Stone Bottleworks 13th Anniversary Ale

While travelling to Charlotte, NC, my friend Adam and I stopped in to Jack Brown’s Joint Beer & Burger Joint in Harrisonburg, VA. I ordered a bottle of Stone Bottleworks 13th Anniversary Ale. The beer pours a dark amber color/brown color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, rye, caramel, and toast. The taste starts with chocolate before quickly turning to a rye spiciness that is absolutely fantastic. Toasted malts and caramel sweetness appear before a lemon and peppery hop finish and an oat after taste. The alcohol content is 11% ABV. I was absolutely blown away with how good this beer was and how the rye really played a wonderful part in it, mixing expertly with the chocolate base.

J.W. Lees Harvest Ale 2011

I’m not quite sure, but it took me this long to finally get my first J.W. Lees Harvest Ale, a 2011 vintage.  The beer pours an amber color with a frothy cream colored head that leaves a light lacing on the glass on the way down. The aroma consists of honey, raisin, fig, earth, and candisugar. The taste is smooth with caramel, honey, and malts up front with raisin and fig flavors mixed in as well. An earthy spice takes over with pepper and grass as well. The finish has toffee and Belgian yeast sweetness. The alcohol content is 11.5% ABV. I thoroughly enjoyed the flavors in this beer and how the sweetness worked so well with the spices. I would absolutely get another one or two and lay it down to see how it ages.

Lincoln Abbey Next of pumpKIN

For my sixth homebrew batch, I made a pumpkin ale and named it Next of pumpKIN. The beer pours a dark amber color with some orange hues and a frothy beige colored head that lingers for a while and leaves a light lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and molasses. The taste is is smooth and rounded with pumpkin and vanilla on the front end before it dries out a little bit with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Some molasses sweetens up the finish so it doesn’t dry out the mouth too much. The alcohol content is 7.8% ABV. I was impressed with how my pumpkin ale came out with a nice pumpkin sweetness and not overdone on the spices.

Southern Tier IPA

While out to dinner at the Stonecat Cafe (HIGHLY recommended restaurant!) in the Finger Lakes, I ordered a glass of Southern Tier IPA. The beer pours a golden color with a bubbly white colored head. The aroma consists of lemon, caramel, funk, and pine. The taste is bitter with a good lemon flavor up front and a well-supporting caramel base. A spicy pepper and pine finish rounds the beer out and makes it quite enjoyable. The alcohol content is 7.3% ABV. This was a solid IPA that I could see myself coming back to over and over again as it was easy to drink, refreshing, and had a nice bitterness to it.

Two Goats Brewing Dirty Shepherd Brown Ale

I also tried a glass of Dirty Shepherd Brown Ale while at Two Goats Brewing in the Finger Lakes. The beer pours a brown color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of smoked malts, toast, and caramel. The taste is roasty with toasted malts, hints of coffee and chocolate, and a dry finish that leaves you wanting more. The alcohol content is not posted online, but I would assume it to be about 5.5% ABV. I liked this offering from the brewery with nice roasted flavors and a spicy finish.

Two Goats Brewing IPA

Another brewery that my finacee and I stopped in to in the Finger Lakes was Two Goats Brewing, and the first beer I ordered was the IPA. The beer pours a copper color with a frothy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, lemon, and pine. The taste is bitter but has a solid caramel base. Lemon and toasted toffee make an appearance before a pepper finish. The alcohol content is not posted online, but i would assume it to be about 6.5% ABV. This was an IPA that fell on the maltier side, but was still somewhat bitter and good to drink. While the beer may not be quite memorable, the brewery and its impressive lake view certain was.

Rooster Fish Brewing Raven Black IPA

Another beer I ordered at Rooster Fish Brewing in Watkins Glen, NY was the Raven Black IPA. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of pine, lemon, chocolate, and smoked malt. The taste is bold and full of toasted malts, coffee, and chocolate. There is a bitter finish with lemon, pepper, and lemon. The alcohol content is not posted online, but I would guess it to be about 6.5% ABV. The Raven had a great overall flavor for a Black IPA and I would definitely order this beer again. I have decided that I am a fan of this brewpub and plan to visit again.

