Capistrano Brewing Company Reviews

daknole	2.7 Capistrano Honey Pale Ale Im assuming this is the house beer served at Big Daddy’s BBQ. They told me it was brewed by these guys. Light amber pour. Honey, caramel and faint hops. Flavor is sweet and has notes of caramel and honey. Served ICE cold, so hard to gauge it. It did go well with the BBQ though. Friday, May 7, 2010
blutt59	1.7 Capistrano Hefeweizen bottle, muddy yellow with no head, aroma is flat cardboard, flavor has a little lemon with a blank finish Friday, July 10, 2009
jgb9348	3 Capistrano Hefeweizen Hazy golden coloured body with an orange glow and a very thin white head. Aroma of malt, yeast, wheat, coriander seed, fresh lemons and some nice clean scents. Medium-bodied; Assertive sour puckering flavour of lemons and limes tucked in with yeast and wheat and a bit of coriander seed. Aftertaste shows some complexity, but a lot of the sour gueuze flavours show through too - interesting! Overall, a nice beer, a bit odd for a hefe - but definitely good to try! I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, California on 18-May-2009, sampled at home in Washington on 15-June-2009. Tuesday, June 16, 2009
alexanderj	2.3 Capistrano Amber Ale Bottle; purchased at Hi-Time, which is the only place I have ever seen it. Color was a reddish/brown amber with very little head. Aroma was extremely fruity to me, with some sweet malt or caramel. I hope that this beer is a bit past its prime, because it definitely was approaching some nasty sourness. Infected? Some caramel and toasted malt. I probably should rate this again, but being surrounded by so much other good stuff might prevent that from ever happening. Friday, February 27, 2009
bhensonb	2.7 Capistrano Honey Pale Ale Orange tinged gold color with a decent white head. Something of a sweet orange aroma. Near medium body with creamy carbonation. Flavor seems to be a mildly honeyed orange - but the finish is rather dry, and the bitter seems to be from hop, not zest. Sunday, September 7, 2008
DarkElf	1.4 Capistrano Hefeweizen 14-Aug-08 (12-oz bottle: Purchased 12-May-08 for $2.09 at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, CA) Another oddly tart beer from this new brewery. Some spicy, wheat and sweet banana flavors are discernable if the beer is held on the tip of the tongue, but once the beer travels a bit farther into the mouth, acidic lemony tartness takes over. Metallic finish. Long after the beer is swallowed and the acidity wears off, that hint of "hefeweizen" comes back. But essentially, this beer is going south in a hurry and the majority of these twelve ounces will find the kitchen sink. Light-bodied, well-carbonated and fairly dry on the palate from the acidity. Aromas of stale bread, metal and lemony citrus. Cloudy, golden-yellow in color, capped by a small, fizzy, whitish head that quickly and noisily dissipates within a few seconds. With the obvious sanitation issues with their bottles, hunting down this brewery’s few draft accounts is the probably the best bet. Monday, August 18, 2008
DarkElf	2 Capistrano Honey Pale Ale 03-Jun-08 (12-oz bottle: Purchased 12-May-08 for $2.09 at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, CA) For a honey pale ale, the expected flavor are strangely pushed to the side. Malts are grainy and light, hops are spicy rather than citrusy or piney, and the honey sweetness is fairly far in the background. Rather, this beer is mildly tart and has an odd spiciness to it, suggestive of hot peppers. I have to hope that some unwanted visitors are frolicking in the beer. Similarly, the beer smells tart and highly spicy with only some moderate dustiness to offer a sense of normalcy to this pale ale. Dry on the palate, medium in body and medium-high in carbonation. The tartness and spiciness, combined with the carbonation make for a lively mouthfeel and a bit of a chili beer kick. The beer pours a hazy, golden body with half an inch of off-white head settling to a filmy layer and wide ring. Not a good beer, but possibly (hopefully!) suffering from a mild case of infection blues. In any event, the beer tastes bad enough that it’s actually making me look forward to taking a dose of Ny-Quil to combat the beginnings of a cold. Monday, August 11, 2008
