Cascade Blueberry

I received a bottle of Cascade Brewing Blueberry in a beer trade with the Beer Club 4 Men. The beer pours a purple color with a white head that also has some purple hints. The aroma consists of blueberry, vinegar, and sugar. The taste is tart and puckering on the front end with plenty of vinegar flavor. Blueberries balance the sourness with a light sweetness and hints of crust and sugar. The finish is dry and champagne-like. The alcohol content is 7.33% ABV. This was a rather delicious sour beer with great vinegar aspects blended with blueberry and crust-like flavors.

Brouwerij Dilewyns Vicaris Generaal (Abbey Dubbel)

I received a bottle of Brouwerij Dilewyns Vicaris Generaal (Abbey Dubbel) from the Michael Jackson Rare Beer of the Month Club. This may have been one of the most foamy beers I have ever poured, but when it settled down it pours a dark brown color with an extremely lofty and frothy beige colored head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of caramel, light malts, yeast, and a hint of cardboard. The taste is smooth and sweet with a large caramel profile and Belgian yeast that is balanced with toasted malts and grassy hops. A hint of pepper spices the tongue on the finish. The alcohol content is 8.8% ABV. I’d say this was a rather decent beer with a large sweet Belgian profile that is delicately balanced with grassy and peppery hops.

Troegs Scratch 63- Danny's IPA

I picked up a case of Troegs Scratch 63- Danny’s IPA from the brewery. The beer was brewed to honor Danny Glover, a former employee who passed away earlier this year. The Black IPA was modeled after Danny’s favorite beer, Nugget Nectar. The beer pours a black color with a lofty and frothy beige colored head that leaves a lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of dark chocolate, burnt malts, lemon, pine, caramel, and spruce. The taste is chocolaty and has a burnt malt flavor in the background which is quite tasty. Caramel peeks through before lemon, pine, spruce, and pepper take over the mouth and dry it out. There’s also a meaty after taste with this beer, which is interesting but delicious. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. I would say this was a home run as far as Black IPAs. I loved the burned flavor which took this beer over the top compared to the normal toasted flavor. Get this beer if you can!

Clown Shoes Lubrication Black Ale

While in Ithaca, I picked up a bottle of Clown Shoes Lubrication Black Ale. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head that leaves a thin lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, grass, spruce, and pepper. The taste is light and milk chocolate with plenty of caramel and toasted malts. The finish has a bit of pepper and pine bite to it. The after taste is dry and has a hint of lemon as well. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. This was a rather easy drinking beer with a load of flavors including strong toasted malts, chocolate, and caramel. I would absolutely pick up another bottle of this beer, and recommend you do the same.

Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon

I picked up a bottle of Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon while I was in Ithaca New York. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head that laces nicely on the glass. The aroma consists of dark chocolate, vanilla, toasted malts, and caramel. The taste is big and bold with lots of dark chocolate and robust coffee flavor. There is a great toasted malt background with a vanilla finish. The after taste is dry with a hint of smoke and it really dries out the mouth. The alcohol content is 12.5% ABV. This was a wonderful Russian Imperial Stout with great chocolate, coffee, and vanilla flavors. The finish was smoky and dry and stuck around for a long time.

All Saints IPA

While at Mad Mex in Robinson during Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week, I ordered a glass of All Saints IPA. The beer pours a copper color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma consists of tangerine, lemon, pine, pepper, and spruce. The taste has a sweet under body with caramel bringing a roundness to the beer. A good helping of citrus balanced the large malt profile of this English IPA including tangerine, orange, and lemon. There is a little bit of toffee on the finish with pepper, spruce, and pine accents. The alcohol content is 6.9% ABV.  This was a wonderful English IPA with a nice helping of bitter citrus flavors to bring down the sweetness of the malty beer.

