Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye

I ordered a glass of Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye from Al’s of Hampden after previously having it, but not having the chance to review it. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of lemon, caramel, pine, and rye. The taste is fresh and refreshing with lemon and pine making a strong appearance. There is a nice rye bitterness on the finish and some grassy hops lingering in the background. The alcohol content is 6.6% ABV. I was quite impressed with the Ruthless Rye and how refreshing it was, all while having a great bitterness of rye and hops to keep my tongue entertained.

Founders Imperial Stout

On a recent visit to Al’s of Hampden, I ordered a glass of Founders Imperial Stout. The beer pours a black color with a foamy brown head with bits of lacing on the glass. The aroma is big on chocolate with generous helpings of toasted malts, nuts, cream, and coffee. The taste is dry with rich dark chocolate, a good roasted malt flavor, and a dry pine finish with a nice bitterness. The alcohol content is 10.5% ABV. This was a very rich beer with dark chocolate flavors and a great bitterness to offset the sweetness. Overall, it was very excellent and a top notch beer, one I think is a perfect example of the style.

Samuel Adams Black & Brew

While at poker with some buddies, I opened a bottle of Samuel Adams Black & Brew, part of the winter sampler pack. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head that leaves a lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of fresh chocolate and cream with hints of chocolate. The taste has such a wonderful fresh coffee flavor that it is like drinking out of a coffee pot. A little bit of toasted malts shine through with cream accents and a dry chocolate finish. The alcohol content is 5.8% ABV. This beer had a great coffee flavor, especially for the price that it sells at individually or included with the variety pack. If you love the flavor of coffee, this is the beer to track down to try.

Three Floyds Alpha King Pale Ale

I received a bottle of Three Floyds Alpha King Pale Ale from Bob Pack in a beer trade. The beer pours an amber color with a foamy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, lemon, pine, and has some hints of tangerine. The taste is smooth and bitter at the same time, which was quite engaging. There is a great rounded caramel base with tangerine, lemon, and pine bitter accents. The finish has some tangerine and grapefruit with pepper. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. AS far as pale ales go, this beer is top notch. The smoothness paired with the bitterness was mind blowing, and the citrus flavors did not disappoint the hop head in me.

Samuel Adams Alpine Spring

I ordered a glass of Samuel Adams Alpine Spring while out to dinner at Brewhouse Grille in Camp Hill, PA. The beer pours a cloudy golden color with a bubbly white head. The aroma consists of lemon, bread, grass, and tea. The taste is light and refreshing with lots of lemon flavor and a caramel malt background. There is bready mouth feel to the beer with grass and a hint of black pepper on the finish. The alcohol content is 5.8% ABV. The Alpine Spring was a rather good beer, a Helles Lager, and was much more enjoyable than the previous year's spring seasonal, Noble Pils. I can see myself ordering this one again, where I did not want order the Noble Pils again.

Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout

I picked up a bottle of Wolaver’s Oatmeal Stout. The beer pours a black color with a frothy beige colored head that leaves some film on the glass. The aroma consists of chocolate, milk, oatmeal, toasted malts, and caramel. The taste is biting with bitter dark chocolate and toasted malts. There is a sweet hint of milk and caramel, but oatmeal really dries out the finish. The alcohol content is 5.9% ABV. This Oatmeal Stout had a nice, rich chocolate flavor with an excellent toasted malt balance.

Brasserie La Binchoise Belgoo Magus

Another bottle I picked up as part of a mixed six-pack was the Brasserie La Binchoise (Malterie des Remparts) Belgoo Magus. The beer pours a pale gold color with a lofty and frothy white head that leaves plenty of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of lemon, wheat, candi sugar, grass, and earthy hops. The taste is is dry and sweet with lemon, wheat, hints of caramel, and candi sugar. There are earthy accents with grassy hops, and it has a bubbly mouth feel. The alcohol content is 6.6% ABV. While very light bodied, this was quite a delicious witbier with plenty of lemon and earthy flavors.

