Hello there, outwars here. I'm a fairly new appreciator of beer. I was recently enlightened to the different flavors beer has to offer and I try to document my journey through it. For my #BeerSaturday post I will share my experience with Faction Brewing's Beers.
My sister and her husband really like their beers. After visiting the Alvarado Street Brewery last time, they wanted me to try the Faction Brewing beers. What's pretty cool with this brewery is that it is located in Alameda California, USA. So it is only a few minutes drive from their house.
This was a very interesting place. The tables and chairs are very simple, but the area was so large. They told me that this location and surrounding buildings were a military hangar before, and was eventually used by businesses.
The weather was cold and sunny, so it was a perfect time to stay outside. We then headed to the bar to choose our beer. Being a brewery, they offered a lot of different beers on tap. They have a lot of Pale and IPA beers to choose from, as well as some Saison and Pilsner.
Since there were three of us, we each decided to get different types of beers and have a sip from each one. For starters, I had the "Factions Pils", my sister had the "Split Open and Spelt", and her husband got the "Harvest IPA".
The Faction Pils were a yellow, straw color with a small amount of head. I can smell the slight aroma of hops and malt. For the taste, I took in some notes of malt and a slight citrus taste. It was very light and crisp to drink. In a sense, very drinkable.
We then took a sip of the other beers. Saison isn't my favorite because it is usually sour. I still think IPAs are an acquired taste due to their bitterness. But interestingly the Harvest IPA wasn't that bitter, and was also very drinkable.
We continued to have a wonderful conversation, and had a lot of catching up on how our relatives are, and also looking back on our childhood. We ordered a few more different beers and just enjoyed the moment.
Looking around, this place really feels unique. It is in California which is a big State that is usually very crowded. But the view makes it look and feel like you are so far from civilization. I think this is a really great place to unwind and get away from things. With good beer and good company, I can see this as a mini vacation spot within the city.
