Atlas Brew Works Beer World

Old Forge Brewing Company - Danville, PA

2009-11-21T22:25:00.004-05:00

Old Forge Brewing company sits in the middle of the quaint downtown area of Danville, PA on Mill Street. We decided to check them out this evening during a nighttime holiday shopping festival on Mill Street. Our plans were to sample a selection of brews and enjoy dinner. Here's the lowdown on the brews:

Ludwig’s Anniversary Lager – “A reddish brown Oktoberfest style beer in honor of Prince Ludwig’s anniversary. Big, bold, with plenty of malt flavor to satisfy any palate."
ABV: 5%; OG: 1.054; IBU: 23

Color: Deep cooper with thin beige head
Aroma: a bit yeasty with some earthy hop aroma. Just a touch of toasted malt aroma.
Flavor: Toasted malt with a assertive fruity and yeast flavor. Moderate bitterness. Hints of apricot, definitely German malt like Munich or Vienna. Bit of a spicy flavor Finishes semi-smooth with just a touch of dry bitterness and some esters of alcohol.

Bellows Brown Ale: Medium bodied, full flavored with a bready mouthfeel and subtle roasted chocolate malt flavor. Well balanced with traditional English and American hops.
ABV: 5%; OG: 1.052; IBU: 30

Color: Clear brown with thick beige head.
Aroma: like women’s perfume…toasty, biscuity malt aroma with earthy and herbal hop aroma underneath.
Flavor: Very bready and biscuity with a hint of smokiness and chocolate-ness and some waitress’s really horrible perfume. Roasted English malt and hoppy flavor. Smooth and drinkable with a touch of bitterness towards the end. Perhaps a bit more bitterness than I would like in a brown ale.

Overall on the brews that we tried, we can only say they were just okay. I wasn't thrilled with either that I tried. I thought that the lager was perhaps fermented at too high of a temperature, and the brown ale was way too bitter and in an unfavorable way. My theory is that they are running into the same problem I attribute to the drop in quality at Selinsgrove Brewing: too high of a demand for something that takes too long to make well. To cold-ferment the lager would take too long and the higher temperatures used to sometimes "push" the production will result in off-flavors, which might explain the assertive yeast bite in the Ludwig's that I tried.

The pub menu was quite extensive, and they pride themselves on "healthy" selections. I'm not sure what measurement they're using for "healthy", but the food was delicious. We enjoyed a huge soft pretzel with their own ale-infused nacho cheese sauce, a pulled pork sandwich served on a pretzel roll with coleslaw and barbecue sauce on the side, which was very messy but incredibly tasty. Kenny indulged in a Philly Cheeseburger prepared medium (as requested) with nacho cheese sauce and fried peppers/onions on pretzel roll. Both sandwiches were served with tri-color tortilla chips and the pub's cheese sauce.

Table service was good at first, but dwindled after we ate, and we suddenly felt rushed by the waitstaff even though there were plenty of empty tables by that time. One way I tend to measure service is if my cup ever goes empty, and it did. I was never asked if I would like a refill on my water. Another bad part of the evening was when one of the waitresses apparently went on a smoke break, and to cover up the smell of her cigarette, bathed herself in perfume. The smell was quite overwhelming, and as you read above, threw Kenny off in the review of the Brown Ale. The upstairs area of the dining room is not very big, but there were three or four waitstaff who all seemed to gather near our table and chat, which was a little distracting. The brewpub offers free wi-fi, but it would not assign an IP address to our laptop so it didn’t work. We had no connectivity.

The pub's simple artisan decor is actually quite rich in local history and craftsmanship. Their dishes, beer mugs and serving dishes are all made by Micheal Hart of M. Hart Pottery, who is actually the husband of an old friend of mine, which I thought was quite interesting. The furniture and fixtures are all made by Keith Kocher of Lightstreet Custom Woodworking, and the tap handles are made by artist J. Mark Irwin of Irwin Sculpture Studio. They also use ingredients from local farms and markets whenever possible for their menu items. In this sense, this brewpub is a step above most others we've been in as they show a true appreciation for the value of personal craftsmanship.

Overall on the whole pub experience, it would have been great if we weren't so rushed by the waitstaff, and if the whole overloaded perfume incident hadn't happened. The crowd there was very well dressed and upscale. The brewmaster/owner greeted us at the door and was friendly and conversational, which is always good to see. It might be worth another shot when it isn't so crowded and we can sit at the bar downstairs instead of dining upstairs. For the overall experience, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Sly Fox Incubus

2009-09-25T01:24:00.004-04:00

By definition:

in⋅cu⋅bus - Pronunciation [in-kyuh-buhs, ing-]

1. An imaginary demon or evil spirit supposed to descend upon sleeping persons, especially one fabled to have sexual intercourse with women during their sleep. (Comparable to succubus)
2. a nightmare.
3. something that weighs upon or oppresses one like a nightmare.

From the website:

"On tap only on the first Friday of each month in Phoenixville.
A Tripel in the Abbot style, famed for its powers of seduction. Brewed with German Pils malt and invert sugar. Golden in color, dry and spicy."

Color: Lightly clouded deep gold with a small white head that fades quickly.

Aroma: Sweet candy-like fruits; like pears and peaches, some spicy aromas as well

Taste: Sweet candy and fruit dominate with a slow drawn fade to spicy warm flavors fueled by the alcohol and finally leaving you dry with that 10% ABV. Some mild bitterness helps to mask the alcohol flavors, and it does it well. It warms the stomach.

Overall: Incubus preys on your soul with its sweet candy and fruit flavor and intrudes upon you with that warm feeling as it enters your chest. It certainly does seduce you with a well hidden 10% alcohol content that leaves you vulnerable to intoxication without realization. Beware the Incubus which preys upon you! You just might like it.

I have had the pleasure of having this on tap at the Phoenixville location a few months ago. I was lucky enough to have the 2008 and the 2007. Both were phenomenal! I highly recommend it!

4.5 out of 5 Coals; It would have been a 5 if it were a Succubus.

Sly Fox Oktoberfest Lager

2009-09-24T01:28:00.013-04:00

It goes without saying that I’m a fan of Oktoberfest style lagers especially at this time of year (well…yeah I guess that’s obvious.) So it should be of little surprise when I tell you that I picked up a bottle of Oktoberfest from Sly Fox while on my Super Saver trip this past weekend. I’m quickly becoming a fan of Sly Fox, I rather enjoyed their Saison Vos, and did I mention I happened to be at the Phoenixville location a few months back on the first Friday of the month…that’s right! On every first Friday Sly Fox Breaks out the Incubus. When I was there I was able to try both the 2008 and 2007 Incubi…you may commence drooling now…

But I’m getting off topic so here is the website stuff:

“This traditional Oktoberfest beer celebrates the arrival of Fall. It is a medium-bodied, smooth and malty brew made with German Vienna malts and German hops.
13.8 OG 25 IBUs 5.8% ABV”

My Take from a 22oz bottle into a British pint glass:

Color: Nice copper color, clear with a nice off white head that has mild retention and some lacing.

Aromas: Spicy traditional hops and toasted malt dominates. Some fruitiness with a sweet aroma under it all.

Flavor: Nice toasted malt and Noble hop flavor, sweetness is there but well balanced with that roasted malt and spicy/herbal hop essence. Distinctly German yeast strain leaves its mark on your taste buds.

Overall: Wonderful! Leaves me wishing I had more! A true German tasting malty lager that wish I could drink several of while sitting under a tent in Munich right about…now!

4.75 out of 5 Coals. You had me at Okt…(tear)

What did you Sai son?

2009-09-23T01:13:00.007-04:00

Welcome Fall!!!

I brewed the Saison a week and a half ago. I transferred it to the secondary on Monday morning, some activity still going on as far as gassing off. The Wyeast Saison strain that I used has one hell of a sulfur stink to it during fermentation. I hope that it goes away. Wyeast states that this yeast strain benefits from higher temps so I allowed it to ferment at about 74 degrees. I tasted it during transfer (drank the sample from the hydrometer tube after taking my reading) and it tasted OK but I could tell that there was a while to go yet. It’s in the secondary for two day now and is still gassing more than I expected. I did use two pounds of Candy Sugar and I’m wondering if that makes for a slower fermentation. Two things I’m looking for in my Saison: a residual sweetness and the absence of that sulfur stink. Keep your fingers crossed!

Here is the info on the Saison yeast strain from Wyeast:

YEAST STRAIN: 3724 Belgian Saison™

Classic farmhouse ale yeast. Spicy and complex aromatics including bubble gum. Very tart and dry on palate with mild fruit. Finishes crisp and mildly acidic. Benefits from elevated fermentation temperatures. This strain is notorious for a rapid and vigorous start to fermentation, only to stick around 1.035 sg. Fermentation will eventually finish, given time and warm temperatures.

Origin:
Flocculation: Low
Attenuation: 76-80%
Temperature Range: 70-95F, 21-35C
Alcohol Tolerance: 12% ABV

Happy brewing!

Ken

Legacy Brewing's Euphoria Ale

2009-09-23T00:36:00.004-04:00

The bottle reads: "A State of Perfection." After a two or three you'll know why...

From the website: “Using a true classic Belgian yeast strain, the highest quality candy sugar and European hops, Euphoria achieves a complex palate in the true Belgian-style. With hints of banana & fragrant spice, it is best served in a goblet or wine glass and pairs beautifully with: Roasted Chicken, Sea Bass, Sausage, Brie, and Fruit Desserts.
Available year-round in 22 oz. bottles, half barrels and sixtals.”

22oz bottle poured into a 20oz oversized pub glass.

Color: Slightly hazy gold with a tightly packed lacy white head, medium retention.

Aroma: Sweet and subtle fruitiness and citrus. Spicy and herbal hop aromas. There is a hint of grass and sugary malt.

Taste: Sweet spicy flavor dominates with some fruit/citrus flavors. Herbal hop flavors come and leave with jut a touch of dryness and a slight hint of alcohol. Nice mouth feel, light with lower than expected carbonation.

Overall: It’s a nice and refreshing triple. I would like to see more carbonation but that’s just me. I would brand this as a great summer brew. A word of caution however, this beer has a 9% ABV and it hides it well. So be warned, the Euphoria is what you feel after one or two. Nice but I never picked up on the banana flavor!

4.25 out of 5 Coals.

Weyerbacher Muse Farmhouse Ale

2009-09-22T02:37:00.006-04:00

Another addition from the Super Saver trip:

From the website:

Made with Pale malt, a little carapils, wheat, and oats, this warm weather seasonal is dry and ever so slightly tart on the pallet. At 6.2% ABV, it's a bit higher than your strictly traditional farmhouse. The wheat and oats makes the mouthfeel silky and light at the same time. They also bring some additional cloudiness to this unfiltered brew. The peppery-spice character develops during a fairly warm fermentation (78°F) using the Forbidden Fruit Yeast strain and not any actual spice addition to the beer. Hopped with Styrian Goldings and finished with Saaz, this beer has a noticeable hoppy dryness which makes it a fine thirst quencher which is something the original Farmhouse Ales were intended to be. These beers would be served to workers out in the fields on hot summer days as a restorative.

Color: Cloudy orange, thin tan head with little retention.

Aroma: Strange, like a spiced fruit and pepper hop aroma. Hints of apricot and a touch of apple or pear.

Flavor: Silky sweetness greets you up front, then a metamorphosis into a dry white wine flavor with a peppery dry finish. Esters of alcohol are present and are notable as it finishes with just a subtle tartness.

Overall: Wow, not sure I like this at all. One has to wonder, is this beer or wine? And if you have to ask yourself that then maybe you should take a step back and ask yourself “what is this junk is in my glass, because it ain’t beer enough for me.” And to be brutally honest I’ve had cheap white wines, from a box, which tasted better and cost less. This definitely doesn’t hold a candle to the Saison from Sly Fox. Don’t waste your money on this one, it’s no good.

1 out of 5 Coals: Don't bother.

Sly Fox's Saison Vos

2009-09-20T22:09:00.004-04:00

I had the opportunity to visit a Super Saver Discount Liquor store in Somerville, NJ this past weekend. OK, it wasn't an opportunity, I had to move my sister for the umpteenth time and she owed me some beer. Here is one of thos great finds that you can get at Super Saver. I believe the price was $8.99, not bad.

Web stuff:
A Belgian style Saison (or Farmhouse Ale) brewed with German Pils malt and hopped with East Kent Goldings. Fermented with a special proprietary yeast which imparts its dry, spicy character. Golden orange in color.
14.5 OG 32 IBUs 6.9% ABV

What it looks like from here:
1 pint bottle (750mL); the bottle is corked and with a wire cage holding the cork in, a nice touch.
Poured into a 20oz tall pub glass

Color: Nice, clear golden color with a huge off white pillowy and fluffy head. Absolutely gorgeous.

Aroma: Grassy and a bit peppery and spicy. Has a slight unfermented wort aroma, which is pleasant, followed by an herbal hop aroma.

Flavor: A spiced herbal grassy flavor initially, somewhat peppery, with a pleasantly sweet semi-dry after flavor. Not much alcohol flavor at all…covered very well by the ingredients. Finishes with a nice crisp, refreshing flavor and just a touch of bitterness.

Overall: Since I have not had very many saisons yet (and i stress yet) I’m going to go out on a limb and say this is a very good saison. I really enjoyed the flavor and the overall crispness and the unique reminder of the unfermented wort was surprisingly pleasant. It’s not overly bitter, it doesn’t have an overly alcohol-like flavor, and it’s not overly sweet. It’s a well balanced and very refreshing and very drinkable farmhouse ale.

4.5 out of 5 Coals

It's Curtains for The Bucket

2009-09-13T19:33:00.003-04:00

I think we lost another batch to the bucket. We rarely use the plastic bucket as the primary, only when we're short on the glass carboys. We used it for the Pumpkin Ale, and after a couple days of fermentation, when Kenny popped the lid to start the move to the secondary, it had a layer of stinky, bubbly, oily stuff on it...which looks like a bacterial infection. This is the second time we've had such an infection in the bucket, even though we put it through the same cleaning ritual as the glass carboys. Taste test proves it's sour. He moved it to the secondary just in case, but we're pretty sure it's a goner. All that work gone with just one little bacteria. I think Atlas Brew is destined never to make a good Pumpkin Ale.

We still have the other half of the "perfect pumpkin" in the fridge, wrapped in foil, but it may be moldy by now with our luck. Besides, the saison is in the mash tun as I write, so a new batch of pumpkin ale will not be brewed today anyway.

The bucket is on the back porch. Maybe we'll use it when we clean up dog poop...

Ommegang Hennepin Saison

2009-08-20T17:18:00.003-04:00

I'm writing this up for Ken because I'm cleaning and found the scrap of paper his notes are on...in an effort to make the trash disappear, I'll transcribe these notes right into the blog! Our buddy and fellow homebrewer Jedd called Sunday and was in town on a surprise trip, but that's not the only surprise...he brought a huge bottle of Ommegang Hennepin Farmhouse Saison that he picked up recently in his travels. He had it in his refrigerator for days calling his name, but was able to hold off until he could share the experience with Ken. What a guy!

First off, the webby stuff: This is all the site has to say: As you pour this rich golden ale into your glass, consider your surroundings. Are you in a restaurant? Outside on the deck? Is it hot and humid? Cold and brisk? Take a drink. Feel the way Hennepin is bright and lively in your mouth with a warming mix of spicy gingersnap and citrusy hops. Refreshing. Relaxing. It's true: no matter where you are, Hennepin is the perfect ale for all seasons.

