Elevation Beer Company Apis IV

Another beer I received as part of a special shipment from the Rare Beer of the Month Club, I received a bottle of Elevation Beer Company Apis IV, a quadrupel brewed with honey. The beer pours a dark brown color with with a thin beige colored head that leaves no lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of caramel, fig, raisin, date, and a touch of honey sweetness. The taste is smooth and sweet on the front end with date, fig, caramel, and raisin. While the honey adds some sweetness, it also dries out the finish a little bit with some grass and Belgian spiciness. The alcohol content is 10.7% ABV. This beer had a lot of sweetness to it, but the honey dried out the finish wonderfully and balanced it very well.

Elevation Beer Company Senorita

As part of a special shipment from the Rare Beer of the Month Club, I received a bottle of Elevation Beer Company Senorita, a Horchata Imperial Porter. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan colored head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of cinnamon, toasted malts, strong vanilla, hints of coffee, and chocolate. The taste starts off with some milk chocolate and toasted malts with caramel and vanilla sweetness. A cinnamon spice arrives at the back of the throat on the finish and it leaves behind a dry toasted malt flavor. The alcohol content is 8.4% ABV. This was rather easy drinking and wasn’t too overpowering with cinnamon. Lots of toasted malts came out in the flavor and I’d definitely drink this again.

Blue Point Brewing Sour Cherry Imperial Stout

I picked up a bottle of Blue Point Brewing Sour Cherry Imperial Stout while at the Warren General Store in Vermont. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head that fizzles somewhat quickly and leaves a thin lacing on the glass when it subsides. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, a little bit of cardboard, and a hint of cherry. The taste starts with strong chocolate and toasted malts before transitioning into a light sour cherry flavor. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. The beer started off very nicely and I liked the idea behind the sour cherry, but I thought it fell a little short of expectations. A light sour twist was nice, but it could have been a bit more sour.

Hill Farmstead Florence

Another beer I brought back from the Hill Farmstead Brewery was Florence, a wheat saison.. The beer pours a pale golden colored with a frothy white colored head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of lemon, grass, wheat, and hay. The taste is lemon, grass, wheat, cream, meringue, and pepper. It finishes light and dry, but amazing. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. Anytime I can get a beer that gives off a meringue flavor, I fall in love with it. I have always loved lemon meringue pie, and this beer reminds me of that in part of its profile. It also has a great dry aspect with hay flavors that balances the sweetness of the beer.

Grassroots Brewing Convivial Suarez

I brought back a bottle of Grassroots Brewing Convivial Suarez from the Hill Farmstead brewery. The beer pours a golden color with plenty of carbonation and a frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of barnyard funk, horse blanket, hay, lemon, hibiscus, and grass. the taste is funky with lots of lemon, hibiscus, and hay flavors. While it is funky and lightly tart, it is very easy drinking. Dry finish with pepper and a wonderful candied lemon after taste. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. This was an excellent saison with a great a funky flavor that also brought some tart notes along with it. The hibiscus and lemon flavors may have been my favorite, and I loved the candy-like after taste achieved with this beer.

Fiddlehead Brewing IPA

I picked up a growler of Fiddlehead Brewing IPA at the brewery to bring back to share with friends. The beer pours cloudy golden-amber color with a frothy white colored head that leaves specks of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, orange, passion fruit, and pepper. The taste is dry and bitter with tangerine, grapefruit, orange, lemon, and passion fruit. A peppery and spruce finish dries out the mouth a bit more and. Overall, it had a solid caramel and toffee base. The alcohol content is 6.2% ABV. I absolutely loved how bitter and hoppy this beer was despite its easy drinking profile. I will order this beer every time I return to Vermont, which I hope is soon!

