Dogfish Head/Stone/Victory Saison du Buff

I ordered a glass of the Dogfish Head/ Stone / Victory collaboration (brewed at Dogfish Head Brewery) Saison du Buff while I was at the Dogfish Head Brew Pub in Rehoboth Beach, DE. The beer pours an orange-yellow color with lofty bubbly white head. The aroma consists of orange and lemon with a strong kick of flowers, thyme, and parsley. The taste consists of a smooth and lightly buttery taste yet crisp with orange and lemon flavors and a nice spice bit consisting of thyme, parsley, sage, and rosemary. This version had a more citrus profile to it when compared to the beer brewed at Stone Brewery, with orange and cream coming out in the process as well as a splash of lemon.The finish is a little peppery and dries the mouth a little bit. The alcohol content is 6.8% ABV. I think I may have slightly enjoyed this version better than the Stone version, only because of the heightened citrus profile that accompanied it.

Sly Fox Royal Weiss Ale

I picked up a case of cans of Sly Fox Royal Weiss Ale prior to going to Ocean City for vacation. The beer pours an orange-amber color with a lofty bubbly white head. The aroma consists of hints of banana and spices. The taste is smooth at first with bits of orange, coriander, pepper, and spices. The alcohol content is 5.6% ABV. The Royal Weiss Ale is a smooth and very enjoyable beer that pairs well with the summer. I highly suggest getting this beer and enjoying it outside, or on the beach as the cans make it safe to bring anywhere and easy to pack.

Lancaster Brewing Company Kolsch

I picked up a case of Lancaster Brewing Company Kolsch in cans for my trip to the beach. The beer pours a golden color with a lofty foamy white head. The aroma consists of lemon citrus and light hops. The taste is light and sweet with a good malt base and lemon accents. The beer finishes with a light spicy finish, but quite smooth. The alcohol content is 4.8% ABV. This Kolsch was a great example of the style and very well done. It pairs really well with the beach and summertime weather, so grab it while you CAN (see what I did there?) and take it on vacation.

Troegs Java Head with Vanilla Beans and Bravo Dry Hop

I stopped into Al's of Hampden after receiving a tweet from Al that he just tapped Troegs Java Head with Vanilla Beans and Bravo Dry Hop on hand pump. I could not contain my excitement to try this beer. The aroma has good helping of vanilla accenting chocolate with a pine background. The taste is smooth and creamy with dry chocolate bite but smooth vanilla finish. The aftertaste is piney and satisfying. As with the Java Head, the alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. What an amazing reincarnation of an already great beer. The vanilla added smooth and sweet notes to the finish that was also helped with the creaminess that the hand pump adds.

16 Mile Old Court Ale

Another beer I picked up in growler on my visit to 16 Mile Brewing Company was the Old Court Ale. The beer pours a dark amber color with a thin bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of caramel and toasted malts. The taste has good caramel base with some toasted edges that hit the sides of the mouth. It has a good sour hop finish that is dry. The alcohol content is not available online but is approximately 6.0% ABV according to the guy at the brewery. I thought the Old Court Ale was quite tasty and delicious. It was a dynamic ale and I was impressed with how complex this beer was for a brewery that was only one year old.

16 Mile Blues' Golden Ale

On the way to Ocean City, Maryland, my buddy Matt and I stopped into 16 Mile Brewing Company in Georgetown, Delaware. One of the two growlers we picked up was the Blues' Golden Ale. The beer pours a straw yellow color with a thin bubbly white head. The aroma is sweet and malty with butterscotch and caramel. The taste is sweet, light, and clean with caramel and butterscotch and a slightly dry finish. The alcohol content is not available online but according to the guy at the brewery it is roughly 6.0% ABV. I thought that the Blues' Golden Ale was a really good beer that fits well with the summer season. My first impression of 16 Mile Brewing Company was a very positive one, and I anticipate the beers they put out in the future.