So here's what the tasting notes say, since I was busy playing with Jedd's sons and didn't really pay much attention:

ABV: 7.7%

Color: Semi-cloudy golden straw color with white head and fantastic head retention. (The head actually grew and formed a sort of brew sno-cone on the top of Jedd's glass. I do remember that part!)

Aroma: Metallic with some hop aroma

Flavor: Steely, hoppy flavor, light bodied and hiding the alcohol rather well. Finished semi-dry, not too bitter. Well balanced.

Overall: A good summer beer...I'm sure the boys could've put down quite a few more of these.

Flying Dog's Tire Bite Golden Ale

2009-08-08T01:08:00.002-04:00

Tire Biters rejoice! There’s an ale for you too!

Web stuff:

“The young pup of the pack... Tire Bite Golden Ale is a refreshing, light, warm weather slammer with a flavorful hop edge. Brewed using exclusive imported German hops, this beer draws craft beer drinkers back from the "dark" side of the cooler.”

Color: Gold with a fizzy white head, low retention.

Aroma: Medium malt with some citrus and herbal hop aroma. A bit earthy

Taste: Mild malt sweetness, herbal and spice flavors dominate. Bitterness is evident and makes itself known towards the end as the palate dries.

Overall: A nice, drinkable summer ale. Has some dry bitterness which will be nice for the hop fans but is quaffable for the non-hop heads.

3.75 out of 5 Coals

Flying Dog's Old Scratch Amber Lager

2009-08-08T00:32:00.016-04:00

I'm not sure yet if I like the label art from Flying Dog. I mean a cock-a-roach and a flea don't make me thirsty for beer. They make me itchy to be honest. Seriously I'm scratching my head right now

Web stuff:

"This dog enjoys his days in the sun... Old Scratch Amber Lager is a malty, mellow beer that is fermented at medium temperatures to develop both ale and lager characteristics. "Gold Scratch" raises the standard in the amber lager category."

Color: Deep Amber with a fizzy white head that has limited retention.

Aroma: Steely malt with some sweet and herbal aromas.

Taste: Semi-sweet malt with some mild herbal steeliness. Some bitterness and yet very mellow. This Lager favors the malt side with its medium caramel flavors and a nice yeast profile that is subdued but yet a touch fruity and spicy. A mellow, semi-dry and moderately bitter finish.

Overall: A very nice, easy drinking Lager with some complexity, lots of malt flavor, and just enough bitterness to add some balance. It’s not as smooth as Yuengling Lager but a nice alternative for those looking to take a swim in the craft beer pool.

4 out of 5 Coals

Flying Dog's In-Heat Wheat

2009-08-08T00:16:00.005-04:00

A 12 oz bottle poured into
a 20 oz pub glass.
4.7% ABV
12 IBUs

Here is what the web thing has to say about it:

"She taunts and teases... In-Heat Wheat is our German-style Hefeweizen. She is a full flavor beer, perfect for the more adventurous craft beer drinker. The addition of malted white wheat gives this brew its smooth, full mouthfeel. A proprietary yeast creates intriguing flavors of bananas and cloves."

Color: Cloudy Gold with a huge white retentive head which leaves a nice lace on the glass on the way down

Aroma: Mild spice and clove with a semi-fruity undercurrent. Pleasantly mellow but distinctively German in character.

Taste: A limitedly sweetness and spice up front followed by a pleasant, almost numbing banana and clove flavor. Some yeast and bread vapors emanate up onto the palate. Finish is refreshing and fruity, low bitterness. Hints of melon come with the aftertaste.

Overall: A nice and refreshing summer ale. I like this one because it has that easy drinkability but it’s complex enough for the beer geeks to enjoy as well. Plus the art on the bottle is interesting.

4.5 out of 5 Coals; good stuff!

Barley Creek Brewing's Rescue IPA

2009-08-04T02:00:00.002-04:00

What do you get when you make an IPA in the Pocono Mountains? A happy beer reviewer that’s what. Seriously here is what the website has to say about Rescue India Pale Ale:

“Hopped four separate times with pure Centennial hops for one of the hoppiest brews around. With a nice dry finish, Rescue IPA is our Mug Club's favorite.”

O.G. - 1060

Presentation: Poured from a 12oz bottle to a standard pint glass. Nice deep copper to red color, crystal clear with an off-white, pillowy head that has moderate retention and leaves some lace on the way down.

Aroma: Hops of floral and citrus variety, some herbal aroma with a touch of sweetness underneath.

Flavor: Minimal sweetness; seems fully attenuated. Dry right from the start and stays dry to the finish. Some dry caramel flavor. The hops meet you at the door and give you a grand tour of spice, florals, herbs and just a hint of that citrus. Finally you’re escorted by the bitterness to a tongue-slapping dry finish.

Overall: This IPA has a slight English feel to it and not the over-the-top American IPA that we see from some brewers. It’s well within its guidelines and has an Old World charm that makes me feel like an English colonist on Indian soil before the days of the Suez Canal.

4.25 out of 5 Coals. I’ll most likely up that after I’ve had it at the brew pub.

Never forget your roots!

2009-08-04T01:30:00.004-04:00

It has to be said that I really have come to enjoy hops. I know that there are a select few of us out there that have become true “Hop Heads.” But I have to be completely honest with everyone; I don’t always need to have 50+ IBUs to enjoy a good beer. Now I know what you're saying: “…why’s he bringing this up when he’s doing a review for an IPA next…” Good Question! Honestly the answer is; I don’t know, it just seemed fitting. Call me crazy, but it goes hand in hand with what one must understand as comparison. Think about it; for most of us, our first beer was a macro lager. It might have been Bud, Coors, Miller, Genesee, Pabst, or Yuengling. For me it most certainly could have been any of these. My grandfather drank Pabst and Genny. My dad drank Schmidt’s and then converted to Keystone light.

For me, the first case of beer I purchased when I turned 21 was Yuengling Lager. I’ve had more than my share of Yuengling and all the other macros plus the local brews; Straub (still a favorite), Lion’s Head (Gibbon’s, Stegmier, Brewery Hill, etc…), Rolling Rock. But my taste buds yearned for more.

Enter Sam Adam’s; those 4 cases of Scotch Ale I bought on sale during my 3rd year of college lead me to a new path. I had drank all of Yuengling’s offerings by then; Porter, Chesterfield, Black and Tan. Plus there was other things; Pete’s Wicked Ale, JJ Wainright, Guiness. I love them all, but Sam had something different, something new and dare I say; inspiring! I was hooked. I did stray for some years after college drinking only light beers, 12 at a shot and never being satisfied. And then fate stepped in…my buddy Jedd showed me how to homebrew and simultaneously awoke the sleeping thirst I had for new beer, flavorful beer, GREAT BEER!

So why do I tell you this? It’s simple, never forget your roots! They can teach you things. You can still bond with your fellow man even if that man is a boring beer drinker. And with some persuasion, you might talk him into a good Pale Ale or Oktoberfest. Remember that you weren’t always a Hop Head…don’t deny it; you drank macros too and liked it. We all did. So don’t pooh-pooh an average Joe’s offering when you see one. Remember, there was a time that you would have stepped over you own mother for a Lager. I know I would have! Sorry Mom!

The Brewer's Wife Update...

2009-08-02T23:33:00.002-04:00

How far would you go for a six pack? I don't mean like what kind of crazy stuff would you do to get one (like a Klondike bar) or anything like that. I mean literally, how far would you GO for a six pack? How many miles? Let me tell you my husband's answer: roughly 60--one way--all the way to Reading, PA! And that doesn't include the trip through some parts of town we probably shouldn't have been.

Lessons learned: When Kenny says "let's go to Reading for a six pack" he's not kidding. Also, it's time to update the maps on Garmin because she's losing her mind and taking us places that don't even exist anymore. Lessons Kenny should've learned: when your wife says "turn here, go to Mari's Six Pack," just listen to her! We drove around and around, and around and around, and around some more, only to end up at my first suggested spot. Honestly, guys, when will you learn to just listen to your wife when it comes to directions? (Kenny's answer: NEVER!!)

The bright side: it was a fun road trip and we got some time out of the house and away from the doldrums of the coal region. And we got to see a snippet of city life that made us happy to be back into the doldrums of the region. Plus, we stopped in St. Clair and had soft pretzels and had Taco Bell on the way home. Put food, especially good food like that, into the equation and the chubby girl is happy.

I'm anxious to see if Kenny's as understanding when I say "let's go to Wilkes Barre for some Stickles." And if you wanna know what Stickles are, you gotta go read MY blog. :)

Barley Creek Brewing Co. Antler Brown Ale

2009-08-02T23:24:00.003-04:00

Another brew from the surprise six pack: Antler Brown Ale. Here's what the website says: "This traditional American style brown ale has medium body with a sweet Carastan maltiness. A rich deep chocolate color, our Antler Brown Ale is mildly hopped with Mt. Hood hops. Check out the Antler tap handle... locally grown! This has been our most popular beer over the years... a very easy drinking brew." No ABV noted, but OG is 1050.

Color: Gorgeous brown with thick fluffy beige head with good retention.

Aroma: Burnt caramel with notes of sweetness. Not a lot of hop aroma.

Flavor: Sweet, roasted chocolately flavor with dark caramel flavor mixed in. Just a hint of herbal hops with a dry finish and not much bitterness. A touch of smokiness too.

Overall: Yet another great dark beer to be quaffing on a cold winter's night in the Poconos.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5.

Jen's Review: A little too burnt tasting for me. Plus I don't like the deer on the label. It looks like the bastard that hit my car.

Barley Creek Navigator Golden Ale

2009-08-02T23:08:00.003-04:00

Another from the six pack from Barley Creek -- Navigator Golden Ale. This is one of their most popular brews, boasting a crisp and slightly hoppy finish, cold filtered and moderately carbonated. No ABV reported, but the website reports an OG of 1056. The label has a certain nostalgia to it, reminding me of Amelia Earhart's trip around the globe. Now on to the tasting!

Color: crystal clear deep gold with a fizzy yet retentive head.

Aroma: very light aroma, a bit spicy with mild maltiness.

Flavor: Light bodied with a toasty malt flavor, semi sweet. Mellow hop spiciness with just a subtle sweetness, finishing with a mild bitterness. Do i taste Vienna Malt?

Overall: This beer is very drinkable. I could easily down quite a few of these, but that slight toasted flavor gives it character and complexity, making it different than other beers of this style. Some Golden Ales tend to be overly hopped, and I would dare say Navigator is just a bit underhopped, making it lean towards the malt side. It's a refreshing change of pace.

Rating: 4 out of 5...doesn't knock my socks off, but it did knock my shoes off. I could kick back six or seven of these easily.

Jen's Review: ooh, whoa, who put the toasted sesame seed bun in that?

Barley Creek Brewing Co. Angler Black Lager

2009-08-02T22:53:00.002-04:00

I happened upon a variety six pack from Barley Creek Brewing Company in Tannersville, PA. My first review is for Angler Black Lager, which is a German Swarzbier. Their website describes it as "dark and delightful" and "an easy drinking brew." It was once only a seasonal brew for Barley Creek, but it has made it into their regular lineup. It's brewed with five different malts and three different hops, and then pitched with Bavarian Lager Yeast. No ABV on the website, though it notes the OG as 1052.

Color: Black, with a beige colored head that fades relatively quick.

Aroma: Dark caramel malt, with a hint of smoke and maybe some peat. Herbal hops.

Taste: There's definitely some peat in there! Has a distinct acidic flavor (probably from acidulated malt) with dark burnt caramel and black malt flavor. Very mellow with low hop bitterness. Finishes a little dry with hints of smokiness. Reminds me quite a bit of a Scotch ale.

Overall: This would be a quite quaffable winter lager. Imagine yourself sitting around a fireplace in a cabin in the Pocono region of PA after a long day of skiing, knocking back some Black Lager from a Pocono based brewery. I could do it. Well, not the skiing part, but the rest I could handle!

Rating: 4 out of 5 ... not my favorite, but it's not bad.

(Jen's Review: "Put some ice cubes in that and you could trick yourself into thinking it's Diet Coke.")

Legacy Brewing's Midnight Wit

2009-07-31T00:47:00.003-04:00

A Belgian Style Wheat Beer brewed with spices that has a citrusy flavor.

Well after a ridiculously impulsive road trip to Reading PA that ended in my wife saying “I told you so”, we finally get to try something from Legacy! So 4 soft pretzels and 100 miles later; I give you Midnight Wit!

Presentation: A golden straw color with a small amount of haze but not as much as one would expect. Fine white lacy head that doesn’t last that long.

Aroma: Citrus and fresh baked bread

Flavor: Light and refreshing wheat flavors with lemony goodness dominating. Nice full-body feel. Dry finish with little to no bitterness. The yeast supplies a pleasant bread flavor but no clove or banana esters that are common with some wheat beer yeast strains.

Overall: Truly I’m not a huge fan of the Wit beer. But Midnight Wit is a good summer Wit that is refreshing and easy to drink but still has some complexity. Not bad.

4 out of 5 Coals; the drive was fun too.

GUSHERS!!!! Farewell my beloved Scotch 70/- Ale

2009-07-11T13:21:00.005-04:00

It’s no surprise to people who know me that I tend to be good at a lot of things. I say “good” because I’m not great at anything really. Sort of a Jack-of-all-trades but Master-of-none kind of guy. My friends and family will tell you that I’m outside of the norm, a bit clumsy and forgetful, but I’m an OK guy. That being said; let me tell you about Bottle Conditioning and Priming your beer.

Homebrewing is truly art and science. But getting both aspects of homebrewing together and in perfect unison require some trial and error as most things do. Take Bottle Conditioning for example. When it comes time to drink your homebrew remember this; it’s alive! That’s right; I said it’s alive because there’s yeast in your brew. Yeast: a living organism which transforms sweet wort into that lovely concoction we call beer. That being said; one needs to understand yeast and how it works. I’m not going to give you details but I will say this: yeast eats sugars and poops alcohol and carbon dioxide. If you really want a definitive explanation on this than you can find one here: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/101/yeast

So why do I bring all this up? Well it’s like this; the yeast is still alive when the homebrewer bottles his/her beer. Before the beer is bottled, homebrewers, like myself, need to add a small amount of Priming Sugar to the beer. What this small amount of sugar does is feeds the yeast some more food. This in turn creates carbonation in the bottle as the yeast becomes active and eats. This usually takes 2 - 3 weeks depending on the level of sugar added and the type of beer brewed.

OK, on to my tip:

BE SURE TO ADD THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF PRIMING SUGAR TO YOUR BREW!!!

Too little priming sugar will lead to under carbonated or flat beer. Too much and you get gushers or hand grenades. Think I’m joking? Check out the video of me saying goodbye to my Scotch 70/- Ale:

Fare thee well Scotch Ale, Fare thee well...(tear rolls down my cheek)

Saranac Pale Pale Ale

2009-06-28T22:03:00.002-04:00

No I didn’t accidentaly repeat the word “Pale” twice in the title, they actually made a Pale Ale called “Pale Pale Ale!” So there!

Presentation: gold with a slight chill haze and an off white head that laces nicely down the glass, retention is low however that is a characteristic of the style.

Aroma: an earth, citrusy, and slightly steely aroma from the hops. Has a sweet malt aroma underneath it all.

Flavor: A semi-sweet malt flavor which is slightly overwhelmed by the hops. Hop flavor is mildly bitter with some herbal and citrus flavor followed by a steely some what dry finish.

Overall: True to its name; Pale Pale Ale delivers on what one would expect from an ale designed to be refreshing on a hot summer day yet hoppy enough to satisfy the majority of beer geeks.

4.25 out of 5 coals

Saranac Amber Wheat

2009-06-28T21:38:00.003-04:00

By this time you must have guess that I bought the “12 Beers of Summer” variety pack from Saranac. So here we go with brew 2.

