Victory Hop Wallop

Following my enjoyment of drinking Victory Hop Wallop on cask at Al's of Hampden, I ordered a glass of the non-cask conditioned Hop Wallop at McGrath's in Harrisburg. The beer pours a golden color with a foamy white head. The aroma consists of sour hops, lemon, and gym socks (I know, not all that appealing). The taste is lemony and sour with a butter lining. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. While I enjoyed the Hop Wallop, I thought it was much better on cask. The aroma I think may have thrown me off a bit at first, but I did really enjoy drinking it.

Brooklyn Local 2

I ordered a bottle of Brooklyn Local 2 based on Katie the Bartender's recommendation at McGrath's in Harrisburg. The beer pours a dark amber color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma is full of alcohol and Belgian yeast. The taste is sweet and malty with flavors consisting of caramel, candisugar, and a hint of orange and honey. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I thought that the Local 2 was really good and had a great balance. The alcohol really kicks in by the end, but it is not hidden at all during the experience.

Ballast Point Sculpin India Pale Ale

I ordered a bottle of Ballast Point Sculpin India Pale Ale from McGrath's in Harrisburg. The beer pours a dark straw yellow color with a thin bubbly white head. The aroma consists of lemon and grapefruit with a hint of orange and pepper. The taste is surprisingly toasted caramel with a good helping of bitter grapefruit. The beer finishes with a lemon and pepper bite. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. I thought that the Scuplin India Pale Ale was extremely delicious and the toasted caramel flavor really came through well. There also was not any disappointment in the hop flavors with grapefruit and lemon.

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA

I ordered a glass of Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA from Al's of Hampden. The beer pours a copper color with a thin filmy head. The aroma is filled with grapefruit, orange, mandarin orange, and cherry. The taste is sweet and lemon with heavy accents of grapefruit and a light cherry splash. The alcohol content is 10% ABV. This was an excellent beer with a big alcohol bite and a bitter finish. I enjoyed it and would definitely order another glass of this.

Coronado Mermaid's Red Ale

On a recent visit to Al's of Hampden, I ordered a glass of Coronado Mermaid's Red Ale. The beer pours a dark amber color with red hues and a thin bubbly white head. The aroma is lightly caramel but almost nonexistent. The taste was heavy on toasted malts with some caramel mixed in. The beer has a dry finish and a light pine hop bite. The alcohol content is 5.7% ABV. I thought that this was a decent red with good hop additions. There is a greater hop presence than I am used with red ales, but it was a welcome addition.

Green Flash Imperial IPA

I ordered a glass of Green Flash Imperial IPA while at Al's of Hampden. The beer pours a copper color with a bubbly white head. The aroma consists of caramel and pepper with light lemon. The taste is big on caramel and toffee with a good bitter hop bite consisting of pepper and lemon. The alcohol content is 9.4% ABV. The Imperial IPA from Green Flash was very delicious and had a great balance. The sweetness did a good job of hiding the alcohol well, so this can be a very dangerous brew.

Flying Fish Exit 6 Wallonian Rye

I picked up a bottle of Flying Fish Exit 6- Wallonian Rye (Belgian Style Ale with New Jersey Rye) from Al's on Hampden. The beer pours a golden color with a lofty and foamy white head that sticks to the edge of the glass. The aroma consists of banana, candisugar, rye, and a slight hint of pepper. The taste consists of banana, candisugar, and pepper and has a good bit of carbonation on the tongue. The beer finishes with a pepper and rye bite, but isn't all that dry. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. I really enjoyed the complexity and dynamic nature of this beer. It started out sweet with banana and candisugar, but was completely balanced out with pepper and rye, giving the beer a nice bite.