What great timing for this profile as just last night I got the opportunity to meet Patrick Rue, founder of The Bruery. I played it totally cool and was……..wait, sorry, that’s a lie. I was really caught off-guard and immediately went into fanboy mode and found it hard to completely gather my thoughts and put together full sentences. My mind was lost as I quickly tried to think of something to say. Here’s a transcript of my thought process as I’m standing there fumbling: “Ask him about the Berlinerweisse, what its called?…Damn, I can never pronounce any of their beers…Find a gun and demand a case of Chocolate Rain…I’m an idiot…Walk away now before it gets worse.”
Despite my best efforts to self destruct, I managed to shake their hands while sincerely thanking them for supporting the DC craft beer scene. Now let’s talk about the actual brewery since one of California’s best is in town tonight!
Location: Placentia, CA
Type: Production brewery
Available in DC Market: Yes
Beer #1: Lokal Red (American Amber, 6.9% ABV )
Beer Advocate: B+ (54 Reviews)
Rate Beer: 97 Overall, 100 Styles
Notes: I really like what they did with this common style and made it their own. Nice and balanced amber with great notes of oak and sweetness on the finish. This beer also features the Sorachi Ace hop, and the interplay between the lemon of the hops and the oak really is very interesting. Don’t think of this as ordinary amber and instead enjoy its unique qualities.
Beer #2: Mischief (Belgian Strong Pale Ale, 8.5%)
Beer Advocate: A- (273 Reviews)
Rate Beer: 98 Overall, 95 Style
Notes: This is the kind of beer I want on a hot summer day. It has more body than a Kolsch or lawnmower-style beer, but is still light and refreshing. Mischief is crisp but not sharp and full of some contained Belgian funk. Slightly floral hops and semi-dry finish. I don’t prefer to pair this with any food as the subtleties of this beer are really a joy to taste if you can pick them up.
In a short amount of time The Bruery has already established a massive following earned on their dedication to brewing phenomenal beers. Their aspiration to be an “influential force in craft brewing” has already been achieved and will certainly remain the same for a long time.
This profile is a part of the DCBEER.COM SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2011 SAVOR participants.
Beer Review Disclaimer: The beer reviews found on Beer Advocate and Rate Beer do not represent the opinions of this site. We provide these in the hope that they will serve as a resource showing what some craft beer fans have thought of the beers. These reviews can be a helpful guideline, but are not the be-all end-all about a beer’s strengths or weaknesses.
