Beer of the Week: Wiens Far Post Brown Ale

Some San Diegans may be familiar with the moniker Wiens. Those same people are likely to be fans of wine tasting in the nearby Temecula Valley, as it’s the name of a winery just off Rancho California Road. But even the oenophiles familiar with their Primitivo or Cabernet Franc probably have yet to discover that the family winery has given birth to a craft brewery. Late last year, Peter Wiens and his nephew Ben opened Wiens Brewing Company (27941 Diaz Road, Suite A, Temecula). With it came a well appointed, simple yet contemporary space pouring draft versions of its young wares. That venue is also just off Rancho California, but on the west side of Interstate 15. Wiens is among six brewing companies in Temecula, all but one of which opened within the past two years.

On a recent excursion to the Riverside municipality, I was able to sample the beers of a trio of those operations—Aftershock Brewing Company, Ironfire Brewing Company, and Refuge Brewery—but wasn’t able to find Wiens on tap. By happenstance, I was able to find some while looking for a place to hunker down and finish an article earlier this week in North County, and I have to say, it was one of the best Temecula beers I’ve come across to date.

The beer was Wiens Far Post Brown Ale. It pours a deep amber, more scarlet than brown, but the flavor is everything one could want out of a drinkable English-style brown ale. Instead of hitting one over the head with deep roast, the beer is subtle, trading coffee nuances for something more akin to toasted almonds. A slight sweetness brings about an almost cola-like flavor that dies out, giving way to the aforementioned nuttiness, rather than taking things to dessert land. Also helping in that department is the type of good carbonation that leaves creamy rings on the sides of the glass as you make your way through it. All in all, a promising taste that has me considering a northerly jaunt.