The Brew Works Insidious Imperial Stout Ale

I picked up a bottle of The Brew Works Insidious Imperial Stout Ale from Al's of Hampton. The beer pours a dark black color with a very loft foamy head; the cork almost hit the ceiling after popping. The aroma has a good helping of chocolate with bits of vanilla, coffee, and oak. The taste is mostly chocolate, but is rounded out with some oak on the outside of the mouth. The beer then dries a bit with a coffee finish that leaves the mouth a bit thirsty. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. The alcohol in this beer does also help to dry the mouth a bit. I really enjoyed this beer, but be sure to have a glass of water handy, as you will need to refresh yourself while drinking this beer.

Bullfrog Brewery Edgar IPA

Another beer I ordered while at Bullfrog Brewery during American Craft Beer Week was the Edgar IPA. The beer pours an orange color with a thin filmy white head. There is an orange and lemon aroma. This beer drinks with a big hop flavor and has some lemon and pepper hidden in there as well. The beer finishes with a dry pine hop flavor. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. This was a great IPA in my opinion. It may be a bit too powerful for those new to the hop experience or those with sensitivities to hops, but if you like IPA, be sure to check this beer out.

Bullfrog Brewery Lights Out Stout

I went to Bullfrog Brewery during American Craft Beer Week to check out the Lights Out Stout. This stout was aged for three years in oak barrels with coffee, chocolate, and wild yeast. The beer pours a deep black color with a foamy tan head. The aroma is deeply chocolate with hints of oak and coffee. The taste is smooth and great tasting and is very creamy due to being served from the hand pump. This beer is very chocolaty with a good helping of coffee. The kicker is that there is a bit of a raspberry bite in the middle with an alcohol finish that is dry. The beer completes itself similar to a chocolate covered raspberry and is very surprising and delicious. There is no alcohol content posted online, but I would assume it to be around 9.0% ABV. The beer beats up the tongue a bit with the sour raspberry that is created with the wild yeast, but this brew is extremely delicious and addicting. The entire drive home to Harrisburg I was left wanting more of this beer.

The Brew Works Hop'solutely

I picked up a bottle of The Brew Works Hop'solutely at Al's of Hampton after talking with the distributor at Westy's. I wasn't sure I wanted to drop $70 on a case of Hop'solutely, but he informed me where I could pick up a bottle to try before I purchased a case. The beer pours a brilliant golden color with a slowly rising white bubbly head. The aroma consists of with a fresh hop scent and plenty of citrus, including lemon, grapefruit, and orange. The taste is smooth a sweet, like a sugar coated grapefruit. The beer then has a nice peppery and pine hop bite of the outsides of the mouth. It finishes with a smooth caramel finish that goes down really easy. There is even a hint of oak underneath all of the flavors. As the beer warmed, a honey sweetness emerged. The alcohol content is 11.5% ABV. This beer was stunningly delicious. It is not overly hoppy, with just the right amount of hops, that are smoothed out by sweet citrus and caramel. I will definitely go pick up another bottle of this beer, or possibly even a case.

Weyerbacher Verboten Belgian Style Pale Ale

I picked up a case of Weyerbacher (a much improved website!) Verboten Belgian Style Pale Ale from Westy's during American Craft Beer Week. The beer pours a golden amber color with a foamy tall white head. The aroma consists of sour hops and a light bit of lemon and banana. The taste is heavy on banana with some biscuit flavors. The beer finishes a little dry with some lemon and pepper hops bite. The alcohol content is 5.9% ABV. This was a very smooth drinking beer that actually has a bit more of an alcohol bite than it actually contains. A good assortment of flavors, including banana, pepper, and lemon really gives this beer all the dimensions it needs to create an excellent experience.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

I picked up a case of Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA during American Craft Beer Week. The beer pours a yellow color with a foamy white head. The aroma is lightly citrus with malts and some caramel hints. The taste is sweet with caramel and toffee at first, with a nice dry lemon hop finish. There is a bit of pepper and dryness on the tongue on the after taste.There is also a bit on sweet malts mixed with sour hops that lingers. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. I thought the 60 Minute IPA was a solid beer. It may not be as adventurous as the 90 Minute IPA or as over-the-top amazing as the 120 Minute IPA, but it really is an easy drinking beer with an excellent amount of flavors.

Stoudt's Brewers Reserve Gemutlichkeit Ale

I picked up a bottle of Stoudt's Brewers Reserve Gemutlichkeit Ale from the brewery on my way home from working in Reading. The beer pours an amber color with a bottle of foamy white head. The aroma lightly malty with sour hops. The taste is smooth and malty with a bit of caramel and a bite of hops. The alcohol content is 6.8% ABV. I was a big fan of this beer, as it finished very crisp and refreshing with a good amount of flavor.