I've been meaning for quite some time now to write a review of a beer from my hometown's local brewery. Black Diamond actually hails from neighboring Concord, CA, but their first stab at a brewpub was located in Walnut Creek, so that's close enough. I'm quite sure that none of you have ever heard of it, but Black Diamond has actually put out a couple of quality brews. This time around, I've gone with their amber.Steep Trail is a very hoppy amber. The hops hit you up front and linger on for quite a while. There is a faint but persistent carmelly malt flavor that compliments the hops quite nicely, though in the end this is still a hop-dominated brew. A light body and substantial carbonation make this a very refreshing amber, and helps prevent the bitterness from becoming overpowering.
At the moment, I haven't seen this beer outside of Walnut Creek and Concord, so a recommendation isn't going to accomplish much. But I am still happy to put in a plug for the home team. And if they ever grow beyond their humber Contra Costa County roots, remember, you heard it here first.
2 comments:
Available at your local Sacramento and Davis stores as well.
Black Diamond is available throughout Northern CA, Nevada and Oregon at BevMo, Lucky, Save Mart, and many Whole Foods. Safeway stores in the East Bay carry Freestyle Blonde and our IPA.
Also a new variety pack in the following Costco stores: Concord, Danville, Livermore, Richmond, Sacramento, Fairfield, Vacaville, Woodland, Roseville, Reno, Sparks and Carson City. Coming to Costco soon: San Jose, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Stockton, Chico and Antioch.
Many smaller chains and bottle shops as well, Lunardis, Nugget Markets, Cosentinos, Draegers, etc.
Thanks for the nice write up!
Cheers,
Mike Pierce
Black Diamond Brewery
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