Beer of the Week: Southern Seas

From the Beer Writer: Summer is not only the sunny season. It’s also the brewery-anniversary season…at least in San Diego County. Come this time of year, brewery birthdays are so common that, often, several will take place on the same weekend. Despite the ubiquity, each celebration brings with it its own unique assortment of atmospheres, activities and, of course, beers. In the case of Pacific Islander Beer Co., which will celebrate its eighth year in business Saturday, June 18 (with customer-appreciation events leading up to and following it next week), their big “bash” will include a pair of bands, island vibes and a trio of beers, including this week’s featured beer, Southern Seas. A San Diego-style pale ale—defined as big on hop aromatics and bone-dry—this Nelson-hopped specialty starts out with tartness akin to gooseberries or tomatillos. That fruitiness is quickly replaced by an big petrol presence underscored by underripe apricot notes, with the beer finishing with bitterness that goes beyond the realm of citrus pith and into resinous, piney territory. Even with all those big flavors, the beer remains rather crushable thanks to its dry texture and substantial carbonation. It makes for a nice way to toast an anniversary as well as a San Diego-borne beer style.

From the Beer Writer: “For Southern Seas San Diego pale ale, I was trying to create a beer that says ‘San Diego’ out loud! The beer is a pale ale by most statistics, but I went a step further and made sure we got a clean malt taste with super-crisp hop-forward flavor. Nelson’s delicacy is something we all fell in love with and its something that we wanted our East County friends to enjoy with us.”—Eric Stubbs, Brewer, Pacific Islander Beer Co.