Hop Juice – Oggi’s

Look: Golden, with a white head

Taste: slightly hoppy, but more sweet than anything.

Conclusion: Not as advertised! We expected a beer with the name Hop Juice to just curl our toes, make our eyes squint, and our lips pucker… we got none of that. Instead, we got a very, very sweet beer that was thick and creamy. It was definitely a barley wine, and you could feel the 9.4% alc. in the beer, but the sugar just did not make this a very appealing beer.
It had a slight hoppy flavor, but the taste of granulated sugar just killed anything this beer had going for it. We expected sharp, Double IPA style beer and got a melted beer smoothy instead. It was a very disappointing way to finish our pizza at an other wise good brewery.

A 4 out of 10

Torrey Pines India Pale Ale – Oggi’s

Look: a very nice golden/ orange look when held up to the light

Taste: a very sharp, hoppy initial taste that was great, but had a very fruity finish. It had the subtle taste of peach or apricot that stood out after the sharpness died out.

Conclusion: Although I am not a very big fan of fruity beers, this one may be an exception. I loved the initial sharp flavor that stunned your taste buds, but then the fruity flavors came in to sooth the buds so they wouldn’t revolt. It was like a hot nurse telling you it will be all better as she caressed your head and put a bandage on your head wound.
I was impressed with the depth and complexity of this beer. It was a great job by the brewer to be able to have two flavors from opposite sides of the spectrum come together in one beer and not hit you at the same time, but rather one after the other. And, I usually never say this, but this beer burps really well. Most beers burp bitter or just nasty, but the flavors you belch from this beer actually make you want to drink more of this beer.

A 6 out of 10

Paradise Pale Ale – Oggi’s

Look: light brown, but darker than gold… some would say a mahogany color.

Taste: Initial hoppy taste with a dry finish. You can definitely taste the malt and hops in the beer, which is a good thing.

Conclusion: Paradise Pale Ale is a simple, strait forward brew. It is pale and its an ale – plane and simple. There is really not much depth to the beer, which is unfortunate. It looked promising, but just did not deliver. After every sip, it left me wanting, but the after taste just never came. After the initial burst of flavor dissipated, you felt and tasted nothing…

A 4 out of 10

California Gold Blond Ale – Oggi’s (OC)

Look: Golden/ blond with a light white head

Taste: Strong initial barley taste with a slight sweetness to it. Has a bitter finish with a bread/ yeasty after taste.

Conclusion: The beer was very light and refreshing. It was definitely a step above Buttwiper (Bud), but just didn’t really do it for me. I do enjoy a good blond from time to time, but like in life, its hard to find a blond you want to settle with. The search for the perfect blond continues…

A 5 out of 10

Oggi's - Black Magic Stout

Look: Midnight black. Seriously. Can't even see light through, even at the edges. Brown head.

Taste: Sweet, coffee flavored brew with toasty malted flavoring.

Conclusion: This stout has a harshly dry finish. The initial taste is really not too bad and has a classic stout taste. Nothing too intriguing but a strong hearty stout. It's like a really sexy chick who realizes you're staring at her boobs. It's all fun and enjoyable at the start, then...Smack! The dryness slaps you upside the head.

I suppose the harsh dryness at the end makes this brew unique. Black Magic though? Hey, whoa, let's not get carried away. Black card tricks is more like it. An average but unique stout.

6 Brew!

Oggi's - McGarvey's Scottish Ale

Look: Brick red coloring with a small, creamy head

Taste: Slightly smokey and smooth(for damn sure) as silk

Conclusion: Sorry I was in a hurry to tell you how great this brew is. Wow, this dark ale is a stout in ale's clothing. There is a strong barley flavor that is extremely pleasant, paired with balanced hoppy and roasted flavors.

This was, by far, Oggi's best offering out of their 7 or so concoctions. What a pleasant surprise from a tiny little micro brewery. This has to be one of the greatest ales I've sampled. Just an enjoyable brew all the way through the tasting. Fantastic Scottish ale with a well above average taste. Big Gay Al would say....THUPER! I agree Al.

9 Brews!

Oggi's - Sweet Spot Hefe

Look: Orangish-yellow, like watered-down orange juice with almost no head

Taste: Sweet initially with a hint of cloves. Mix of fruity and spiced flavors

Conclusion: Do I like trying new beers? Yes, but occasionally I run across a waste of space like this one. The mouthfeel was akin to a Hefeweizen but the flavor....BLEHH!!! My buddy and I couldn't figure out what the hell it was that tasted so bad until we checked the description of it. Apparently they brew this sick little puppy with cloves and bananas?!?!

Okay, I'm all for experimenting and creating new and exotic beers but if you brew something wouldn't you taste it before serving it to the innocent masses? I guess not. Simply put, this one was triggering my gag reflex. I couldn't even finish the small tester. Puke-orama!

2 Brews!

Oggi's - Sunset Amber Ale

Look: Maple syrup colored with a tiny head

Taste: Roasted barley with a smoked taste all the way through. Just a tad bit of sweetness.

Conclusion: This was basically a toasty, malted version of Oggi's pale ale. It had a dry finish and was barely sweet. Overall, just a boring Amber ale. Not a horrible drink but nothing really special going on here...yaaaaaaawn. Boring beers make me sleepy.

4 Brews!