It’s Friday and that means it’s time for another beer tasting!
This week, our beer comes from Turlock, California’s “Dust Bowl Brewery” — and we’re tasting seven of their offerings: Taco Truck Lager, Hops of Wrath IPA, Dust Bowl Days Lager, Kash Krop Ale, Peace Love & Soul IPA, Tomorrow’s Clear IPA, and Therapist Imperial IPA or, as we refer to it, “Dust Bowl’s Magnificent Seven”!
Which beer stood out? Which beer wasn’t so great?
Let’s find out!
We start with…
BEER: Kash Crop Ale
ABV: 4.5%
MATT: 3.5/5
DANIELLE: 3.5/5
LOOK: Clear, light gold with a quick dissipating head.
SCENT: You get a LOT of pear on the nose. Very fruit forward. You might also get citrus if you’re lucky.
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: A lot of fruit. Reminds me of a light champagne. Doesn’t come across as an ale unless it’s meant to be a light ale. Perfect for summer and BBQ’s. Lots of pear on the tongue with some citrus, acidic notes after that. Crushable.
FINAL REFLECTIONS:
BEER: Taco Truck Lager
ABV: 4.7%
MATT: 3/5
DANIELLE: 2.5/5
LOOK: Clear, golden color with a dissipating head.
SCENT: Wheat and some sweetness on the nose. Maybe some bubble gum if you try hard enough.
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Wheat and tastes just like a Lager should. The issue is that it’s just boring and screams out for a food to pair it with. As the name says, would go GREAT with tacos or pizza. The savory flavor and spiciness of the tacos would be a perfect match.
FINAL REFLECTIONS:
BEER: Dust Bowl Days Lager
ABV: 5.0%
MATT: 3.5/5
DANIELLE: 2.5/5
LOOK: Golden color with a dissipating head.
SCENT: Wheat and some sweetness on the nose. Maybe some bubble gum if you try hard enough.
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: A thicker mouthfeel than the previous lager and very sweet on the back end. Malty with some wheat. Is very good on its own and a better Lager than Taco Truck was.
FINAL REFLECTIONS:
BEER: Peace, Love & Haze Hazy IPA
ABV: 6.3%
MATT: 3.5/5
DANIELLE: 2.5/5
LOOK: Hazy gold color with a quick dissipating head.
SCENT: A lot of pine and citrus on the nose. Some grapefruit in there as well.
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Thick mouthfeel. A lot of citrus notes and some hops. Bland by IPA standards. Not as aggressive as its “juicy” counterparts. The fruit is there but the flavor is just too weak. Tastes a little like orange juice that’s fermented after sitting in your fridge a bit too long.
FINAL REFLECTIONS:
BEER: Hops of Wrath IPA
ABV: 6.6%
MATT: 1/5
DANIELLE: 1.5/5
LOOK: Extremely clear golden color.
SCENT: Either I have Covid or I’m getting absolutely nothing on the nose. There’s no scent. If I shake what’s left in the can, I can MAYBE get some citrus.
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: There’s no taste to this. Like, none whatsoever. Either I have a bad can or I’m insane. There’s some bitterness which is expected with an IPA but, beyond that, I’ve got nothing. It tastes like a watered down tonic water. Might pair well with something sweet or maybe a sharp cheese but I wouldn’t drink this again.
FINAL REFLECTIONS:
BEER: Tomorrow’s Clear West Coast IPA
ABV: 7.3%
MATT: 4/5
DANIELLE: 4/5
LOOK: Extremely clear golden color.
SCENT: Rich tropical fruit and citrus on the nose.
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: This beer has a rich fruit flavor, nicely offset by the IPA bitterness, with a light, yet creamy finish. What an outstanding IPA this is. Flavors don’t all completely shine through but this is very good. You could mistake it for something middle-of-the-road or lighter but you’d be wrong. Some alcohol does sneak through. One of my most favorite summer beers and indicative of our state.
FINAL REFLECTIONS:
BEER: Therapist Imperial IPA
ABV: 10.4%
MATT: 4.5/5
DANIELLE: 3.5/5
LOOK: Golden and slightly hazy
SCENT: Citrus and malt…almost reminiscent of Jameson Black Barrel
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Some citrus, heavy hops, slightly thicker than the last beer, yet surprisingly light for a beer of its stature. Nice flavor on the tongue with some fruit and cream and citrus. Bitterness and alcohol sneaks up to you on the back end. Outstanding IPA and the best out of the seven tastings by a hair.
FINAL REFLECTIONS:
SUMMARY: A good tasting with a decent start, a decent middle, and an excellent finish. The top beers for us are the highly-recommended “Tomorrow’s Clear” and “Therapist” with the bronze going to Dust Bowl Days Lager, which is a great, crushable, easy-going, drinkable beer.
You can hear our final thoughts here!