Sprecher Russian Imperial Stout

My buddy Adam brought over a bottle of Sprecher Russian Imperial Stout to share. The beer pours a black color with a lofty and frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of lots of bold and dark chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and toasted malts. It was great to smell when it was first opened but died off quickly. The taste is sweet at firth with lots of chocolate before it finishes with some oxidation. A lot of metallic flavor overtakes the light vanilla and caramel flavors. The finish is bubbly and not too appetizing. The alcohol content is 7.9% ABV. This beer was way past its prime and it is difficult to say if it’s a good beer or not, as I was bombarded with metallic flavors. Maybe I’ll try this one again if it’s fresh. Maybe.

Foley Brothers Native Ginger Wheat

While at the Warren Store, I picked up a bottle of Foley Brothers Native Ginger Wheat. The beer pours golden color, plenty of carbonation bubbles, and a frothy off-white colored head that leaves a thick lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of wheat, strong and spicy ginger, lemon, grass, and pepper. The taste is spicy with ginger on the front end that desensitizes the tongue a little bit. The carbonation bubbles take over and drive home some lemon, wheat, pepper, and grass flavors. The alcohol content is 6.3% ABV. This was truly an amazing beer with lots of spicy ginger based on a solid performing creamy wheat beer. All of it mixed very well together.

Switchback Ale

I picked up a bottle of Switchback Ale while at the Warren Store in Vermont. The beer pours a cloudy golden-yellow color with a frothy white colored head that leaves some lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of lemon, pepper, grass, caramel, and toffee. The taste is spicy and bitter with pepper and lemon on the front end. There is a toffee and caramel background before the yeast adds another spiciness with a slight funkiness. A dry wheat flavor is left behind on the tongue. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. This was a nice spicy beer with a solid backbone and nice dry finish. It was well balanced and had a good variety of flavors to keep the tongue happy.

Hill Farmstead Society & Solitude #6

I picked up a growler of Hill Farmstead Society & Solitude #6 while at the brewery in Vermont. This version of the beer was made with mosaic hops. The beer pours a cloudy golden color with a frothy white colored head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass on its way down. The aroma consists of strong tangerine and pink grapefruit with sugar, orange, passion fruit, lemon, hop resin, pepper, and spruce.The taste is bitter and strong right on the front end with a citrus punch including orange, tangerine, pink grapefruit, lemon, and passion fruit. Spruce and pepper come out in the finish and leave behind a light coating of hop resin. The alcohol content is 8.1% ABV. If you love a power hop punch that packs tons of citrus and leaves behind some resins, this beer is absolutely for you. In other words, I absolutely loved it and was glad I picked up a second growler.

Liquid Hero Imperial Stout

At Imminent Liquidation, I won a growler of Liquid Hero Imperial Stout. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head that leaves a lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, vanilla, pine, lemon, and pepper. The taste is bold with rich, dark chocolate and a robust toasted malt profile. It hits really hard with fresh hops that give it some citrus flavors including lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, and orange. A light pepper spice comes out before vanilla and caramel sweetness in the aftertaste. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. This was a bold and very robust stout with an aggressive and forward hop profile that keeps the drinking experience extremely enjoyable.

Ommegang Biere de Mars

My buddy Jordan brought over a bottle of Ommegang Biere de Mars. The beer pours a dark golden color with a lofty and frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of lemon, grass, hay, barnyard funk, pepper, brett, and spices. The taste is light and funky with a brett funk to it. The beer says it was bottled in November 2008 (batch #3), and the age seems to show in the beer with some cardboard flavors. It finishes dry with some pepper, hay, and grass with a light lemon accent. The alcohol consists of 6.5% ABV. I’m not sure about this beer, and it may be because of the age. It wasn’t terrible and had some decent flavors, but it had a cardboard flavor that did get in the way of the total enjoyment of it.

Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout

I was very curious to try the Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout (I love the label!) and I ordered a glass on tap at the new Federal Taphouse. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma is big on toasted malts with chocolate and vanilla mixing in as well. The taste is dry with dark chocolate and lots of toasted malt flavors. A dry finish arrives that leaves behind hints of pepper and vanilla with a bubbly and carbonated mouthfeel. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. This beer exceeded my expectations and was a quality beverage. I think it represents the style was and had a robust and bold flavor.

