Bottle Bar East
Tonight I am trying a brew from a Beer Company that is coming
into the Philadelphia Region, but has a solid following out in California. I
was in Philly for Philly Beer Week and I stumbled into Bottle Bar East near
Frankford Hall, which is where I spotted the beer I am trying tonight. I have
heard good things about this beer company and I saw beer styles I enjoy, so I
grabbed two of the beers from the brewery. Since obtaining these beers I have begun
seeing beers from this beer company popping up at local distributors. I am glad
to see them entering the Philadelphia market. I hope this can be the start of
some more California craft breweries coming to Philadelphia.
Modern Times Beer Company
Let's dive into the beer company I am exploring tonight.
Modern Times Beer Company is located in Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego,
California. They have a 30 bbl production brewery and tasting room. Modern
Times obtained it name because of a beautifully crazy utopian community in
1850. "Modern Times" was a utopian community built on Long Island,
New York in 1850, a bunch of wingnuts thought they could demonstrate to the
world what a more perfect society might look like. The brewery was founded by
Jacob McKean, a beer geek and former Stone Brewing Company employee. They
picked the name Modern Times because they were fascinated by the colorful,
ambitious, little pockets of history the develop in the folds of progress, the
forgotten little paradises that barely register in the onward rush of
civilization.
Taste Room at Modern Times
Their beers are (almost always)
named after real utopian experiments and mythological utopias. They focus on
(non-monogamously) on aroma-driven, complex, flavorful, sessionish brews. They
often brew hybrid styles, combining the features we like from established
categories to create new, Island-of-Doctor-Moreau-style mash-ups. They brew
loads of special releases and one-offs batches, allowing them to pursue their
various whims. They have even dedicated a brew tank to beers fermented with
Brettanomyces- an alternative yeast strain that is capable of producing
distinct flavors, and their sour program is on its way.
Label of Lomaland Saison
Time for a look at the beer I
am sampling from Modern Times Beer Company. I am trying Lomaland Saison, which
is their Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale. Lomaland got its name because of the
brilliantly crazy utopian community that was the first settlement built on
Point Loma, the San Diego neighborhood where their fermentorium is located.
Lomaland has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.5% and an IBU or
bitterness of 30.
Appearance of Lomaland
Now time to talk
about this beer I have been waiting to try, Lomaland has a bright hazy golden
appearance to it. The foam or head of the beer lingers a little after you pour
this beer, then it quickly dissipates and leaves no traces behind. The aroma of this beer is pulling me in further and further. I notice a barnyard aroma that could be attributed to a hay or straw aroma. The next aroma is a typical Belgian aroma of a bubblegum aroma. There is a subtle spice note that is noticeable because of the Saaz hop addition in the brew. The aroma and the appearance drawn you further towards the Farmhouse style ale.
Profile of the beer on the can
I am ready to find out the taste of this beer. I took my first sip of this utopian brew and I was hooked to it, The first thing taste note I noticed was a fruity ester to the body of the beer. There is a well balanced body to this beer. It switches taste notes effortlessly and makes notes hard to pinpoint. It sweet then hits you with a spice note, which then hits you with a bitter hint. The bubblegum aroma is noticeable in the taste, but I cannot say precisely when it hits you. I would say the it's paired with the fruity esters in the body of the beer. The beer has a light to medium body that finishes with a dry finish. There is a hint of spice that lingers on the tongue after you finish your sip.
Look out for LOMALAND
Overall, I think this is a great brew and an awesome Saison. I might have to say this is the best Saison I have tried recently. The spice note that can be overpowering in this style is not the focal point of this brew. The body of Lomaland is smooth and leaves you wanting more of this beer. I think this beer could be dangerous on a hot day. The beer is sessionable and something that I think would take the bite out of the heat on a scorcher hot day.
Check out Modern Times Beer Company out on their social media and their website:
Check out Bottle Bar East on their website and social media:
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