Stoudt's Blonde Double Mai Bock

I picked up a bottle of Stoudt's Blonde Double Mai Bock from the brewery on my way home for working in Reading. The beer pours an unfiltered golden color with a bubbly white head. The aroma is sweet with lemon and apricot. The taste is dry and sweet with lemon and a bit of lemon meringue/ There is a a bit of sour hops on the finish and also a pepper bite. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. I thought that this was a thoroughly delicious brew and very satisfying. It left a great citrus after taste in the mouth and was very refreshing.

Stoudt's Old Abominable Barley Wine Ale

I picked up a bottle of Stoudt's Old Abominable Barley Wine Ale from the brewery on my way home from working in Reading one day. The beer pours a dark amber color with a foamy tan head. The aroma consists of fig and toffee with a light hint of pine. The taste is is sweet with caramel and toffee. The beer finishes dry from the alcohol and pine hops. There is also a bit of fig and apricot and a bit of oak on the outside of the mouth. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. Stoudt's has provided a fantastic barley wine that could not be better. This barley wine fit the style perfectly, and the oak accents round out the beer nicely.

Long Trail Brewmaster's Series Winter White

I picked up a bottle of Long Trail Brewmaster's Series Winter White from Barley's and Hops in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a golden color with a bubbly white head. The aroma is orange and citrus with a mint background. The taste is heavy on orange and other citrus, such as lemon and tangerine. The beer then foams with a lot of carbonation and finishes with a bit of a mint hop bite. The alcohol content is 7.2% ABV. The beer was great with the fruit accents without being too sweet, thanks to the carbonation. It was a very pleasant beer, even if I consumed in the spring season.

Abita Abbey Ale

I picked up a bottle Abita Abbey Ale from Barley's and Hops in Pittsburgh on my last visit. The beer pours a reddish amber ale with a lofty, foamy, and creamy colored head. The aroma consists of sweet malts, yeast, and alcohol. The taste is sweet that comes from a caramel flavor. There are lots of malts and it is very very bready. Underneath the caramel, there is banana, green apple some dark fruits and cloves. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. This was a delicious Abbey Ale and I really enjoyed it. The sweetness was there, but not too overpowering. The clove and alcohol toned down the sweetness on the finish, and made drinking this beer a very pleasurable experience.

Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot

I picked up a bottle of Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot from Barley's and Hops in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a brown-amber color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of raisin and malts, with some underlying caramel. The taste is filled with raisin and fig with some caramel and toffee sweetness. There are also hints of apricot and orange peel. It finishes with some bitter chocolate and a some flowers and pine. The alcohol content is 7.83% ABV. I thought that the flavors in this beer were very random but worked really well together. It was a truly enjoying brew that kept the tongue guessing through the entire experience.

Cricket Hill Reserve Ale- No. 3 Barleywine

Another bottle that my friend Jeff picked up from Cricket Hill for me was the Reserve Ale- No. 3 Barleywine. The beer pours brilliant amber color with a frothy white head that sticks to the side of the glass. The aroma is malty and sweet, with bits of orange peel, caramel, and toffee. The taste is sweet and malty with a good dose of raisin, toffee, and caramel. It has a slight orange zest on the finish with a modest compliment of dry hops. The alcohol content is not posted online, but I would guess around 8% ABV. This barleywine is everything that a barelywine should be, and I highly recommend checking it out. The orange zest that came with the drinking of this beer was a pleasant surprise and really rounded out the flavor.

Fat Head's Head Hunter IPA

I ordered a glass of Fat Head's Head Hunter IPA when I was last in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a golden color with a bubbly white head. The aroma consists of lemon and pine. The taste is lemon and pine with bits of caramel, pineapple, and grapefruit. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. I thought that the Head Hunter was a delicious IPA and really well done. This is a quality IPA and should be tried by those of you who like hops.

Maredsous 8- Dubbel

I ordered a glass of Maredsous 8- Dubbel at Fat Head's in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a brown color with a tan bubbly head. There is raisin and fig in the aroma with some hints of chocolate. The taste is smooth and creamy, which I found surprising. The beer was heavy on fig and raisin and had a smooth and sweet chocolate finish. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. I thought that the 8 was overly delicious and would definitely order this beer again.