Camping; a side trip to the brewery

Since we camped a few days before our club members joined us in Solvang we took advantage of some of the other local spots, one being the Firestone Brewery. After breakfast and a shopping trip into town that included a stop for a yummy danish, we headed back to the campground. It was close to lunch and we'd walked off that danish, well, maybe, so I suggested stopping by the brewery for a tour, if they had one, or at least a taste of their beer.

We were disappointed somewhat, the only tours were in their Paso Robles facility but they did have a bar and you could get a tasting of four four ounce beers for six bucks and it included a souvenir glass. We ordered the tasting for two and a plate of sliced meats, cheese and bread for us to share.

The first glass was their Honey Blond Ale which would be good for a new-to-beer taster. It is very smooth and didn't have the "hoppy" taste of most brews. It did have a honey flavor. Nice and light.

Next was their Pale Ale. Ok, tasted like just regular beer, might have been a bit too hoppy for me.

My favorite was next, Double Barrel Ale. Quite smooth but hearty. We even bought a six-pack for the rest of our camping trip.

Last was a heavier dark beer. I did like this as well but not as much as the Double Barrel Ale. Funny because I always prefer a darker beer. I can't remember the name but it was between a stout and a porter. Nothing can beat MacTarnahan's Black Watch Creme Porter. We found that gem on a vacation to the Oregon Coast a few years back. Trader Joe's did carry it for a while but I guess we were the only customer and they stopped stocking it.

Full to the brim we found our way back to the campground for a nap. We had to rest up for the BBQ that evening.