Monday 5th of October 2015 09:10:10 AM

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ToolBox specializes in beer made with wild yeast and bacteria. This place is all about the "funk" and is not for everyone. The three beers that we tried were all American-style sours. Their gose had the requisite salt and coriander thing going on and was brewed with brett, possibly a fairly accurate representation of this beer from 15th century Germany. If you are not expecting the sourness and unusual aromas and flavors that you find here, you can assume that the beer is spoiled, infected or just bad. This brewery has done a good job of staking out a niche in the crowded craft beer market. Some people like the new sours and others do not. Try the place knowing that you are going to drink some mouth puckering beer.

Sunday 15th of February 2015 07:09:22 PM

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"Life is too short to drink bad beer."

I don't who said this (and I have tried multiple searches on multiple search engines w/o much luck) but I do know I'm paraphrasing the accepted version which is; "Life is too short to drink cheap beer" and I agree with both statements.

As a member of the craft beer ensemble, I'm sure you agree as well.

And as much as I hate to ramrod any brewery into submission, this time I must and I will.

Toolbox Brewing is one of the newer endeavors in the burgeoning San Diego Beer scene. They get their name from the idea that some people believe the San Diego skyline apparently looks like a toolbox from the air.

Now I don't know about you but a toolbox? Really? Some folks can see a hammer....a screwdriver....an Allen wrench? I was born and raised in this burg (a child of the 1950's) and until I visited this brewery, I have never heard this comparision but....OK. A toolbox it is.

Putting that away, let's turn to the product.

Beer, many made with a variety of Brettanomyces yeast giving them a sour / tart taste. These, like the hopped-to-the-max IPA's are currently the rage for so-called craft beer geeks.

I'll be damned if I know why!

Beyond that, a beer called My Cousin Strawberry should have some strawberry, right? The Virgin Cherry should produce a bit of cherry, yes? Dirty Troll with Raspberries...Tart X with apricots....Udder Mudder with coconut...don't they all announce at least a bit of the taste you'd expect?

Apparently not. And at $3.00 a taste, you're looking at a $25.00 plus bill for 12 beers! Now I don't where you come from but that comes real close to credit card interest...and I stopped using credit cards a long time ago!

This is not good beer folks. Pure and simple.

With so many other places available to San Diego beer lovers, there just isn't any reason to spend a moment or a dollar here. But they will of course, find takers and payers and wonder what the hell is wrong with me.

I guess I could only ask the same question of those buyers...and wonder, "Are you just under the spell of the 'what you're supposed to like because we do?' crowd?

Well then, dig deep into that fat wallet of yours and find ways to convince yourself what a grand place and beer you've found.

And you are welcome to my share.

One final word....

Blech.