Underrated SD Breweries

I wonder when the brewing facility on Kenamar (with a tasting room) will open:

http://www.westcoastersd.com/2015/06/27/amplified-ale-works-miramar/

 

That is a good question, I should swing on by and see if there is progress. I usually end up at Duck Foot if I am on that road.

 

I don't think Toolbox is underrated - it came out of the gate with a lot of hype. After Peter left, it did lose a lot of hype, and maybe they are entering the "underrated" category now.

Count me in with Catchy and Tyrsis on Fall. They are a nice, neighborhood brewery, but it is not a destination place. If one is here and spending a few days doing 30th, definitely stop by.

Sage is correct: New English is always the number one answer to this question. I agree with Bagby being underrated, but I think a lot of that is their location in Oceanside. I still think Rip Current is somewhat underrated, but with the North Park tasting room you can at least get people in proximity to a lot of their beers.

My off the wall pick is Abnormal (attached to / part of Cork & Craft) in Rancho Bernardo. Derek's M2 is one of the best stouts I've had this year.

 

I personally thought they were a bit shaky initially. They had like 2 solid beers initially. My guess is that it was the whole trying to do too much too fast that didn't allow them to first focus on like a set 5-6 beers and then once those were solid to begin to play around. Them being 3 years old I can say that they have come around and I enjoy more of their lineup.

 

I went to the Abnormal X Alpine dinner @ cork & craft and I was blown away. A few of you mentioned M2, and I definitely agree it's an awesome stout! I heard they are going to start bottling soon which is great news. I wouldn't necessarily call Abnormal underrated, more like a very young up and coming brewery with lots of potential.

 

That was a pretty fun dinner. The surprise Kiwi Herman pairing was great, as was Mostra the Great, and the few bottles that got opened after the dinner was over.

 

Haven't had a lot of those mentioned, but I have really enjoyed the Rip Current stuff I've been fortunate to try.

 

Culture was pretty decent when I visited a few months ago.

 

Intergalactic Brewing, very underrated for what they offer

 

They definitely continue to improve but they'll need to fix their views on water if they want to take the next step.

 

Totally agree with this. Every time I have it I'm underwhelmed, whether it be nitro or CO2.

 

That style of beer cannot be consumed after anything stronger or hoppier, in my opinion. If it isn't your first beer, it is pretty much going to be underwhelming on your palate.

 

And in the Miramar area, you probably have the most variable supply in all of San Diego. They do a lot of reservoir mixing there.

 

Fall is one of the few San Diego brewers that does a great Pils, I'll give them credit for that.

 

Pretty sure Border X does this too, at least they used to when they first opened up their first facility in Otay Mesa area, because I remember the guy brewing and just plugging the hose under the bathroom sink.

Anyways, on topic. Toolbox I would say is underrated, Fall is consistently good most of the time, Mother Earth puts out good beers most the time, Amplified is usually good (as is the food, plus it's likely the best prices for happy hour at any brewery). Half Door in downtown seems to be putting out pretty good IPAs but they do not do growler fills or bottles. I thought O'Sullivan was decent with some of the beers, but I preferred their darker styles.