Mill Street Barley Wine 2010

I picked up a bottle of Mill Street Barley Wine 2010, Batch Number 10-16-20, while I was in Niagara Falls and looking for craft beer. The beer pours a dark amber color with a think filmy off-white head. The aroma consists of sweet malts with fig, raisins, and hints of orange. The taste is smooth yet strong and biting on the tongue. There is a large amount of sweetness in this beer, akin to maple syrup, with lots of malts, fig, and raisins. The finish has a little carbonation bite to it and puckers the back of the tongue. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. While I did enjoy the Mill Street Barley Wine, I would put it in the somewhat too sweet category. There wasn't a lot of hop balance to the beer and I think that is due to the Canadian love of maple syrup. Still, this is a beer worth trying if you are in Canada.

Troegs Scratch 39- India Pale Ale (3 of 4)

I picked up a case of Troegs Scratch 39- India Pale Ale, the third IPA in a series of four being used as testing for the Perpetual IPA release from Troegs. The beer pours a a copper color with a foamy white head. The aroma consists of fresh grapefruit with tangerine and a light pine accent. The taste is smooth at first with some grapefruit flavor before the beer dries out the mouth and pine hop kick in and attack the tongue. The after taste leaves some tangerine and lemon lingering in the mouth. The alcohol content is 7.7% ABV. As 38 was greater than 37, this scratch has improved on the previous beers and it rather enjoyable. The citrus flavors in the beer are well balanced with the pine and bitter hops.

Southern Tier Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale

I previously had tried Southern Tier Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale at a beer fest, but I was unimpressed. With my change in taste buds, I decided to give it another whirl, and I picked up a bottle at Brass Rail in Campbelltown. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of lemon, caramel, and fresh pine hops. The taste is light bodied with a light caramel accent. There are accents of pine and lemon hops in the beer, but faint in the background. The finish is lightly dry, but brings in a butterscotch sweetness. The alcohol content is 5.4% ABV. I am glad that I gave this beer another chance, as I did enjoy it much more than when I had it at a beer fest. It wouldn't rank up there as my favorite beer that Southern Tier produces, but it is a solid beer overall.

Duvel Tripel Hop

My buddy Adam brought over a bottle of Duvel Tripel Hop to watch the Penguins game. The beer pours a straw yellow color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of lemon, meringue, orange, and sage. The taste is light and dry with a good lemon flavor up front with a meringue accent on the finish. The after taste is dry with sage and brings in more citrus, such as tangerine and orange. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. The light body of the beer makes it light on the tongue and easily drinkable, but it is packed with a multitude of flavors including citrus and sage spices.

Nebraska Hop God

I picked up a bottle of Nebraska Hop God from Al's of Hampden. The beer pours a golden color with a very lofty and frothy white head. The aroma consists of fresh earthy hops, banana, candisugar, grass, and Belgian yeast. The taste is sweet and bubbly with earhty tones, grass, banana, candisugar, Belgian yeast, orange, and tangerine. The finish dries the tongue slightly and stings it, while leaving an earthy fresh hop flavor in the mouth. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. The Hop God provides a wonderful balance of Belgian sweetness and earthy hops, all while maintaining a lightly carbonated mouth feel. This is a must-have Belgian IPA.

Dogfish Head Olde School

I picked up a four-pack of Dogfish Head Olde School from Al's of Hamden. The beer pours an orange-amber color, which is much lighter than most barleywines, with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of sweet malts, grapes, fig, orange, and a touch of honey. The taste is sweet and smooth with a big alcohol bite right up front. There are flavors of orange, honey, tea, fig, and malts that linger on the mouth. The after taste is somewhat sharp and bitey with alcohol and an oak accent on the back of the mouth. The alcohol content is 15.0% ABV. While this beer may be 15.0% ABV, it is completely apparent that it is that high. The other flavors, from the citrus to the fig and honey, balance the alcohol content nicely and provide a very delectable drink.

Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock

As part of the winter mixed pack, I opened a bottle of the Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock. The beer pours a dark brown color with a filmy tan head. The aroma consists of deep dark chocolate, coffee, toasted malts, and a hint of vanilla. The taste is smooth yet bitey with lots of sweet dark chocolate, toasted malts, vanilla, hints of oak, and alcohol. The finish is slightly drying, but the chocolate lingers on the tongue. The alcohol content is 5.8% ABV. The Chocolate Bock is a solid performed in the chocolate beer category and I enjoyed the balance between chocolate and oak.

Dogfish Head-3 Floyds Poppa Skull

While at the Alehouse in Rehoboth Beach, I ordered a glass of the Dogfish Head/3 Floyds collaboration Poppa Skull. The beer pours a golden color with lots of bubbles and a frothy white head. The aroma consists of Belgian yeast, lots of spruce, orange, and cardamom. The taste is smooth and very carbonated, kicks with cardamom, and is very floral. There is some light orange, candisugar, and Belgian yeast accents as well before the beer dries with brandy on the finish. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. The Poppa Skull has a wonderful blend of flavors, great spices, and is light bodied on the tongue

Dogfish Head Snowblower Ale

At the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Rehoboth Beach I ordered a glass of Snowblower Ale. The beer pours a golden orange color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of Belgian yeast, candisugar, and spices. The taste is sweet with banana, Belgian yeast, candisugar, and has a dry peppery finish. The alcohol content 6.5% ABV. The Snowblower Ale is a really good sweet and dry beer that was a perfect winter-at-the-beach beer.

Dogfish Head Johnny Rawton Pils

Another beer I ordered at the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Rehoboth Beach was the Johnny Rawton Pils. The beer pours a golden yellow color with a thin bubbly head. The aroma consists of lemon and fresh hops. The taste is lemon fresh with bitter pine hops and is lightly creamy. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. The Johnny Rawton Pils has a dry after taste but an extremely delicious beer. Despite having it in the winter, I found it be extremely refreshing and would be an excellent summer beer.

Dogfish Head DFH Ale

At the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Rehoboth Beach, I ordered a glass of DFH Ale. The beer has the body of the 60 Minute IPA, the strength of the 90 Minute IPA, and the hops of the 120 Minute IPA. The beer pours a caramel/copper color with frothy off-white head. The aroma consists of caramel and fresh hops that is similar to the 90 Minute IPA. The taste is smooth and sweet with loads of caramel, toasted toffee, and a big hop bite. There is a drying finish with a hint of coffee. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. This concoction was an amazing blend of hops and caramel and brought our a wonderful citrus flavor.

Dogfish Head Ta Henket

After seeing the creation of Dogfish Head Ta Henket on Brewmasters, I knew I had to drive to Rehoboth Beach to try the beer. The beer pours a golden color that is cloudy with a thin filmy white head. The aroma consists of lemon and wheat but is very faint. The taste is light and bubbly with lots of carbonation, lemon, wheat, and earthy hops. The beer is bready on the tongue and has a toasted bread flavor that is like it is fresh from the oven. There are dry spices on the finish that really balance out the beer well. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. I'd drink this beer regularly if I was Egyptian and was wonderful crafted. I'd compare the mouth feel of a Belgian beer without sweet yeast flavor.

Westmalle Dubbel

At the Abbey Bar in Appalachian Brewing Company, I ordered a glass of Westmalle Dubbel. The beer pours a brown color with a frothy off-white head. The aroma consists of raisin, bread, Belgian yeast, fig, and alcohol. The mouth feel is frothy and bubbly, which took me by surprise. The taste is raisin, fig, cinnamon, bread, and Belgian yeast. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. I enjoyed the flavors in the Westmalle Dubbel, but was completely surprised at how foamy the mouth feel of the beer was, and I think it took away from the beer a little bit.

Weihenstephaner Vitus

I ordered a bottle of Weihenstephaner Vitus at the Abbey Bar in Appalachian Brewing Company. The beer pours a golden color with an extremely lofty and foamy white head. The aroma consists of wheat, lemongrass, and earthy hops. The taste is smooth and sweet with lemon and wheat. Overall, it is a very clean tasting beer. The alcohol content is 7.7% ABV. I enjoyed how smooth and clean the beer is, but the best part is that it leaves a dry wheat taste in the mouth to be enjoyed after finishing the beer.