BROTHER THELONIOUS at North Coast Brewing

Our final brewery stop on our trip brings us to the home of such greats as Brother Thelonious and Old Rasputin.  North Coast Brewing sits along the main street in Fort Bragg just north of town.  The tasting room and restaurant are situated across the street from the brewery itself.  We were lucky enough to chat with one of the brewmeisters.  She had just finished her shift and stopped in for a pint and some camaraderie amongst the locals.

It is fitting that this turned out to the last brewery on our trip as it boast the most "over the top" beers that I have had a chance to taste.  The brewmeister told us that she had recently left a brewing job on the east coast to try her hand out in California.  I have to say she is doing a fine job.

The taproom was quaint and warm if not a little crowded, but this was Holiday weekend and folks were getting an early start on the festivities.  We held off of the appetizers since dinner was waiting for us at home but the garlic fries looked and smelled delicious.  Visit when you have enough time to enjoy a few brews and some food.

As for the beer, I chose Brother Thelonious, a belgian style strong dark, named after jazz great Thelonious Monk. The Brewery makes a donation to the Thelonious Monk Institute for every bottle of Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale sold.  This beer is rich and robust with an ABV of 9.3%.  It was the most outstanding beer of the week but I couldn’t have more than one.  With a Bitterness of only 32 IBUs this one is just a little too malty for me.  Yet a tasty treat to finalize the brewery trip.

My lovely wife Amber opted for her old standby Blue Star Wheat Beer.  There is a reason this beer has been around and popular for some time now.  It’s delicious, crisp and satisfying.  Blue Star is unfiltered, the yeast adding a complex note to the flavor profile.  Although this was quite difficult to find back when she was in college it can now be picked up at most Northern California supermarkets.  

This post wraps up the brewery portion of the trip (which was my Christmas gift from Amber) but there is one more beer to come.  As it turns out we couldn't visit the brewery because it was actually at the brewer's house.  More to come....