Presentation: deep cloudy amber with a light beige pillowy, tightly beaded head that lasts for some time. The head laces nicely down the glass.

Aroma: malty aroma with caramel undertones and some spicey and earthy hop aroma.

Taste: semi-sweet malt with caramel undertones and a pleasant toasty flavor. A subtle earthy and spicy hop flavor that combines well with the carbonation to deliver a very pleasant and refreshing flavor. Finishes with low alcohol flavor and a semi-dry finish.

Overall: I really like this one! I think it was a great choice for a summer variety pack. It gives the variety pack a little something for everybody and a nice entry into the world of dark beer for the person who’s been bombarded with watered down, fizzy light lagers from the big guys with monster advertising budgets.

4.5 out of 5 coals; a great dark summer beer.

Saranac Summer Ale

2009-06-28T21:08:00.006-04:00

It’s a strange little concoction of beer, natural flavors, and caramel for color. That usually makes me raise an eyebrow or two but let’s not be too hasty;

Presentation: a medium gold color with off-white head that has a larger fizzy sort of bubble which fades relatively quick.

Aroma: lemon grass and citrus, not much malt or yeast.

Flavor: fizzy medium body with lemon/citrus flavor and a tart finish. Subtle sweetness underneath but not too much. It’s a lot like watered down lemon aide with some beer spilled in it.

Overall: I often wonder where beer stops and fruity chemical concoctions begin. Is there a certain percentage of malt that needs to be used in order to have a product worth being called a “beer?”When the fine print on a bottle reads “Beer brewed with natural flavors and colored with caramel” one has to wonder “What is this?” My roots as a brewer tells me that you don’t need to add caramel for color when you could have added some crystal malts to get this beverage to the medium gold that it currently is. However, my business side says: “if I were trying to sell beer to the tasteless masses and go with the current trends (i.e. Bud Lime/Miller Chill) then I would make a fruity watered down beverage like this. But I like beer, and this just doesn’t work for me. Saranac, from my perspective, is a company on the brink of becoming a really good brewer. When they do things like this it sets them back a few steps. I hope they can brush this one off and move forward by making real beer from this point forward.

2 out of 5 Coals,

Homebrew Tip and Brewing as a form of stress relief.

2009-05-31T14:33:00.003-04:00

I’ll say this first and promise that it will be a very brief downer: I’ve been a bit stressed out lately over work, home life, and personal reasons. I’ll spare you the details but I will tell you that I’m coming out of it now. OK, enough about that (I told you it would be brief.)

So what am I trying to say? Well, I haven’t updated the blog in over 3 weeks and I apologize to my 2 or 3 readers for that. ;) But I’m back in the saddle and ready to start writing again. In fact, I’m hoping to do some serious networking and get another 2 or 3 readers. So let’s get on with it shall we?

In the last three weeks I’ve had some really great beers, a selection from North Coast Brewing has been a high light and some of my friend Jedd’s homebrews have been great as well, he makes a great 4-grain Ale! I’ve also been on a Straub kick; it’s got a touch of sweetness that I really enjoy in the warm weather. But most of all I‘ve been drinking my homebrew.

My ESB has turned out awesome, it’s by far my favorite brew, and coming in at a close second is the Honey Wheat. It’s got a bit higher ABV than I was shooting for but it’s a great spring/summer beer. And to add to this list is the Scotch 70/- Ale, its way over-carbonated, my mistake there, but is otherwise a great brew. That being said; I have noticed that my older creations are now sub-par. As I brew more and more I get progressively better. I’m seeing the little mistake that have given me off-flavors or too much head and I’m adjusting for them.

So here is my first tip to everyone: When brewing Ales; always try to chill your wort below 68 deg. F. If you don’t leave room for the heat created by the fermentation process you will over-shoot your max temperature range for ale yeast. The result is “yeast bite”; A nasty off flavor that will be sure to leave you scratching your head in disappointment. I personally am starting fermentation at about 65 deg. F from now on. I was reading some information on Rogue’s website by John Maier, Brewmaster at Rogue. John states the following: “I ferment almost all my beers at 60deg.F; once in a while for certain styles I’ll ferment as high as 70deg.F, but never higher.” Now I now why, it’s the flavor of the malt that you should taste, not the yeast bite.

But perhaps the real great thing about brewing is that it takes normal life stress off your shoulders and gives your mind something else to focus on. Sometimes on my ride home from work, no matter how stressful the night, I’ll start thinking of what beer I’m going to brew next or what new recipe I can come up with. And, if you’re like me, than you know that those 4-7 hours you spend on your brew day will completely occupy your mind to the point that you forget your cares for a time and thing about the beer you’re creating. It is, to me, stress relief. And surprisingly I don’t even have to be drinking the whole time to brew. Sometimes I wait until I’m almost done with brewing for the day before I even crack open a homebrew. It’s good to have a hobby, especially one that pays off like homebrewing.

Sam Adam's Pale Ale

2009-05-07T02:02:00.000-04:00

Sam Adams Pale Ale
12oz bottle poured into a standard pint glass
Freshness dating system tells me that it’s fresh til the end of May.

Color: Light Amber with a pillowy off-white head

Aroma: Earthy and floral English hops

Taste: A smooth, roast flavored maltiness followed by the earthy and floral hop flavor. Nice smooth bitterness accompanies the malt on to the finish which is smooth and semi-dry.

Overall: It’s not my favorite product from Sam. I’m a big fan of most Sam Adam’s products but I could take this one or leave it. There are better Pale Ales out there. Not saying I wouldn’t drink this if you gave it to me but I don’t think I’d buy it again with so many other options out there.

Monty Python's Holy Grail (Ale)

2009-05-07T00:36:00.014-04:00

I am often times skeptical when I see something that smacks of novelty. Usually I tend to avoid such things but my love of beer and Python was too much for me to ignore on this one.

And now for something completely different...

Color: Crystal clear amber with a nice off-white fizzy head, moderate retention.

Aroma: A touch of caramel malt with some mild floral and spiced hop aroma.

Flavor: Semi-sweet caramel malt, nice carbonation and medium body, hops are there but just in balance and support of the malty flavor, not too bitter. Pleasant.

Overall: First you must cut down the mightiest tree in the forest with…..a HERRING!Bring out your dead cause this one is actually pretty good! I expected some half-assed novelty beer to taste like shit but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s not bad! It really is a true crowd pleaser as well, meaning your non-beer geek friends would enjoy it at the Memorial Day picnic and won't be overwhelmed. It’s a tad more malty and a touch more bitter than say a Heineken(with an Ale taste of course but not too bad, very clean.)

4 out of 5 Coals you Silly English Kniggits!!!

Check out the official site for this brew: http://www.eurobrews.com/monty.html

Review: Bullfrog Brewery, Williamsport, PA

2009-04-26T14:31:00.004-04:00

We love the Bullfrog. Always have. Everytime we're in Williamsport (it's where I went to college and it's also Jen's hometown) we try to have a stop there for a couple brews. This time was no different. Besides, after reviewing Houblonium in the bottle, we really wanted to try it on tap. So here goes:

1. Edgar IPA (7.5% ABV)
Named after Edgar Allan Poe, this double IPA is a crowd pleaser.
Color: Copper with a thin white head.
Aroma: spicy citrusy hops
Flavor: Sweet malty flavor, accompanied by a sweet citrusy hop flavor which is overpowering. Bitter in the middle with semi-dry finish.
Overall: A very drinkable and smooth IPA. One of my favorites and definitely among the best I've ever had. It makes me wanna brew my IPA...guess I better get that kitchen finished!

2. Diabolique (8% ABV)
Color: Burnt orange, cloudy with a white fluffy head
Aroma: Fruity and biscuity, not much hop aroma
Flavor: Biscuity, fruity and sweet all at once up front followed by a malty flavor that's a bit toasty. Very mild bitterness-a little spicy though. Finishes semi-dry with very low bitterness. It hides its alcohol volume very well.
Overall: Good, but dangerous! Very sessionable...i like it!

3. Houblonium P-38 on tap (8% ABV)
(In case you were wondering where the name of this one came from...it was Marvin the Martian's laser gun. The Houblonium P-38 Space Modulator is what he called it...)
Overall review on tap: It's still cloudy which is to be expected, but it has such a fresher aroma that just jumps right out of the glass with fresh hops. It makes me wonder if it's dry hopped. It has a beautiful fluffy white head...something you don't quite get from the bottle. It's so much fresher tasting on tap and a little bit mellower, believe it or not. The sweetness is not as pronounched on tap as it is in the bottle. It's interesting how the flavor changes ever so slighty in the bottle.

So that's all I could review because I was sipping on Straubs all day at my great niece's first birthday party and by the time I got to the Inspiration Red I just couldn't concentrate on the brew enough to review it. I guess we'll have to go back. (Darn!) But the Bullfrog continues to delight with good brew, good conversations, interesting people, and cool bands.

A definite 5 out of 5 coals...again.

Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale

2009-04-23T01:34:00.005-04:00

My lovely parents love me, love me a bunch , because they brought this back from Delaware for me, my only wish is that they would have brought me a case instead of a six pack.

Serving type: 12 oz brown pry-off bottle poured into a Dogfish Head pint glass.
ABV: 5%
IBUs 30

Color: A gorgeous amber color with an off white fluffy head that stays for awhile and leaves lacy rings as it slowly fades. Crystal clear!

Aroma: Fruity and a bit floral with just a hint of spice and steely-ness (if that is a word, I don’t think it is.) There is a very faint hint of caramel also. It’s a lovely aroma.

Taste: A mildly sweet caramel flavor up front that melds ever so gently into a spicy, fruity flavor in the middle. A mild steely bitterness greets you at the exit door and bids you farewell with a pleasant semi-dry finish.

Overall: I’ve tried many Pale Ales in the past several years. Some are overly caramel flavored, some try to mask there poor quality with large doses of dry-hopping. Some just miss entirely. But, knowing all of this, I can tell you this; I have not had a better Pale Ale than Shelter Pale. It is a fantastic example of what a session-able Pale Ale should be. Not too much alcohol, not too malty, and not too bitter. Just right.

5 out of 5 coals because I’m off-centered too

Founders Double Trouble Imperial IPA

2009-04-18T17:40:00.000-04:00

My last great hope for a good IPA from Founders. Here it goes:

12 oz Stubby bottle (WARNING: PRY OFF CAPS ON TWIST OFF BOTTLES!!!)
Poured into my oversized, fat Pilsner glass.

9.4% ABV
86 IBU’s

Color: Golden and clear with a fizzy white head that fades quickly.

Aroma: Spicy floral hops, a bit citrusy with undercurrents of grainy grassy malt.

Taste: Semi-sweet malt flavor that turns to graininess with a touch of grassiness, obviously there is hops. Spiced up floral and grapefruit comes through. Thick mouth feel which leads to a bitter end; but not too dry. The flavor does a tremendous job of hiding the Alcohol content.

Overall: I like this one, I like it much more than I like the Centennial IPA. There is more of a shift toward a sweeter hop with a thankful absence of those rose flavors that you get in the Centennial. This one is rather enjoyable. It is what I would consider a nice Summer IPA.

4 out of 5 coals.

Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA

2009-04-17T02:30:00.000-04:00

After a night of sub-par brews, I needed a dose of awesomeness from Bear Republic…Here he comes! Here comes Racer 5! He’s a demon on hops…

Webby stuffy:

Racer 5 - This is a hoppy IPA. Did I say hops? Your brewer is a hop head! This is a full bodied beer using American grains. The goal was to create a base for showing off the unique floral qualities of two Pacific Northwest hops, Columbus and Cascade. Columbus is a new hybrid High Alpha Acid hop used mostly for bittering, but used heavily as an aromatic in this bold brew. Cascade is the balance that ties the malt and bittering hops together. It is a true specialty ale and is our brewer's statement on this style. 2004 L.A. Commercial Brewing Competition, Silver Medal Winner; 2004 World Beer Cup, Silver Medal Winner; 2001 Real Ale Festival, San Diego, Gold Medal Winner; 2001 Real Ale Festival, Chicago, Gold Medal Winner; 1999 Great Amercian Beer Festival, Gold Medal Winner - og 1.070, ABV 7.0%, IBU 69.
California State Fair Bronze Medal, 1997 Beerfest Invitational. - og 1.070, ABV 7.0%, IBU 69.

MY TAKE:

Color: Deep Gold with a pillowy off-white head that has great retention and leaves a wonderful lace around the glass as the level sinks.

Aroma: An outstanding spicy citrus aroma with just a touch of floral-ness and slight sweet undertone.

Taste: A powerful blend of spicy citrus flavors with a touch of floral flavor and a tint of semi-sweet malt underneath it all. But naturally there is the hops…glug glug…and lots of it! The bitterness says hello towards the end and stays for the after party making for a semi-dry finish. What is it about those hops that fascinates me?

Overall: I’ll not tell you that this is the best IPA I every had but it’s in my top ten.

4.5 out of 5 Coals...Like Racer X chasing the sun...

Breckenridge Brewery Pandora's Bock

2009-04-17T01:56:00.000-04:00

Well, the Avalanche Amber was not my favorite, but let's clear our minds and pallets and think good thoughts.

Wooosaaaaaa....

Killer label, one of my favorites.

FROM THE WEB THINGY:

Desire coupled with curiosity can drive you to do many foolish things. Fortunately, opening a bottle of our Pandora’s Bock is not one of them. Once it is released, a wealth of flavor and complexity will spill out into the world. With a traditional bock flavor profile and a hint of hoppy goodness, there’s a reason it’s spoken about in mythical terms.

Beer Style: Bock
Flavor: Caramel Nut Maltiness
Yeast: Bavarian Lager
Malts: Two Row Pale, Munich, Bonlander, Caramel
Hops: Strisselspalt, Chinook
Color: Mahogany
Bitterness Units: 16
Alcohol ByVolume: 7.5%

MY TAKE:

Color: A nice deep red with a tan thin head that fades quicker than most.

Aroma: Big maltyness with hints of caramel and toasty grains. Light spicy hop aroma underneath it all.

Flavor: Carmel malt dominates with just a touch of toasted grains. Esters of alcohol closes with a mild bitterness and just a hint of spicy hop flavor. Big sloppy wet finish that leaves your mouth watering and wishing you were sitting a beer garden.

Overall: A pleasant Bock, I'm not sure it's going to cause any trouble just because I opened it, but you never know! She's unpredictable that Pandora.

3.5 OUT OF 5 COALS.

Breckenridge Brewery Avalanche Amber Ale

2009-04-17T01:44:00.000-04:00

Look out it's an Avalanche!!!

Well, we shall see...

From the website:

Subtlety. That's what makes our Avalanche amber ale such a treat. We blend pale and caramel malts – and just a kiss of bittering hops – to create a refreshing-but-flavorful, any-time beer. Aromas of pale grains, a semi-sweet middle and a clean-as-Colorado-snow finish make this our best-selling beer.

Beer Style: American Amber
Flavor: Caramel maltiness with slight hop character
Yeast: Top Fermenting Ale Yeast
Malts: Two Row Pale, Munich, Roasted Barley, Chocolate
Hops: Willamette, Chinook, Tettnang, Hallertau
Color: Amber
Bitterness Units: 19
Alcohol By Volume: 5.41%

My Take:

The label has a freshness rating system but it’s not used!?! What?

Color: A nice deep copper with an off white head that fades quick.

Aroma: Maltyness with hints of caramel. Light spicy hop aroma but not much.

Flavor: Carmel malt with mild bitterness and just a hint of spicy hop flavor. Really not much going on here. Flavor is comparable to one of my malt extract brews, not too good.

