Red Trolley Ale and Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale

I'm gonna spice things up around here with a couple of beer reviews every now and then. It's been suggested to me by a close friend of mine. Why not? Beer is great.

Let's get this out of the way: I am in no way a beer snob. In fact, I'd go so far as to say whatever brews I sample on this blog are wasted on such an inferior beer-taster's palate.

That said, I love beer. I really, really do. Cheap beer, expensive beer, craft brews, that piss bottled by Budweiser, Miller and company—I can thoroughly enjoy any of them. Naturally, writing about something I like makes a lot of sense.

My buddy Chepo got into microbrews before any of our friends, and to be honest, the guy is infinitely more qualified to talk about beer than I am. But God knows he can't write worth anything.

As Chepo's obsession with craft beer grew (even to the point where he made his own), so did the tastes of our group of friends. We'll gladly drink crappy beer to numb our brains and talk shit, but we do like to spoil ourselves with the fancy craft brews when we can. I can guarantee you won't be sorry if you try some for yourself (if you haven't already).

I'll start with two ales I've had very recently. The first is Red Trolley Ale, which I first encountered at KDB in Long Beach. It's brewed by the Karl Strauss Brewing Company. I had it off tap, served in a standard pint glass. Being the philistine I am, I can't quite tell you in detail how it tastes, but man, it was one of the best I've ever had. It was kind of toasty with a hint of caramel. I prefer beers on the sweeter side, and this was spot-on. It featured a wonderful, toasty flavor with a splash of caramel. Every time I go back to KDB, I find myself downing large quantities of the stuff. I can honestly say it brings to mind a beverage they'd feature at a more alcohol-centric Starbucks. I would probably set up a tent in front of a place like that.

The next beer I tried was Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale. And oh my God, was there a lesson learned there. I always had craft beer straight out of the bottle up until that point, which heavily affected the way I enjoy it. Craft beer straight out of the bottle tastes like syrup to me. We had it outside, next to my fire pit that night. We had two bottles left over, the Dogfish Head and Red Trolley.

I poured the Dogfish Head into a weizen glass (the one that has kind of a bulb at the top). And when I drank it, I experienced an entirely different beer from the one I had the night before. It was somewhat similar to the Red Trolley, but with a much more complex flavor. It was a tad smokier with a touch more caramel taste to it. I'm sure the flavor profile goes much deeper, but I don't yet possess the skills to properly describe it.

If that was even remotely interesting, check back for more of my experiences with beer. I guarantee I'll try to keep it fun along the way.