Atticus - Strand Brewing Co.

kojevergas

California

2.66/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

1 pint .9 fl oz brown glass bottle with white minimalist label and standard unbranded black pressure cap acquired at a local beer store for $5.99 and served into a conical Samuel Smith's pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are average; this is me first beer from this brewery. "Small Batch ~ Unfiltered." 7.2% ABV according to the label on my bottle.

Served cold, straight from the fridge, and side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a 3.5 finger light khaki colour head of nice cream, nice thickness, and good (~5 minute) retention. Body colour is a clear translucent caramel-amber. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. A bit more colorful than most beers in the style; I'm looking forward to trying it.

Sm: Caramel malts. Juicy floral hops. Light grapefruit. Toasted malt. A light to mild strength aroma. There's not much going on compared to other local beers in the style, but I'm optimistic. No yeast character or alcohol comes through.

T: Toasty caramel forms the body, true to the label's description. Bready. Generic floral hop character is all I really get hopwise. Some bitter grapefruit - light by west coast IPA conventions. It's not all that well balanced at all. Decently built, but boring. No yeast character or alcohol comes through. There's not a whole lot of flavour here. Meh. Simple and unambitious. The noticeable bitterness really destroys the balance.

Mf: Nicely smooth. Wet. Unrefreshing. Lightly creamy. Good thickness. Decent body. Overcarbonated. Suits the flavour profile only in a general sense.

Dr: Why brew this? A simple IPA with no ambition or boldness. This won't satisfy fans of the style, nor will it attract new ones. It's quite boring and I see no need to buy it again. Not recommended. Drinkable but forgettable. Disappointing. If the other two Strand beers I picked up are as mediocre as this, I won't be in any hurry to buy their other offerings.

C-

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 02:19:36 | More by kojevergas

FosterJM

California

3.65/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

1629th Review on BA
Draft to Pint
16oz

@Caseys Pub, Los Angeles, CA

App- I was expecting a tulip glass for this but instead got a standard pint glass and this had only about an 1/8" of bubbles that was white in color and filled to the brim. Didnt really notice the lace or cling. Solid orangey/amber color and top color heavy.

Smell- This had some good aromatics behind it. A nice balance of the hops and malts without being to overly boozy. Solid caramel and tropical fruits with some solid pine/resin aromas coming up as it warmed.

Taste- The overall impression of this beer is they were shooting for a blending of styles. Maybe an IPA/Amber combo. Very malty with tinges of fruit and caramel to balance out the pine and resin flavors. A little unbalanced but still drinkable. Not the best DIPA from CA. But at an Irish pub, nice to see a local option.

Mouth- A full bodied medium beer with a solid medium creamy carbonation. The hops are full and a tad bitter with some fruit remaining and a large amount of malts to bring some cracker/bread to it.

Drink- It was good, wasnt great. A solid local option, but with other Nor.Cal and So. Cal options to choose from, this one could get lost a bit.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2012 17:31:33 | More by FosterJM

Halcyondays

California

3.68/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ, presumably named after the famed lawyer from To Kill a Mockingbird,

A: Pours a medium amber to burnt orange with a solid white head, leaving good lace.

S: Fairly pungent with lots of citrus, hints of grass, malt and herbs.

T: Dominated by the grapefruit, lemon zest and pine hop characters. Malt is mild at best despite what you would think from the colour. A fairly "by the books" CA IPA, but it tastes good and is made well to style.

M: Crisp, clean, attacking carbonation but not over the top.

D: Solid IPA, very CA, nowhere near the beauty of 24th St., but hey you can't hit a home run every time.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2011 00:51:00 | More by Halcyondays

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beachwood Brewing

A: The beer pours a deep amber (almost copper) with a finger of khaki head.

S: Nice citrus hops on the nose, mostly grapefruit, with a bit of orange and tangerine. There is some pine and bready malt, which gives it a mild sweetness. A lightly herbal hop note, too.