Boring really; this is one to avoid, it’s not impressive past the cool label. Maybe it’s better at the brewery. It's definately not an Avalanche of flavor.

2.5 out of 5 coals.

Brew Review: Abbey Wright Brew Company, Williamsport, PA

2009-04-16T21:55:00.001-04:00

Well, after a hectic Easter weekend and trying to get caught up on a million things at work and at home, I'm finally able to write this review, albeit I'm a little late in doing so. We took a trip to the 'Port to visit my family this weekend and after a wonderful Easter dinner with everyone, we decided to hit The Valley Inn in Duboistown to check out Abbey Wright Brew Company which is housed there. I've never been to the Valley, but everyone always told me that if I were to live in Williamsport again, this would be my bar of choice and I would probably be there way too much. Those people were probably right. It had this great hippy hangout meets biker bar feel, and Garreth, one of the Valley Inn/Abbey Wright crew who was also serving up the drinks behind the bar, seemed to be a pretty great guy too. After our sampler, we thought we were going home, but when the chance to hang out with Kenny's sister came up, we came back to the Valley for more. Garreth gave us a small tour of the brewery and hooked us up with a pint glass or two. Nice guy.

We have to be honest, going in to this one, Kenny was a little bit biased and had a bad attitude. He had read some pretty lousy reviews, especially by one guy from Massachusetts on BA. He really just wanted to find out for himself if this was a failed brew in the making. But what we found was a really original and flavorful selection of brews, including one that I just might brand as my "favorite stout." All were served nicely chilled and tasted very fresh. And as for the reviewers who didn't agree with us, well, they either caught the brewery on an off day, or they wouldn't know good beer if it bit them square in the ass. So here we go...a brew by brew review, with 1-6 notated by Kenny, and number 7 done by moi!

1. Kosmic Kolsch:
Color: Gold
Aroma: Light malt, slightly grainy
Flavor: Nice mild Kolsch flavor, a little more than expected, but it was good anyway. More hop kick than usual for this style, but it's a pretty decent beer. I'm never one to complain about hoppiness. It's a nice take on the style.

2. Hefeweizen:
Color: Cloudy straw
Aroma: Faint banana notes along with a hint of clove and spice, typical of a hefeweizen.
Flavor: Sweet and floral up front that balances well with a mellow, yet spicy, bitterness from the hops. Very low bitterness on this one. Finishes medium-dry. It's good stuff. I'm typically not a big fan of wheat beers, but this one is pretty damn good.

3. Raz-Berry Wheat
Color: Deep amber, almost copper, and very clear.
Aroma: Straight up raspberries. Like, knock your ass off the barstool raspberries.
Flavor: Wow. This is more like a carbonated raspberry soda than a beer. It's very sweet with the great taste of raspberry throughout paired with a very mild maltiness and a very mild hop finish with extremely low bitterness. This one could go down way too easy! Very unique brew.

4. Irish Red Ale
Color: Red, of course.
Aroma: citrusy hops with hints of sweetness
Flavor: Awesome. Sweet malts with a touch of caramel up front, bit of citrusy hops in the middle with mounting bitterness towards the end and a dry finish. This is a great Irish Red Ale and dances on your tongue exactly like it should. Good job, lads.

5. Saison Ale
Color: Deep reddish copper with lacy tan head.
Aroma: Sweet and fruity
Flavor: Fruity and candylike up front with very low bitterness through to the end. Light bodied with a touch of bananas, this is a nice Belgian-inspired ale.

6. Alpha Deuce IPA
Color: Deep copper/reddish
Aroma: Fresh (very fresh!) citrusy hops
Flavor: Sweet, caramely and citrusy. The hop flavor meets you in the middle and carries you to a semi-dry bitter finish. Love that hop bite. Light mouth feel. An awesome IPA.

7. Vanilla Latte Stout
Color: Black with a thin tan head.
Aroma: Slight notes of vanilla, malt
Flavor: Hint of vanilla and coffee up front, malty in the middle. Very low bitterness makes this a sure contender for my Best Stout award. The coffee surely lends some bitterness to the brew, but it's not overwhelming at all. Semi dry finish with a smooth coffee and vanilla aftertaste. This stout was incredible and very drinkable. This is some masterful brewing if you ask me.
Rating: five coals right out of five. Brilliance in a glass.

After visiting the Valley Inn and trying these beers, we realized that Williamsport is really a happening place for craft brewing. Abbey Wright joins Bullfrog Brewery and the new Bavarian Barbarian on the list of microbrewers in this little college town turned big city. A huge thanks to Garreth for showing us around and extending such hospitality...something that's hard to find nowadays in any crowded bar. Besides, anyone who rings a bell to a Social Distortion song is okay by us! Abbey Wright is phenomenal by our standards, and we will be visiting again quite soon.

Bell's Two Hearted Ale

2009-04-16T02:05:00.000-04:00

After hearing so much about this one on some of the websites, I finally get to have a crack at it.
Here is what Bell's website has to say:

India Pale Ale style well suited for Hemingway-esque trips to the Upper Peninsula. American malts and enormous hop additions give this beer a crisp finish and incredible floral hop aroma.
Original Gravity:1.058
Alc. by Vol.:7.0%
Avail. Pkgs.:4/6/12 oz. bottles (case), 15.5 gal. keg, 5 liter (1.32) gal. mini keg
Dates Available: Year Round

Color: Deep Gold, cloudy with some particles due to bottle conditioning. Despite my best pour, I still got particulate matter, be warned. Pillowy cream colored head with great retention.

Aroma: Citrus and a slight floral aroma.

Taste: Semi-sweet malt up front then a floral spicy citrus wave across the pallet followed by a sharp bitterness that fades as quick as it comes leaving you wanting another hit. Light-bodied and semi-dry

Overall: Yes, I would like to spend time with Hemingway on a curvy trout stream in the middle of a grassy cove, nestled between the woods, witha few of these. Nice one.

4 out of 5 Coals.

Founders Centennial IPA

2009-04-16T01:40:00.000-04:00

After the poor impression I got from the Curmudgeon Old Ale, I wanted to give Founders a chance to redeem themselves. But there was a stumble in that road to redemption; they use TWIST OFF BOTTLES WITH PRY OFF CAPS! This does not make me happy one bit. I look forward to re-using these bottles for homebrew, as such I carefully scrutinize every choice I make when purchasing craft brew. For example; I could have bought some Troegs, I know I can reuse those bottles. Well, live and learn. I still get to sample a new beer, so here it is, from the website:

Centennial IPA
Selected as a benchmark for the Beer Judge Certification Program used in all American based beer judgings. Centennial IPA has quickly become the IPA of choice. Pour yourself a pint of this complex flavorful ale and bask in the frothy head�s floral bouquet. Relish the immense citrus accents, achieved by the abundance of dry hopping. This ale�s sweet, malty undertones balance the hop character with a finish that never turns too bitter.

Specs:
7.2 % ABV
46 IBU's (My bottle says 65IBU's
Color: Amber Unfiltered
Cellar: 6 months
Availability: Year round
Serving temperature: 42 f
Glassware: American pint

Color: Copper with a nice off-white head that fades quickly

Aroma: Citrusy and floral hops, hint of roses.

Flavor: Sweet malt, citrusy flavor upfront, then a weird dose of roses! What the F@$K! Fading to a nice bitterness. Full-bodied.

Overall: Aaaaa, I'm not sure I like this either, that rose flavor is really throwing me off. It's not my favorite IPA, of that I'm sure.

2.5 out of 5 coals.

Founders Brewery Curmudgeon Old Ale

2009-04-16T01:15:00.000-04:00

Shitty Wednesday night, I got a headache and a sour foot (long story, and boring) so I thought I'd give Founders Brewing a try. First up; Curmudgeon Old Ale. From the website:

Curmudgeon
This Old Ale conjures up thoughts of classic sea fairing ports, there local pubs and the weathered fisherman that frequent them. In traditional style Curmudgeon is brewed with an intense focus on the malt bill creating a very strong, rich, malty characteristic and a sweetness indicative of its cousin the barleywine. We are especially proud of the balance in this beer making it deceptively smooth and drinkable at 9.3% alcohol by volume.

Specs:
9.3% ABV
50 IBU's
Color: Deep brown Unfiltered
Cellar: 2 years
Availability: Quarterly (limited production, pre-order only)
Serving temperature: 42 f
Glassware: Bubble glass

12oz stubby bottle (Think Sierra Nevada's bottles), A fantastic label with a painted portrait of, what else, an old curmudgeon looking scholar/sailor.

Color: Brown, I wouldn't say deep brown. Head is a beige pillowy head, with medium retention.

Smell: Alcohol, Malty Sweetness, little hops

Taste: Malty alcohol that hints at some hops. That aged flavor that hints of bourbon. But always alcohol, the kind that leaves you dry and wondering "...is this really only 9.8% ABV?"

Overall: Eh, I could have done without it the 9.8% ABV. I appreciate the work and effort that was put into this Ale but let's face it; at this high of an alcohol content you may just as well have a barley wine. Not my favorite.

3 out of 5 coals because the label is awesome.

Bell's Hopslam Ale

2009-04-12T02:05:00.001-04:00

It's an Ale brewed with Honey which is one of my favorite jujus when it come to brew. Love that Honey! But Honey and Hops???

Color: Light to medium amber with a biege colored head. Moderate head retention, lacy and pillowy.

Aroma: Fresh fruity hops and lots of it with undertones of sweet malt.

Taste: Sweet malt with a touch of carmel. The hops dive in with a kiss of spice and floral fruits somewhere in the middle. Accompanied by the carbonation, the hop flavors of fruit and spice ride the rails of bitterness on the tongue to a dry bitter finish.

Overall: She's a slap in the face and a kick to the groin all at once. She loves you hard and leaves you numb. You'll hate yourself in the morning but when she comes around again you'll take her back in...that Bell! She's a fruit flavored hop dance that never gives you the last word. Hell of a thing!

4.5 out of 5 coals. Why? Because she hurts so good!

Stone Ruination IPA

2009-04-12T01:10:00.000-04:00

Here it is! Another devilish brew from Stone! The Gargoyle on the bottle should be a warning to us all; drink this and feel the bite!

"Abandon all hope he who enter here!"

Color: Light amber with a creamy, pillowy off white head that stays for awhile and laces up the glass.

Aroma: Basically the hops kick your ass the minute you open the bottle; Strong, glorious citrusy/grapefruit aroma. WOW! It's very intense!

Taste: Nice malt up front then, the hops, and more hops, then some more hops. But, it's not as bitter as you might expect. It's a nice balance between the hop flavor and the alpha bite.

Overall: It's hops, hops, and more hops! It's an attack on the taste buds. It comes in like a lion and leaves like a hurricane! Not for the faint of heart...this IPA will test you limits...are you really a hophead?

Hopheads have met their match! Or have we?

4.5 out of 5 coals because it kicks your ass and leaves you wanting more!

Review: Paper City Brewery's Ireland Parish Golden Ale

2009-04-12T00:39:00.000-04:00

This is the second selection we got from Paper City Brewery, which I just had to try after having the Holyoke Dam Ale...so, continue with the Quint accent since we are still in Massachusetts...

Color: It sure as hell ain't gold! It's dark gold! Damn near amber.
Aroma: Oh hell, I went right to the tasting. Hold on a minute...it's a spicy hop aroma.
Flavor: A subdued malt flavor which relinquishes control to the overbearing spicy hops not long into the taste. There's almost a floral quality to the hops as well. Light bodied with a bitterness that meets you halfway and holds your hand until the dry finish at the end.
Overall: Not what I've come to expect from an Irish ale...the freshness of the hops is surprising to me and it seems like there was some later hops additions to get that spicy quality, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just a little different for an Irish ale. It's not a bad beer. It'd be good to kick back on a chilly night in March getting read for St. Patty's day. Or to get ready to hunt a great white at sunrise...arrrrrr!!!
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 coals, just a bit of a shark bite for ya. My overall impression of Paper City, however, is that they brew some pretty decent beers...

Review: Paper City Brewery's Holyoke Dam Ale

2009-04-12T00:13:00.001-04:00

This brewery is a new one to us, and was a new one to The Beer Stop's owner, Allen, as well. The brewery is located in Holyoke, Massachusetts, founded by a homebrewer with a dream in 1995. Gee, that sounds familiar! Wonder if Holyoke is near the Vineyard? I guess Quint will be reviewing this one too, arrrrr....

From their website: "Holyoke Dam Ale is brewed in an English style, using open fermenters and a top fermenting American yeast. We use the finest Canadian English malts. Our Ale is mildly hopped and is intentionally brewed to leave some residual sugars. This combination gives it a refreshingly smooth and malty taste." How close are they?

Color: Damn near red...deep copper on the line of crossing into that red category. Beige, slightly lacy head with a low retention.
Aroma: sweet and malty with caramel undertones and a slight smell of molasses.
Flavor: This is a sweet malt with a complex flavor structure. Hints of caramel and molasses along with burnt sugars hit you throughout with a mild bitterness. Semi dry finish that leaves you with an aftertaste of spicy hops and a very subtle hint of burnt sugar. Medium mouth feel.
Overall: For coming out of nowhere and being a brewery I've never heard of until today, this a damn good brew. It's not really what I was expecting for American Ale, but it does embody the flavors of a traditional English Ale. It appears to be bottle conditioned, which is fine with me. It's strange because it has almost a lager-like quality which I might contribute to the open fermentation process they use. I think it would be a great Fall or Winter brew...maybe just a little too heavy for a Summer brew.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 coals for its uniqueness.

An afternote on the aroma: the smell of this beer reminds me of being in Jedd's basement the first time he taught me how to brew. When we were boiling the wort, this is the smell that was coming out of the pot. Next time I get to The Beer Stop, I'll be sure to pick one of these up for Jedd-Mon (who, I believe, is my biggest blog fan) to try...

Review: Harpoon Summer Beer Kolsch

2009-04-12T00:03:00.000-04:00

Winding down after Easter dinner at Mom's house, there's finally some room in my belly for a brew. After perusing the spoils of my trip to The Beer Stop today, I finally settled on Harpoon's Summer Beer (Kolsch) for tonight's pre-bed nightcap. Harpoon's Summer Beer is a Kolsch style, which means it has charasteristics that many will associate with lager beers. It is brewed with ale yeast, but is straw gold in color and light bodied, like most German light ales. Hops are utilized to give this style a crisp dry finish with a mild flavor. Harpoon's Summer Beer has been brewed for April to August availability for ten years now, so it must be good. With an ABV of 5.0%, it's a decent session beer selection, and with 28 IBUs, it won't overwhelm you too much. So, here we go with the review, which should be read in a distinct Quint-from-Jaws accent:

Color: Light gold with a pillowy white head that sticks around for a while and leaves lacy rings in the glass.
Aroma: Fresh barley and malt with a distinctly German grain aroma. Floral and earthy hops are also apparent in the aroma.
Flavor: Mild malt flavor, lightly sweet and grassy. A pleasant spciy hop flavor meets you in the middle and accompaineis you to a mild, satisfying finish with just a bit of bitterness. Medium mouthfeel throughout.
Overall: Nice, I would kick back quite a few of these at a summer picnic and be happy the whole time. Hell, I'd take a case of this out on my shark hunt, that's for sure.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 sharks, errr, I mean, coals!

Review: Yards Brewing Company ESA

2009-04-11T23:57:00.001-04:00

This is another brew we picked up at The Beer Stop from a Philadelphia brewery called Yards. Their ESA, or Extra Special Ale, was their first brewed according to their website, which also says "Crafted from the finest ingredients and originally intended for the cask-ale connoisseur, Extra Special Ale is a robust and hearty amber ale with a malt body and aromatic hop finish." ABV on this one is 6.0%. So, did they live up their description? We shall see...

