Bosteels Pauwel Kwak

I ordered a glass of Bosteels Pauwel Kwak from Al's of Hampden. The beer pours an orange amber color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma consists of wheat, alcohol, earthy hops, apple, and pear. The taste pops out with sweet fruits, apple, pears, honey, and earthy hops. The finish has a strong alcohol content the bites the tongue. The alcohol content is 8.1% ABV. This beer has an excellent flavor with a big explosion, and a good, but not overpowering, alcohol accent.

Tommyknocker Imperial Nut Brown Ale

I picked up a bottle of Tommyknocker Imperial Nut Brown Ale from Al's of Hampden. The beer pours a dark brown color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of toasted malts, caramel, toffee, and maple syrup. The taste is smooth at first with caramel and toffee but quickly transitions into a beer that bites the tongue. In the bite is alcohol and a light hop flavor. The final transition into the finish reveals the nutty background and brings the smooth and sweet flavor of maple syrup, an ingredient that is brewed with the beer. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I really enjoyed the well-balanced sweetness with the Imperial Nut Brown Ale. I had a fear that the maple syrup might make this beer too sweet, but it was perfectly balanced with alcohol and hops.

21st Amendment Fireside Chat

While at The Ginger Man in New York City, I ordered a glass of 21st Amendment Fireside Chat, their winter warmer. The beer pours a dark amber color with a thin tan head. The aroma is malty with cinnamon and nutmeg and some mahogany. The taste is toasted malts, caramel, vanilla, and honey with a good cinnamon and nutmeg accent. There is a dry finish that is bitey followed by a Belgian spicy aftertaste. The alcohol content is 7.9% ABV. A big mix of flavors come with this beer and none overpower the other, all while providing a smooth and warming finish for those cold winter nights.

Bavarian Barbarian-Bullfrog Gothika

My coworker Jack stopped into TJ's in Paoli when he was in the area to pick up a growler of the Bullfrog/Bavarian Barbarian collaboration Gothika. To set the mood, watch the YouTube video about this beer:

The beer pours a dark red-brown color with a bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of sweet malts with raisin, chocolate, smoke, cherry, and oak. The taste is smooth at first before a flavor explosion of alcohol, cherry, dry dark Belgian chocolate, and raisin. Then the smoke sets in and slightly dries out the finish. 9.2% ABV. Devious, check. Evil, check. This beer is just as good as advertised and comes alive (back from the dead?) in the mouth. Lots of flavors for the tongue to process, going from a sweet cherry and chocolate to a dry smokey finish. The best part? The cherry comes back on the finish. Despite it's evil label, this beer is like a Belgian chocolate delicacy.

Springfield Brewing Company Mueller Pale Ale

I was given a bottle of Springfield Brewing Company [Facebook link] Mueller Pale Ale by my coworker Jack to try. The beer pours a golden color with a bubbly white head. The aroma consists of sweet malts and sour hops in a good balance. The taste is smooth at first with a sweet malt start before turning a little bitter with sour hops. The finish on this beer is dry and bitter, and leaves a lingering sour hop flavor. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would assume it is around 6.0% ABV. This was a solidly performing pale ale with a great sour hop flavor that overbalances on the sweet malts.

Troegs Scratch 36- Bruce Wit

I stopped in to the Troegs tasting room to pick up a case of Scratch 36- Bruce Wit. This beer is a white beer with Belgian spices and a Belgian yeast. The beer pours a pale yellow color with a foamy white head. The aroma consists of lemon and light Belgian yeast and spices. The taste is sweet and lemony with a good creamy accent. The beer finishes with a Belgian yeast and spice accent that dries out the mouth a bit. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. The sweet to dry transition of this beer plays nicely on the tongue and I really enjoyed the amount of spices present in the beer. Too bad this beer arrived at the end of October as opposed to the beginning of May.

Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela No.1 Pumpkin Ale

I picked up a bottle of Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela No. 1 Pumpkin Ale from Al's of Hampden. This is Jolly Pumpkin's first pumpkin beer, despite their name, and they added a new twist by making it a sour beer. The beer pours a golden-orange color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of sour pumpkin and a soft wheat background. The taste is sour at first before a sweeter pumpkin flavor comes through with spiced finish and a hint of chocolate in the after taste. The alcohol content is 5.9% ABV. I really enjoyed this fresh approach to a pumpkin beer. It really mixes up the somewhat tired offering from every brewing company that has pumpkin and spices. The sour beer may not be or everyone, but I really enjoyed this offering.