Appalachian Brewing Company Grain Series Wheat IPA

(I apologize about the lack of picture, but it was on my previous cell phone and I have since lost it)While at Appalachian Brewing Company for The Clarks concert, I ordered a glass of the Wheat IPA from the Grain Series. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of wheat, lemon, hay, and pepper. The taste is spicy with lemon and pepper on the front end with some hay creating a dry finish. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. This beer was rather good and spicy, creating a complex array of flavors that are not typically associated with each other. It was difficult to determine if they really worked together well, but I would drink this beer again.

Appalachian Brewing Company Belgian Smooth Stout

I recently went to Appalachian Brewing Company for a concert and I decided to order a glass of their small batch Belgian Smooth Stout on cask. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, and Belgian yeast. The taste has Belgian dark chocolate on the front end that is bitter with a roasted malts finish that is spiced up with Belgian yeast. Naturally, it has a dry after taste. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 6.0% ABV. This was a decent beer and had some great flavors, especially coming from being cask conditioned.

Appalachian Brewing Company Double IPA Series

On my last visit to Appalachian Brewing Company, I decided to try their new Double IPA series that is comprised of three different single-hop Double IPAs. All three beers have an alcohol content of 7.57% ABV, but have varying bitterness. The first beer I tried was the Nugget version. At 82 IBUs, it is second-most bitter of the three. The beer pours an amber color with foamy white head. The aroma consists of grapefruit, pine, caramel, and lemon. The taste is bitter and fresh with grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, and a pine finish.

The second beer I had was the Summit version. It rings in at 87 IBUs, making it the bitterest of the three in the series. The beer pours an amber color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma oily and bitter with a large grapefruit profile and some orange. The taste is big on orange, tangerine, and grapefruit, providing an excellent citrus offering before a pine finish with hints of pepper. This was my favorite of the three with its full body and oily mouth feel, it was sure to please the hop heads out there.

The final beer in the series was the Cascade version. It rings in at 72 IBUs and is the least bitter of the three. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of grapefruit, tangerine, pine, and caramel. The taste is light on the tongue with a little bitterness that comprises of some grapefruit and tangerine. Of the three, this was my least favorite, as it lacked the pizazz of flavor and bitterness.

Appalachian Brewing Company Trailblaze Organic Brown Ale with Amarillo Hops

I noticed that Appalachian Brewing Company was offering a cask of Trailblaze Organic Brown Ale with Amarillo Hops on my last visit, so I decided to give it a try. The beer pours a brown color with a frothy tan head. The aroma is strong with the smell fresh and clean hops that provide a lemon and pine front end of the nose with a toasted malt accent. The taste is smooth and creamy with lots of fresh lemon and pine. There is a solid caramel and toasted malt base, mostly focusing on the toasted malts. The alcohol content is 5.3% ABV. The addition of the amarillo hops to the brown ale provided a great and welcoming bitter accent to the beer, and this whole new dimension made the beer completely dynamic.

Appalachian Brewing Company Dunkelweizen

While at Appalachian Brewing Company, I ordered a glass of the small batch of Dunkelweizen. The beer pours a copper color with a frothy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of sweet malts, caramel, and a light pine accent. The taste is smooth a sweet with caramel, an enjoyable smoked malt accent, and a toffee finish with a little pepper accent. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. The beer is a bit dry, but not as watery as some dunkelweizens can be, which was appreciated. The smoked flavor was nicely done and wasn’t overwhelming, providing a nice dry and smoked flavor without making it seem like you ate a fireplace.

Appalachian Brewing Company Mad Cameron White

I stopped in to Appalachian Brewing Company to have dinner with family and I received my free monthly mug club beer of the Mad Cameron White. The beer pours a straw yellow color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of lemon, cream, oregano and other spices. The taste is spicy up front with oregano before some lemon sweetness come out with a pepper pinch. There is a nice creamy finish as well. The alcohol content is 5.2% ABV. I was quite impressed with this Appalachian Brewing Company offering, as it proved plenty of spices up front and sweetened out nicely with some lemon citrus flavors.

Appalachian Brewing Company Hinterland Hefe Weizen

While at Appalachian Brewing Company prior to the Marcy Playground concert, I ordered my monthly glass of Hinterland Hefe Weizen. The beer pours an opaque golden color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of wheat, lemon, pepper, and grass. The taste is sweet and smooth with lemon and wheat on the front end. Pepper and grass hops come out in the finish. The alcohol content is 5.3% ABV. I thought that this was a decent hefeweizen. It isn’t too memorable, but it quite refreshing and provides plenty of great flavors, making it worth ordering.

Appalachian Brewing Company Black IPA

After receiving the email announcing the Appalachian Brewing Company Black IPA, a limited one-off, I stopped in to give it a try. The beer pours a dark brown color with a foamy beige colored head. The aroma consists of lemon, chocolate, sugar candy, pine, spruce, and toast. The taste is smooth and very chocolaty, more so than expecting, with accents of caramel and grapefruit. Some lemon and pine bitterness come out in the finish and really dry out the mouth, and toasted malts linger in the after taste. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. There was much more chocolate (think chocolate stout) in this beer than expected, but is fairly delicious and still drinks like a standard Black IPA.

