Societe’s beer bloggers’ delight

Even if they don’t always write about it, beer bloggers tend to be extremely opinionated. It takes a lot to please one, much less several, but last weekend, after attending the 2014 Beer Bloggers Conference, which was held right here in craft beer central, a friend and I immediately adjourned to Societe Brewing Company (8262 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Kearny Mesa) in search of something special. And that’s exactly what we found…along with two other bloggers, Greg Nagel of OC Beer Blog and head of the LA Beer Bloggers group (and brewer working to open L.A. Aleworks) Kip Barnes.

Apparently, great minds think alike when it comes to beer touring. Ditto beer selection. We all ordered a taster of the latest in the brewery's series of single-hop beers, Societe The Bachelor – Sorachi Ace. Sorachi Ace is a favorite of most modern brewers for its myriad unique flavors, and this focused beer shows many of them off quite well. Lemon and dill are in the forefront, giving way to a very enjoyable coconut-like finish that Nagel described as “waxy” for its coating nature.

Before we knew it, we were each asking for pints of the 6.5% ABV beer, which went well with a tour of the facility that included glimpses into Societe’s future. The darling of San Diego beer geeks will soon double its fermentation capacity, add a bottling line, and have a shot at taking over the industrial space next-door in the not-too-distant future. It was exciting to learn, as was the fact that the brewery that inspired Societe’s brew crew to go with a single-hop Sorachi Ace IPA, Brooklyn Brewery (creator of a farmhouse-style ale called Sorachi Ace), also supplied brewmaster Travis Smith with enough pellets to get the beer brewed. Sometimes it takes a village to get a beer brewed... and some very rare times, a village of bloggers can agree that it’s awesome.