Iron Hill The Great Imperial Pumpkin Ale

I stopped in to Iron Hill Lancaster to pick up a bottle of Iron Hill The Great Imperial Pumpkin Ale. The beer pours a dark amber color with a frothy beige head that dissipates rather rapidly. The aroma consists of cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, and a hint of pumpkin. The taste is way better than the aroma and has a soft Belgian-like base with plenty of yeast and a thick molasses mouth feel. A big helping of caramel comes out with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, candi sugar and allspice. Sweet pumpkin comes out in the finish and some graham cracker crust that lingers around. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. This is not your typical pumpkin ale, as the Belgian element to it really brings out a wonderful sweetness with some fall spices that round everything out nicely.

Wolaver's Pumpkin Ale

I grabbed a six-pack of Wolaver’s Pumpkin Ale from Al’s of Hampden for my fiancee. The beer pours an orange-tinted amber color with a frothy off-white colored head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of fresh pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and caramel. The taste is smooth and light on the tongue with a solid pumpkin base, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, and caramel. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 6.0% ABV. I thought all of the flavors in this beer were nicely balanced and it wasn’t too spicy or dry.

Stillwater Artisanal Ales Stateside Saison

As part of the Rare Beer of the Month Club, I received a bottle of Stillwater Artisanal Ales Stateside Saison. The beer pours a golden color with an extremely lofty white head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of lemon, bread, yeast, hay, grass, and pepper. The taste is lemony with a good grassy hop accent on a lemon base. It is a bit bready with some yeast before a peppery finish. The alcohol content is 6.8% ABV. Stillwater has provided a wonderful saison with a great lemon flavor balanced perfectly with hay and pepper.

Peak Organic Hop Noir

While at Giant Eagle in Pittsburgh, I picked up a bottle of Peak Organic Hop Noir. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head that barely leaves any lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of dark bitter chocolate, pine, spruce, caramel, and lemon. The taste is very bitter with plenty of pine hops, lemon, and spruce. The finish brings out some roasted malts and bits of chocolate. The alcohol content is 8.2% ABV. I would say this is one of the more bitter Black IPAs that I have had, sand the Stone 15th, and it is focused on the hops and not so much the chocolate malts. I enjoyed it though, and would recommend you try it.

Red Brick Porter

As part of a beer trade with Lance Martin (beers of the Night) and Alfred Hugh Leonard III, I received a bottle of Red Brick Porter. The beer pours a dark brown color with a lofty frothy head that explodes out of the glass and leaves some lacing behind. The aroma consists of lots of toasted malts, a hint of smoke, caramel, and a bit of brown sugar. The taste is smooth and sweet at first with a solid caramel base before the roasted malts take over and give the beer a hint of smoke. The alcohol content is 7.7% ABV. This was a solid porter with a great roasty and smoky flavor, all built upon a wonderful caramel base.

Crabtree Berliner Weiss Ale

I received a bottle of Crabtree Berliner Weiss Ale from Lee (Hoptopia) in a beer trade. The beer pours a cloudy yellow color with a bubbly white head that recedes rather rapidly. The aroma consists of funky with horse blanket, hay, barnyard smells, lemon, pepper, and grass. The taste is light bodied with a big sour lemon profile, being slightly puckering. There is a nice background of barnyard funk with grassy hops and a hint of pepper on the finish. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 4.5% ABV. I really enjoyed this Berliner Weiss and it’s slight puckering flavor, without being too sour for the style.

Reaper Ale Deathly Pale Ale

I picked up a bottle of Reaper Ale Deathly Pale Ale from Giant Eagle in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a cloudy copper color with a large lofty cream colored frothy head that leaves some wet lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of lots of fruit including orange, tangerine, lemon, and grapefruit. There is a good helping of caramel and toasted toffee. The taste is bitter but fruity with plenty of the aforementioned citrus flavors. I would say it seems a little too carbonated, but detracts from the beer a bit. The flavors are great, it’s just the mouth feel is a little off. The alcohol content is 6.2% ABV. I like the flavor profile with its citrus profile and sweet caramel and toffee base, but too much carbonation detracted from full enjoyment.

