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.