DarkElf	3.1 Capistrano Amber Ale 01-Jun-08 (12-oz bottle: Purchased 12-May-08 for $2.09 at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, CA) This is a nice amber ale. It’s dry and toasty rather than sweet and caramely, and the floral and citrusy hops add nice balance of flavor and mild bitterness. Some husky character in the finish, but it’s not astringent and seems to fit just fine, even if it’s technically not desirable. The very toasty nose shows a light touch of corn husks and a hint of sourness, but the hops are barely detectable. Light-medium in body with no drop-off in the finish. Carbonation is light-medium. The beer is dry and mildly hoppy, and this makes this amber ale quite refreshing on the palate. Clear and coppery-amber in color with a small, off-white head that settles to a wide ring. Only a few spots of lace stick to the glass. Fairly simple overall, and a bit more weight wouldn’t hurt, but it’s tasty, easy to drink, and quite enjoyable. Monday, August 11, 2008
Taverner	1.6 Capistrano Honey Pale Ale Flavor is popcorn. F’n popcorn. Tastes like buttered popcorn with a little sourness in the background. Pours crystal golden with white head. Monday, June 9, 2008
bhensonb	2.5 Capistrano Amber Ale Orange amber color with a decent white head that didn’t last. Aroma is sort of carmel wheat. Near medium body with creamy carbonation. Flavor is sort of an orangy wheat plus a slight sour. Finish iw rather dry with a bitter resembling grapefruit rind. Not very malty at all. Not really to style. Monday, March 17, 2008
bhensonb	2.9 Capistrano Hefeweizen Bottle shared with Marcus. Light citrus aroma. Hazy, densely dusty orangey color with sediment floating around. Decent head. Near medium body with very soft carbonation. Flavor is more like orange juice than anything else. Light citric sour finish. Unusual, but good, wheat beer. Not a typical hefe. My rating is off this chart, but I love the unusual (remember Betelgeuse?). Monday, March 17, 2008
marcus	2.1 Capistrano Honey Pale Ale This golden ale poured with a thin off-white head. There is a citrus orange flavor with a slight honey finish. Monday, March 17, 2008
marcus	2.3 Capistrano Amber Ale This hazy amber brew poured with a decent beige head thata dissipated quickly. It has a sour orange flavor with very little substance. Monday, March 17, 2008
marcus	2.1 Capistrano Hefeweizen This blonde ale poured with a thin off-white head. The flavor is slightly sour citrus that overpowered the wheat. Monday, March 17, 2008
douglas88	2.7 Capistrano Amber Ale Bottle thanks to riversideAK. Pours a light orange amber, with a small white head. The aroma is a sweet malt and earthy qualities. The taste is quite light overall; some hops, a earthy sweet malt, and really light sweet candy like flavors. Thin and pretty safe. Not bad. Sunday, December 16, 2007
riversideAK	2.5 Capistrano Amber Ale Light and sweet caramel malts with just a touch of butterscotch and a little nuttiness. Light amber in color no head. Flavor is a little nutty and a lightly sweet caramel malts. The palate is super thin, almost watery. The finish is a little crisp, but thats about it. Its better than their other beers. I would drink it if there was nothing else. Thursday, November 29, 2007
riversideAK	2.2 Capistrano Honey Pale Ale Didnt really get much of an aroma. I guess a wierd sourness. Pours a dark gold with no head, a little white lacing. Honey flavor dominates this one. Grain, honey sweetness, a little bit of an uncleanly taste. I dont get hops. I do however get a lingering disgusting taste. Man this brewery sucks. Wednesday, July 4, 2007
riversideAK	1.1 Capistrano Hefeweizen Sweet wheat malt aroma. Some buttery notes too and something like a vanilla I guess. Pours an ugly hazy yellowish orange color with a head that disappeared in one minute. It does not look like an appealing beer. Flavor is sour citrus, some buttery notes, and wheat. There is some cinnamon or maybe nutmeg that shows up on the end. I want to like this because it is somewhat local, but damn man, this is bad. I dont understand how these breweries can exist. If they do not make good beer, how can they sell it in quantity. I can not honestly say that if I bought a single of this stuff, that I would say to my self, "damn this is great, I need to get as much of this shit as possible." Man this is just straight unpleasant. I gave a sip to my roomate, and he said, " there is no real good point. It is pretty much bad all the way through." Saturday, June 30, 2007
Headbanger	1.6 Capistrano Hefeweizen 22oz bomber-A cloudy yellow body with no head and has an aroma of lemon, grass, and citrus. Taste of blandness and has a bad aftertaste. does not even resemble a hefe. Thursday, March 15, 2007
BückDich	2.4 Capistrano Hefeweizen Bottle: Hazy yellow, light white head and nice lacing. Nose of light sulpher and wheat, no esters, husk, vague hops. The flavor is thin, watery, american. Finishes etallic, tangy, husky. Fah! Tuesday, December 12, 2006
