On the Road: Los Gatos Brewing Company

It's been nearly two years since I last wrote an "On the Road" post. However, my new gig has me traveling quite a bit. What better way to take advantage of my downtime than to visit breweries?

First up on my travels is Los Gatos Brewing Company in San Jose, CA.

To be honest, after a long day of traveling, just about any beer would have tasted good to me. I was in the mood for something light and refreshing, and Log Gatos' Kolsch did the trick. It wasn't the best example of the style I've ever had. It lacked the mild white wine quality you get from a good Kolsch yeast. There was definitely more a of a Blonde Ale vibe to my palate. Nonetheless, it did its job as a refresher. The Cask ESB was more true to style. It was served at a nice cellar temp, and carried light carbonation, plus an earthy black tea bite from the hops.

If more radical beer is what you're in the mood for, this isn't the pub for you. Despite just two locations, Los Gatos has a very corporate feel that leans toward the safe side. It honestly reminded me of a BJ's or Rock Bottom, with its safe beer and seemingly focus-group approved food menu.

That said, it was nice to find a place brewing its own beer so close to my hotel. If I'm back in San Jose again, I'll probably be back here too.

Comments

Birthday Brewing: Dark Session Saison

I've been asked to brew all of the beer for my friend's Birthday. It's in mid-August, so I have to get everything going right now . There will be five beers in all: Dunkelweiss, Wit, Saison, Dark Saison and Kölsch. Rather than post all of the recipes at once, I'm going to spread them out into separate posts. My Session Saison and SMaSH Kölsch were already underway before I was asked to brew the other beers. The Dark Saison below is an extension of the Session Saison. I've expanded the original recipe to make a darker beer. CaraMunich Malt adds a little caramel sweetness, while Carafa II brings a light dark chocolate edge to the brew. The rest of the beer is as it was before, with the same hops and yeast. Adding extra grains does push the alcohol content up a bit, but the beer still shouldn't break the 5% ABV mark. I'm anxious to try my two Saisons out side by side and taste the difference that two extra grains can make. For five gallons: Grai...

In the Fermentor: Flaming Pumpkin

I'll admit that I'm not a huge Pumpkin Beer fan. I didn't have one on my brewing calendar for this year and didn't have my sights set on one for next Fall either. Then my niece came along and threw down the gauntlet. She asked me to brew her a pumpkin beer and I accepted the challenge. I did a lot of reading to see how to best go about using pumpkin in beer. Some people mash it with the grains. Others add it to the brew kettle during the boil. Some add it to the primary or secondary fermentor. The consensus from professional brewers appears to be adding it to the mash, so I took the same approach. The pumpkin was cooked ahead of time by my girlfriend to soften it, convert some of the starch and help release some of its sugars. It then joined the grains in the mash. I really want the pumpkin pie effect here, so I've thrown in all of the requisite spices toward the end of the boil. I've also gone with just enough bitterness to balance the sweetness of the ...

Out of the Cellar: Old Man's Chest

2014 I can't believe it's been a year since I bottled my last Old Ale . I suppose time flies while you're having fun. Anyway, it's time to see what's taken place in the last 12 months. Things have changed quite a bit the last 12 months. First off, the flavors meld better than they did before. This is still a complex flavored beer, but the balance of the different pieces is more cohesive. Bitterness has faded just a bit, but still carries the black tea bite that was there before. 2013 The rum-like qualities have really cut through with time. There's an almost vinous quality to the beer that wasn't around before. This is especially true in the nose. A slightly heavy body persists that is drier than before. The beer finishes with lingering toffee and rum flavors. Overall, I'm quite happy with how this beer aged. I'd still tweak the recipe if I brewed it again, but time has made for a much more cohesive brew.

Colorado Kitchen Brew

Search This Blog