Old Forge Bourbon Barrel Quad

I dropped in to check out the new Federal Taphouse in Harrisburg and I ordered a glass of Old Forge Bourbon Barrel Quad. The beer pours a dark brown color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of vanilla, coconut, raisin, fig, caramel, Belgian yeast, and grass. The taste is sweet and smooth with raisin, fig, caramel, and Belgian yeast on the front end. Spice, light vanilla, and coconut from the bourbon come out in the finish surprisingly with no alcohol burn. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I really enjoyed the vanilla and coconut notes from the bourbon that were imparted on this quad, and I would drink this again if I saw it on tap.

Duclaw Old Flame

I ordered a glass of Duclaw Old Flame while at Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a dark amber color with a thin filmy cream colored head. The aroma consists of cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, and raisin. The taste is dry with a cinnamon and nutmeg spices before being overcome with sweet raisin and caramel. A dry grassy finish arrives that leaves gingerbread flavor behind on the tongue. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. This was a very sweet and malt-forward brew that could have benefited from a little more balancing. The spices were nice and helped to balance out the sweetness somewhat, but not quite enough.

Dark Horse Thirsty Trout Porter

Another beer I ordered at TJ’s in Paoli was the Dark Horse Thirsty Trout Porter. The beer pours a black color with a thin filmy tan colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, vanilla, and toasted malts. The taste brings out the toasted malts first with a healthy helping of dark chocolate. Caramel sweetens the tongue before a dry and bitter finish arrives with pepper and lemon. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. I can’t say this beer was overly memorable, but it was a solid player in the Baltic Porter category. I enjoyed bitter finish that overcame the sweetness on the front end.

Brash The Bollocks

While at TJ’s in Paoli, I ordered a glass of Brash The Bollocks. The beer pours an orange amber color with a thin filmy white colored head. The aroma is candy-like with caramel, toffee, tangerine, and spruce. The taste is sweet on the front end with caramel and toffee before the finish bites with alcohol. Lingering remainders of the beer are toasted toffee, spruce pine, pepper, lemon, tangerine, and pink grapefruit. The alcohol content is 12.0% ABV. There were definitely a lot of flavors to process in this beer, and it hit pretty hard with the alcohol bite. Overall, I was impressed with it and would order it again.

Blue Mountain Barrel House Dark Hollow Chocolate & Coffee Aged

With my February Rare Beer of the Month Club, I received a bottle of Blue Mountain Barrel House Dark Hollow Chocolate & Coffee Aged. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan colored head. The aroma is bold with toasted malts, dark Belgian chocolate, coffee, espresso, vanilla, cherry, and caramel. The taste is rich with dark chocolate, sweet with vanilla and coffee, and has a solid toasted malt base. A dry oakiness arrives with a twist of cherry. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. What a wonderful beer this was! It was full of a variety of flavors and the cherry accents from the bourbon really made it, and I would highly recommend this beer.

Birra San Martino La Gold

As part of the February shipment for the Rare Beer of the Month Club I received a bottle of Birra San Martino La Gold, a bock. The beer pours a copper color with a lofty and frothy cream colored head that leaves some lacing on the glass on the way down. The aroma consists of sweet caramel, raisin, cherry, alcohol, radish, and tomato. The taste is sweet and bold with plenty of caramel, toffee, and raisin on the front end. Some alcohol, pepper, cherry, and yeast spice up the beer and provide some balance while alcohol arrives in the finish and warms the throat. The alcohol content is 7.6% ABV. This was a nice, earthy bock with a bold sweetness that is mostly balanced with the alcohol and the yeast used.