Great Lakes Nosferatu

The last beer I had for the evening at Fat Heads in Pittsburgh on a recent visit was the Great Lakes Nosferatu. The beer pours a dark amber color with red tints and a thin bubbly off-white colored head. The aroma is malty with caramel and alcohol mixed in as well. The taste is sweet but dry with an oak taste. Alcohol is somewhat prevalent, but mixed in with some caramel and toasted toffee. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going in to the beer, but have heard some great things and it did not disappoint. The beer was quite delicious with sweet and oaky flavors, but the alcohol constantly reminds you that it is present in this beer.

Fat Head's Autumn Fire

Another beer I tried while at Fat Head's in Pittsburgh recently was the Autumn Fire, a smoked marzen. The beer pours an amber color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma is malty with some caramel notes and a hint of smoke. The taste is dry and smoky with caramel,  a hint of orange, vanilla, pepper and grass. Overall, it’s put together like a campfire. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would guess it to be around 5.5% ABV. Yet another solid beer from Fat Heads, this one incorporates the perfect amount of smoke to what can be a non-experimental style. The extra addition really rounds out all of the flavors and is quite enjoyable.

Fat Head's Stone Age

I stopped in to Fat Head's in Pittsburgh like I always do when I am in town and ordered a glass of Stone Age, their imperial stout. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, cream, and caramel. The taste is smooth but bitter with lots of chocolate on the front end. There is a nice helping of toasted malts with some caramel and a vanilla finish. The alcohol content is 9.1% ABV. I would say this is another solid performer for Fat Head's, as it is a very drinkable beer despite the alcohol content is full of wonderful flavors.

Weyerbacher Tiny

While at Bocktown in Pittsburgh, I ordered a bottle of Weyerbacher Tiny. The beer pours a black color with with a bubbly brown head that dissipates rapidly. The aroma consists of dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and toasted malts. The taste is sweet and smooth and is like drinking velvet. There are chocolate, toasted malts, vanilla, and caramel notes throughout the experience. The finish is dry with roasted malts. The alcohol content is 11.8%  ABV. Tiny was a solid Belgian-style Imperial Stout, as the Belgian yeast provided a nice sweetness underneath the mammothly roasted beer.

Anchor Steam Beer

Anchor Steam Beer is one of those beers that I’ve always seen and never ordered, but I decided to change that at Bocktown in Pittsburgh. Not having had this beer seems inexcusable. The beer pours a copper color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of caramel, toffee, and grass. The taste is big on toffee, toasted caramel, and finishes lightly bitter with grassy notes. The after taste is somewhat dry. The alcohol content is 4.9% ABV. I cant believe it took me this long to have the Steam Beer, but I really enjoyed it simple complexity and its sessionable stature.

Founders Harvest Ale

At the suggestion of the owner of Carson Street Deli, I tried the Founders Harvest Ale. Although I drank one there, I didn’t pour it into a glass, so I ordered another one while at Bocktown because I enjoyed it so much. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white head. The aroma is hoppy and has plenty of grapefruit, tangerine, and lemon. The taste is oily and sticky with grapefruit, tangerine, lemon pepper, and a good resin finish. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. Founders provided a beer that was one of the most fresh tasting that I have had, and it was smooth and oily, lingering on the tongue for a while to enjoy the hoppy goodness.

Thirsty Dog Toil and Trouble Imperial Dubbel

I went to Bocktown for dinner to meet up with my friend Brad and watch the Pitt game. While there, I ordered a glass of Thirsty Dog Toil and Trouble Imperial Dubbel. The beer pours a dark brown color with a bubbly beige colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, caramel, and toasted malts. The taste is big on roasted malts, caramel, dark chocolate, vanilla, and a hint of raisin. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. This was quite a delicious brew with a good amount of sweet flavors packed, although they were balanced with lots of roasted flavor.