Driving up the western shore of Lake Tahoe from South Lake Tahoe will eventually bring you to Tahoe City. Tahoe City is a nice place to visit or just stop for lunch.

The Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company Brewpub is conveniently located on Lake Boulevard and offers food, beer, and a nice view of the lake.  The Tahoe Mountain Brewery is actually located in Truckee, CA.

Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company originally opened it’s doors in 2012. Their goal was to create “new, rewarding, and dynamic drinking experiences while honoring quality ingredients.” This goal includes a “deep-rooted passion for barrel-aged, sour, and wild beers, and great respect for traditional styles.” This dedication is reflected in several craft beer awards.

We stopped at the brewpub on our way to Truckee for a short rest and a chance to sample some beers.

I sampled eight beers during my visit – 1) French Pilsner, 2) South Pacific Provisions, 3) Ranch Dog Red Ale, 4) Local Lager, 5) Paddle Board Pale Ale, 6) Hop Song IPA, 7) Hop Dragon Double IPA, and 8) Sugar Pine Porter. My tasting notes follow.

French Pilsner (5.1% ABV): Pouring a clear, light gold color with thick white foam, this beer had an aroma of malt biscuit with strong floral notes. French Pilsner is light-bodied Farmhouse ale fermented with Lychee and Brettanomyces carbonation. The beer had a rich malt biscuit flavor with a floral background and a subtle bitter finish. Overall, French Pilsner was flavorful, light, and clean. This was a good way to start my beer day.

South Pacific Provisions (5.2% ABV): South Pacific Provisions is a farmhouse ale fermented with Lychee fruit and Brettanomyces yeast. The beer pours a slightly hazy straw color with rich white foam that left a nice lace.  An aroma of hay prevails. South Pacific Provisions is light-bodied with mild carbonation. One sip and your palate will be filled with flavors of malt biscuit with a hint of hay and clove. The Lychee fruit gives the beer a semi-sweet finish. This beer is very refreshing.

Ranch Dog Red Ale (7.0% ABV / 52 IBU): This American Red Ale pours a beautiful clear red amber color with off-white foam. A malt caramel and spicy floral aroma prevails. Ranch Dog is medium-bodied with mild carbonation. This beer has toasty malt, sweet caramel, and toffee flavors with a spicy floral hint. There is a wonderfully mild hops crisp, bitter finish that integrates perfectly with the malt flavor. Put a collar on me, I’m ready to fetch another glass of this beer.

Local Lager (4.8% ABV / 18 IBU): This Silver Medal Winner at the 2013 California State Fair pours a clear straw color with white foam that beautiful lace rings. This light-bodied beer has a malt biscuit aroma and mild, creamy carbonation. An assertive malt biscuit flavor provides ample flavor to this crisp, clean lager. This beer is perfect for drinking after a round of sports related activities.

Paddle Board Pale Ale (5.0% ABV / 62 IBU): This Bronze Medal Winner at the 2013 West Coast Beer Fest pours a clear straw color with white foam. The beer is made with non-traditional hops including Pacific Jade and Kohatu and offers a nice tropical passion fruit aroma. Paddle Board Pale is light-bodied with mild carbonation. I enjoyed the malt biscuit and tropical fruit flavors and the dry bitter finish. The beer was not in keeping with what I expect for a pale ale, but offered good flavors anyway.

Hop Song India Pale Ale (6.4% ABV / 55 IBU): This beer is made using 4 bittering hops and then dry hopped using Citra hops for aromatics. Hop Song pours a clear gold color with white foam. The beer has a nice pine and citrus aroma. Hop Song is medium-bodied with mild carbonation. A slight malt biscuit flavor lies under assertive flavors of pine needles, citrus fruit, and grapefruit pith. This is a very good IPA that may actually seem a little tame for those biased towards West Coast IPA powerhouses.

Hop Dragon Double IPA (9.8% ABV / 100 IBU): Hop Dragon pours a clear gold color with white foam that left nice curtains of lace down the glass. The beer has a pleasant pine resin aroma. Full-bodied with mild carbonation, Hop Dragon provides monstrously intense pine resin, grapefruit citrus, and grapefruit pith flavors with a fiercely dry finish.  I found Hop Dragon to be excellent. Do not leave Hop Dragon out of your calculations if you are near it.

Sugar Pine Porter (6.0% ABV / 25 IBU): This brown porter beer pours a dark black color with thick brown foam that clings to the glass like molasses. Sugar Pine Porter provides pungent aromas of sweet dark chocolate, toffee, and dark roasted coffee. The beer is medium-bodied with mild carbonation. Rich flavors of sweet dark chocolate, toffee, and roasted coffee fill the palate. A slightly dry finish prevails. This is a very good beer. One taste and I had visions of snow outside, a roaring fireplace, and me plopped in a comfy chair sipping on Sugar Pine Porter.

Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company Brewpub is a good stop for beer enthusiasts. I didn’t have time to visit the brewery or tasting room in Truckee, CA but it’s now on my list for future visits.