Great Lakes Brewing Alchemy House Double IPA

I picked up a four-pack of Great Lakes Brewing Alchemy House Double IPA at Giant Eagle while in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a golden-amber color with a frothy white colored head that leaves a lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of passion fruit, orange, lemon, mango, tangerine, and fruit cup. The taste is sweet with citrus hops before a bitterness settles in. Plenty of passion fruit, pineapple, and mango dominate the palate with some tangerine, orange, and lemon accents. Some pine, pepper, and floral flavors make an appearance but are not dominant. The alcohol content is 9.4% ABV. This was a solid Double IPA and a departure from the prototypical one that grapefruit and tangerine dominate, as this one focused on passion fruit and mango flavors.

Captain Lawrence IPA

In a beer trade with my friend Tim, I received a bottle of the new Captain Lawrence IPA. The beer pours a golden color with a lofty and frothy white colored head that leaves a few specks of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of tangerine, pineapple, grapefruit, passion fruit, and plenty of orange. The taste is bitter and hop-forward with plenty of citrus flavors including passion fruit, pineapple, orange, tangerine, and grapefruit. A spicy pepper and pine flavor comes out and mixes with the carbonation, drying the finish. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 6.5% ABV. This was a really fresh and fruitful IPA that push home the citrus and not just the typical tangerine and grapefruit but rather pineapple and passion fruit. It was really delicious, and I recommend trying it.

Brasserie des Sources Bellerose Biere Blonde Extra

As part of the January shipment from the Michael Jackson Rare Beer of the Month Club I received a bottle of Brasserie des Sources Bellerose Biere Blonde Extra. The beer pours a golden color with a lofty and frothy white colored head that leaves specks of lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of grass, earthiness, wheat, lemon, peppercorn, and a hint of raisin. The taste is light and bready with solid biscuit flavor on the front end. A spicy earthiness makes an appearance with some lemon, wheat, and peppercorn flavors. The finish is dry and grassy with a touch a raisin sweetness. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. This was a nice, easy, and refreshing beer to drink with a solid bready base and a great compliment of spices.

Troegs Scratch 88- Chocolate Stout

I went to Troegs tasting room to pick up a growler of Scratch 88- Chocolate Stout. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head that leaves specks of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of dark Belgian chocolate, toasted malts, milk, lemon, and pine. The taste is very dry with chocolate powder and gristle on the tongue. Plenty of toasted malts arrive as well with some lemon and pine accents. It actually has quite a potent hop bite, but it balances well with the robust chocolate offering. ON the finish, a light hint of vanilla lingers behind. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. This beer tasted like biting into a bar of unsweetened chocolate, but was quite delicious. While it may have been a little powdery and gritty, it wasn't
 unbearable like some others I've had.

Dogfish Head-Sierra Nevada Life and Limb Rhizing Bines

I received a bottle of Dogfish Head-Sierra Nevada Life and Limb Rhizing Bines from Dogfish Head and poured it into one of the new IPA glasses. The beer pours a golden color with a very lofty and frothy off-white colored head that leaves a think but nicely patterned lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of pepper, fresh cut grass, wheat, light hints of caramel, and a pungent hop oil. Orange, apricot, and tangerine provide subtle accents as well. The taste is bitter and hop-forward with lemon, pine, pepper, and grass flavor all coating the tongue with an oily residue. A solid malty backbone provides support for this beer, a little more so than I expected. It has has a light wheat taste white somewhat bridges the gap between the bitter and the sweet by adding a light dryness. Tangerine, orange, passion fruit, apricot, and pineapple give the a noticeable fruity character. On the finish, oily residue is left behind on the tongue with a pronounced bitterness. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. Overall, this beer wasn’t as bitter as I had expected, but it was definitely a hop-forward with with plenty of hop profile. It has a quite refreshing quality about it while driving home hop oils that linger.

Guinness Black Lager

My brother-in-law brought over a bottle of Guinness Black Lager for me to try. The beer pours a black color with a frothy cream colored head that leaves a lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of caramel, chocolate, wet cardboard, and toasted malts. The taste is very light with faint hints of chocolate, toasted malts, and caramel. A light sweetness takes over with some vanilla hints, and it finishes with a spice. The alcohol content 4.5% ABV. This beer was not that enjoyable, and I absolutely would rather have a Guinness Stout. The flavors fell very short and it was almost watered down.

