enjoy this Mongo-sized wave of hop goodness, from our brewers to you.
Our flagship Double IPA, Mongo harnesses the flavor of Columbus, Cascade, Centennial, and Simcoe hops. Massive resinous aroma leads to citrus notes with a piney bitterness on the finish."

ABV 8%
Hops: Columbus, Cascade, Centennial, Simcoe

Nor Cal Love

King Kong Brewing (Sacramento, CA)

A solid West Coast IPA. Bitter, subtle citrus and pine.
Good, not great ... but refreshing and tasty.

ABV 6.8%

Symphonic Chronic

 Deschutes Brewing (Bend, OR)

"Symphonic Chronic is a melodious mashup mixing West Coast kettle hopping with East Coast dry hopping, biotransforming hop aroma and flavor into a bright, skunky, tropical symphony."

Not sure what I was expecting ... but it wasn't this.
Huge hop presence, somewhat dank, that is nicely offset by a bit of tropical fruit sweetness. Very good.

ABV 7.2%

Punch a Dinosaur

Federation Brewing (Oakland, CA)

"Aromas of sour stone fruits from experimental hop HBC-692, with a clean tart finish. An extinction-level feast for the senses that will have you giving that raptor the old what-for."

I thoroughly enjoyed this beer. Surprising as I usually don't care for "sours".

ABV 5.1%

Pivot

Federation Brewing (Oakland, CA)

"Light and drinkable pale ale with just a touch of bitterness. Spelt lends a nice biscuity backbone to prop up the super citrusy aroma."

A bit bitter with some spicy warmth.
Just OK.

ABV 6%, 19 IBU

Maderine Pale Ale

 Crooked Lane Brewing (Auburn, CA)

"Mandarin Pale Ale is one of our flagship beers, featuring fresh-squeezed juice from Colwell Thundering Herd Mandarin Ranch. It’s crisp and satisfying with a delightful citrus aroma and dry finish. Mandarin season may only come once each year, but now you can raise a glass and celebrate year round!"

Very nice local Pale Ale brewed with locally grown mandarins.
Deliciously crisp, bitter citrus flavor with a dry finish.
 
ABV 6.1%

TRUE Kölsch

Almanac Beer Co. (Alameda, CA)

"It’s TRUE, this German Kölsch-style ale is a crisp, light and unfussy beer that makes enjoying food and friends just a little more wunderbar. Prost!"

Tasty and refreshing. A very good summer sipper.

ABV 5%

Allagash Black

Allagash Brewing (Portland, ME)

"Technically, there is no such thing as a traditional Belgian stout, but we went ahead and made one anyway. In creating the beer, we took the aspects we loved in Belgian beers and used them to craft a stout."

Deep roasted malt flavors and a very pleasing touch of sweetness.
I could, and may, drink more than one of these!

ABV 7.5%,  IBU
Hops: Northern Brewer, Glacier
Malt: Allagash 2-Row Malted Barley Blend, Local Pale Malt, Black Malt, Local Oats, Torrified Wheat, Chocolate Malt, Roasted Barley
Yeast: Belgian Abbey-Style
Other: Dark Belgian Candi Syrup

Folsom Dam Good Pils

Fort Rock Brewing (Rancho Cordova, CA)

"Our award winning, best selling beer.
Smooth, refreshing and delicious. 2017 Gold medal winner of the CA state fair brewing competition for Czech-Style Pilsner."

Simple. Straight forward. Delicious!

ABV 5.2%, 25 IBU
Hops: Saaz
Malt: Pilsner

Tierra Madre Lager

Mother Earth Brew Co (Vista, CA)

"Thirst-quenching, crisp & snappy are all adjectives that come to mind when drinking this fresh, light Mexican-style lager. We use Vienna malt and corn to give the malt profile just enough oomph to separate this beer from its mass produced imported and domestic counterparts. Authentic lager yeast and cold fermentation ensure it ends up a dry, even-keeled session beer."

Mexican-style lager, as a rule, is my least favorite beer style. Once in a rare while, I find a craft-brewed "cerveza" that is pretty good ... this one is extremely good!

ABV 4.5%, 20 IBU

Tropical Hazy IPA

Anchor Brewing (San Francisco, CA)

"Crack open some tropical vibes.
Fresh aromas of mango and pineapple give way to a refreshing and crushable flavor."

Very enjoyable. Easy drinking, pleasantly fruity.

ABV 6.5%

Voodoo Ranger Captain Dynamite

New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, CO)

"Captain Dynamite IPA is locked, stocked, and fully hopped and he’s here to drink beer and kick ass, and he’s all out of beer. This hazy IPA is juiced with Mosaic, Simcoe, and Cascade hops and exploding with tropical flavors and aromas."

Lots! of tropical hoppiness. Big and bold with a redeeming hint of sweetness.
Clean smooth finish ... tempted to have another, but at 7.7% this is a 'one and done'.

ABV 7.7%, 45 IBU