Three Floyds Blackheart

As part of a beer trade with Hop Head Red, I received a bottle of Three Floyds Blackheart, an English IPA brewed in artistic collaboration with Blackheart Tattoo in San Francisco. The beer pours a golden color with a lofty and frothy white head. The aroma consists of sweet caramel with grassy hops, a hint of lemon, and some tea. Is it stereotypical that I picked up a tea flavor in an English IPA? The taste is sweet and smooth with a minimal hop bite but some bitterness attached to it. There is a solid caramel base and some toasted toffee peeks through before those hops kick in with grass and lemon flavors. The finish brings out some pepper and a bit of chai tea and the after taste has some lingering oak accents. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. This beer had great lemon and tea flavors built on top of a great caramel base, making it one of the best English IPAs that I’ve had.

Shipyard Smashed Blueberry

I picked up a bottle of Shipyard Smashed Blueberry from Giant Eagle in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a black color with a lofty and frothy tan head that leaves small remnants of lacing on the glass. Upon pouring the blueberry aroma takes over the room in one of the most potent fruit beers I have ever smelled. There is also a background of caramel, chocolate, rhubarb, and toasted malts. The taste is roasty and very malty with plentiful amounts of chocolate With the taste, there is less of a pronounced amount of blueberry, but it is there and has a good flavor. It just takes more of a back seat, the opposite of the aroma. However, the blueberry flavor comes back in the finish and has somewhat of a blueberry pie flavor with hints of vanilla. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I really enjoyed this beer with it’s plentiful blueberry aroma, and the fact that it isn’t overpowering in the flavor profile is all the better.

Three Floyds Moloko Milk Stout

I received a bottle of Three Floyds Moloko Milk Stout from @HopHeadRed in a beer trade. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head that recedes rather rapidly. The aroma consists of chocolate, milk, cream, and dark chocolate. The taste is smooth and creamy with both milk chocolate and dark chocolate flavors. There are hints of toasted malts and vanilla, as well as a background of caramel. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. There is no presence of the high alcohol content in this beer, and it is very easy drinking. It is smooth drinking and has plenty of chocolate flavors, with a light hint of vanilla and caramel that makes it really enjoyable.

Rahr & Sons Gravel Road

As part of my beer trade with Jason in Texas, I received a bottle of Rahr & Sons Gravel Road German-style Altbier. The beer pours a red-tinted copper color with a frothy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, raisin, orange, pepper, grassy, and hay. The taste is slightly sweet with caramel but has a roast malt profile about it. There is some raisin accents and an orange hints as well, but then pepper and grass really takes over the profile. The finish is slightly dry and leaves some raisin accents behind. The alcohol content is 7.25% ABV. The Gravel Road was a solid performer in the altbier category and has a nice sweetness paired with a roasty malt flavor.

Troegs Scratch 48- Fest Bier

I picked up a case of Troegs Scratch 48- Fest Bier from the tasting room, Troegs’ recent offering in to the marzen category. The beer pours a caramel color with a frothy white head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of sweet caramel malts, fresh grassy hops, and a touch of pepper. The taste is smooth and round on the tongue with a solid caramel malt base. There is a bit of toasted flavor before a grassy hop finish comes in to play with a slight pepper bite. The after taste is sweet and calming. The alcohol content is 5.4% ABV. I would say that Troegs hit the bulls-eye on this Oktoberfest-style beer and provided and easy drinking beer that has plenty of flavorful accents.

Real Ale Brewing Lost Gold IPA

Another beer I received in a trade with Jason in Texas was the Real Ale Brewing Lost Gold IPA. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white head that leaves remnants of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of a lot of lemon with some grapefruit and tangerine as well. There is some hop oils that tickle the nose as well. The taste is bitter with lots of lemon and pink grapefruit flavors. Hints of sweet caramel do linger on the back of the tongue in the after taste. The alcohol content is 6.6% ABV. I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor of the beer and the bitterness that accompanied it. There was plenty of citrus flavors and some hop oils that lingered on the tongue.

