A Second Visit to Bottle Logic Yields Awesome Beers
Board of Beers and tap handles
Having been to Bottle Logic a year ago, I have been wanting to return ever since and finally found my opportunity the other night. Following a stop at Phantom Ales, which closed at 8pm, along with a few other folks, we decided we would make the 3-minute drive right on over to Bottle Logic, which did not close until a couple hours later. While I had enjoyed a flight of six IPAs when I visited a year ago, they only had three IPAs on-tap the other night, so I decided to start off with three non-IPAs, then move on to the IPAs. It turned out to be a wise move.
Flight of 6 beers
I started off with the Berlinear Equation (4.9% ABV), a Berliner Weisse with blueberries, which was delicious, had a lovely amount of tartness, and was not very wheat-y tasting, as I have found amongst some Berliner Weisses, which helped me enjoy this beer. Also, the blueberries tasted nice, although the fruitiness actually reminded me of passionfruit, which was delicious. While I started off with this beer, I would frequently return to it throughout my flight to help me reset my palate. It’s a very pleasant Berliner Weisse. Next up, I tried the Triple Point (8.6% ABV), a Belgian tripel, which was boozy, effervescent, and noticeably herbal (which I couldn’t quite place the herbalness of it, but it was very distinct). For my final non-IPA of the night, I was absolutely blown away by the utter deliciousness of Strangematter (10.5% ABV), an imperial saison brewed with pink peppercorn, holy basil and orange blossom honey and aged 6 months in chardonnay barrels. Wow! Wow!! Wow!!! Strangematter is amazing! Strangematter has a fruity nose and little “wine-y”, which expands on the palate to be fruity and sweet and all sorts of deliciousness. I don’t know how to further communicate the awesomeness of this special beer, but this beer was the best of my evening!
The Strangematter was AMAZING
It was hard to move on from the awesomeness of Strangematter, but I did – I still had three IPAs awaiting my consumption. I started off with Recursion 7.0 (6.5% ABV), a west coast IPA with Simcoe and Mosaic Hops, which was a newer version of the beer I had drank the previous visit, and it had a lovely piney nose. On the palate, the pineyness was still very noticeable, while there was also some grapefruit going on. It is also fairly soft on the mouthfeel for an IPA. Next up, I tried their Teacursion (6.5% ABV), a west coast IPA finished with tropical tea, which had a much calmer nose than the previous beer and a very similar palate, yet it was less piney. Finally, I drank the Double Actuator (9% ABV), a double IPA, which was closer in aroma and taste to the Recursion 7.0, yet it was noticeably smoother. This more noticeable smoothness coupled along with more taste intensity, as well as even more grapefruityness made it my favorite IPA of the evening.
The tasting room has expanded
While there, I noticed some physical changes since a year ago, including moving the tasting room just a little bit into the fermenting room, which was a nice touch. Also, there were fourteen beers on-tap, including five constants, which one can taste for a reduced rate. I ended up tasting one of them from someone else, which was the Glög Glög Glög (9% ABV), a spiced Belgian ale, which was fascinatingly delicious and I recommend it. I liked it so much, I got a growler fill of it to take home, which was a wise move, especially since it is, curiously, one of their least expensive beers of which to get a growler fill.
I think their IPAs are good, but I also enjoyed their Berlinear Equation and Glög Glög Glög and super-enjoyed their Strangematter, which was phenomenal. This trip to Bottle Logic cemented in my mind that they are one of the better breweries in Orange County and certainly worth visiting – and now I can also say not just for their IPAs.
