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.