Color: Medium Copper with aoff white head with medium retention.
Aroma: A bit biscuity and caramelly, malty.
Flavor: Dry biscuity roasted grain with slight hints of burnt caramel; bitter in the middle ending with a dry finish that's bitter with a certain steely quality about it.
Overall: I liked the beer, but it's not the best ESB I've ever had, but it's pretty good. It's biscuity and toasty just like an ESB should be. I'm happy to see that something good can come out of Philadelphia after all...
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 coals.

Review: Firestone Walker Pale 31

2009-04-11T23:48:00.001-04:00

Okay, this is the first brew I've tried from Firestone Walker, a California brewery that specializes in pale ales. The brew in the glass is Pale 31 California Pale Ale with a 4.8% ABV and 38 IBUs according to the website. This is one of the brews we picked up from The Beer Stop in Hazleton, PA. Now on with the reviewing:

Color: Gold with lacy off-white head. Good retention.
Aroma: Citrusy and spicy fresh hop aroma.
Flavor: Mildly sweet malt flavor up front with a spicy and fresh citrus flavor that leads to a nice mildly bitter semi-dry finish.
Overall: A good pale-ale...not the greatest I've ever had, but smooth and drinkable. It would be a nice session beer for the summer. If the option were given to me and the price were right, I wouldn't mind picking up a case of this pale ale for some backporch drinking when the weather warms up a little. My fidgety wife adds the tidbit that the cap has "great spin retention."
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 coals.

The Beer Stop, Hazleton, PA

2009-04-11T23:27:00.000-04:00

I came across a place on Beer Advocate that is located in Hazleton, not too far of a drive from Atlas, called The Beer Stop. They had rave reviews from everyone on BA, so I decided we'd check them out. They aren't hard to find at all, and you can't miss the black and yellow tiled building, that's for sure. The store's not big, but it's got a huge selection of microbrews in a make-your-own-six pack style like we raved about when we visited Total Wine in Delaware.

We met the owner, Allen, and he was a really friendly and knowledgeable guy. He hasn't tried everything he's got in the store, but damn near has, and can give you a pretty impressive on-the-spot review of the ones he's tried. The prices vary depending on how readily available things are from his suppliers, and he tries to add between twenty and thirty new selections each month so it will never be the same exact combo each time you visit. He also has about 35-40 of the world's top 100 beers at any given time.

Some of the microbrews we saw represented there: Bells, Breckenridge, Weyerbacher, Chimay, Duvell, Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Yards, Victory, Paper City, Bear Republic, North Coast, Harpoon, Founders, Stone Brewing Company (and lots of it!), tons of Belgian ales, lots of IPAs and stouts, and stuff you've never even heard of. Most of his selection is available as single bottles, and some are only available in six packs, but the prices are decent, and it's well worth the trip. We picked up a ton of stuff that we'll be sampling over the next few days/weeks.

A regularly updated "on tap" list is kept online at http://mybeerbuzz-thebeerstop.blogspot.com/ . This one easily gets five coals for the selection, the closeness and the friendly and knowledgeable staff. Thanks, Allen...it was nice to meet you. And by the way, did you ever find that horse piss someone was looking for? Perhaps they wanted a case of Bud Light?

Atlas Brew Update...the On-Tap Report

2009-04-05T23:35:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've updated about the homebrew situation, and I've come to the conclusion that I've gone to the next level by stepping up to all grain brewing. So far, the first three batches of all grain have been all experimental because I wasn't 100 percent sure of what I was doing. But--I have purchased software called BeerSmith that I now use to create my recipes, and my friend Jedd gave me the BJCP guidelines for beer styles, so now, after doing some soul searching, I've realized that I can't just whip experimental brews out of thin air and get good beer. I need to start with the basics and put down some solid recipes within style guidelines of the BJCP in order to make good brews. That being said, I'm still going to put my own little twist on each type of beer, which leads me to where we are now.

After my enlightenment, the first beer I did was an ESB. It's brewed, it's been bottled, and it is delicious. A fantastic beverage if I do say so myself, with a sweet biscuity malt flavor and just the right amount of bittnerness. Next up was the Blond Ale, also within style requirements. Bottled it today, and it has a wonderful flavor. Just the right amount of malty American-ized flavor with a tad more bitterness than is typical for American lagers. Obviously, the ale yeast does have a different flavor than the lager yeast used by American macrobrewers, but all in all, the Blond Ale is going to make a great summer session beer.

Speaking of summer session beers, the next beer I brewed was a honey wheat, or a hoenigweizen, if you will. Bottled it today and so far the flavor is out of this world. Next up is a Scotch Ale -- it's a 70/- ale and it is also within BJCP style guidelines, though most people are used to the 60/- or the 80/- variety. I wanted a good summer beer for those chillier nights when you need a little something to keep you warm. Plus, the Scotch ales have long been one of my secret favorites. Scotch ale so far is in the secondary for the last week, and the flavor at the time of transfer was really good. It's scheduled for bottling next weekend.

The next brew: The American IPA to be named 54/61 in honor of the crossroads of Atlas. Hopheads rejoice! It's going to be approximately 70 IBUs with lots of Cascade hops...should be delicious!

So, that brings the "on tap" list to:
1. Anthracite Stout
2. Coal Cracker Six Grain
3. Experimental brown session ale, which hasn't passed our quality assurance taste tests yet! Will be tweaked and reintroduced as Shit Creek Session Ale.
4. American Amber, which was one of the last extract brews...this will be completely revamped in a whole-grain version because we're not really liking this one.
5. Aunt Betty Ale - one of the last extract brews as well...will be completely revamped in a whole grain version, though the extract version came out well.
6. Bloody Hell Bitter ESB - should be fantastic!
7. Down da Shore Blond Ale - should also be fantastic!
8. The Yet Unnamed Honey Wheat Ale.

COMING SOON: The Scotch Ale!

The Harrisburg Brew Tour: Troegs, ABC, and Lancaster Brewpub...

2009-04-05T22:01:00.001-04:00

The First Great Brew Crawl - Harrisburg, PA

What do you get when you put two college buddies together for a day of brewpubbing in Harrisburg? Well, you get two drunk college buddies raising hell in Harrisburg! Our brew crawl included a brewery tour and tasting at Troegs, lunch/tasting at Appalachian Brew Pub, and more drinking at Lancaster Brewpub in Harrisburg. Accompanying Kenny and I were Jeff (lovingly called "Doyle") and his wife, Jen. So for the first time, Atlas Brew Works introduces a guest reviewer of the brews. Doyle gives a short and sweet version that non-beer snobs can understand...and we can all laugh at...

First Stop: Troegs Brewery, Harrisburg, PA
Troegs offers free brew tours and tastings every Saturday, and have added a phenomenal tasting room and gift shop to the brewery as well. We had the pleasure of having Chris Troegner (as in one of the Troegner brothers) as our tour guide. The brewery tour was incredible...it was awesome to see the process we do in our kitchen on a much larger scale. We also got to see how they do their Scratch Beer Series selections. These brews are their experimental recipes that they come up with and brew on a much smaller scale in order to perfect the recipe. They release them in very limited supplies as well as hand them out in cases to the employees. There's also a small number of cases that go directly to the tasting room for the visitors to sample. When we were there, they had about ten oak barrels with experimental batches in them to ferment. Two of the barrels were bourbon barrels, so we can wait to see what tasty brew comes out of those.

After the tour, we did some tasting, and here are the reviews--both Kenny's, and Doyle's:

1. Dreamweaver Wheat: ABV 4.8%, 15 IBUs
Color: Straw with a cloudy, lacy white head.
Aroma: Grassy with notes of spicy hops
Flavor: Yummy! Esters of banana, grainy clove (just a little bit)...a good wheat beer.
Doyle: Oh, I'm supposed to review these. Right.

2. Troegenator Double Bock: ABV: 8.2%; 22 IBUs
Color: Red with a thin head that fades quickly.
Aroma: Sweet and malty.
Flavor: Sweet and malty up front fades to a dry bitter finish. Hides the alcohol very well.
Doyle: Mmm, this is even better when you chug it.

3. Rugged Trail Nut Brown Ale: ABV: 4.4%, 18 IBUs
Color: Deep dark brown, beige lacy head with good retention.
Aroma: Rich & Roasty
Flavor: Biscuity, roasty, smoky. So much different on tap than in the bottle. Awesome.
Doyle: That was good, but the second one was better. You can't drink too much of this. Makes me bloated.

4. Troeg's Pale Ale: ABV: 5.4%; 33 IBUs
Color: Amber with a lacy white head, good retention.
Aroma: Fresh, floral, fruity.
Flavor: Fresh and fruity hops, sweet malt flavor.
Doyle: Blue Moonish. (His wife says "citrusy?") No. Chemical-y. The other two I would drink on a regular basis. This one--not so much!

5. Nugget Nectar: ABV: 7.5%; 90ish IBUs
Color: Copper
Aroma: Earthy and Piney
Flavor: Earthy flavor, a little bit of maltiness. Very good. The flavor of the nugget hops really comes out. I like it a lot.
Doyle: Shitty. Pine Solish.

6. Hop Back Amber Ale: ABV: 6%; 55 IBUs
Color: Deep Copper, like amaretto. Good head.
Aroma: Malty and mildly hoppy.
Flavor: Little bit citrusy. There's a nice balance between the malt and the hops.
Doyle: Ha ha, Kenny likes good head. This beer is gettin' warm on me. This just doesn't have the yeeeeoooowwwww that the others had.

7. Triple Rye IPA (Scratch Series Brew): ABV: 7.3%; 75 IBUs
Color: Amber with a decent head. Good retention.
Aroma: Malty.
Flavor: This is gooooood. It's malty up front, dry in the rear. This is a great IPA. Very well done.
Doyle: Getting better as I drink it...hey, look at that girl with her boobs hanging out...oh, right, the brew...it's good.

Overall:
Kenny's pick: Nugget, cuz he's a hophead at heart.
Doyle: Troegenator, cuz that went down good and fast.

Second stop: Lunch at Appalachian Brewing Co.
We got to ABC right before two busses pulled in. Luckily, we got some of the last seats at the bar before it became overcrowded with the bus passengers. We ordered lunch, and as usual, the food was incredible. I highly recommend the cheddar ale and any of their burgers. But, you didn't come for a food review, so here are the brews:

1. Water Gap Wheat:
Color: Golden.
Aroma: Strawish.
Flavor: Citrusy, grainy with a clean finish.
Doyle: Better than Troegs.

2. Mountain Lager
Color: Golden Straw with a medium head.
Aroma: Malty/grainy
Flavor: very smooth, medium bodied with grainy and grassy flavor. Pretty good.
Doyle: That's good (lip smack, lip smack) That's good...no, no more...okay, gimme some.

3. Purist Pale Ale:
Color: Amber
Aroma: Floral and fruity
Flavor: Malty floral hop balance. Very smooth and drinkable. Mildly bitter finish.
Doyle: It was good. Period.

4. Scottish Ale
Color: Deep Red
Aroma: Earthy, like a dirty Scotsman.
Flavor: Malty, but the hop flavor definitely dominates. It's a good hippie beer.
Doyle: Deep in my tummy!

(The Beautiful Brew Assistant/Perpetual Designated Driver would like to note at this point that both reviewers were loaded!)

5. Hoppy Trails:
Color: Amber
Aroma: Hoppy. There's a surprise. It's hoppy trails.
Flavor: Subdued maltiness with a dry hoppy finish.
Doyle: (insert multiple lip smacks) Not quite the pine-sol, but a step behind it...like Lysol. Hey, check out all the wood here. Ha, wood.

6. Celtic Knot Irish Red
Color: Red and roasty with an off white head.
Aroma: Malty/Earthy...hey, like a dirty Irishman!
Flavor: Little bitter, heavy on the malt side, but pretty good.
Doyle: Can't go wrong with an Irish beer. That's good shit!

7. Zoigl Lager
Color: Deep Gold
Aroma: Malty with sweet notes
Flavor: Sweet, malty lager flavor.
Doyle: (chug, chug, chug.)

8. Susquehanna Stout
Color: Black with a tan head.
Aroma: Smoky and rich.
Flavor: Smoky butteriness up front with a dry smoked finish.
Doyle: Dryer than I like...(lip smacks)...It's good though, I could...I could drink this. Heavy though. But I could drink it.

9. Grinnin' Grizzly (sample given to the BBA with the explanation that if a cookie could be a beer, this would be it.)
Color: Red
Aroma: Like christmas cookies!
Flavor: She said it! Sweet, spicy, yummy...like a holiday cookie.
Doyle: Whoa, three of these and you're DONE.

10. Nut Brown Ale...drank this one for Jedd!
Color: Beautifully brown.
Aroma: Malty, Hoppy
Flavor: Roasted Malt, hoppy flavor, dry finish.
Doyle: Hoppy! Extremely!

Our next stop: Lancaster Brewpub. But by this time, both reviewers are so loaded they can't stop laughing like schoolgirls long enough to give a good review of the Amish Four Grain. So, Kenny farted in appreciation, and Doyle said "I give it an 8." Little did I know, he was rating the bitchiness level of a woman at the bar who was yelling at her husband. At this point, we called it a day and headed for home. On the way, we made an impromptu stop at the new casinos in Hershey, PA, and then ended up at Maroon's in Pottsville, where Kenny did his final (and sober-er) review:

Yuengling Bock...the newest member of the Yuengling Family
Color: Deep Red
Aroma: Malty with fresh hop aroma.
Flavor: Nice malty flavor with a well balanced hoppy flavor.
Doyle: Like a warm summer morning over Pottsville. Beautiful.

The next brew crawl date: May 9th for the Mount Joy Beer Fest. Stay tuned!

Houblonium P-38...Bullfrog is Bottling!

2009-04-05T21:35:00.000-04:00

It's the Brew Assistant AKA faster-typer-than-Kenny here with another tasting...

Okay, so one of the first microbrews that I ever heard of was in my hometown of Williamsport, PA...Bullfrog Brewery. I've always liked Bullfrog--creative brews with creative names, and of course, it's from my hometown...one of the only good things lately to come out of Williamsport, really. Kenny recently heard that they are now bottling. I stopped in for a six pack when I went home last week, but they said "we don't have six packs...we have huge bottles." So I bought him a Houblonium P-38 in a 750ml bottle--the size of a wine bottle basically--for $16. And tonight he finally broke it open...so here's his review:

First, what does Bullfrog say about it: "Whoa! A big hoppy American IPA and a big fruity Belgian ale combined into one enormously delicious Belgian-inspired IPA. Packed with flavor that will blow up your tastebuds, loaded with Horizon, Amarillo, Saaz, and Crystal hops, it may leave you feeling a little radioactive. ABV: 8%; brewed 9/10/08, bottled 11/17/08."
Color: Deep gold with a cream colored frothy, fluffy head.
Aroma: Citrusy hops with an undertone of sweetness and a slight grapefruit aroma.
Flavor: Sweet up front--very sweet initially. Taste of candi sugar followed by estery alcohol flavor with a bitter hoppy finish. Citrus flavor on the backside with a dry finish. Sweet malt flavor undertone with a touch of caramel.
Overall: I didn't think it was possible but they're right--it's a Belgian-inspired IPA. While being very unique, it's also very yummy. Now, I don't think I'd spend $16 again on a 750ml bottle of this beer, but if they had it on tap, i'd be willing to spend three or four bucks for a pint. Besides, I'd like to taste it fresh on tap.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 coals based on the fact that the price was just a bit too high for the bottled brew. I like the beverage...i'd love to sit at the brewpub and have one or two, but I wouldn't pay that much for another bottle to drink it at home.

