The Beer List is back with a vengeance at The No Seatbelt Blog, as two different batches of gift brews were bestowed upon me by friends and brothers this Christmas season. I’m kicking off the resurgence by cracking open the first of seven beers that my good friend Chris brought back from California as a birthday gift for me. Just upon seeing the name, I already loved it, and decided that Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company’s Weiss Weiss Baby would be the first down the hatch. 

As soon as I popped the tab on the 12-ounce can of magic, I got a noseful of hops. Seriously. Holy hops, Batman! That full-frontal assault on the olfactory nerve was a bit of a front, luckily, as the actual flavor of the beer is more complex. The hoppy taste is still strong with this crystal weiss beer, but is strangely complimented by the presence of tropical fruits, spice, and as labeled on the back of the can, “notes of fresh-cut grass.” I noticed that before I started drinking, and it turned into one of those “now that you mention it, I do taste grass” situations. It’s hard to be sure, though – it’s either entirely psychosomatic or these guys really did dump lawn clippings into the brewing vats. The beer pours a heavy golden color, and is not quite transparent.

Despite the strong aroma and taste of hops, Weiss Weiss Baby is incredibly smooth, and its agreeable carbonation and average 4.9% ABV level only add to the drinkability factor. Although I’m drinking it now, as the year draws to a close, this beer lends itself to the days of spring and would be most enjoyable outside, in a breeze warmed by the sun. Being a fan of hoppy beers for the most part, Weiss Weiss Baby was quite enjoyable, boasting 40 International Bittering Units (IBU), which is a typical starting point for the India Pale Ale style of brewing.

Figueroa Mountain’s main brewery is located in Buellton, California, and it has several other locations, including taprooms, up the California coast, north of Los Angeles. Check out their website here for information on the founders, their other beers, their brewing process, locations, and much more! There are many more beers on the docket for The Beer List, so stay tuned for more in this series, as well as everything else The No Seatbelt Blog has to offer! Drink up!