Buffalo Bills Orange Blossom

I am heading to Buffalo today, so I thought posting a review of this beer was appropriate. On the bottle list at McGrath's was Buffalo Bills Orange Blossom. The beer is yellow in color and unfiltered. It smells sweet like an orange Jolly Rancher. The taste hints heavily at the orange, with a cream finish. In a way, it tastes like a creamsicle. However, I thought the Orange Blossom was a little weak on the finish. The alcohol content is 5.2% ABV. This beer was a nice change of pace on a night that I was drinking high alcohol content beers, and I think the combination or orange and cream is a good one. It was not the best fruit beer I have had, but it is worth another order.

Urthel Samaranth Quadrium

Perusing the bottle list at McGrath's, I decided to select Urthel Samaranth Quadrium. The beer is golden brown in color with a sweet alcohol aroma. It has a sweet malty taste with an alcohol kick on the end. The Samaranth finishes dry due to alcohol in the beer. The alcohol content is 11% ABV. This is a very powerful beer and it lets you know that from the start with the aroma. In a way, it tastes like mixed drink; think bourbon and coke. It was very enjoyable and a couple of these would put you on the floor.

Flying Fish Exit 1

In what is most likely a direct response from my tweet and several others, I enquired about Flying Fish's next release in the Exit Series: Exit 1 Oyster Stout. I will admit I am totally virgin to the oyster stouts, and it did not really sound too appetizing. I basically questioned if the beer would taste like oysters and if that would be drinkable. Flying Fish's response on twitter is as follows:

Exit Series 1--in case you're not familiar, oyster stouts don't taste like oysters, the calcium and minerals give the beer a tasty dryness.

This should clear the air for any of you who are reluctant to try the next release in the Exit Series. I admit that I was reluctant at first, but I will definitely give this beer a try. It sounds intriguing. Look for it on shelves in November.

Flying Dog Old Scratch Amber Lager

McGrath's in Harrisburg had Old Scratch Amber Lager from Flying Dog on tap so I gave it a try. The beer is amber in color and has almost no aroma. The taste is sweet and malty, with a crisp hop accent. The finish remains sweet despite the bitter hops and is thoroughly enjoyable. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. The Old Scratch is one of my favorite beers on draft at McGrath's and I will be sad to see it go when the keg is kicked (which has happened since I got around to posting this review). However, I plan on picking up a case of it in the future.

Spaten Oktoberfest

I was at McGrath's when they tapped Spaten Oktoberfest, so I decided to order a glass of it. The beer is dark amber in color with no head or aroma. The taste is sweet and malty with a slight hop bitterness. The malts and hops are balanced nicely. The beer finishes a little too sour, which surprised me. The alcohol content is 5.9% ABV. I thought Spaten's Oktoberfest was mediocre and not really too memorable, with the exception of the sour notes on the end. I don't really like it as much as other Oktoberfest beers out there, but I'm glad I tried a glass of it before buying a case of it.

Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale

At Wegman's, I picked up a case of Post Road Pumpkin Ale from Brooklyn Brewery. The beer is amber in color and smells sweet of pumpkin. The beer tastes mostly of pumpkin and has a slight spice bite on the finish, but not prevalent. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. The beer was ok, but not one of my favorites. I am glad I only purchased a six-pack and not a case. The Post Road Pumpkin Ale is more focused on the pumpkin than spices, and I prefer a delicate balance of pumpkin and spices. I would drink it again if it was available at a bar, but not pick up a case of it or choose it over other pumpkin ales.