DB's San Diego Beer Week Continues

So, on Thursday we finished off a long day with some brews in the Gaslamp Quarter (again) when we stumble upon the Lost Coast Downtown Brown. We found it at one of the local Irish pubs and we might add that Irish pubs are becoming a theme on this trip.

Downtown Brown is described as a "smooth, full bodied nut brown ale" and that's pretty much accurate. There's something about this brown ale that is unremarkable yet once you get a taste for it you just can't move on to other brews. That really is the sign of a great nut brown - it is full bodied and brings you back for more yet isn't filling like a stout. At the bottom of each glass you really only have one option - get yourself a refill.

Today, after pulling the work equivalent of a college all nighter, we ate with friends at the Yard House. This place is not for the elder statesmen. It's loud, roucus, and focuses on the younger crowd. That said, they have something like 250 brews on tap. There is no age restriction for that kind of aesthetic draw. We settled on Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA - based on input from the knowledgeable wait staff. If you land on the left coast you need to find this beer. While not as hoppy as many IPAs, it's full bodied and has a very nice clean finish. The aroma is what gets you. Take a quick sniff before you drink and it will remind you of your first grade crush. We have one more night here and if Racer 5 is on the menu it will be hard to find a reason to experiment.

San Diego Beer Week, Almost

When we heard it was Beer Week in San Diego we hopped on the first flight we could find to the left coast to partake in the festivities. Upon arriving, we learned of other priorities (like work) that would make us miss much of the Official Beer Week activities. So, we bring you Dumbarton's Beer Week in San Diego. If by some chance we stumble upon an offical activity we'll be sure to let you know but don't hold your breath.

We first hit the Rock Bottom Brewery located in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter. Sure, it's a chain but it's the only brewpub in the Quarter and they do make beer on site. We hit up the Liquid Sunshine and the Mary Jane IPA. Liquid Sunshine is a good pilsner - full malt flavor with a nice bitter hops finish (as opposed to a flowery hop finish). By far the better of the two brews we sampled. We finished the afternoon with Mary Jane IPA for obvious reasons. It's a fine if forgettable IPA.

After drinking from the Wells at Mr. A's, we hit The Field, an Irish Pub, for a nightcap. This stop was more about atmosphere than the brews. Like any good Irish pub, the Field features low lighting, dark wood, and live Irish music. We settled down for a few Boddington's and soaked in the evening. The Field may be a regular night cap stop for the remainder of the week.