Jedd Made Us Do It.

2009-03-14T20:17:00.000-04:00

We get a lot of our brewing inspiration from our friend Jedd, who introduced Kenny to home brewing in the first place. Kenny got a call from him today while he was brewing, so now Kenny wants to brew too! He also mentioned that he thinks Jedd is "nearing greatness" as a brewer, which I'll throw in cuz i know he reads this blog. You da man, Jedd! Can't wait till next weekend...brews and bullshittin'. Nothing funner than that.

So, I realized that neither one of us got on the blog to update the last brew weekend, so i'll start with that before going on to tonight's project. Already in the secondary are two brews, done on February 28th and March 1st. The first is an ESB, yet unnamed -- five different malts, 3 types of hops, original gravity 1.060, and 1.016 (5.8% ABV) going into the secondary on the 8th of March. The second is a Honey Weizen with six different malts and Spalt hops, along with a pound of clover honey. Gravity going into the primary was 1.050, going into the secondary a week later was 1.012 for a 5.0% ABV so far. Kenny gives each one a thumbs up so far...plans on keeping them in the secondary for two weeks...maybe a little shorter on the ESB. More on those later when I can enter them into our "on-tap" list.

So, for tonight's brew: so far, we're not even sure. The water is heating and the stations are being cleaned and set up in the kitchen as I type this, but the brewer better get cracking on figuring it out. I guess I'll be back later with all the exciting details...but i think i smell a Cream Ale on the horizon...

"On Tap" Report

2009-02-23T00:06:00.001-05:00

The Brew Assistant here, with an update of our currently bottled inventory. The fermenters are empty, awaiting the next round of brews. Tonight we bottled the session beer, which still doesn't have a name. So that brings our total "on tap" (which really means in bottles in the basement) to seven beers, as follows:

1. Anthracite Stout - a strong coffee stout, black as coal with a sharp finish and a swift kick in the ass. This baby will wake you up and get you plastered at the same time.
Bottling Date: 2/10/09
OG: 1.06
FG: 1.012
ABV: 6.3%

2. Coal Cracker Six Grain Ale - So far, a very sweet and malty brew with very complex flavors of rye, esthers of banana, and almost Belgian-like in flavor.
Bottling Date: 2/10/09
OG: 1.072
FG: 1.022
ABV: 6.6%

3. The Unnamed Session Beer - This might be our clearest brew yet. It's a beauty in hues of copper. The flavor directly out of the secondary is very sweet with a very mild hop flavor. Can't wait to taste this one in a week or two...
Bottling Date: 2/23/09
OG: 1.052
FG: 1.011
ABV: 5.4%

4. Aunt Betty's Pale Ale - this one turned out a bit paler than we wanted it to, but it was one of the last of the extract brews. Our next time around will be better.
Bottling Date: 1/20/09
OG: 1.048
FG: 1.012
ABV: 4.7%

5. Breaker Fire Amber Ale (paying homage to Savitski's coal breaker, right out back, which went up in flames last week...) Rich copper in color with a pillowy and lacy head that licks the side of the glass and stays there as the brew disappears beneath it.
OG: 1.052
FG: 1.016
ABV: 4.7%

6. Autumn Mooner Honey Pumpkin Ale - made with the accidental pumpkin in our own yard, this one definitely needs some whole grain tweaking for this coming Fall's rendition.
OG: 1.033
FG: 1.004
ABV: 4.1%

7. Ya Dick, Ya Lite - named for my Aunt Dot, who can sling around the Region's most popular insult like a champ. This brew has a very low ABV, which makes it a better session beer than our session beer, ironically. Perfect for drinkin' up da bush. And if it's too friggin' light for you, ya dick, ya, then don't drink any!
OG: 1.038
FG: 1.010
ABV: 3.7%

Hey, we finally have enough for a six pack sampler...we are so going to be ready for Memorial Day this year...

Upcoming brews being planned: an ESB, a Belgian and an IPA... Stay tuned!

Oaked Arrogant Bastard...all the way from CA!

2009-02-14T23:35:00.000-05:00

I found an old college friend in California and made her a deal. She would send me a six pack of Arrogant Bastard, and I would send her a six pack of Yuengling Lager. Why? Because Arrogant Bastard is quite plentiful in CA, but Yuengling Lager is not. And around here, Yuengling Lager flows freely, but Arrogant Bastard does not show his grinning face much. HUGE thanks to Jezzie for sending these to me so quick.

So the package arrived today, with six beautiful bottles of OAKED Arrogant Bastard ale. So on a Valentine's Day night, I have broken into the first bottle, and am priming to taste the beer that the Beer Advocate guys gave an A+. Here goes nothing...

Served from a 12 oz. brown bottle into an Arrogant Bastard pint glass I got for Christmas. 7.2% alcohol.

Color: Red, i've never seen color like this before. It's amazing. Cream colored pillowy lacy head, with good retention.

Aroma: mild hop aroma, mild malt aroma, perfectly balanced all at once, but on top of those mild aromas, there's definitely an oak quality and a touch of smokiness, almost like burnt wood.

Flavor: Sweet caramelly malt, burnt sugars with a heavy mouth feel followed by a complex string of hop flavors which is spicy but not floral nor fruity. Bitterness meets you halfway in the middle, and sort of stays with you at one strong level until it finally fades into a dry finish.

Overall: Wow. This is incredibly complex and quite aggressively hopped. The bottle says I'm not worthy, and it may be right. I'm very surprised that when i poured this beer and smelled it for the first time that I wasn't knocked off my chair onto my own bastard ass with the smell of hops and malt. What I expected was an over-the-top ale that was going to blow my mind with intense maltiness and off-the-chart hops flavor, and I also expected it to be almost chewy like oatmeal. What I got was an incredible surprise because it is a very aggressive beer, but it is so well balanced that you hardly notice the aggressiveness. The balance between the hops and the bitterness is incredible with the added burnt oak flavor. The hop bitterness and flavor does a great job at hiding the high alcohol content. So in the end, it won't be the flavor or aroma that knock my own arrogant ass off the chair, but the sneaky 7.2% alcohol instead.

Rating: I'm giving this one five coals, BUT...it's not because i think it's the best tasting beer i've ever had, but because it's so well crafted. I almost expect a gargoyle to fly out of the bottle and punch me in the face. It's almost a magical beer with it's incredible balance. The bastard who came up with this brew deserves to be arrogant.

Why You Should Label Your Fermenters

2009-02-13T22:33:00.002-05:00

Tuesday night, we decided to do a double bottling session with the Anthracite Stout (more on that later) and the session beer that is yet unnamed. We bottled the stout first, a hefty coffee stout that could wake the dead. After a quick clean up, Kenny prepped the second fermenter with the session beer in it. I know his routine...siphon the brew into the bottling bucket, thief some of the brew out of the bucket and take a hydrometer reading right away, which he does thanks to the million times he forgot when he first started brewing! He then samples the brew in the hydrometer tube before he bottles. I could hear the tell-all sound of the shipon tube, then the swoosh of the brew filling the hydrometer tube, then the plop of the hydrometer...he called 1.022 which I hastily scribbled on a post it note and then there was the pause--I knew he was at the tasting part.

He walked into the living room with the hydrometer tube in his hand, half drank, with the most peculiar look on his face. "Honey," he said, "I don't know if this is the session beer." He giggled a little and added, "it's quite alcohol-y. I think it's the six-grain." He had to thief some of the brew out of the third fermenter and compare it. Wouldn't you know they're almost the exact same color. He tasted each one thoughtfully about four times before deciding for sure that what he had prepped to bottle was actually the Coal Cracker Six Grain, NOT the session beer. All is well, however, because they're both ready to bottle, we just didn't have enough bottles ready to do all three in one night.

So, lesson learned: buy some vinyl numbers and number those carboys! Or at least make a note in the brew log of which blanket it's wrapped in! Hee hee.

Atlas Brew: never a dull moment! :)

2-Brew Weekend

2009-01-25T19:05:00.000-05:00

I've come to notice that the paperwork end of the brewing falls under the Brew Assistant job, so I'm going to share what we were up to this weekend...

Saturday we did a six grain ale, to be lovingly called "Coal Cracker Six Grain" to pay homage to the place we call home. Packed with malted barley, wheat, rye, oat and corn, this mutt of a brew should turn out pretty flavorful. We hopped it at the beginning with spalt hops, in the middle with more spalt and some hallertau, and ended it with some hallertau for a little extra oomph on the aroma end of it. Starting gravity was 1.052. We'll see how this one does...

Today we're brewing also...yes, it's a 2-brew weekend! Today's brew is in progress, so I don't have a starting gravity for it yet, but it's going to be a mild session beer made with 2 Row malt and Saaz hops. Simple, but should be delicious, and might just be an Atlas Brew that won't knock you on your ass too quickly so you can hang out a while.

Meanwhile, the coffee stout is in the secondary, ready for bottling next weekend, and Aunt Betty's Amber Ale is probably close to being ready for serving in the "priming cellar," which will soon give us the following "on tap" for tasting: Aunt Betty's Amber Ale, Autumn Mooner Honey Pumpkin Ale, Ya Dick Ya Lite, 54-61 IPA, and soon the coffee stout yet to be named. We're getting pretty well stocked lately...

Harpoon Brown Session Ale

2009-01-24T20:14:00.000-05:00

While brewing a six-grain ale, I decided to sample some of the brews in the fridge (which, by the way, take up the entire bottom shelf...)

Served from a 12oz. brown bottle into a tall Northern Brewer pint glass.

Color: Pours a nice brown color with a thick vanilla colored head.

Aroma: Floral hops aroma, a bit spicy. Very pleasant.

Flavor: A nice medium sweetness with a balance of the grain flavor followed by a floral and spicy hop taste. Mild bitterness. Finishes very smooth. Just a tad dry.

Overall: A wonderful brown session beer, just like the name says! A very good example of the style. This is something I would expect to get in a British pub.

Rating: 4 out of 5 coals...make that 4.5 out of 5 coals, it's pretty good.

Harpoon Winter Warmer

2009-01-17T23:25:00.000-05:00

While the BBA (Beautiful Brew Assistant) finishes the stout, I'll dive into the Winter Warmer, also by Harpoon Brewery.

From the Harpoon website:
OG: 14.5 P
ABV: 5.9%
IBU: 22

Color: Pours a dark copper with very significant lacy tan head with great retention, leaving several rings down the glass.

Aroma: Cinnamon with a slight hint of beer in there somewhere.

Flavor: Sweet maltiness with a subtle cinnamon flavor throughout, followed in the end with a mild bitterness and a dry finish. Esters of alcohol apparent in the end.

Overall: Not bad. Reading reviews while coming into tasting this beer led me to believe it would be a disaster, but I really find it quite pleasant. A very nice seasonal beer. My only concern would be the overwhelming aroma of cinnamon.

Brew Dog's Rating: woof! as she licks the mouth of the bottle, which I'm pretty sure means 3.5 out of 5 coals.

Harpoon Chocolate Stout

2009-01-17T23:04:00.000-05:00

It's the Beautiful Brew Assistant once again, critiquing a stout, since I love them so. On the chopping block tonight is the Chocolate Stout from Harpoon Breweries in Boston. While I felt that I should have cranked up some Dropkick Murphy's while tasting this one, I figured that at 11pm, I would spare the neighbors and just taste quietly. So, with Shipping Up to Boston ringing in my head, I took a sip.

Wow. Oooh. Wait. Yikes.

Yep, in a nutshell, that's my review. Perhaps I should expand a bit...first, the credentials from the Harpoon website:

OG :16 P

ABV: 6.3%
IBU: 40

The website says the beer is brewed with a ton of chocolate malt for darkness and flavor, and a hint of chocolate. We got it as part of a winter variety pack from Harpoon, and this brew is only available for a limited time in this pack.

Color: Opaque black with a thin cream colored head.

Aroma: Chocolate. Straight up chocolate.

Flavor: Dark and roasted malts kick it up in the beginning, then the flavor of the chocolate hits you, but it's rather artificial tasting in a way. Very dry and almost smoky finish with a strong aftertaste of artificially flavored dark chocolate that hangs around for quite a while.

Overall: This isn't the most awful stout I've had, but the chocolate flavor causes my brain to do this wierd rejection thing as it's combined with the flavor of a stout. I would never drink beer and eat chocolate, because the thought of that kind of grosses me out, and this basically forces the flavors together in a unique, but hard to accept kind of way. It is very original, though. I just don't think I could drink a lot of them...although I have to drink at least three more since there were four in the pack!

Rating: 3 out of 5 coals.

Magic Hat's Lucky Kat IPA

2009-01-09T01:51:00.001-05:00

From the website:

"Lucky Kat purrs as he pours with a grin on his mangy face and a grin in his searching eye. He sits on the fence he calls home, dividing up from down. Is he an imperial beast or a pale soul from the east? Only he knows and we know only this: if you reach out to pet him he'll bite back with a big, hoppy kiss."

In case you didn't know already, Magic Hat is in Vermont and is run by a bunch of non-conformist hippy types. What does that mean exactly...nothing, those hippies made a damn fine beer!

12oz botttle poured into a british pint glass, 5.8%ABV

C: Slightly Cloudy, medium Copper in color, dare I say Cheshire orange. Nice tan colored head with wonderful retention and aroma release.

A: Spicy and fruity hops leap from this kitty.

T: I'm not a at lover but this kitten's got claws. Nice sweet carmel up front with that spicy fruit flavor after that leads to the well balanced hop bitterness we all know and love in a good IPA.

O: I feel like sitting down to watch Alice in Wonderland right now. Let me just tell you that the Cheshire cat really freaks me out! But Lucky Kat would really calm me down. I wish I had more than one.

Overall Rating:

4.25 out of 5 chunks of coal.

Smuttynose Brewing Co., Old Brown Dog Ale

2009-01-08T01:13:00.001-05:00

Old Brown Dog; I've got two old brown dogs, I love them both to death and they are both spoiled little princesses. We rescued both of them from the shelter and I promise to never buy another dog from a pet store or a breeder. Please rescue! Also Spay and Neuter!

OK I'm off my soap box, back to beer, from the website:

"Winner of a Silver Medal at the 1989 Great American Beer Festival.
AWARDED BEST BROWN ALE IN THE NORTHEAST - 8th Annual US Beer Tasting Championship Old Brown Dog has been cited as a classic example of the “American Brown Ale” style of beer. Compared to a typical English Brown Ale, Old Brown Dog is fuller-bodied and more strongly hopped. Old Brown Dog has been around for many years. It was first brewed in 1988 at the Northampton Brewery. In 1989 it won a silver medal in its category (American Brown Ale) at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver."

VITAL STATISTICS
OG: 1060, TG: 1016
Grain Bill: Pale Brewers, Munich, Crystal 60°L, Chocolate
Hops: Cascade, Willamette - IBU's: 15
Color/Number: Deep brown-amber, 25 ABV 5.9%

Color: Clear Brown, medium to dark but transparent. No head at all from this one.

Aroma: Chocolate, biscuit, grainy sweet.

Taste: Chocolate, and biscuit with a hint of smokeyness and coffee. Mild Hop bitterness, finishes smooth.

Overall: It's a light Stout. I liked it but was concerned about the lack of head. I used a clean glass so I'm going to rule that out. Regardless, it was a good overall beer and a good example of the Brown Ale style seen in the States.

Rating:

3.75 out of 5 chunks of coal.