Shmaltz He'brew Dry Hopped Session Ale

I picked up a bottle of Shmaltz He’brew Dry Hopped Session Ale from D’s Six Pax and Dogz in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a golden color with a foamy white head that leaves a bit of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of lemon, caramel, pine, toffee, and grass. The taste is sweet with caramel on the front end with hints of toffee as well. Then a nice bitter hoppy flavor comes in, imparting lemon, pine, and grassy flavors. The after taste is a little bit dry with a toasted caramel flavor and has hints of grapefruit and tangerine. The alcohol content is 5.2% ABV. I found it off the for being touted as a session beer, there was no alcohol content listed on the bottle. Was this because it was higher than 5%, a number which a lot of people label as being sessionable? Either way, it was an easy drinking and refreshing beer with plenty of flavor.

Pizza Boy Brewing Test Batch Porter with Vanilla Bean and Kopi Luac

I gave the Test Batch Porter a sip from Pizza Boy Brewing and was about to order a glass when I saw that Al had tapped a firkin of the Test Batch Porter with vanilla bean and Kopi Luac. The beer pours a black color with a frothy beige head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass. The aroma is big on coffee with some chocolate and vanilla hanging out in the background. The taste is smooth and silky with a chocolate flavor up front before a big coffee push takes over the tongue. The coffee flavors taste completely fresh like a coffee shop. A sweet vanilla finish overtakes the bitter coffee flavors. The alcohol content is 5.6% ABV. Wow, was this beer excellent. I know the base of the beer was quite tasty, but adding the Kopi Luac and vanilla beans just took it over the edge. It was one of the better coffee infused beers that I have tasted.

Millbock Brewing Golden Toos

Another beer I decided to try at Al’s of Hampden was the Millbock Golden Toos, the second offering from this new local brewery that I got to try. The beer pours a golden color with a thin bubbly white head. The aroma consists of yeast, candi sugar, banana, and pepper. The taste is smooth and on the sweet side with banana, yeast, clementines, and hints of pepper and hay. There is a fruity and candi sugar finish. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. This beer errs on the sweet side but is still rather delicious, with a light alcohol burn on the after taste that somewhat balances the sweetness. I would say that it may be just a bit too sweet, but not a bad beer overall.

Half Acre Daisy Cutter Pale Ale

I ordered a glass of Half Acre Daisy Cutter Pale Ale that was freshly tapped at Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours an orange-gold color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, and orange. The taste is bitter and has a very big hop punch. There is a vibrant citrus profile including orange, lemon, tangerine, and grapefruit. The finish is dry like champagne with pepper and grassy hops. Hints of spruce linger behind on the tongue to make up the after taste. The alcohol content is 5.2% ABV. If you are a fan of bitter and citrusy hops, this beer is absolutely for you. I loved the fresh taste to it with the fresh fruit taste to it, and it lingered behind to keep the taste going.

Pizza Boy Brewing Bock

I was excited to be at Al’s of Hampden the day that Al tapped his Pizza Boy Brewing Bock. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, caramel, and toasted malts. The taste is smooth and sweet with a creamy mouth feel. Chocolate, sweet caramel flavor, and a light dry roasted finish round out the flavors in the beer. The alcohol content is 5.6% ABV. Previously, Al told me that he was really excited about the bock, and I can see why. It had a great flavor with a perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness from the roasted malts. If you get a chance to try this beer, hop on it.

Spring House Pecan Sandie Porter

Prior to the Everclear concert at the Chameleon club, I stopped in to the Spring House Tap Room to try the Pecan Sandie Porter. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, peanuts, nut, and coffee. The taste is dry and chocolaty with coffee lurking in the background. There are hints of pecans, especially as the beer warms, with sugar and peanuts on the finish. Overall, the beer has a creamy mouth feel. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. There were flavors reminiscent of the pecan sandie cookie especially with the sugary background, and it was a great trip down memory lane. While the beer wasn’t very cookie-forward, those flavors provided a nice background to the beer.

Lavery Brewing Imperial Red Ale

I was given a bottle of Lavery Brewing Imperial Red Ale in a trade with Aleheads. The beer pours a cloudy red-amber color with a frothy white head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of fresh hop, pine, grass, and lemon. The taste has a caramel profile before a bitter, lemon, pine, and grass hop finish. Toasted malts linger in the background on the finish. The alcohol content is 7.2% ABV. I’d say this was a rather delicious red ale with plenty of bitter flavors to keep any hop head happy.