Middle Ages Druid Fluid

I picked up a bottle of Middle Ages Druid Fluid from Al's of Hampden. The beer pours an orange amber color with a foamy off-white head. The aroma consists of sweet malts and a heavy helping of pine hops. The taste is sweet with caramel, toffee and raisin with some orange accents mixed in there as well. The beer finishes with a peppery hop bite that really does wonders for this beer. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. This beer is very bubbly and light drinking, unlike some other barleywines out there. However, it was really enjoyable and I liked the added hop accents that really made this a dynamic brew.

Moylen's Moylander Double IPA

While at Al's, I picked up a growler of Moylen's Moylander Double IPA for a Fourth of July picnic. The beer pours a copper color with a foamy white head. It has a pine and orange aroma with caramel sweetness. The taste is sweet with caramel with a good pepper bite and some excellent lemon accents. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. The Moylander was delicious and really enjoyable and has a good bite for a hot summer day. The hop bit was bitter, but the caramel and lemon balanced it out nicely.

Mikkeller 1000 IBU

I stopped in to Al's of Hampden to order a glass of Mikkeller 1000 IBU. The beer pours an orange amber color with a thick foamy white head. The aroma is very hoppy and is extremely noticeable from a distance (read: table to nose). The taste is hoppy, as expected, and piney with a lemon and caramel base. The alcohol content is 9.6% ABV. Surprisingly, this beer had a good balance and was not overwhelmingly hoppy. I was expecting somewhat of a hop-bomb, but that is not how the beer drinks. It was a little bitter but still a very enjoyable brew.

't Smisje Catherine Imperial Stout

For dessert at Cafe Bruges, I decided to order a bottle of 't Smisje Catherine Imperial Stout. The beer pours a red amber color with a foamy tan head which was surprising to me, as I was expecting a dark brown or black color. The aroma consists of roasted malt and is sweet. The taste is strong, malty, and powerful with strong tastes of raisin and toasted malts and a good helping of vanilla. The alcohol content is 10% ABV. This beer was amazing and it honestly lit my eyes up, most likely due to the good alcohol punch. It completely defies definition as it does not follow the properties of a stout at all, but was an excellent experience.

De Dolle Bos Keun

Another beer I ordered from Cafe Bruges in Carlisle was the De Dolle Bos Keun. The beer pours a golden color with a foamy white head that is very lofty. The aroma is sweet with tangerine and citrus. The taste is sweet with plenty of candisugar and lots of tangerine flavor. There is a base of toffee in the background and the beer finishes with a hop bite of pine. The alcohol content is 10% ABV. The Bos Keun was a very delicious and active brew that spices your throat up like a warmer. I highly recommend trying this beer.

De Ranke Guldenberg

I went to Cafe Bruges in Carlisle based on high recommendations from several people. The first beer I ordered there was the De Ranke Guldenberg. The beer pours a golden color with a foamy white head. The aroma consists of candisugar, yeast, banana, and pine hops. The taste is smooth and light with a little bit of sour hops. The most noticeable property of this beer was that is highly carbonated. The beer also had a good taste of sweet malts and some orange zest on the finish. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. I thought that this beer was delicious and refreshing and a good start to the evening. If you aren't a fan of carbonation, you may want to shy away from this.

Left Coast Asylum

I picked up a bottle of Left Coast Asylum, a Belgian Style Tripel Ale, from Brass Rail in Campbelltown. The beer pours a brilliant golden color with a thin bubbly white head. The aroma is banana and pepper with some candisugar. The taste is smooth and sweet with strong flavors of Belgian yeast, banana, and some pepper accents. The alcohol content is 11% ABV. Overall, this was a good take on the Belgian tripel with great banana flavors and pepper accents. I really enjoyed the generous amount of Belgian yeast flavors that accompanied this beer. It was good enough of a beer that when I saw it at Flat Rock in Manayunk, I didn't hesitate to order a bottle.