It was a cold, gloomy Saturday afternoon. There was the
constant threat of rain looming overhead. On a day like this, January 26th, 2013, Noble Ale Works
celebrated their entrance to the “terrible two's.” And no one cared about the ominous
weather; for all it was worth, it was the perfect day to celebrate the 2nd year anniversary event.
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| Patiently waiting... Almost time for Noble Ale Work's anniversary event to begin! |
About 20 Noble brews available throughout the day (4 of which
were casks, one every hour), ranging from tasty pales, robust stouts and strong
ales, a refreshing pils, some spicy chili beers infused with habañeros or Serranos.
From the first time I encountered Noble two years ago to this event, the quality
of their beers has improved dramatically. There were some fantastic brews that
I had not had before, some good classics, and a few pleasant and tasty surprises.
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| Royalty. Simply Royalty. |
Of the pleasant surprises, one of the best ones was the unveiling
of Royalty, a “Tripel IPA” that was a wonderful display of power, balance,
bitterness, and all-out hop brutality on your tongue. If that sounds intense,
it’s because it was! Intense in the, oh, so good way. Tropical fruit, citrus, a tingling hop-bitterness sensation, followed by the fact that you just had an 11%ABV Triple IPA... this beer just leves you wanting more!
Prizes, rotating bands, and delicious food trucks rounded
out the event. It is events like these that make the beer culture so much fun. Plenty of happy people enjoying some fantastic beer. This is what it's all about.
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| Jerry (President) and Evan (Head Brewer) giving away a prize. |
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| The crowd enjoying the festivities. Weather? What about the weather? |
The event came to a climax when all attendees were treated
to a display of government and business getting along. The last cask of the
evening was tapped by none other than the Mayor of Anaheim, Tom Tait himself!
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| The Mayor of Anaheim, Tom Tait Tapping the last cask. |
As resident of Anaheim, this was a climactic moment for me.
Not only is the leader of my hometown here at the event, Tom became part of the
event. There is something special when a passion you have and something so
close to home (in this case, literally my home) become one in the same. I am
not the slightest embarrassed to admit that being a witness to this display of commerce-government
partnership made my eyes water-up a bit.
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| Mayor Tom Tait and Jerry Kolbly. |
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| Evan Price checking the spile, making sure the cask is vented and ready to tap! |
It has been two years since Noble Ale Works opened its doors
to the public. This event was a celebration of the tenacity and resilience that
all micro-breweries must have to survive in the unwelcoming business
environment of California. To survive in a ruthless setting such as this, your
product can not simply speak for its self. It takes tireless efforts from all the
individuals involved in creating and serving a well crafted beer. I am referring
to all the people that are involved at Noble Ale Works, from Noble's President, Jerry
Kolbly, and Head Brewer, Evan Price to all the friendly servers at the Tasting
Room; every person that holds a position at Noble are amazing individuals.
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| Let it flow, let it flow, let it flow.... The final Cask, a Cascadien Dark Ale with Simcoe hops. |
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| Hard-working servers. All breweries need 'em, not all have 'em. |
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| Noble Ale Works Commemorative Glass |
In my
point of view, the attendance at this event is a testament to all of these
great people at Noble. This event was a testament of a great product and a friendly,
amazing team to interact with your guests is the best formula. I can think of at least two more breweries in the Orange County area that have this same outlook and they are thriving, as well.
Well, Noble has turned "two" and they are only starting to craw. They haven't even started walking yet! If this event has anything to show in the form of foreshadowing, we are all in for a ride once Noble begins to run! To all at Noble Ale Works, I give you my most sincere and heartfelt congratulations. No, do not thank me....thank you.
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| Swirl it!! Cheers to you Noble. I wish you many, many more years of success!! |
Cheers!
Gilbert C. Perez
(Charlie)
** All photography above was generously provided by hordkoreom **