La Costa Rasta
Back Street Brewery & Lamppost Pizza

$2 pint Mondays are a good thing, especially since I work next door to this brewpub. On to the beer.

Well....it's black in color with a moch a tan head on top. Smells like coffee and lactose. Tastes like happy. And when I type happy, I mean...you taste the lactose at first, then some molasses along with a snap of biting hop, and instantly bitter coffee takes over the rest of the beer, and sticks around in the aftertaste. Sweet and astringent. Coffee with cream. I'll take it, but a pitcher would be pushing my limit.

To pump myself for this composition, I activated one of my favorite song lists, containing choice melodies from Team America: World Police, Now You're a Man from the Orgazmo soundtrack, and Long Tall Sally by Little Richard.

Why am I so happy? Well, the Bruery is fairly close, but not quite close enough to suit my casual drinking needs. My search in Irvine and neighboring cities hasn't been hit or miss: it's been miss. Karl Strauss: *vomit*. B.J.'s - no thanks. Bayhawk Brewery ... man, not only is there the Bayhawk Incident, but the beers are typically bad and often infected. Newport Brewing is too far away, and Tustin Brewing is dead to me.

Which leaves Backstreet Brewery, only a few blocks away. Tried a smattering of their stuff over the years, but only dedicated myself recently. Well, after five to seven misses, I found Tye Dye Rye to be quite good. However, this was the real gem. I can see why it was sold out the last two times I tried to order it (bartender tells me this was a particularly good batch, but I'll assume it will always be this good).

Pours black with a light tan head. Smell is roasted malts, with a bit of chocolate. Aroma is nice, but doesn't blow you away. Very good taste, though. Roasted, charred malts lend an acrid, bitter gravitas that's balanced by a wonderful sweet, milk chocolate flavor. A shot of espresso in there, and maybe even an earthy hoppiness.

Very nice creamy mouthfeel, if a tad thin (but well within appropriate range for style).

**the beer's name is a pun on an Italian synonym for Mafia ... FTW.