BückDich	2.7 Capistrano Amber Ale Bottle: Clear amber, thick head and nice lacing. Nose of hops, diacetyl and caramel. The flavor is nutty and rich with diacetyl. Sweet and balanced though. Lots of toffee. Finishes thin, blah. Would be a good brown ale. Tuesday, December 12, 2006
BückDich	3.3 Capistrano Honey Pale Ale Bottle: Gold color, light head and lacing. Nice carbonation. The nose is lightly hoppy and sweet, honey is present along with some malt. The flavor is nice and balanced, a bit of honey and sweetness. Floral. Eh, not bad. Tuesday, December 12, 2006
0o9i	2.5 Capistrano Hefeweizen On tap in Capistrano at a little restuarant I love but can’t think of the name of. Heh. Hazy, honey colored with white head that leaves behind beautiful sheets of lace...but they slide back into the beer. doh! Aroma of honey, but dominated by yeasty wheat bread dough. Mouth is medium with too much foamy carbonation and a dry finish. Flavor is lightly wheat, honey, lightly sour bitter finish. Beer is pretty plain jane, but definitely drinkable without any nasty megabrew "funk" like corn, metal, etc. Thursday, November 9, 2006
realale420	1.6 Capistrano Amber Ale 12oz bottle poured a hazy amber color with a small off white head. Aroma was a nasty butterscotch. Taste was bland with diacetyl notes. Something I would not recommend to anyone. Wednesday, August 16, 2006
chilehead	1.7 Capistrano Honey Pale Ale Thanks to elnadeau for this brew... it was an ... experience. YUCK!!! Poured golden with a bubbly light head that quickly disapated. Aroma is somewhere between mead and beer. Mouth is also in this realm, but the bastard stepchild of both. Sweet in a bad way without enough balance or complexity to warrant the sugar. ACK PFFFT! Though, perhaps my taste buds were unhappy as I had this after thoroughly enjoying a nadeau homebrew pale. Friday, April 7, 2006
JohnC	1 Capistrano Hefeweizen Pours the standard cloudy yellow w/ the white head. Then it’s all down hill from there: - sour lemon flavor - no crispness - nothing good going o n Friday, February 10, 2006
JohnC	2.2 Capistrano Amber Ale Pours a nice looking amber color with a medium head. The aroma is very much of butterscotch. The carbonation is low; the flavor is bland. Nothing special here Friday, February 10, 2006
JohnC	1.9 Capistrano Honey Pale Ale well, it’s better than bud. very light in color for a pale. The roundness of honey doesn’t work with the hoppiness a pale ale should have. Thursday, January 19, 2006
beerguy101	0.7 Capistrano Hefeweizen This Hefeweizen pours an orange gold color from a 12oz bottle. Medium sized white foamy head. Aroma is banana and cloves, plasticy hairspray and wet sweat socks. A medium to light bodied Hefeweizen/American Wheat. Malts are fruity and sweet, yet plasticy and lemony. More like cat piss than a tart citrusy flavor. It tastes like they added the lemon to the Hefe for you, but they not only used the used lemon juice, but the rind, peel and the seeds of the lemon as well. Nasty and artificial, over carbonated. Then its nasty and cardboardy. And I thought the Honey Pale Ale was nasty. Geez, this could be the “Worst beer on the year” and its only Jan 6th. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is crisp and dry. Aftertaste is sweet and wet sweat socks. DRAINPOUR. Saturday, January 7, 2006
beerguy101	3 Capistrano Amber Ale This beer pours a medium amber color from a 12oz bottle. Medium sized white foamy head. Aroma is fruity and sweet with a touch of cinnamon. A medium bodied amber. Malts are fruity and sweet. Lots of fruit flavors. Hops are kind of mild and slightly citrusy. Pretty much your typical amber. It’s a little sweet, a little thin and a little bland. That said its not all that bad and it is drinkable. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is sweet. Friday, December 23, 2005
beerguy101	2.6 Capistrano Honey Pale Ale This pale ale pours a medium gold color. Small to medium sized white foamy head. Aroma is fruity and sweet, with load of honey and some grass and grain. A light to medium bodied American Pale Ale. Malts are fruity and sweet with the flavor of added honey. Hops are slightly spicy and citrusy but all the honey masks them. Some grass and grain or is it the honey? Sorry, not my cup of tea. Hey, that would be a good place for all that honey. Note to self: DO NOT EVER buy another beer that has honey in the name unless it is a mead. Smooth taste. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is sweet. Sunday, December 11, 2005