Penn Brewery Small Batch 001- French Oak and Kentucky Bourbon

As part of the Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week festivities, I went to Mad Mex in Monroeville for the Penn Brewery event. On cask, they were serving their limited Small Batch 001, French Oak and Kentucky Bourbon. The beer is a Munich Dunkel aged on bourbon-soaked chips. The beer pours a dark brown color with a creamy off-white colored head. The aroma is sweet with toffee, caramel, oak, vanilla, bourbon, and cherry. The taste is smooth and creamy with sweetness on the front end consisting of toffee and caramel. There is a light smoked flavor before oak dryness settles in on the tongue. A hint of bourbon shines on the finish without overpowering the other flavors and vanilla lightly accents the beer with some sweetness. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. I was quite impressed with Penn Brewery’s first Small Batch beer, and I think there will be some great beers in the future. It was easily drinkable and could be used as a great introductory beer for those that haven’t ventured into craft beer or oak aged beers.

Church Brew Works Oak Aged Barley Wine

I stopped in to Church Brew Works during Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week to sign paperwork for our rehearsal dinner. While there, I ordered a glass of the Oak Aged Barley Wine. The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin filmy beige head. Bubbles collected on the side of the glass. The aroma consists of raisin, fig, malts, chocolate, caramel. The taste is dry with a dark chocolate base and plenty of raisin, fig, and dark fruits. Oak shines through and dries out the mouth with bourbon accents and a hint of cherry. The alcohol burn lingers and is quite warming. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. I’d say this was a rather delicious barleywine with great oak and bourbon flavors. I’ve had their regular barley wine before, and the oak aged version really stepped it up a notch with a nice smoothness, even though it does burn on the way down.

Church Brew Works-Penn Brewery-Hofbrauhaus Inaugural Ale

The final Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week collaboration beer on tap at Bocktown in Robinson that I tried was the Inaugural Ale. The sour mash red ale was brewed at Church Brew Works with assistance from staff at Penn Brewery and Hofbrauhaus. The beer pours a red tinted brown color with a foamy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of cherry, malts, caramel, and chocolate. The taste is dark chocolate with a light cherry tart accent. Toasted malts make their way through this beer before a dry grassy finish takes over the beer. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 7.5% ABV. This was my favorite of the three collaboration beers. I think some people expected this beer to be a sour beer, but it only claimed to be a sour mash, providing a light tart hint in the background.

Rock Bottom-Penn Brewery-Hofbrauhaus Home Opener

Another Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week collaboration on tap at Bocktown in Robinson was Home Opener. This kolsch was brewed at Rock Bottom in Pittsburgh with assistance from staff from Penn Brewery and Hofbrauhaus. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of light lemon, pepper, and caramel. Overall, the aroma is pretty faint, but that is typical of the style. The taste is clean and fresh with lemon, buttered crackers, and a grassy dry finish. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be approximately 4.5% ABV. I’d say this was a pretty delicious kolsch, although I wouldn’t rank it among my favorites. The slight buttered cracker flavor got in the way of it tasting 100% clean, and I am very picky when it comes to kolsch beers.

Penn Brewery-East End Brewing-Arsenal Cider House Cheeky Yinzer

I ordered one of the three Pittsburgh Craft Beer Collaborations, Cheeky Yinzer, while at Bocktown in Robinson. This beer was a British Style IPA and was brewed at Penn Brewery with assistance from Andy at East End and Bill from Arsenal Cider House. The beer pours a caramel color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of caramel, pine, and lemon. The taste has a nice caramel flavor on the front end with a large dose of toasted toffee. A light grassy hop flavor with lemon accents the sweetness nicely. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 5.5% ABV. As for a British Style IPA, this beer was a great example. It was fresh and clean with just enough sweetness to play with the grass and lemon flavors.

Industry Public House Copper Ale

The other house beer on tap at Industry Public House in Pittsburgh is the Copper Ale, also brewed by Full Pint Brewing. The beer pours a dark caramel color with a thin bubbly white head. The aroma consists of caramel, toffee, and grass. The taste is dry with toasted malt, caramel, and toffee. A grassy finish with a hint of pepper is left behind on the tongue. I assumed by taste that this beer was a renamed All-in Amber from Full Pint. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would assume it to be about 5.5% ABV. This was decent and dry amber ale with a solid sweet base. There is enough grass and pepper to balance out the sweetness and provide a good drinking beer.