Stone Ruination IPA

I ordered a bottle of Stone Ruination IPA from Ram's Head in West Chester. The beer pours a golden color with a foamy white head that laces on the glass. The aroma consists of lemon, citrus, caramel, and a light grapefruit hint. The taste has a caramel base with lemon and pine accents and some hidden grapefruit on a lightly dry finish. The alcohol content is 7.7% ABV. I thought that the Ruination IPA was extremely delicious. It may not be as in your face as the Arrogant Bastard, but it is standing three paces away yelling at you. A complex mix of citrus and pine makes your tongue work to pick up all of the flavors within this beer.

Terrapin Side Project Volume 11- Boom Shakalager

I picked up a bottle of Terrapin Side Project Volume 11- Boom Shakalager from Al's of Hampden. This beer is a Bavarian Style Imperial Lager and it pours a copper color with an off-white foamy head. The aroma consists of sweet malts, sour hops, caramel, and toffee. The taste is smooth and delicious right off the bat. There is a good helping of caramel and toffee. The beer finishes with sour hops and a nice pepper kick to the sides out the mouth. The after taste lingers with pepper and a slight dryness. The alcohol content is 9.0 % ABV. This was a style of beer that I am not entirely familiar with, but it was quite delicious. It may come off a little syrupy and not very carbonated, it is quite delicious and very drinkable, dangerous for a 9.0% ABV beer.

Lagunitas Brown Shugga

I grabbed a bottle of Lagunitas Brown Shugga from Brass Rail in Campbelltown in a mixed six-pack. The beer pours a dark amber color with a small foamy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of maple syrup, brown sugar, and alcohol. The taste is very sweet at first and hits hard with molasses, caramel, brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon. The beer dries out on the finish with an alcohol kick. The alcohol content is 9.84% ABV, which also punches the tongue in the after taste. All I can say about this beer is “Wow!” Although it is a very sweet brew, the alcohol and carbonation balance nice to provide a (surprisingly) smooth drinking beer.

Pretty Things Field Mouse's Farewell

I grabbed a bottle of Pretty Things Field Mouse's Farewell from Al's of Hampden. The beer is described as a rustic golden ale brewed with barley, oats, wheat, and rye. The beer pours a vibrant golden color with a tall foamy white head that sticks to glass nicely as it subsides. The aroma consists of wheat with hints of lemon and orange peel. The taste is light and sweet with and nice wheat base and a great lemon accent. There is a great spicy accent from rye on the finish that balances out the sweetness. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. The Field Mouse's Farewell was a very enjoyable brew that was light drinking but very complex. The rye spice really peeked through on the finish and completed the drinking experience very well.

Dark Horse Sapient Trip Ale

I picked up a bottle of Dark Horse Sapient Trip Ale, a Belgian style tripel from Brass Rail in Campbelltown, PA. The beer pours a yellow-orange color with a medium bodied foamy white head. The aroma consists of big on Belgian yeast, candisugar, and banana. The taste is sweet and smooth. The front end of this beer has a lot of Begian yeast and candisugar. Following the sweetness, the carbonation kicks in and bubbles on the tongue. The finish consists of an alcohol kick and a nice peppery hop bite. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. I thought that the Sapient Trip Ale was a solid performer in the tripel style. Nothing was overdone, but it was a little sweeter than I am used to drinking.

Irom Hill Tripel Au Ciel

The final beer I ordered on my last visit to Iron Hill in West Chester was the Tripel Au Ciel. This beer is a Belgian Tripel aged in Chardonnay barrels. The beer pours a straw color with a barely present filmy white head. The aroma consists of banana and Chardonnay. The taste is banana, pepper, and white grapes. On the finish, the Tripel Au Ciel has a light dry Chardonnay accent. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. I really enjoyed the Tripel Au Ciel, and it was the perfect dessert beer for a summer evening. The Chardonnay barrel aging really livened up this tripel, making it lighter on the tongue and giving it some grape flavors.