Crown City Brewery, Pasadena and a world class stout named Black Bear
Jul 18 '01
The Bottom Line Crown City is Pasadena's oldest, but lesser known brewpub. I found the place very friendly while the Black Bear stout I tried was nothing short of exceptional.
I’d never visited the Pasadena area before, but since we were staying in North Hollywood, we decided that we should spend the early afternoon in that part of LA. My first intention was to visit the Gordon Biersch brewery, which I did, but then later found out about Crown City, which is a little more off-track and harder to stumble across.
We almost missed it driving by, but were very pleased once we found it. Most brewpubs today have something of a new trendy look to them, no doubt trying to hit on the Yuppie crowd, but Crown City, now in its 14th year, definitely appears more of a “locals” watering hole or alehouse.
A huge collection of beer bottles old and new, as well as other memorabilia decorated the walls, as well as an almost as sizeable collection of plaques commemorating the “greatest drinkers”, telling me instantly that this was a local’s bar.
Not only were there 6 house brewed products on tap, there were also about 15 other interesting draft choices including Bitburger, Fuller’s ESB, Newcastle, Bass, Beamish, Heineken, Anchor Steam and Anchor Old Fog Horn. You wouldn’t think they needed to bother, but the bottled range is even more impressive with well over an additional 100 beers.
My wife indulged in a bottle of Lindemans Cassis Lambic (great choice), while I arrived at a choice of the brewery’s Black Bear Stout
Other Choices:
I didn’t make a note of the other beers that were on offer, but year round offerings are Arroyo Amber Ale, and Mt. Wilson Wheat (a Krystal Weisen). The menu also lists 12 other rotation brews, all but 2 of which are seasonal.
Black Bear Stout
Brewery Description: Very dark and roasty.
Very dark is as good a place as any to start describing this ale. It’s black, and dense with an impressive tan foam that sits well.
The aroma is not quite so definitive, pretty subtle. A little detection work reveals some creaminess, a subdued coffee, and slight smokiness. This really doesn’t tell you about the boldness of flavors that follow.
It’s thick in body but surprisingly drinkable with good signs of carbonation.
A heavy malt sets in the flavor, with a deep roasty coffee flavor, more so than in other stouts I’ve tasted. There’s a less obvious caramel and creamy smoothness, while the aftertaste is dry and slightly bittering.
The smooth, creamy coffee characteristics that dominate the flavor linger well and satisfyingly long into the aftertaste.
Verdict
I wouldn’t call this beer particularly complex but what it does, it does extremely well. The boldness and full flavor make this a must try for any fan of stouts. I should also add that my wife, definitely not a stout fan, thought this one to be drinkable too.
This turned out to be a real surprise of a find and a true experience to savor. I’ll probably be hanging out there on my next visit to Dodger stadium. It’s a 5 star beer, no doubt about it, and highly recommended.
Critical Ratings
For those requiring a little more detail:
Appearance: 5/5 Aroma: 7/10 Palate: 5/5 Flavor: 9/10 Overall 18/20
Score: 4.4
Availability
At the time of my visit, the beers were only available on draft. I enquired about bottling, which they do on location at various times (unfortunately not this one), but I was lead to believe that they only sell their beers at the brewery.
They also keg beers to go, available in 5, 7, and 13 gallon containers, and will loan you all the necessary set ups.
Crown City Brewery
300 South Raymond Avenue
Pasadena, California 91105
Tel: (626) 577-5548
Email: ccbrew@earthlink.net
Webpage
http://www.crowncitybrewery.com/
Contact
Note: I did not see these people on my visit
Dennis Hartman (Marketing)
Mike Lanzarotta (Brewer)
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