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Surf’s Up!

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Cam Ireland

Dude, you totally need to drop in at Surf Brewery next time you carve your way through Ventura. The place is way laid-back and they’re cranking great beer. They don’t serve food, but encourage you to bring your own.
Surf Taps

Surf FlightI’m always thrilled to see that tasters or flights are offered by breweries. That is the only way you can possibly taste all most brewers have to offer. And I have to try everything! Flights are often delivered on a brewery themed rack. At Surf you taste from a surfboard. I ordered the Longboard that coincidently allows you to hang 10 (glasses).

Standouts:

  • Shaka Rakau – Cask conditioned version of the Shaka Session IPA. The Shaka weighs in at 5% abv and 40 IBUs. Shaka Rakau is dry hopped with Centennial and Chinook hops. These varieties add aroma characteristics like; floral notes, spice, pine, grapefruit and lemon. Dry hopping adds hop aroma to the beer, but no flavor or bitterness. Shaka is a light IPA that has more hop aroma than bitterness which makes it easy to drink more than one in a single drinking session.
  • Surf – Black IPA I like Surf because it tricks your sensory system. You would expect a very dark beer to have a roasty, toasty even burnt flavor. Surf is very much an IPA at 6.5% abv and 67 IBUs of hop bitterness. The expectation shocks you when it is malty and hoppy, but not roasty and sharp. Very nice.
    Surf Board

    Biggest Surprise:
    No Food! Came hungry…left with a designated driver. 🙂

    Overall Impression:
    COWABUNGA! Order a Longboard and hang loose brah.

    CHEERS

    • Category: Beer Style, Brewery |

    Cam Ireland

    I am a BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) National judge. I am also a homebrewer. I love to taste classic styled and outside-the-box beer from around the world, explore craft beer breweries, cook and pair meals with beer and share all of these with anybody that has the same interests.

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    Handcrafted Beer Cap Neckwear

    32,10,0,70,1
    600,600,60,1,3000,5000,25,800
    90,150,1,70,12,30,50,1,70,12,1,50,1,1,1,5000
    Stone Brewing is located in Escondido, California and is known for hugely hoppy and high octane, malt-rich beers. Stone Brewing Co. was founded in 1996 in San Marcos, CA. The Double Bastard this cap sealed uses huge amounts of hops, but the type of hops used is not released. The necklace shown here was previously crimped on a bottle of Double Bastard Ale. The beer is orange-light brown in color and has a hoppy and malty nose. A mouth full of hop flavor and a rich malt and bitter/dry and finish. The hop types and IBU\'s are \"Classified\" according to Stone Brewing, but the alcohol is plentiful at 11% abv! This artisan piece was handmade using that recycled bottle cap. The cap was domed and filled with 2-row malted barley and caramel malt similar to that malt commonly used in similar beer styles. The malt is set in resin and helps add weight. This is a must have item for beer enthusiasts, craftbeer enthusiasts, Stone Brewing fans, IPA, DIPA fanatics, San Diego beer lovers or anybody that enjoys truly unique, handmade jewelry. Each piece is different as each cap has been treated differently through their travels to my beer fridge. Additionally, each cap reacts differently to the doming process. Cracks and chips may result naturally and add to the unique, unduplicated, rustic character of the finished product. The cap artwork represents the Stone gargoyle logo.
    Stone-Double Arrogant Bastard
    The beer cap shown here was previously crimped on a bottle of West Coast Double India Pale Ale (DIPA). The beer is orange-copper in color and has a hoppy and malty nose. A mouth full of hop flavor and a bitter/dry and finish. Clean and refreshing even though this beer weighs in at 95 IBUs and 8.1% abv!
    Green Flash West Coast Double IPA
    The necklace shown here was previously crimped on the bottle of Blue Moon Belgian White. Blue moon uses 2 row barley, white wheat and oats in their grain bill. They also use Valenica orange peel and coriander to give the beer the signature aroma and flavor profile of a traditional Belgian white. The specific gravity is 1.053, IBUs-9 and weighs in at a moderate 5.4% abv. The aroma is malty with a bit of orange. The flavor has a sweet start with a bit of spicy orange flavor and a nicely balanced finish from the hops. The addition of oats provide a smooth, creamy mouthfeel.
    Blue Moon Front
    This artisan piece was handmade using that recycled bottle cap. The cap was domed and filled with real 2-row malted barley and white wheat used this beer style. The barley and wheat is set with casting epoxy to hold the grain in place and add weight.
    Blue Moon Back
    Blue Moon beer cap from the side
    Blue Moon Side View
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