Dogfish Head Birra Estruca Bronze

I picked up a bottle of Dogfish Head Birra Estruca Bronze from Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a bronze color with a lofty and frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of wheat, grapes, pomegranate, honey, caramel, and raisin. The taste is light and fruity with white grapes, pomegranate, raisin, and honey all on the front end. An earthy root flavor comes out and spices the beer a bit and it finishes with pepper lingering on the back of the throat. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. I can’t say that I liked this beer off of the first sip, but it grew on me as it warmed up and as I drank more of it. The fruit juices were too sweet at first, but they mellowed and became more complimentary as it went on, so I may actually get this beer again.

Duclaw eXile X-4 Macchiato Milk Stout

I picked up a bottle of Duclaw eXile X-4 Macchiato Milk Stout from Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly cream colored head that recedes rather rapidly. The aroma consists of coffee, milk, toasted malts, caramel, and vanilla. The taste is bold and roasty with plenty of coffee, chocolate, and espresso flavor. A soft milk backbone accentuates caramel and vanilla thoroughly. The toasted malt flavor hits in the finish, but does not dry out the mouth. The alcohol content is 6.3% ABV. This was a smooth drinking coffee-infused beer with great chocolate flavors.

Troegs Scratch 87- Bourbon Barrel Troegenator

I stopped in to the Troegs tasting room eagerly to get a glass of Scratch 87- Bourbon Barrel Troegenator. For those that don’t know, Troegenator is one of my favorite beers and definitely a go-to beer for me. Therefore, barrel aging this beer was the best idea I’ve heard. The beer pours a dark caramel color with a fizzy and bubbly cream colored head that recedes quickly. The, aroma consists of caramel, raisin, coconut, vanilla, and a hint of bourbon. The taste is smooth with caramel on the front end. A wonderful toasted coconut accent arrives accompanied with vanilla. Oak hints carry raisin to the back of the throat and it finishes with alcohol and pepper spice. The alcohol content is 11.5% ABV. Oh my, my, my was this beer amazing. The bourbon plays so well with the doppelbock since the biting alcohol flavor pierces the sweet body. The oak added a great character and the toasted coconut was most memorable.

Hopfenstark Captain Swing

Another beer I ordered at Teresa’s Next Door in Wayne was Hopfenstark Captain Swing. The beer pours a caramel color with a bubbly cream colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, toffee, raisin, alcohol, pepper, pine, and lemon. The taste is smooth at first before a bite pinches the mouth. Caramel, toasted toffee, and lemon arrive before a large hoppy presence on the finish that brings out pine, pepper, spruce, and a hint of tangerine. There is a light alcohol burn in the after taste. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. Overall, this was a pretty decent barleywine with a rather aggressive hop profile, something you don’t find in all barleywines.

Brooklyn There Will Be Black

I went to Teresa’s Next Door in Wayne for dinner and ordered a glass of Brooklyn There Will Be Black. The beer beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of toasted malts, rich dark chocolate, caramel, and vanilla. The taste is spicy with lemon, pepper, pine, and tangerine. There is lots of roasted malt flavor with a chocolate backbone. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. This was a very delicious and robust hoppy beer that was, very hop forward and aggressive. I’d say it is worth coming back to or seeking out if you haven’t had it yet.

Goose Island Bourbon County Cherry Rye

I received a bottle of Goose Island Bourbon County Cherry Rye in a trade with my friend Joel. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of bourbon, cherry, vanilla, rye, caramel, oak, alcohol, chocolate, and toasted malts. The taste is smooth and sweet with a strong cherry and vanilla front end and the solid chocolate and toasted malt base. Vanilla, oak, and a nice alcohol accompaniment with the strong whiskey flavor. The alcohol content is 13.7% ABV. As expected, this was a wonderful offering in the Bourbon County series, as the cherry and the rye whiskey flavors totally took over and made for a wonderful experience.

