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Neipa on nitro, not sold on the nitro with it, but still good.
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I can remember the Blind Pig Brewery in nearby Temecula, one of the really influential breweries early on in the movement. I was just 3 years into the Temecula Valley when Blind Pig opened in 1994. Today, founder Vinnie Cilurzo carries on the tradition with his Russian River’s Blind Pig IPA. Temecula is about an hour North of San Diego. Vinnie made his second Brewery in Santa Rosa, about an hour North of San Francisco - and who can blame him... Both Temecula and Santa Rosa are also in wine regions, that’s something to think about.

This scrumptious beer is really a refined, interesting and flavorful IPA. Seems like everything is “right” on this beer, from the head, lacing, and the really interesting hopping – really an exercise in restraint, nothing too over the top with this brew. I love the Simcoe hops, they make this ale a standout. At 6.25% ABV, it’s completely balanced and drinkable. The Blind Pig label makes note of “Citrus and Woody notes” – Yup, I agree!

Really, this is a terrific IPA, this is one you should seek out and at least try. It’s part of our brewing heritage, we all need to take a lesson from this guy. Plus they use the same (favorite of mine) Weihenstephaner-type heavy glass bottles which I re-purpose. If you can get those labels off! Brew on!

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Been to the Santa Rosa brewery a few times. Great pub food and fun place. Have not walked the downtown area yet, but will one of these days. Blind Pig is one of my faves and they now sell it at wines and more, so bonus. They also have an all Citra beer who's name escapes me right now that is good too.
 
Took the kids to BJ's Brew house last night. Order their Light switch Pils which was awful. Old and moldy! Opted for this instead which I finished only half. Had a Lager with HB pizza but the pool woes continue. Just ordered a sump pump to just drain the darn thing and start fresh.

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Just got home from a week of chaperoning 300 kids at my son’s high school band camp. I usually like to avoid saying or thinking I “need” a beer, but I think tonight I really do NEED a beer!

According to my phone I walked over 40 miles this week. And I filled and moved countless igloo coolers of ice water. On the plus side, I was in charge of driving the cart, so got to off-road across sidewalks and lawns at the University of Mount Union.
 
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The truth of the matter is I’m still dieting about half the time. (That means the other half of the time I’m NOT dieting!!!)

Nevertheless, I still have a lot of diet beer I’m chugging my way through. One of them is a surprising beer available here in the US by Bitburger. Yes, that Bitburger - better known on these shores for their great Pilsner. Bitburger Premium Pils 0.0 is definitely a Pilsner, slight hoppiness, great production and good despite the low alcohol, just one little issue….

Yes, you guessed it. A little skunky from being lightstruck in the beer case. I do appreciate the brown glass these are coming in, I really do. The Weihenstephaner and Ayinger glass is terrific. Nice dark brown, UV-blocking glass. Not so much with this green-ish light brown glass – it definitely is letting the light hit the beer, and we know what that does to the beer. ‘Nuff said. Otherwise a great diet beer, bring on the cans! Hey, I drank it anyway!

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Next diet beer up to bat is Heineken 0.0%. My Gawd, green glass, let’s not go down that road again. But no! This is a terrific tasting Heineken without a trace of skunk!

How is it I get skunk on the brown one and none on the green one? Obviously, diet drinkers must be grabbing the Heinies quicker! I think locals say “Proost”!

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Next diet beer up to bat is Heineken 0.0%. My Gawd, green glass, let’s not go down that road again. But no! This is a terrific tasting Heineken without a trace of skunk!

How is it I get skunk on the brown one and none on the green one? Obviously, diet drinkers must be grabbing the Heinies quicker! I think locals say “Proost”!

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Just a WAG, but could be that Heinie uses hop extracts, like Miller. They remove the skunk precursors.

Skunk Precursors...that'll be the name of my Loudon Wainwright III doom metal tribute band. ;)
 
I had my first Treehouse beers today, and they were terrible brews. All those beers had a 10-second head and looked like they came out of my toilet. Next week I will get their IPA.
Thanks to my guests we survived with better beers.
 

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