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6 Rights double IPA, Beer Camp #152, from the venerable Sierra Nevada Beer, smells tropical (and a little smoky, as does everything up here, unfortunately) but tastes like west coast piney hops with passionfruit and oats or wheat. Quest to find more of this is on! #bluesapalooza

Is there such a thing as caramelized s'mores made with molasses-sweetened rye crackers (instead of graham) plus dried raspberries and cocoa powder toasted over oak? Let's say yes, and it tastes like FiftyFifty Brewing Black Umbrella. Mmmmm. #bluesapalooza

Latvian ISO perfect Baltic porter that strikes perfect notes of roasty warmth, hints of forbidden chocolate, slight sweetness not from potato, and strong enough to forget Baltic troubles finds it in Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.'s Magpie. #burndoorforwarmth #bluesapalooza

Thirsty for a spot-on lemony, crisp, noble hoppy Pilsner while vacationing/living in the Eastern Sierras? Stop at #mountainramblerbrewing in Bishop for their excellent Topsy Turvy Pilsner! #bluesapalooza

Tough not to return to original independent brewery titans Sierra Nevada Beer when they're pouring Trip Through the Woods Chocolate Chipotle barrel-aged stout. Heavy on caramel/chocolate/Cherry awesomeness with subtle chipotle heat. Favorite (defying gravity) #bluesapalooza beer today

Shrub Tundra, a brown ale from Half Acre Beer plus brewed Colombian coffee from Dark Matter Coffee, led me down a brutal yet delicious hole - approximately the depth of the Mariana Trench - into fermented, hopped, and barrel-aged coffee beans. Prepare for ultimate flavor!

What an admirable brewery - thank you Bear Republic for your generosity and time during the preparation of this article! My liver also recommends the corresponding review of many Bear Republic beers over at CorkscrewerReport: corkscrewerreport.com/29-beers-revie…

Year Three of reporting from the Mammoth Beer Festival and #bluesapalooza - starting this year off with, no surprise, Bear Republic Viking Beach Party in a can! Softer lemony hops and a wheat-type malt feel proves even a brutal IPA brewer needs to chill out once in a while.

I’m a huge fan of Fort Point Beer KSA and especially their rarer Sonder Belgian pale. My first time trying Animal. A crisp and bitter IPA - easy to imagine sitting under the Golden Gate looking west at sunset and drinking two Animals after cycling the Headlands. #bluesapalooza

Alt! Bracingly bitter with some toffee, caramel, and rye bread flavors, this welcomed example of the ignored Düsseldorf style from FiftyFifty Brewing is scrumptious, satisfying, stellar (and also strong at seven percent EtOH). Thanks Truckee folks! #bluesapalooza

Adaptable, immortal yeast kept on wooden rings for generations? Metal! IPA from White Labs made with the Opshaug Kveik strain (WLP518) has ripe tangerine juice and passionfruit flavors plus some woody, rustic bitterness like a boat shed above the Arctic Circle. #bluesapalooza

New brewery (to me) alert! Palmdale’s Transplants Brewing Drawn and Quartered (The Blood is Love) syrah barrel-aged old ale is perfectly balanced. Strong malt flavors, oak tannin/structure, and earthy fruit. Fantastic. Insta at @transplantsbrewing #bluesapalooza

Doubling up on Transplants Brewing of Palmdale with their Bull Feathers IPA. The balance of light-style malts, citrusy/foresty bitterness, and the desire-to-sip-again factor (plus drinking two or three points below the stated abv) is fantastic (retweet with photo)!

Day Two of Mammoth Beer Fest and #bluesapalooza begins with The Rube, a red rye ale from Docent Brewing reminds me of everything bagels with a punchy Amarillo bite. Might have to join the swallows and fly to San Juan Capistrano for more!

Bohemian Nectar, a hazy dry-hopped saison from Woodfour Brewing, tastes like my new favorite bubble gum flavor: coriander lemon pepper! From Sebastopol’s Barlow all the way to #bluesapalooza.

Caravana, from Sacramento’s Alaro Craft Brewery, is a spot-on spring lager that tastes like freshly-baked whole wheat biscuits and lemon knots. #bluesapalooza

Wow. Transplants Brewing are my new favorite brewery. Even Meaner Vice Quad takes the raisiny toffee sweetness of a quadrupel, then adds on boozy oak tannins of a Koval bourbon barrel. This was the next-to-last pour but I’ll definitely go to Palmdale to visit. #bluesapalooza

Ending #bluesapalooza where I started: Bear Republic with their lemon rindy, eucalyptusy, shortcakey Double Aught Pilsner. Thanks Ray at BRBC - loved the Pace Car and Grand Am (RIP) signs in your booth! Cheers Mammoth Brewing and Bluesapalooza for another great festival!