Gunwhale Ales

Microbrewery in Costa Mesa, California, United States 🇺🇸

Established in 2016

Contact
Costa Mesa, CA, United States
Description
Gunwhale Ales is an independently owned and operated brewery & blendery, with taprooms in Costa Mesa and Orange, California. Our beers strike a balance between the raw, wild spirit of farmhouse brewing, and the pioneering hop forward styles of California. We have an obsession with yeast driven Saisons, hoppy IPAs, and other rustic, wild and sour beers. This gives our beers uncommon qualities that are both surprisingly delicate and nuanced, yet refined and robust in their simplicity. From bright, billowy summer ales to rustic, fortifying stormers that stand up to the rougher seas, Gunwhale makes beers that reflect the culinary and cultural heritage of the West Coast.

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7.2
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

8 oz pour in draft at Gunwhale. Dark brown, near black pour. Clean white foam head. Soft bready malt nose, hints of sweet grains and a generous hop addition. Easy drinking dark lager, quite flavorful. Toasty finish after a refreshing start. Nice lager here.

Tried from Draft on 24 Apr 2021 at 21:52


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

16 oz can poured, enjoyed at Gunwhale. Bright golden orange, juicy appearance, thin foam head and lacing. Smooth and juicy IPA with a somewhat sweet side. A lot of melon like hop character takes the slight weight balance over the grains. Inviting hop nose. Solid hop profile showcase for Simcoe. Soft bitterness lingers late. Really juicy and refreshing overall.

Tried from Can on 24 Apr 2021 at 21:21


7.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Slightly hazy orange-gold color with a medium bone-white head that dissipates steadily to a film. Stringy lace. Herbal hop, citrus and malt aromas. Medium body with flavors of herbal hop, grapefruit and biscuit malt. The finish is moderately bitter with a citrusy hop aftertaste. Above average overall.

Tried on 18 Dec 2020 at 22:29


7.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

9/III/20 - 1Pt. can from a trade, shared @ home, BB: n/a (2020-245) Thanks to Surya for the trade and drop-off!

Pretty cloudy orange to beige beer, small creamy solid off-white head, stable, bit adhesive. Aroma: fruity, lots of orange peel, som tropical fruits, lime, tangerines, bit cheesy, some dank hops. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: lots and lots of candied orange peel up front, bit malty, grains, fruity, bitter. Aftertaste: some alcohol, orange peel, pretty bitter, malty, dry, bit grassy.

Tried from Can on 09 Mar 2020 at 18:00


7.2
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

On tap at Yardhouse, Irvine. Clean, shiny gold appearance. Cream foam head that lasts. Aroma is mostly floral, belgian character. Smooth taste. Easy drinking, and full of flavor. Very nice.

Tried from Draft on 07 Dec 2019 at 19:43


6.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6

[On tap at the Pickled Monk, Fullerton, CA.] A hazy straw coloured pour with a tight white head; wheaty aroma; wheat body with a light citrus kick; and a grassy citrus finish. Refreshing.

Tried from Draft on 12 Jun 2019 at 02:31


7.2
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Can from Bine & Vine. Pours translucent gold with a frothy white head. Aroma is tropical/citrus/lightly roasty malt. There's a sharpness in the nose. Med body. Flavor is mildly roasty malt with mixed citrus - some grapefruit; light tropical aspects. Juicily less than dry. Moderately hoppy. Moderately bitter with a pleasing bite.

Tried from Can on 21 Apr 2019 at 01:09


6.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Sunday 3rd March 2019. Last taster of ten at the brewery tap. Almost black, tanned topping. Malty and semi-sweet, loads of coffee esters in the nose and coffee also leads the way in the taste too.

Tried from Draft on 06 Mar 2019 at 14:41


6.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Ninth taster of the ten taken on Sunday 3rd March 2019 at the brewery tap. Hazy, milky pour, white crown. Grapefruit and other citrus fruits in the aroma, taste also fruity with a sweetness from the hop/malt blend. Nice.

Tried from Draft on 06 Mar 2019 at 14:35


6.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Eight taster in the brewery tap on Sunday 3rd March 2019. Cloudy light yellow/milky body, wispy white top. Coconut and rubber in both the nose and taste. Strange but interesting, tropical fruits arrive late to give some sweetness to the initial dry and weird flavours.

Tried from Draft on 06 Mar 2019 at 14:27