Gordon Biersch WinterBock

My brother-in-law gave me a bottle of Gordon Biersch WinterBock to try. The beer pours a dark amber color with a frothy cream colored head that leaves a thick lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, raisin, caramel, toffee, and vanilla. The taste is smooth with lots a dark chocolate, raisin, toasted malts, caramel, and toffee. There is a hint of vanilla on the finish with a malt dryness and a hint of grassy hops. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. I really enjoyed the bold flavors in this beer, and while it was rather sweet, it was nicely balanced. The lingering chocolate and malt sweetness tussles with the alcohol bite and light grass hops.

21st Amendment Zambo

At Mad Mex in Shadyside, I ordered a glass of 21st Amendment Zambo. The beer pours an amber color with a bubbly cream colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, alcohol, pepper, lemon, and toffee. The taste is sweet and smooth with lots of caramel and malts on the front end. Toffee also peeks through before a peppery finish with lemon accents and a light alcohol burn. The alcohol content is 9.6% ABV. This beer was a little bit on the malty side and not too well balanced, but it was drinkable. I wouldn’t seek it out again, but if it was available I’d consider ordering it again.

Iron Hill Grandma Drum's Wee Heavy

On a recent visit to Iron Hill Lancaster, I ordered a glass of Grandma Drum’s Wee Heavy. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy beige colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, raisin, and scotch. The taste is smooth but spicy with caramel, raisin, and fig on the front end. There is a scotch alcohol bite and a smooth and sweet finish that leaves a pepper and spice after taste. The alcohol content is 8.3% ABV. This was a nice and easy drinking Wee Heavy that did have a little bit of an alcohol bite. Overall it was quite enjoyable and I’d have another one.

Iron Hill For Richer or Porter

I went to Iron Hill in Lancaster for dinner and I ordered a glass of For Rich or Porter. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of toasted malts, chocolate, and milk. The taste is full of roasted malts, toast, and dark bitter chocolate before sweetening up a little bit with vanilla and milk. The alcohol content is 8.7% ABV. Robust and delicious, For Richer or Porter lingers for a while on your tongue and lets you savors the chocolaty and toasty goodness.

New Belgium Frambrozen

I picked up a bottle of New Belgium Frambozen from Bruisin’ Ales in Asheville. The beer pours a red-tinted amber color with a frothy pink-cream colored head that leaves a thin lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of raspberry, toasted malts, caramel, and toffee. The taste is lightly tart with raspberries built upon a toasted malt, caramel, and toffee base. The finish has a fruity extract flavor and leaves behind a grassy dryness. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. The tartness took me by surprise in this beer, and I can’t say that I was too overly impressed with the overall flavor. I think it started off nicely with the raspberry, but the brown ale left me wanting more.

East End Brewing First

While at the new East End Brewing Company location, I picked up a growler of First, the first beer brewed at the new location. The beer pours a cloudy dark amber color with a lofty and frothy cream colored that leaves behind some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of toasted malts, caramel, pine, pepper, and hints of smoke. The taste is smooth and dry at the same time with plenty of toasted toffee, caramel, light smoke, and lemon. The finish brings out a peppery spice in the back of the throat and some pine as well. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. This was a rather bitter and hoppy amber ale, and I loved the light touches of smoke. I’d highly recommend that East End make this a regular in their lineup.

Indigo Imp Brewery Jester

Somebody gave me a bottle of Indigo Imp Brewery Jester (I can’t recall who), but I found it in my fridge and decided to open it. The beer pours a golden color with a lofty and frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, grass, and a strong scent of cardboard. The taste is dull and very bland with some caramel, grass, and lemon flavors on the front end. The finish comes out with wet cardboard and is also very watery. It leaves behind an unwelcome dry and musky hop flavor. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 5.5% ABV. This was not a good beer, as the flavors that it gave off were just dank and musty, with a slight tartness that should not be present in a Belgian Pale Ale.