Rooster Fish Brewing Hop Warrior Double IPA

While in the Finger Lakes region and in Watkins Glen, my fiancee and I stopped in to Rooster Fish Brewing. The first beer I ordered was the Hop Warrior Double IPA. The beer pours a dark amber color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma consists of tangerine, grapefruit, caramel, and pepper. The taste is bitter with citrus up front including tangerine, grapefruit, and orange. It finishes with spruce, pine, and pepper as the hop oil lingers on the tongue. The alcohol content is 8.7% ABV. While I saw some poor reviews on BeerAdvocate, it seems that a lot of them stemmed from the bottled version of this beer. Also, BA has it listed as an 8.0% ABV beer, so the recipe may have been modified.  I had it on tap and it was quite fresh, citrusy, and delivered on everything I expected from a Double IPA.

Market Street Brewing Company D'Artagnan Dark Ale

Another beer I tried while visiting Market Street Brewing Company in Corning, NY was the D’Artagnan Dark Ale. The beer pours a dark brown color with a frothy beige head. The aroma consists of toasted malts, raisin, fig, and caramel. The taste is chocolate, toasted malts and raisin before a peppery finish with hints of lemon rounds out the beer. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. As with the IPA, I thought this was a decent and drinkable beer. I wouldn’t go out of my way for this brewery, but I would visit again if I was in town.

Market Street Brewing Company Wheelhouse IPA

On my way to the Finger Lakes, I stopped in to Market Street Brewing Company for lunch with my fiancee. The first beer I ordered was the Wheelhouse IPA. The beer pours an amber color with a bubbly white colored head that leaves a thin lacing. The aroma consists of lemon, pine, spruce, caramel, and pepper. The taste is smooth and creamy with lemon, tobacco (weird), spruce, and pine. Pepper and toasted caramel come out on the finish and leave behind a bitterness. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. This was drinkable IPA but I wouldn’t consider it one of my favorites.

Cisco Brewers Island Reserve Saison Farm House Ale

As part of the August shipment of the Michael Jackson Rare Beer of the Month Club I received a bottle of Cisco Brewers Island Reserve Saison Farm House Ale. The beer pours a cloudy golden color with a lofty and frothy off-white colored head that leaves a thick lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of lemon, grass, hay, barnyard funk, and horse blanket. The taste is funky and overly delicious with a great helping of lemon, hay, grass, and barnyard flavors. It finishes with a bit of a funk and some pepper and Belgian spice on the finish. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. This was a nice and funky saison with great spices. Overall, it was easy to drink and quite refreshing.

Flying Fish Exit 8- Chestnut Brown Ale

My buddy Jeff picked me up a bottle of Flying Fish Exit 8- Chestnut Brown Ale in New Jersey. The beer pours a dark brown, almost black, color with a lofty and frothy tan colored head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of toasted malts, coffee, honey, chestnuts, caramel, and hints of chocolate. The taste is smooth at first with a chestnut bite and plenty of toasted malts that make their way onto the tongue. A coffee dryness settles in with honey and caramel sweetness. The alcohol content is 8.3% ABV. This was a wonderful brown ale with great honey and caramel sweetness balanced with chestnuts, toasted malts, and even coffee hints.

Spring House Brewing Satan's Bake Sale Mint Chocolate Chip Stout

Another beer I picked up a Al’s of Hampden is Spring House Brewing Satan’s Bake Sale Mint Chocolate Chip Stout. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of toasted malts, chocolate, and mint. The taste is bold with roasted malts and dark chocolate before a burst of mint hits the tongue, not unlike a York Peppermint Patty. The finish allows the mint to linger and leaves a roasty flavor behind. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. If you love peppermint patties, this is absolutely the beer for you. I loved it and would definitely drink another one.

Spring House Brewing Braaaiins! Pumpkin Ale for Zombie

I picked up a bottle of Spring House Brewing Braaaiins! Pumpkin Ale for Zombies from Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours an orange-tinted amber color with a frothy off-white colored head that leaves some lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of graham, pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and allspice. The taste is smooth and has a great pumpkin flavor up front before some light cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice flavors kick in. A large helping of graham flavor really excites the palate and the beer finishes with some vanilla sweetness. The alcohol content is 7.1% ABV. I really enjoyed this pumpkin offering as the pumpkin flavoring was just right and the graham flavors really made it taste like a pie. I would rank this probably second behind Pumking as my favorite of the style.