Ron Chips considers himself lucky.
After all, his role as owner of Kelsey Creek Brewing, a micro-brew spot in downtown Kelseyville, allows Chips to draw inspiration from every foaming glass of beer he drinks. And the recipes he comes up with tend to work out–after a little trial and error.
“The first one is always a guess and taste is very subjective,” he admitted. “But if a brewer is not trying to tweak, they get lax. You lose creativity.”
Yet he apparently suffered little drama when making Kelsey Creek”s Platinum Blonde Ale. Chips wanted to balance a lighter color with more body than one typically finds in a summertime brew, so he picked forgiving malts, amped up the hops and left the finished product unfiltered.
It flirts on approach, catching one”s attention with aromas reminiscent of citrus. It finishes on a bitter note, after teasing the palate with lively hints of spice. Yet in between, there”s a clean, crisp snap–the kind of light character that works well when temperatures soar into the 90s.
To Chips, the most interesting thing about the Platinum Blonde, however, is the deceptive appearance. Once the haze settles, it shows the same pale, gossamer straw hue of something much weaker.
“A lot of people let their eyes prejudice them,” he explained.
The Platinum Blonde is indeed bigger than it looks, with perhaps a touch more alcohol than the color might lead you to expect, as well. But that”s why Chips appreciates the tweaking, the trial and error approach.
Chips began producing beers at Kelsey Creek Brewing two years ago. He has, however, been a home brewer since 1991. In that time, there has been plenty of inspiration, a lot of hems and haws, but no errors–at least none that lived beyond the first batch.
“I”ve been fairly lucky with my recipes,” he said.
Contact Dave Faries at 900-2016