Iron Hill Brewery, West Chester, PA

2009-01-07T22:16:00.001-05:00

Another brewpub review to get us all caught up with the few that we've been going to lately. After spending the day in the West Chester area, we topped off our trip with dinner at Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant in West Chester. This place was awesome. There was a 45 minute wait for a table, and we meandered into the bar area right as three people were leaving and gave us their seats, so we just stayed at the bar to eat as well. The bartenders were great, very friendly and very fun. Kenny's sister came along with us on this trip as well.

The brewery is behind a series of windows behind the bar area, and the placemat shows an illustrated timeline of how the beer is made, from milling to serving. The most impressive thing in that information is the fact that from start to finish, Iron Hill's beers travel less than 65 feet. That's amazing, and it can't possibly get any fresher!

We ordered up the sampler, of course, including some extra brews they had in addition to their standard lineup. All in all, we sampled ten wonderful brews:

1. Iron Hill Light Lager

OG: 1.038; ABV: 4.0; IBU: 10

Light gold in color with a pleasantly mild malty aroma, this beer was pretty good. It had a smooth maltiness balanced well with mellow hops flavor with a mellow finish. A pretty good American lager.

2. Raspberry Wheat

OG: 1.038; ABV: 4.0; IBU: 20

Gold in color witha fruity hoppy aroma, this beer was a definite "wow." There was a great raspberry flavor up front with a very smooth and mellow finish. My wife even liked it, and she hates most beer. My sister was a big fan as well. The raspberry was a nice spin on a wheat beer.

3. Vienna Red

OG 1.046; ABV: 4.4; IBU 22

A rich copper color paired with a semi-sweet malty aroma made this beer appealing before I even tasted it. The flavor was malty up front but not sweet with a nice yeasty flavor and a medium mouth feel. A good drinkable lager.

4. Ironbound Ale

OG: 1.050; ABV: 4.7; IBU: 30

Light copper color and a fresh hops aroma with fruity and spicy notes. The flavor was sweet and fruity, perfectly balanced and very drinkable. I could have had a few more of these!

5. House Belgian Ale - Abbey Dubbel

Iron Hill always has a House Belgian on tap, and this one was an Abbey Dubbel. Specs were not available.

This dubbel was deep amber in color with a sweet and malty aroma. The taste was smooth, and you could definitely taste the sweetness from the candy sugar. It finished mellow with a bitter aftertaste, and was a good dubbel. Currently on tap right now is a Belgian Tripel, so we may have to stop back by soon and try that too!

6. Pumpkin Ale

No specs available.

This was one of the specialty brews on tap. Dark copper in color with a sweet pumpkiny aroma. Thin mouth feel with a nice pumpkin and spice flavor up front with a touch of maltiness. A nice fading bitterness at the end. It was a nice combo of harvest beer and pumpkin ale and was a good Autumn brew.

7. ESB (Extra Special Bitter)

OG: 1.050; ABV: 4.5; IBU 35

Dark amber in color with a floral and fruity hops aroma that was rather sweet. The taste was a sweet caramel malt up front with a taste of English yeast and fresh floral hops in the end. A smooth drinkable beer with great flavor.

8. Winter Warmer

Specs not available.

Deep amber in color with a sweet spicy caramel aroma, this beer was quite phenomenal. The flavor was a sweet caramel malt up front with a spiciness throughout that I could only describe as tasting like "christmas." This beer conjured all the spices and flavors that I have always associated with Christmas, and I was quite impressed. It finished dry and smooth with a subtle hint of smokiness. It was a very complex brew, and though I could have done without the smokiness, it was still quite impressive.

9. Pig Iron Porter

OG: 1.057; ABV: 5.0%; IBU: 40

This porter was black and opaque and had a nice coffee smell. The flavor was sweet, dark and smoky with a definite coffee flavor throughout. Medium mouth feel, nice bitter coffee finish. This was a very pleasant porter.

10. Quadfather (Cask Conditioned)

Specs not available.

I saved this one for last and I'm glad I did. The flavor was quite overwhelming! Dark brown in color with the definite smell of bourbon coming through from the cask. It had a bold overall flavor, sweet malt aftertaste and a very smooth finish. It was like a cross between a shot of bourbon and a Belgian Trippel. It was definitely not for the weak, but it was a damn good brew.

Overall Review:

This is a great brewpub. If how busy they were is any testament to their success, then this is a very successful brewpub, which is no surprise. The service was above our expectations, the food was extraordinary, and the beer was over the top and extremely fresh. Their location is great, right on the corner of West Gay Street and North High Street (322). The restaurant was clean, contemporary and very inviting in its atmosphere.

The food was great, and the recipes are unique...for example, we got an appetizer sampler that included cheesesteak egg rolls, moo shu egg rolls and tex-mex spring rolls, all of which were incredible and served fast, especially considering how busy they were. The potato soup was great as well, and the french onion soup was the freshest I've ever tasted it.

This is a great brewpub, one I will be returning to, and one that I highly recommend. It's definitely somewhere that we'll be returning to, as the specialty brews rotate quite often, giving us a chance to try something new every time we go there.

Overall rating:

Great beer, fresh food, and wonderful service...this brewpub deserves five coals out of five!

McKenzie's Brewhouse, Chadds Ford, PA

2009-01-06T00:13:00.000-05:00

During a visit to my sister's place outside of Philadelphia, I was delighted to find a brewpub within walking distance of her apartment. McKenzie Brew House is located literally in the middle of Route 202 on a very wide median between the opposing lanes of traffic along with a few other businesses...an idea that seems a little wild to me, but hey, it works for such a congested area. I guess they have to cram everything in wherever it fits!

My sister frequents McKenzie's a bit, and she said the food was good, and it was a good place to kick back a few, but I think that had more to do with the walking distance part than anything! On first perspective, it looks more like a typical restaurant than a brewery, and we ate in the dining area instead of at the bar. The menu was decent, but seemed a little pricey, although it was average pricing for the area we were in.

They had a sampler of their five standard brews plus two additional seasonal ones. Here's my review of the seven that we tried:

1. McKenzie Light Lager
OG: 8.5 Plato; ABV: 3.5%; IBU: 7
This beer was very light in color, like a pale straw, not appealing at all, with a grassy aroma. The flavor was sweet up front and finished smooth and dry with a taste of wheat throughout. The hop finish was smooth, but slightly bitter up front. Overall, this was an underperforming beer, lacking color and flavor. It was a pale substitute to mass produced light lagers, which is not a good thing.

2. Unicorn Amber Ale
OG: 12 Plato; ABV: 4.7%; IBU: 10
This beer was light amber in color with a caramel aroma. Medium bodied, there was a definite malty sweetness up front with a mild smokiness followed by a surprisingly bitter hop finish. This was not a bad beer and was very drinkable. I would gladly have had more than one.

3. Wicked Will's Pale Ale
OG: 12.5 Plato; ABV: 5.2%; IBU: 32
The color of this brew was pale copper/dark gold with a fresh hops and fruity aroma. My first impression..."that's good!" It had a medium to full mouth feel, sweet up front with a full hop flavor and a spicy bitter finish which mellowed quickly. Overall, this would be a very drinkable beer if it weren't for the heavy bitterness at the end.

4. Shane's Gold
OG: 12.5 Plato; ABV: 4.6%; IBU: 35
This brew, though boasting the gold in its name, was more of a pale gold or straw color with the aroma of straw and spice. Though it was hawked as a "Czech style pilsner" it was much too bitter with nowhere near enough maltiness. It did not finish smooth at all. It was very unbalanced with a definite yeasty flavor and very heavy bitterness. Overall, I had to wonder if the fermentation temperature was too high for the lager yeast causing it to impart flavor into the beer. It was way too bitter to enjoy, and I didn't even finish it.

5. Black Lab Stout
OG: 13 Plato; ABV: 5.8%; IBU: 20
This one looked good in the glass--opaque black with a creamy tan head made even better by a smoky chocolatey aroma, but as soon as I tasted it, I stopped drinking it. It was quite astringent, and something wasn't right. It had a horrible aftertaste and was extremely bitter. It was smoky, but it wasn't good. Another one that I didn't finish.

6. Shipwrecked Red Ale
OG: 16 Plato; ABV: 6.0%; IBU: 75!
This one was a nice amber color with great head retention...still had a full head after I sampled five others. The aroma was wonderfully fruity and hoppy, and the taste was well balanced with a sweet maltiness and a hoppy bitterness. Finishes floral and bitter, a pretty good IPA.

7. Blackberry Dubbel
OG: 175 Plato; ABV: 7.7%; IBU: 17
This Trappist ale was dark copper with good head retention, and smelled like blackberries combined with a light floral aroma. The flavor of the blackberries came through followed by the bite of alcohol and the bitterness of hops. Medium bodied with a good flavor of the blackberries throughout, ending with a lasting bitterness.

Further Review:
The one thing that I thought after tasting everything is that perhaps the brews, especially the Black Lab Stout, Shane's Gold, and the McKenzie Light Lager, may be suffering from being rushed during the brew process. It seemed like maybe the temperatures weren't right during fermentation, or they just weren't staying long enough in the fermentors. I had to wonder if maybe their demand was exceeding how fast they could brew, and in turn, the beer was coming out poorly. In terms of beer, they definitely weren't the best I had, and I was rather disappointed.

Food-wise, they were good. I had the sweet onion sliders which were very good, and my wife had a burger (as usual!) which she said was very thick and flavorful, cooked just right. My sister had a buffalo chicken sandwich which was more like tabasco than buffalo sauce, and in her words, it was "kickin'." The service was awful, with my wife's soda going dry and no refills even offered. The server only visited the table to take the order, drop off the order, and drop off the check. The restaurant wasn't overly busy at the time we were there.

Overall Rating:

Overall, McKenzie's isn't a place I would go out of my way to visit again. I give it 2 coals out of 5.

Visiting Lancaster Brew Pub in Harrisburg, PA

2009-01-04T22:20:00.000-05:00

Sitting down to a bottle of Amish 4-Grain Ale, I figured I would write up my review of the Lancaster Brew Pub in Harrisburg, PA. A couple weeks before Christmas we visited the Lancaster Brewing Company in their Harrisburg location after a day of shopping. It's located just off the I-283/83 interchange near the Harrisburg Mall at 469 Eisenhower Boulevard. It has a great atmosphere, sort of a contemporary spin on a classic brewpub. The bar is huge, but we opted to sit in the dining area since we were starving.

They had nine beers on tap, and we opted to try them all in a sampler. Each sample was served on tap into a 4 oz. glasses. We lucked out because they were just switching from the Octoberfest, which was nearly gone, to the Winter Warmer which was freshly finished. Here are the nine we tried, and my review of each:

1. Lightening Lager
Malts: 2 Row Pale, Caramel 40
Hops: Cascade, Hallertau and Saaz
OG: 14
ABV: 4.2%
IBU: 11
This lager is a dark gold in color with a sweet and grainy aroma. Light to medium body with a bit of a grassy flavor, well balanced with hops bitterness and flavor. A good session beer.

2. Gold Star Pils
Malts: 2 Row Barley, Cara-Pils
Hops: Hallerau, Saaz, Tethang
OG: 12
ABV: 5.1%
IBU: 33
Pale gold in color with an aroma of fresh hops. Very light body, sweet up front but light, with nice hop finish that tasted very flowery and fresh. Very smooth and drinkable, I liked this one from the very first sip and could drink a lot more.

3. Oktoberfest (and a damn good one it is!)
Malts: 2 Row, Munich 20, Vienna
Hops: Tettang, Hallertau, Styrian Golding
OG: 15
ABV: 7%
IBU: 22
Light amber in color with a sweet malty aroma. Very big malty flavor up front, thick mouth feel, substantial and hearty beer...I say "Bravo!" Crisp and smooth hop finish with very light bitterness. The flavor finishes very well and not at all overwhelming. This is one damn good Octoberfest.

4. Strawberry Wheat
Malt: 2 Row Barley, Wheat
Hops: Cascade, Hallertau
OG: 14
ABV: 5.6%
IBU: 14
Light amber in color with a delightful strawberry aroma. Light mouth feel, very sweet up front with the taste of strawberries. Very smooth hop finish, light bitterness at end. Even my wife liked this one and she hates anything but stouts! Overall, very sweet...the bitterness is strange with the strawberry flavor, but it works.

5. Celtic Rose Ale
Malt: 2 Row, Caramel 60, Munich 20
Hops: Cascade, Willamette
OG: 14
ABV: 5%
IBU: 16
Dark amber to light red in color with a pleasant malty and sweet smell, a tad of a dry note. The flavor was very grainy from the start with a dry hoppy finish. Leaves a bitter hop taste at the end. This is a good representation of the Irish red ale genre.

6. Milk Stout
Malts: 2 Row, Caramel, Chocolate, Black, Roasted Barley
Hops: Cascade, Styrian, Golding
OG: 15
ABV: 5.3%
IBU: 26
This beer is black in color with a thick creamy head giving the aroma of fresh brewed coffee and malt. Medium bodied with a sweet flavor up front, finishing dry with a coffee aftertaste and smooth hops flavor. Bitterness is not bad at all. My wife says "yummy." Milk stouts have lactose added to them, which is a sugar derived from milk. This sugar is unfermentable, leaving a very sweet flavor behind in the beer. This adds to the body and the taste of the beer, and Lancaster Brewery nailed it with this one. Very good stout.

7. Amish 4-Grain Ale
Malts: 2 Row Barley, Rye, Oats, Wheat
Hops: Willamette, Fuggles, Saaz
OG: 13.8
ABV: 5.6%
IBU: 28
Rich copper color with the aroma of fresh hops. Light mouth feel with a grainy flavor up front with just a hint of grassiness or straw flavor. The rye also comes through up front, giving away to sweetness in the middle. Hops flavor comes through fruity up front with a nice dry bitter finish.

8. Winter Warmer - FRESH on tap!
Malt, Hops, and specs were not available as this was fresh on tap and the menus weren't changed over from the Octoberfest seasonal yet.
Rich dark amber color with a sweet malt and hops aroma. The flavor was very malty with a distinct flavor of alcohol...lots of it to warm ya! A tad bitter at the end with a strong alcohol taste. I believe I tasted a hint of cherries and a spice I couldn't quite put my finger on. Very fresh beer and a great winter choice.

9. Hop Hog
Malts: 2 Row Barley, Caramel 40, Ashburn Mild
Hops: Fuggles, Cascade, Fuggles and More Cascade!
OG: 17
ABV: 7.9%
IBU: 55!
Saving the best for last...dark gold in color with a wonderful aroma of fresh hops giving off citrusy, fruity and sweet notes. Thin to medium bodied with a smooth maltiness and the definite presence of citrusy flavors of hops coming through strong. Low bitterness up front, but finishes slighty bitter and semi-dry. A very good beer that I could have had a few more of.

An overall review of the Brewpub:
This brewpub is a very nice establishment with wonderful food. We were greeted by a gaggle of smokers outside the front door, one of whom flicked his cigarette and almost hit my wife with it, but we didn't let the ill-mannered behaviors of a few patrons ruin our opinion of the brewpub itself. It's a cozy place to sit down and eat with large booths that are built all the way up to avoid any eavesdropping from the group behind you! The service was impeccable, and our waitstaff was all excellent. Everything was very fresh and they make their own chips which were phenomenal. Might we suggest the Lamb Burger, made with ground lamb and topped with feta cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion and tzatziki sauce which is a light cucumbery cream sauce. My wife ordered one of their specialty burgers off a seasonal menu that included cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato jam in lieu of fresh sliced tomatoes.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 coals!

