From the Beer Writer: It’s common for there to be little, if any, beer on-tap when I first visit a brewing company. Often times, I’m there days, weeks or even months ahead of their public debut, taking photos and interviewing owners and brewers for West Coaster. My initial trip to 13 Point Brewing, the first brewery ever established in the city of Lemon Grove, came one day into its young existence. A grand total of three beers graced the menu board. Though a literal first draft, one really stood out from the admittedly limited pack: Blue Lake Brown Ale. Named after a Lemon Grove street that was home to an empty backyard pool popular among local skateboarders, the beer balances flavors of roasted chestnut, hazelnut and minute hints of tobacco, delivering all of that in a smooth, easy-drinking package. It’s a great rookie effort that figures to evolve into a flagship offering for 13 Point.
From the Brewer: “Our original goal with this brown ale was to get something close to the browns we love to drink around town and abroad…super drinkable ones. The Blue Lake Brown Ale is our crushable showcase of what roasted malt can taste like. A medium-bodied, American-style brown brewed with UK brown and chocolate malts, this ale lends itself to the mocha sweetness left lingering after that last sip of morning Joe. The most common question we get about it is, ‘How much coffee or chocolate did you put in this?’ To which we grinningly reply, ‘None.’ It gives us a great opportunity to educate the consumer about the color and different malt flavors in beer. We hope this exceptionally palatable brown will help alleviate some of the negative stigma that often accompanies ‘dark beer.'”—Robert Bessone, Head Brewer, 13 Point Brewing