Noble Ale Works

I really wanted to start this post with something like “Noble Ale Works, beer fit for a king.”  Two things really prevented me from opening this way: first, that is more than a little cliché and might destroy any credibility that this blog may have, and second it just isn’t accurate, the beer is simply not fit for a king.

 Noble Ale Works offers beers of various styles and strengths, dark to light, malty to hoppy.  After wading through a throng of pre-gamming Angels fans on a recent Saturday, I made my way to the bar to give a few beers a try.  At bat, Dark Sybian IPA, a dark IPA that starts out with a nice dry citrusy hop taste that is washed out by the roasted malt flavor.  This beer certainly is not bad, but I would prefer a bit more balance between the malt and hops.  On deck, Noble IPA a solid beer, that just did not stand out as great.  The golden hewed IPA has a slightly sweet and bitter hop profile with a crisp, clean finish.  Much like the Dark Sybian, the IPA is above average, but not the best IPA one can find in Orange County.  Finally, the Knight Charger Imperial Stout and Nobility Imperial IPA are both bold, aggressive high abv beers that are tasty and pack a nice punch, but just aren’t quite as balanced and nuanced as other beers of this style.  Kind of like say a young stallion waiting to be tamed for all of my Colorado and Montana friends out there.

The Noble Ale Works tap room is conveniently located near Angels Stadium, in a…you guessed it…small industrial park.  The tap room does however, offer a nice outdoor space for standing, sitting, or grabbing a bite from one of the food trucks that frequent the establishment.  The indoor space is spacious, with an industrial feel where customers can drink at fold up tables in the brewing area or in a more traditional space that offers bar seating and high top tables.  Perhaps it was the hot weather or the stress of serving the entire right-field section of Angels Stadium for the past two hours, but the staff was not overly friendly and not especially knowledgeable about the beer selection.  Children were welcome in the establishment and a few people were enjoying a pre-season NFL game on the T.V.  Noble Ale Works definitely feels like a tap room should.  The indoor and outdoor spaces are both very comfortable and provide a number of seating and standing options.   The beer is good but not great, the staff is not mean, but not overly friendly, but it’s still craft beer in the sun.

SCORE 2.5 pints