T: The hop character is heavy on the pine with some floral, mild grass, and a decent citrus flavor. There is perhaps a bit of toasted malts and bread and a fairly perfumey hop flavor. Mild bitterness, but somewhat sweet for an IPA.

M: The body is medium, as is the carbonation.

O: I was looking forward to this one, and while it was good, it didn't really blow me away.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2011 20:33:04 | More by womencantsail

DoubleJ

California

3.68/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

...and on to the beer:

It's hard to call this one "pale". With its dark red color, it's more like an India Red, hein? The head on top is patchy, retains well, and laces well around the glass. The nose isn't super hoppy, but it is respectable. There's pineapple, toffee, and some mango coming through.

This is more of a bittersweet IPA, but don't be confusinng that as "balanced". Resin is there, there's pine as well, and subtle tropical fruits and a good sized malt base makeup the character to this IPA....sorry, IRA. With the big malt bill, the beer seems to take on a body that is nearly full.

It's a good beer in general, however not the intense hop experience I was hoping to receive. In fact, its 24th Street stablemate is much hoppier than this.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2012 22:45:28 | More by DoubleJ

snpub540

California

3.73/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at The Bottle Room. Poured a nice dark copper hue that was nice and clear. Topped off by a tan head but doesn't. Leave a lot of lacing.

Smell was citrus and resiny notes mostly pine. It was kind of faint. It didn't really blow me away.

Taste was grapefruit and nicely bitter upfront with a touch of malt balance to keep things calm in the middle. A lot of pine and grass in the finish. Drys out the mouth and makes you take another sip.

This beer had a medium body and was sticky from the hops. Easy drinking IPA that had some good flavor and went down smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2011 00:31:04 | More by snpub540

Zorro

California

3.73/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Clear dark amber colored beer with a tan colored heads. Really dark, I'm just going to call this one red.

Smell is malt and strong hops, distinctly a grapefruit scented beer. Strong tea wood and grapefruit sums up the scent.

Starts out sweet and savory with a mild bitter bite. Strong tea and woody flavored it gets more bitter as you drink it. Sort of basic in the flavor department.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall Basic IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 23:38:52 | More by Zorro

whatthehull

California

3.8/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted June 19th 2011 (from notes)

Poured into an English pub glass

A - a deep amber/copper, off white but very little head and no lacing

S - light pine and floral hops, malt, malt and more malt and slight yeast

T - nice fruity note, a hint of floral, pine, a bit of grass, nice malt, big on grains and slight yeast

M - kind of chewy, medium bodied, medium acidity and long finish

D - great beer, nice bitterness, no sweet, nice earth tones. Just a well rounded and crisp IPA

Final thought - if you have never had an IPA, start with this one

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2011 16:59:12 | More by whatthehull

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.8/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Amber and copper color, almost no head sticks around or leaves any lace within 1 minute of the pour. Pretty hoppy, no other detectable aromas out of the nose.

More and more hops, definitely unbalanced unabashed in the west coast stylee for yall. Plenty bitter, but it at least backs it up with a good stinging hop mouthfeel leaning citrus wise. Slight alcohol remains in the mouthfeel, not a detraction, not complimentary either. Almost nothing to speak of in the malt department, pale, crystal possibly, but its all speculation since 99% of what you taste is biting bitterness and heady hoppiness.

Pretty good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

12-26-2011 02:34:30 | More by Beerandraiderfan

augustgarage

California

3.9/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap @ Tony's Darts Away - Reviewed from notes. Served in a 10oz nonic.

Burnt orange body with bright flame highlights all topped off by a thin beige head with excellent retention. Pasty lasting.

Delicate aromatics with citrus, marshmallow, and a fresh generic herbal quality. Hoppy, but I'm not sure which varietie(s) were used.

Surprisingly bitter palate entry - almost abrasive, without being too pine forward. Faintly toasted malt comes out for balance but is still dominated heavily by the bitterness. Bitter melon, roobois tea, lemon leaves, and earthy hops lead into a dry cutting finish.

Medium-bodied with active carbonation.

A bit one-dimensional, but still a distinctive take on the style that hop-heads and lovers of bitter beers should appreciate.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2011 21:45:55 | More by augustgarage

kevanb

Illinois

3.94/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

On tap at Lucky Baldwin's in Pasadena

It pours a dark amber, very clear, few bubbles rise to the surface. A nice frothy white head sits atop the beer, lots of lacing and good head retention. The aroma is very resinous, lots of piney and oily hops, quite earthy, a healthy caramel malt balance, simple grain and cereal at the end. The flavors are awesome, tropical fruit, earthy hops, mild citrus, big notes of pine and sap balanced very well with caramel malts, big thick bread flavors, a bit of carawayesque spicing at the finish. The body is spot on, super thick and full, medium carbonation, goes down so smoothly.

Verdict: This is becoming my go to IPA when it comes to the local LA scene, I love the malt balance on this beer. Drinks a bit like a hoppy amber, but I'm not complaining, very quaffable.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2012 22:02:32 | More by kevanb

UCLABrewN84

California

3.95/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Lucky Baldwin's in Pasadena, CA.

Pours a clear copper with a foamy tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, citrus fruit, and citrus zest. Taste is much the same with a medium citrus zest hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some nice aromas and flavors that make it quite easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2012 06:53:34 | More by UCLABrewN84

Jree261

California

4.18/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Very nice red copper color with a dark eggshell foam out of the bottle.

S: Floral and grassy. Not bad but not special.

T: Best part of the beer, balanced between strawberries and floral hops.

M: Medium-Full Bodied. Too heavy for me for more than one.

O: Good beer. Great flavor and color.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 00:41:01 | More by Jree261

BeerBuckeye

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a pint on-tap at BoHo in Hollywood

A - Pours a reddish/amber color with small, 1 finger head that doesn't dissipate at all. Lingers for a while.

S - Provides some citrusy/grapefruit smell with a lot of grassy hops. Has an almost herb-y smell. Quite interesting

T - Wallops with a lot of grass and pine hops, a bit flowery. Could taste a tad of grapefruit that actually balanced out the bitter hops very well. Almost added a tinge of sweetness.

M - Good mouthfeel, goes down smooth with just a tinge of alcohol.

Overall - I was impressed. A solid West Coast IPA. Very good.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2011 20:35:05 | More by BeerBuckeye

GbVDave

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass at Kincaid's Redondo Beach 1/8/12.

A: Served a perfect hazy peach color. A suprisingly thin but creamy off-white layer of foam on top that left barely a trace of lace behind. Carbonation was perfectly lazy.

S: Off whiff of bleach or cleanser (which I'm sure was due to the bar and no fault of the beer) that hung around for the entire glass. What also stuck around for the duration was hops. Huge amounts of hops. Pine, grapefruit, and tangerine rind with nice balance from toasted malt.

T: Exactly as above except that the bleach/cleanser of the smell is in the taste just breifly in the beginning.

M: Bracingly hoppy. Oily mouthfeel in the beginning that turns prickly and dry by the finish. Impressive.

O: An excellent West Coast IPA. Would try this again in a heartbeat.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2012 14:49:55 | More by GbVDave

vacax

California

4.5/5  rDev +24%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a deep copper, red and gold hued, unstylistically cloudy, relatively little lace. Aroma was full on hoppy with citrus and pine stickiness, brighter hops than expected from the appearance, stinging flora, definitely a hop bomb with no malt on the nose.

Flavor is hugely citrusy with grapefruit and orange, intense flora with geranium, bordering on overhopped for the alcohol content, fully bitter. The color indicates a distinctive malt presence but the beer is balanced (or unbalanced) enough that it is still decesively "west coast" and malt character is generally absent in the aroma and flavor. This is generally a good thing in an American IPA and this is not an exception.

The one place the malts might show up are in the feel, where the beer is nicely thick on the palate, yet the fully prickly carbonation keeps the drink crisp and refreshing. This makes drinking a couple pints easy, and so I did. A formidable IPA I would love to see on tap again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2010 19:14:57 | More by vacax