New Belgium-Brewery Vivant Lips of Faith Biere de Garde

I picked up a bottle of the New Belgium-Brewery Vivant collaboration Biere de Garde, part of the Lips of Faith series. The beer pours a golden color with a bubbly white colored head. The aroma consists of lemon, orange peel, caramel, grass, and Belgian yeast. The taste is light bodied and refreshing with lots of lemon and orange peel flavors right on the front end. Hints of banana and caramel make up the background, and there is a light funk on the finish with some hay. A bit of grass and a biscuity after taste that lingers for quite a while. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. This was a nice drinking Biere de Garde with lots of biscuity flavor in the backbone, but it is still refreshing with lemon and orange peel mixed in there as well.

Diesel Brewing 0 Mile Pale Ale

Another beer I tried The Warwick Hotel in Hummelstown was Diesel Brewing 0 Mile Pale Ale while they were pouring samples for customers to try. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, lemon, and pine. The taste is bitter and dry with some refreshing lemon before an off-flavor of cleaning solution. It has a bitter finish as expected. I couldn’t find the alcohol content online, but I would assume it to be about 5.5% ABV. This was a terrible with completely off-flavors. I wouldn’t even finish the small sample glass that I had and I would not seek this beer out again.

Diesel Brewing Asphalt Simcoe Stoudt

While at The Warwick Hotel in Hummelstown, I ordered a bottle of Diesel Brewing Asphalt Simcoe Stoudt, as Diesel was there pouring to help give the new brewery some exposure. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, and toasted malts. The taste is chocolaty and spicy with pepper and plenty of citrus accents. Tangerine, grapefruit, orange, lemon, and mint all make appearance and yield a flavor similar to an Andes candy. The alcohol content is 6.3% ABV. While I thought this was a very decent hoppy stout, I would suggest they change the name before they get sued by Stoudt’s.

Samuel Adams Merry Mischief

I tracked down Samuel Adams Merry Mischief on tap at Arooga’s in downtown Harrisburg, so I ordered a glass. The beer pours a dark brown color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of gingerbread, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. The taste started off with caramel before quickly transitioning to gingerbread, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Some hints of orange, chocolate, and licorice make an appearance before a light boozy finish. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I thought this was a well done winter ale that had plenty of spices, but none of them were too overpowering. The orange and licorice flavors were my favorite accents, as they are not found often in beers.

Nectar Ales Red Nectar

Another beer I ordered at the new Federal Taphouse in Harrisburg was Nectar Ales Red Nectar. The beer pours a red color with a bubbly off-white colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, pepper, and toasted malts. The taste is dry with caramel on the front end and balancing light grassy hops. It finishes a little sweet. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. I’d say this was a rather pedestrian red ale and wasn’t memorable at all. It was pretty dry and mostly unbalanced, as it was too dry and then finished too sweet.

Magic Hat Heart of Darkness

I stopped into the new Federal Taphouse in Harrisburg, and I ordered a glass of Magic Hat Heart of Darkness. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, and coffee. The taste is smoky on the front end with toasted malts, lots of dark chocolate flavor, oatmeal, milk, and caramel. A dry finish takes over and leaves behind some maltiness. The alcohol content is 5.7% AB V. I was pleasantly surprised at this offering from Magic Hat as it was a solid beer. I haven’t been sold on their beers as of late, but I would come back to this offering again.

Brasserie Dubuisson Frères sprl Scaldis Blonde Ale Triple

As part of the Michael Jackson Rare Beer of the Month Club, I received a bottle of Brasserie Dubuisson Frères sprl Scaldis Blonde Ale Triple. The beer pours a golden colored with an extremely lofty and frothy white colored head that leaves some specs of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of banana, hay, grass, Belgian yeast, Belgian spice, and lemon. The taste is light and bready with a large banana and lemon profile. The mouth feel is light and carbonated with some hay and pepper on the finish, yielding a nice earthiness. The alcohol content is 10.5% ABV. This was a nice, light-bodied triple that was also quite refreshing.

Shmaltz He'brew Jewbelation Sweet 16 Anniversary Ale

My buddy Ed opened a bottle of Shmaltz He’brew Jewbelation Sweet 16 Anniversary Ale when we went to his place for the Eclipse tasting. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of raisin, chocolate, malts, caramel, fig, and vanilla. The taste is strong and full of chocolate and caramel malts on the front end. Some fig and raisin filter to the surface before the alcohol kicks the hell out of the tongue. It brings along with it some peppery spice. The alcohol content is 16% ABV, matching the year of its celebration. This falls in line with all of the other anniversary beers that Shmaltz makes, and I absolutely loved it. The 16% will start to kick your ass, but it’s quite enjoyable.

FiftyFifty Brewing Eclipse 2012

As was done last year, a group of friends and I went in on some FiftyFifty Brewing Eclipse barrel aged beers. This year, we tried the following:

Blue (Old Fitzgerald) - This version had light bourbon aroma fronted by a lot of chocolate. The taste was smooth and dry with a good bourbon flavor that actually thins out the thickness of the stout in the mouth.

Green (Rittenhouse Rye) - Just like in 2011, the Rye had a strong bourbon aroma with accents of rye, pepper, and oak. The taste was bold with the bourbon and very forward, bringing out the spicy rye flavor. Surprisingly, it has a smooth but dry finish.

Beige (Bernheim Wheat) - The aroma had a faint alcohol smell and was mostly dominated by chocolate. The Wheat also provided very faint accents to the taste from the aging. It was a little dry on the finish and almost sweet cherry and and vanilla accents. This beer mostly accented the honey, making it the sweetest of the bunch.

Black (Evan Williams) - The aroma had sweet and smooth bourbon accents, cherry, and vanilla. The taste brought out cherry, vanilla, chocolate, and toasted malts. A lightly dry finish with some alcohol burn arrived, but it was not overpowering and very complimentary.

Purple (Elijah Craig 12-yr) - There was a sweet cherry and vanilla bourbon aroma with a nice background of chocolate. The taste was smooth and sweet with bourbon and vanilla. Hints of cherry arrive with a lightly dry finish before caramel and honey surfaces.

Metallic Gold (Mellow Corn) - This one absolutely smelled like whiskey with some chocolate and alcohol burn. The taste was surprisingly smooth before a very dry alcohol burn that lingers for a good while. This one also brought out lots of honey and was sweet on the tongue.

I’d say it was a tie for Evan Williams and Rittenhouse Rye for me this year based on the ones that I tried in this sample. I know last year my favorite was the Elijah Craig 18-year, so it would have been interesting to see how it stood up against these two. While the Mellow Corn and the Bernheim Wheat version were sweeter and not as intense, there were no bad versions like the Red Roses from 2011.

Tired Hands-Pizza Boy Brewing California Uber Helles

I ordered a glass of the Tired Hands-Pizza Boy Brewing collaboration California Uber Helles. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white color head. The aroma consists of grapefruit, tangerine, orange, lemon, and pepper. The taste is light and hoppy with grapefruit, orange, and lemon citrus flavors on the front end. It has a peppery and spicy finish that tickles the back of the tongue and light caramel roundness. The alcohol content is 5.3% ABV. This was a clean drinking beer with nice citrus and spiced notes to it. I have since ordered this beer several more times, as I cannot get enough of it.

Pizza Boy Brewing Apple Brandy Barrel Aged Solid Gold Bock

On a recent visit to Al’s of Hampden, I ordered a glass of Pizza Boy Brewing Apple Brandy Barrel Aged Solid Gold Bock. The beer pours an amber color with a thin bubbly white colored head. The aroma consists of sweet apples, caramel, a hint of oak with a dash of of cinnamon, and very reminiscent of apple pie. The taste is powerful with apple flavor right of front and a sharp brandy alcohol bite. Caramel smooths things over before a slightly tart finish. The alcohol content is 5.3% ABV. This barrel-aged beer provided a wonderful blend that is pie-like with a lightly sour aspect to it as well. I highly recommend trying this one if you get the chance.