Saint Arnold Elissa IPA

I received a bottle of Saint Arnold Elissa IPA in a beer trade with Jason from Texas. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy white head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of caramel, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, orange, and pine. The taste is dry with plenty of citrus flavors, among them being grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, and orange. There is a sweet caramel base that smooths the bitterness out a little bit and the finish has a bit of pine and pepper. The alcohol content is 6.6% ABV. Overall, this was a a great IPA with a large citrus profile and a caramel smoothness about it.

Traquair House Brewery Traquair Jacobite

My fiancee picked up a bottle of Traquair House Brewery Traquair Jacobite from Wegman’s to have with dinner. The beer pours a dark cranberry-tinted brown color with a thin filmy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of raisin, honey, orange, coriander, and alcohol. The taste is smooth and has some raisin, coriander, orange. Hints of chocolate and caramel can be found in the background, and there is a a light alcohol warmth on the finish with and oak dryness. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. I’d say the Jacobite is a rather delicious beer with great citrus flavors on top of dark fruits and chocolate.

Yuengling Oktoberfest

When I saw Al’s of Hampden tapped the new Yuengling Oktoberfest, I decided I had to go over and order a draft. The beer pours an amber color with a thin frothy off-white colored head. The aroma is malty with a caramel sweetness and some spicy and peppery hops. The taste has a big malty profile with some caramel smoothness. Most notably, there is a dry peppery and grassy hop finish. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be approximately 5.5% ABV. I would say that Yuengling has provided a solid marzen, but you should know that it is a little drier than most and not quite as smooth. However, it does stand apart from the rest of the marzen crowd.

Sierra Nevada Tumbler

While at Al’s of Hampden, I ordered a glass of Sierra Nevada Tumbler. The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin filmy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, toasted malts, and coffee grinds. The taste is dry with toasted malts and a bit of coffee lurking in the background. There is a caramel backbone and the after taste has some grassy hops. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. The Tumbler is a different brown ale, as it isn't as malty as most. Overall, it is more dry and roasty, but still quite delicious.

Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA

My fiancee picked up a bottle of Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA from Ron’s Original Bar & Grille. The beer pours a a golden-amber color with a frothy white head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, pine, caramel, and spruce. The taste is bitter and dry with lots of citrus flavors on the front end of the beer, bringing out grapefruit, tangerine, orange, and hints of lemon. A solid caramel base peeks through before a pine and spruce finish kick in on the tongue. The after taste leaves remnants of pepper behind. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. The Union Jack IPA is a wonderful India Pale Ale and one of my favorite examples of the style. Citrus-forward is a great way of explaining this beer, and I really like that in a beer.

Buffalo Bills Brewery Alimony Ale

I was given a bottle of Buffalo Bills Brewery Alimony Ale by my fiancee from Ron’s Original Bar & Grille. The beer pours an amber color with frothy white head. The aroma consists of tangerine, orange, and pine. The taste is a little bit sweet with a caramel base before a bitter tangerine and orange flavor comes out to play. The finish has some pepper and a bit of pine as well. The alcohol content is 6.8% ABV. I would say this is an average IPA with some good citrus flavors and a bit of bitterness, but it is not the flag bearer of the IPA style.

Cigar City Marshal Zhukov’s Imperial Stout

I picked up a bottle of Cigar City Marshal Zhukov’s Imperial Stout from Al’s of Hampden after seeing Al post on Twitter that he received some bottles. The beers pours a black color with a viscous consistency similar to motor oil and a frothy brown head. The aroma consists of dark chocolate, light toasted malts, oak, vanilla, and milk chocolate. The taste is big on chocolate with a creamy and rounded mouth feel. There is plenty of toasted malts in this beer and a bit of a coffee flavor, as well as some vanilla and oak flavors. The finish dries out the mouth with a bit of an alcohol warmth. The alcohol content is 11.0% ABV. Simply put, this beer was amazing. The mouth feel was creamy and made it easy to drink, yet it was very thick and rich with chocolate flavors.

Smuttynose Robust Porter

While at Al’s of Hampden, I ordered a glass of Smuttynose Robust Porter. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of toasted malts, caramel, and nuts. The taste is dry and roasty with a solid chocolate malt base, a caramel accent, and some coffee as well. The alcohol content is 5.7% ABV. The Robust Porter was a delicious beer that is well smoked and flavored without having too much smoky flavor that is overpowering. This was rather easy drinking and had plenty of flavors to entertain the tongue.