Rogue Dead Guy Ale

2009-01-04T02:02:00.001-05:00

Back to the states before we go to bed! Dead Guy Ale, with a really cool label, is brewed in Oregon at Rogue Breweries. Rogue's website pegs this one as a German Maibock style, using their own Pacman ale yeast. It also lists only eight ingredients for this beer:

Malts: Northwest Harrington, Klages, Maier Munich and Carastan.
Hops: Perle and Saaz
Yeast: Rogue's Pacman Yeast
Water: Free Range Coastal Water

ABV: 6.5%

12 oz. brown bottle poured into British pint glass

Color: Copper with thin white head

Aroma: Delightfully citrusy and fruity with just a hint of grain and maltiness.

Flavor: Full mouth feel, sweet up front with citrus and fruit flavors throughout with a mild bitter finish. Definitely full bodied.

Overall: It is a full bodied copper ale, good overall. I love the hop flavor, but I'm not a huge fan of a full mouth feel ale. It definitely has a spicy citrusy note at the end. It's a good overall ale...I could drink one or two.

Rating: 4 out of 5 coals.

Smithwick's Irish Ale

2009-01-04T00:53:00.000-05:00

Yet another from the brewers of Guinness at the St. Francis Abbey in Kilkenny, Ireland. The brewery has been in operation in 1710, making it Ireland's oldest ale. It's inspired by John Smithwick's original recipe.

ABV: 4.5%

12 oz. bottle poured into a British pint glass.

Color: Rich, dark amber.

Aroma: Earthy, grainy, with a hint of caramel.

Flavor: Dry earthy and grainy flavor all the way through, with a mild spicy and floral finish.

Overall: A non-sweet ale...think of a fruity and citrusy flavored ale that you've had, and now think of the complete opposite. That is what Smithwick's is, it's a nice traditional amber ale. It's a very drinkable beer--it is nice to sit down and drink a traditional beer that has been around longer than the United States has been a country! Smithwick's ale has been produced since 1710, obviously the US has been a country since 1776...there's just something that's impressive about a beer that, to date, has had a longer run than our country has!

Rating: 4 out of 5 coals.

Guinness Extra Stout

2009-01-04T00:10:00.001-05:00

What better way to follow the Harp than to drink myself a Guinness Extra Stout! This is definitely a distinctive beer, as noted on Guinness's website:

Strong tasting with a distinctive roasted bitterness, GUINNESS® Extra Stout is our authentic carbonated classic. It’ll transport you back to an 18th Century world of stouts when the ancestor of this beer was known as GUINNESS® East and West India porter. In 1821, the definitive early GUINNESS® became known as Extra Superior Porter.

ABV: 5%
This is Guinness's Extra Stout, served from a 12 oz. bottle in a British pint glass.

Color: Black with a beige, very creamy head.

Aroma: Buttery toffee, I've never smelled any beer like this in my life. The smell alone is intoxicating.

Flavor: (Insert deep sigh here!) I wish I could brew something like this! Mildly sweet up front with a buttery toffee flavor throughout, finishes with a dry chocolate taste. Very mild bitterness at the end.

Overall: In a world of stouts, I've had none better. There was still head left in the glass when I was done drinking it.

Rating: Easily a five of five coals. Easily!

Harp Lager

2009-01-03T23:59:00.000-05:00

Now this is a beautiful glass of beer!

ABV: 5%

12 oz. bottle served in a British pint glass.

Color: golden straw with thick creamy white head.

Aroma: Wonderful fresh grainy and earthy aroma, almost a buttery toffee type smell.

Flavor: Light mild sweet grains up front, buttery in the middle with a mildly bitter floral flavor to finish.

Overall: A wonderfully smooth lager, extremely drinkable, I could see myself sitting somewhere in Ireland, drinking this on draught, and getting quite knocked over the head with a shillally!

Rating: My first five of five coals!

Murphy's Red

2009-01-03T23:36:00.000-05:00

Bring on the Irish!

According to the bottle, this is contract brewed in the Netherlands by Heinekin, but it's supervised by Murphy's Brewery of Cork, Ireland and uses the original recipe.

ABV: 5%

12 oz. bottle served in British pint glass

Color: Rich copperish red with a lacy light head.

Aroma: Nice caramel smell, a tad grainy with very faint mellow hop smell.

Flavor: Mildly sweet caramel flavor up front, medium mouth feel, with a grainy mid-range and a dry, spicy finish.

Overall: This is a wonderful lager. Very drinkable, good session beer. It's a good rival to a Killian's Irish Red, but not quite as sweet. Delightful yet light earthy and grainy flavor in combination with the caramel which makes it a very drinkable beer.

Rating: 4.5 coals out of 5

Spaten Premium

2009-01-03T23:19:00.001-05:00

Tonight's first sampling comes from Germany: Spaten Premium, which, on the bottle, actually says in tiny little letters: Malt Liquor. D'oh! On the Spaten website, however, this is labeled as "Spaten Premium Lager" stating that this brew is their specialty which they've been brewing since 1894.

The flavor profile on the website says: "golden in color with a well-balanced hop-flavor. The full rounded body is a superb balance between hops and a malty sweetness."

OG: 11.7%
ABV: 5.2%

Here's the Atlas Brew Review:
Taster's Note: This beer comes in a green 12 oz. bottle, poured into a British pint glass. I'm always leery of green bottles, especially for imported beers. The time it takes for the beer to get from the brewery, to the store, to my fridge and into my glass is way too long in a green bottle. For those of you who don't know, green bottles do not block nearly as much light as brown bottles, and light is a beer's worst enemy. Clear bottles offer no protection whatsoever. Light destroys beer, and lends to a skunky smell and flavor. This is classically seen in Rolling Rock, for example.

Color: straw, very light with a white head that has no retention.

Aroma: after swirling the beer a bit to get rid of some of the skunky smell, I could smell a very sweet grassy adjunct-loaded beer.

Flavor: I was concerned when I saw the "malt liquor" indication on the bottle...my thoughts were "what the hell is this?" If i wanted malt liquor, I would've bought a 40 of St. Ides! The flavor, though, was a very sweet, adjunct loaded taste up front with sweetness throughout. It ended with no hop flavor and no bitterness.

Overall: I would avoid getting this beer. Definitely not a good example of what Germany is capable of! The word "premium" on the bottle is a misleading representation of what you're about to drink. I'd rather drink a Pabst Blue Ribbon!

Rating: 1 out of 5 chunks of coal...very disappointing!

Total Wine...the Supermarket of Beer

2009-01-03T23:15:00.000-05:00

It's the Beautiful Brew Assistant again, clearing something up for those of you who are scratching their heads at how we're tasting quite so damn much beer.

Our recent sampling sessions come courtesy of a shopping trip to Total Wine in Claymont, Delaware, which is the supermarket of beer and wine, literally. Picture your local grocery store, empty the shelves, and then fill them back up with every kind of beer and wine you can imagine...oh, and liquors too. The place is huge, and even has a locked case where you can look at bottles of wine that cost more than a grand, and dream about actually being able to blow that much on one night of wining...without having buyer's regret the next day!

The best part about Total Wine is the "make your own six pack" section which features single bottles of a ton of different beers -- imported, domestic craft brew, beers you've never even heard of, beers from all over the world. We stopped there a couple weeks before Christmas, and Kenny's gift to himself was a case of assorted brews, which explains how we've been sampling so many different brews in so little time.

If you happen upon Total Wine in Claymont, you're not far from a couple great breweries which we'll be posting reviews of shortly. Total Wine is right off I-95 in Claymont, which is just across the PA/DE border. Go prepared to be blown away by the sheer size of it!

Sierra Nevada Porter

2009-01-01T02:14:00.001-05:00

The last Sierra Nevada was so good, we thought we'd move on to the Porter.

Here are the vitals from the website:
Yeast: Top Fermenting Ale Yeast
Malts: Two-Row Pale, Munich, Chocolate & Caramel
Hops: Bittering-Goldings; Finishing - Willamette
Beginning Gravity: 14.5 Plato; Ending Gravity: 3.8 Plato
ABV: 5.6% by volume; Bitterness: 40 IBUs

Color: Black with a tan lacy head

Aroma: Sweet coffee like aroma with a touch of smokiness.

Flavor: Medium mouth feel, sweet and chocolatey followed by a subtle coffee flavor and a mild bitterness.

Overall: Not a bad little porter. Not having tried the Sierra Nevada Stout, it's hard to make a good comparison between the two, but it would be interesting to taste both side by side.

Rating: 4 out of 5 chunks of coal.

Sierra Nevada Wheat Beer

2009-01-01T01:51:00.000-05:00

Another New Year's Brew sampling!

This time it's Sierra Nevada Wheat Beer, also made in California. According to the website, here are some very detailed vitals:

Yeast: Top-fermenting Ale Yeast
Beginning Gravity: 11.5 Plato; Ending gravity: 2.3 Plato
Malts: Two-row Pale & Wheat
Bittering Hops: Perle; Finishing Hops: Spalt
ABV: 4.4%; Bitterness Units: 27 IBU's.

Color: Unfiltered, hazy, golden straw color with a nice white lacy head typical of a wheat beer.

Aroma: Nice citrusy aroma, probably from the hops, with just a hint of a spicy yeasty aroma.

Flavor: Sweet grains up front, citrusy taste with a spicy yeast flavor and a mild bitterness that increases as it dries. Medium mouth feel.

Overall: Very nice wheat beer, very drinkable, good session beer.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 chunks of coal.

North Coast Brewing Company: Old No. 38 Stout

2009-01-01T01:32:00.000-05:00

Guest Blogger! It's the Brewer's Wife, otherwise known as the Beautiful Brew Assistant. I'm sampling Old No. 38 Stout from North Coast Brewing Company because I really like stouts, and because we've never tried anything from this brewery before. Their website describes this one as a "Dublin Dry Stout," named after a retired steam engine. Interesting.

So, here goes nothing on my first blogged review:

12 oz. bottle poured into a standard pint glass.

ABV: 5.5%; Bitterness 53 IBU's.

Color: Black with tan head

Aroma: Toasted malt and almost a hint of coffee

Flavor: Light body with a touch of caramel sweetness in the front, and smokiness at the back end with a coffee taste throughout. Very mellow and not too bitter.

Overall: This beer won a gold medal and three silvers, and it's clear why. It's very smooth, very drinkable, and an all around good stout.

Rating: Out of five chunks of coal, I give it four coals and a klinker.

Blue Moon; Full Moon Winter Ale

2009-01-01T00:55:00.000-05:00

Yes! Another seasonal, well tis the season to be jolly and full of beer.

Abby Ale brewed with a hint of Dark Candy Sugar
5.6% Alcohol by Volume

12oz bottle poured into a standard pint glass.

Color: Dark Copper with a pleasant yet thin creamy head.

Aroma: Lovely smell of sweet malt and candy sugar.

Flavor: Nice malty sweet flavor up front with a mellow taste of candy and a smooth hop finish. Mild bitterness. Full mouth feel.

Overall: A very smooth, delightful, and drinkable interpretation of an abby ale. Nice brew.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 chunks of coal.

Brooklyn Winter Ale

2008-12-31T02:57:00.000-05:00

6.1% Alcohol by Volume

12 oz bottle and a 20oz wide mouth pub glass.

Color: It pours a rich amber color with a little head.

Aroma: Malty and grassy, earthy with a hint of carmel.

Taste: A big malty in-your-face flavor beginning strong with a grassy or grainy flavor. Smooth spiced finish. Big mouth feel.

Overall: Again a Marzen/Octoberfest style of beer in Ale form. It was big and malty with a very grassy and grainy flavor and aroma. It wasn't a bad beer, it was fresh. The carmel flavor was probable the nicest part.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 chunks of coal. Hey anything over 2 is drinkable right?

Red Hook's Winter Hook, Winter Ale

2008-12-31T02:21:00.000-05:00

This is my first Red Hook ever.

Winter Hook, 5.9% Alcohol by Volume

12 oz bottle and a 20oz wide mouth pub glass.

Color: It pours a rich amber color with a little or no head.

Aroma: Malty and a bit grassy, almost earthy.

Taste: A big malt flavor beginning smooth and just a tad earthy. a very sutle spiced hops backend that leaves you looking for something more. A smooth finish that gets dryer towards the end. thicker mouth feel.

Overall: I found myself thinking that this would have been a great Marzen/Octoberfest style of beer. It was screaming for a nice Lager yeast finish that never materialized. Instead you are sort of left scratching your head and wondering if this is a good beer or just an OK seasonal. I liked it but it wasn't my favorite. I guess I was expecting some spices or a grand hop flavor.

Rating: 3 out of 5 chunks of coal.

Sierra Nevada 2008 Celebration Ale

2008-12-31T02:06:00.000-05:00

It's a SIERRA NEVADA 2008 CELEBRATION ALE.
From the website: http://www.sierranevada.com/
alcohol content 6.8% by volume
bittering hops Chinook
beginning gravity 16.0 Plato
finishing hops Cascade & Centennial
ending gravity 4.0 Plato
dry hopping Cascade & Centennial
bitterness units 62
malts Two-row Pale & English Caramel
yeast Top-fermenting Ale Yeast

I got home after a shitty night at work and decided to do something nice for myself. So, I went to the fridge and got this lovely holiday brew.

12 oz bottle and a 20oz wide mouth pub glass.

Color: It pours a rich copper coler with a cream colored head that lasts a medium amount of time.

Aroma: Lovely smell of fruity hops and a spicy hint of something I can't quite put my finger on but I like it.

Taste: A sweet and spicy beginning with a fruit and spice backend that leaves you floating in those wonderful hops. A bitter finish that gets stronger as it gets dryer. Medium mouth feel.

Overall: Love that spice and hop flavor, I'm not sure what they used here but it works, a very pleasant brew. My only wish is that they layed off the bittering hops just a tad, otherwise, it's a great brew.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 chunks of coal.

"Harvest Mooner" Pumpkin Honey Ale

2008-10-20T00:17:00.000-04:00

Well, I finally found time in my crazy life to brew my Pumpkin Ale.
It's named after my crazy dog Sunny Moon. I started with 3.15 pounds of Northern Brewer Gold malt extract, 10 pounds of Pumpkin, chopped and roasted at 325 deg. F for 90 minutes, 16 ounces of Clover Honey, 1 cup of Dark Brown Sugar, 1 ounce of Saaz Hops, and a special spice blend with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, and ginger.

I will update more soon.

UPDATE 12/30/08: It took about 4 weeks after bottling until I was finally satisfied with the Harvest Mooner. At first it seemed very thin with little or no body / head retention. But all it needed was some more time. One thing I've learned, if you don't like it initially, just tuck it away for a few more weeks and hopefully it will get better. In most cases it does. I'm happy with the pumpkin ale but I do believe that next year I will modify the recipe. Next year more malt, less honey and brown sugar.

What's this all about?

2008-08-30T23:18:00.000-04:00

I'm gonna kick this off by saying that I love beer. Now I know many people have said that before, usually after slamming down a 12 pack while watching their favorite sporting event on a Sunday afternoon (Football for me), but I really mean it. To the general American public there exists only 3 kinds of beer; Bud, Miller, and Coors. (Where I'm from we have Yuegling, so I guess I was spoiled from the start.) But those are just the guys with the biggest budgets, and besides, they usually concentrate on shareholders rather than making real beer. I'm not saying that it's wrong to like that kind of watered down corn/rice sugar beverage, I'm just saying that beer isn't meant to taste like beech wood and rice syrup solids. Beer by German standards must be made only with malted grains, water, hops, and yeast. The Germans would never thin down their wort with corn syrup or rice. They respect beer, and so do many American craft brewers from Sam Adams to Joe Homebrewer. We keep real beer alive and tasting great. So, what I plan on using this Blog for is telling you what I'm up to, and what beers I've had to drink lately. And I'm going to post some Homebrewing notes on here too. So, I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks!