Courtesy Moylan’s
As thrilling as my A’s stretch run at the end of last season was, I gotta give it up for the Giants. Two championships in three years is no fluke. They’ve got something special there, and their recent long-term signings signify that they know it. They’re gonna be a team to reckon with for some time to come, and if you’re a Giants fan, you’ve got to be excited.
Why this digression into sports? I congratulated the Giants in my own special way the other day, with a bottle of Moylan’s Orange & Black Gongrats Ale. I missed the first version a couple of years back, so when I saw this on a restaurant menu, I had to give it a try.
This is an American Black Ale, brewed with oranges (clever). I’m normally not a huge fan of fruit beers, but this unusual combination works well. The malt-forward richness is complemented by an orange creamsicle twang at the back of the palate. Quite delightful.
Now the challenge falls to Oakland’s brewers to come up with a winning recipe when the A’s take it all this year. A Golden Hemp Ale, perhaps?
Courtesy 8 Wired
Skipping all the way to the other side of the globe, I recently enjoyed my first New Zealand brew — Hopwired IPA from 8 Wired Brewing. Now, having the hop-soaked West Coast palate that I do, I gotta admit I tried to keep my expectations low. How would this stack up against the beers I’m surrounded by here in the (arguably) IPA capitol of the world?
I must say, they did good. After a few sips, I placed it kind of between a Pale Ale and an IPA, with grassy hops that were not too pronounced, a fairly light body, and a touch of white pepper on the finish. However, the hops became more pronounced as the glass warmed, with a hint of candied ginger at the very back. A nice, smooth IPA that would stack up well with anyone.