Sunday, June 21, 2009

Harrisburg Brewers Fest 2009

I attended Harrisburg Brewers Fest 2009, hosted by Troegs and for the benefit of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Luckily, the weather held out for the second session and it was an excellent time. The following are my my tasting notes and pictures of the beers to accompany:

Allagash Tripel- This beer was sweet and you definitely taste the alcohol content. It had a fruity aftertaste, comprised mostly of banana, and was very enjoyable. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV.

Bethlehem Hefeweizen- The Hefeweizen had a floral aroma, and it tasted a bit flowery. It was very fresh tasting and had a nice hop bit on the after taste. The alcohol content is 5.2% ABV.

Bullfrog Beesting Saison- The Saison was very clean and smooth with a hint of honey. I thought the color was also excellent. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV.

Capital City Fuel- This beer was very potent in the coffee taste and I really liked the beer. It was one of my favorites of the day. Its aroma was like waking up in a coffee shop and the alcohol content was noticeable. As Alyssa put it, “Damn.” I am not sure of the alcohol content, as no information was available online.

Capital City Autume Saison- The Saison was sweet and malty. It was not dry and had a very smooth after taste. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV.

Dogfish Head Festina Peche- This beer was white in color and had no aroma. It did not seem like it was going to be bad when I first sipped it, but the tart and bitter after taste kicked in. It was very sour and I hated this beer. This was the worst beer I tried all day, and I do not plan on sampling this again. It is a shame that Dogfish Head let me down with this beer. The alcohol content is 4.5% ABV.

Erie Derailed Black Cherry Ale- This had a nice rose color. It had a sweet smell and a sweet malty taste, all due to the cherries. This was a very good beer. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV.

Great Divide Saint Bridget's Porter- The porter had a bit of a bite and was nutty. It had a nice chocolate taste with a dark color to it and was very smooth. The alcohol content is 5.6% ABV.

Great Divide Samurai- This was a rice beer and was very clean. It had a refreshing and crisp taste and was very smooth. The alcohol content is 5.1% ABV.

Great Divide Wild Raspberry- The smell of raspberries was in the aroma. It had a sweet taste and the raspberries were a compliment, not overpowering. I really liked the color, as it was a deep red. The alcohol content is 5.6% ABV.

Note: My boy Mike and I decided to mix the Great Divide Porter and the Great Divide Wild Raspberry for a chocolate covered raspberry. It was EXCELLENT, and I highly recommend doing this if you have both bottles.

21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat- I could smell the watermelon in the aroma. It tasted somewhat like a watermelon Jolly Rancher. It was extremely carbonated, which I saw as a downside. It was also poured out of a can. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV.

Left Hand Milk Stout- The Milk Stout was excellent and one of my favorite beers of the day. It was very smooth and very nutty. I was surprised at its clean after taste, but that made the beer. The alcohol content is 5.9% ABV.

Manayunk Schuylkill Punch (Raspberry Lager)- The Raspberry had a sweet smell. I thought this beer was had a nice taste, but was a little tart on the after taste. I thought it might be a little too fruity for a beer. Overall, it was decent. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV.

Market Cross Tell Me Rye Ale- The Rye Ale had a dry taste, but was very clean and crisp. It was very smooth and easy to drink. I was not able to find any information on the alcohol content.

Marzoni's Maibock- The Maibock was very malty and sweet. I thought it had a nice hop compliment to round out the flavor. I was unable to locate any alcohol content information.

Marzoni's Weizenbock- The Weizenbock was sweet with a hop accent. It had a very floral aroma and a good body. I was unable to located any information on the alcohol content.

Philadelphia Rowhouse Red- I liked the dark red color to the Rowhouse Red. It smelled very sweet and had a nice hop balance. It was a very enjoyable beer. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV.

Sly Fox Weiss- The Weiss had a floral aroma and was sweet tasting. It was slightly hoppy, but maintained a good balance of malt and hops. The alcohol content is 5.6% ABV.

Unita Brewing Company Solstice Kolsch- The Kolsch was very crisp, smooth, and clean tasting. One of things I love about kolsches is that they are refreshing, and the Solstice lived up to that billing. It was also a little dry with the after taste. I was unable to locate any information on the alcohol content.

Stegmaier Midsummer White- I received this beer after a bad pour. However, it was sweet with a fruity taste. The alcohol content is is 5.0%.

Thirsty Dog Irish Red- This was my favorite beer of the day. I had no expectation for this beer and was thoroughly impressed. It was sweet with a nice bite. The beer was well rounded ancd completely enjoyable. Alyssa also commented “Damn” to this beer. I was not able to locate any information on the alcohol content of this beer. Interestingly enough, BeerAdvocate has this beer listed as retired and no longer brewed, so it may be making a comeback.

Thirsty Dog Old Leghumper- The Old Leghumper is a porter. This was a little nutty and a little dry. It had a sweet chocolately flavor and was very enjoyable. The alcohol content is 6.7% ABV.

Union Double Maibock- This beer did not have an aroma. It was spicy and had a dry taste, but a smooth after taste. I was unable to find any information on the alcohol content.

Voodoo Gran Met- This beer was sweet and spicy. It had a great opaque color and was enjoyable. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV.

Weyerbacher Zotten- This beer was just released on June 3. It had a significant hop content, but not overwhelming. It had a floral aroma and a dry after taste. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV.

Yards IPA- The IPA was nicely hoppy, Its aroma led me to believe that it was going to be extremely hoppy, but this was not the case. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV.
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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousJune 21, 2009 at 10:14 PM

    I find it humorous that the Festina Peche was my favorite beer that I tried and had several samples of it that day. The Great Divid Wild Raspberry came in a close 2nd.

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