Temescal Brewing (Oakland) thread

The members pickup day is coming up on the 7th. Other than Don't Mind if I Do, we've had Hello Pale and Birthday Party Pale on tap at Caps & Taps. Both solid. Well balanced and clean. I joined because I know Wade makes great beers. I was happy to pledge after hearing he and everyone else at Temescal were opening.

 

looks like one of several new spots opening in the EB...

http://www.berkeleyside.com/2016/04/28/more-breweries-to-east-bays-booming-beer-scene/

 

Via their Facebook:

******GRAND OPENING PARTY TIME******

Hey Pals, the time has finally come: we'll be open for service this SUNDAY! Come in for a friendly pint anytime from noon to 10pm. Hurray!

This won't be just your run-of-the-mill Sunday grand opening: it's also theTemescal Street Fair! 10 blocks of food trucks, games, music, and merriment, with a stage setup right in front of the brewery.

AND! We've brewed a very special beer to mark the occasion: Block Party, a super refreshing pale ale specially formulated for optimum block party enjoyment.

Look for the big pink door, and come on in for a pint. We *cannot wait* to show you all the amazing stuff going on inside!

 

Had friends go tonight for the No Jerks pickup party. They were able to grab my items as well since I had to work. The only negative I heard was that the bartenders were pretty clueless and one even told my friend to wave her arms around and be more attentive if she wanted to be helped. No joke.

 

Same block (and side of the street) as The Gilman.

 

Wasn't too bad. Temescal fair is usually pretty mello. They had an ID check out side & you got a wrist band. Made it much easier on the servers inside. There were lines but not too bad maybe 5 minutes. Servers freindly & efficient considering the crowd. Had a solid IPA and saison. Beer garden is cheerful. Inside is a little cold yet, but I'm sure it will perk up with time.

 

i went today and can confirm that the space is dope, the ipa's solid, and the music great

 

I was there last week, and agree, the beers were very good for such a young brewery and the space is great. The over-played out hipster decor and vibe....I could do without, I think they're trying way too hard on that vibe. Luckily the beer is more important to me than the decor. Employees were all super nice.

 

The new IPA "post coast" is pretty impressive (Rakau/Chinook). Unfiltered and pretty juicy, similar to cellarmaker with a bit of a unique touch.

 

Not a lot of activity here...

My main exposure to Temescal was their release of New Feeling, which I took a leap of faith on and managed to score a 4-pack of. Lo' and behold, I was really blown away by it. Although it wasn't a punch of juiciness, it was a very soft beer with really nice stone fruit and tropical flavors.

I missed Mondo Pilsner (cans gone by time I discovered I liked their stuff) and Zig Zag (2/14 release for single people = Great! ; For paired up people like me = Not so much).

But I did finally hit up their brewery for the first time last night. Had a decent time. Tried a few of their beers:

Contact Pilsner - Good take on the German? traditional style. A touch sweeter than the norm, but easy drinking for sure.
Apricot Saison - Generic peppery saison flavor, with a little bitterness up-front and a little tart and sweet apricot on the finish
Peg Board - Pale Ale w/Equinox, Mosaic and Amarillo. That's my jam, and easily the best thing of the evening. Tons of fruity / hop flavors up front, with some bitterness and crackery malt on the end.
Up Late - WC IPA w/Cascade, Comet and Amarillo. Initially you don't taste much other than the malt base, but after a little warming, there's some bright citrus to complement the generic IPA mold. It's decent, but nothing memorable.
Push Pop - Vanilla lactose IPA. Aroma is very much an orange creamsicle. On tasting, you get the creamy vanilla up front, along with the citrusy notes of the IPA. But on the finish, the bitterness comes on strong and does not let up for minutes after you take your sip. I think it's their attempt not to make it too cloying, but I kinda feel like it would have been more cohesive if it weren't so drastically different from start to finish.

Anyway, I didn't dislike anything but they aren't Cellarmaker-level despite the connection.

Two questions for you Bay Area / East Bay peeps:

1. What are your impressions of Temescal Brewing?
2. I also just learned their whole shtick is they never brew the same beer twice, so I'll never see New Feeling again. What are your thoughts about that philosophy? And is that strategy working for them in your opinion?

 

I've loved everything I've had from Temescal, and in reference to your second question, I believe they have brought some beers back, but with tweaked recipes.

 

I'm really liking Temescal as well. And similar to Cellarmaker it's their juicy pale ales I've really been digging. And for some reason Push Pop just called to me. Along with Juice Above the Clouds and Juice Gymnastics probably my favorite of 2017.

 

Had a pour of Lucky Break yesterday and was very impressed. Might need to make Temescal my local brewery till Fieldwork irons out the kinks.

 

Yup. Definitely a big fan of Temescal beers. Excited for their can release this week. Not a huge fan of the crowd there or the stroller mom vibe on sunny days but hey, the beer is juicy and the cans are pretty.