Appalachian Brewing Company Green Tea Pilsner

An email arrived in my inbox for a one-off creation of a Green Tea Pilsner at Appalachian Brewing Company, so I stopped in to the Harrisburg location to give it a try. The beer pours a translucent straw yellow color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of wheat, pepper, and green tea. The taste is light and mostly comprised of wheat with some green tea sweetness, pepper, and lemon. It has a dry and spicy finish that is rather enjoyable. The alcohol content is 6.35% ABV. Overall, this a decent and different beer that is both refreshing and flavorful, but not too heavy for those summer months that are approaching.

Appalachian Brewing Company Raspberry Imperial Stout

I stopped in to Appalachian Brewing Company to try their one-off Raspberry Imperial Stout. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate malts with raspberries and vanilla. The taste is slightly sour and puckering with raspberry all built upon a chocolate base. There is a warming alcohol and vanilla finish and a quite tart after taste. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. The Raspberry Imperial Stout was surprisingly excellent and I was quite impressed with it. The slight tartness in the beer played well with the chocolate malts in the beer.

Appalachian Brewing Company Koning De Quad

I stopped in to Appalachian Brewing Company to try the Koning De Quad, the only beer I had not tried in the three-part Belgian series. The beer pours a dark brown color with a frothy tan head that lingers for a while. The aroma consists of bubblegum, raisin, fig, Belgian yeast, and orange. The taste is sweet with lots Belgian yeast, malts, raisin, and fig. The finish brings out some orange citrus and a bit of an earthy spice. The alcohol content is 11.41% ABV. I was actually quite impressed with this Quad and thought it was solid; my only complaint would be that the finish is a little faint-hearted, but it doesn’t not interfere with the enjoyability of the beer.

Appalachian Brewing Company Ragged Edge Espresso Stout

I stopped in to Appalachian Brewing Company on release day for the new Ragged Edge Espresso Stout. I previously have had the Cornerstone Espresso Stout, a one-off, and completely loved the beer. This version was made with coffee from Ragged Edge in Gettysburg. The beer pours a thick black color with frothy tan head. The aroma consists of dark chocolate and fresh espresso beans. The taste is dry and chocolate with lots of bitter coffee. The alcohol content is 4.6% ABV. While the Ragged Edge Espresso Stout was good, it was not quite as good as the Cornerstone Espresso Stout, and I really wish ABC would bring that one back.

Appalachian Brewing Company Highland Amber Ale

I stopped into Appalachian Brewing Company to sample the Highland Amber Ale, a winner of ABC's home brew contest. The beer pours an amber color with a foamy white head. The aroma consists of sweet caramel and fresh hops which enliven the nostrils. The taste is smooth and sweet with caramel, a great pine hop bite, and a smooth but bitey finish. The alcohol content is not posted online, but I would estimate it to be around 6.0% ABV. The Highland Amber Ale was a decent amber ale and was enjoyable. However, don't make the trip to ABC explicitly for this beer, just make sure you order it when your are there next.

Appalachian Brewing Company Montebello Farm Belgian Dubbel

I stopped in to Appalachian Brewing Company to try the beer that won ABC's Home Brew Contest, Montebello Farm Belgian Dubbel. The beer pours a dark copper color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma is big with raisin, alcohol, and fig. The taste is sweet and has lots of raisin, fig, caramel, and candisugar. Some Belgian yeast and spices hit on the finish. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would guess it to be around 8% ABV. Overall, I thought the beer could be perceived as a little watered down in the body but made up for the lack of body on the finish with a great amount of spices.

Appalachian Brewing Company Tripelocity

I stopped in to Appalachian Brewing Company to order a glass of their newly released one-off Tripelocity, a Belgian Tripel. The beer pours a golden color with a thin bubbly white head. The aroma consists of Belgian spices, banana, and cloves. The taste is big on banana with lots of spices that really work the tongue. While the spices dance on the tongue, a bubbly hoppy finish with lots of carbonation take over and dry out the mouth. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be approximately 8.0% ABV. This Belgian tripel was solidly done, but not overly experimental. Sometimes perfecting something like a tripel can/should be appreciated, and ABC nailed it with the Tripelocity.

Appalachian Brewing Company Outta Focus Double IPA

I stopped into Appalachian Brewing Company to try their new September release Outta Focus Double IPA. I was pretty excited that ABC was adding a double IPA to their lineup. The beer pours a red amber color with a foamy white head. The aroma consists of grapefruit with caramel, tangerine, and sugar. The taste is big on grapefruit with underlying caramel and some tangerine mixed in. There is a bitter pine hop finish. The after taste has the sugar and grapefruit returning to the palate. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. Where does this Double IPA stack up? I would put it as slightly above middle of the road double IPA. However, it definitely is one of Appalachian Brewing Company's best beers.

Appalachian Brewing Company Extra Special Bitter

I went to Appalachian Brewing Company after receiving an email from them about a one-off batch of Extra Special Bitter. The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of toasted malts and chocolate. The taste is dry and has a heavy helping of toasted malts. There is a little chocolate accent and a dry bitter finish. The alcohol content is not posted online, but I would guess it to be around 6.0% ABV. As a bitter, I thought that Appalachian Brewing Company's very was decent and followed the model as to how the beer should taste without being overly bitter.

Appalachian Brewing Company Batch No. 666

I stopped into Appalachian Brewing Company to pick up a couple of bottles of Batch No. 666. This beer had been released previously, but the brewery decided to bottle and sell it. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of a heavy dose of chocolate, coffee, and cream. The taste is very bold and empowering in the mouth. There is plenty of chocolate and coffee on the front end that is sweetened a bit by some honey. The alcohol also has an immediate impact in biting the sides of the mouth. The flavor then transforms into an oak/wood flavor. The finish brings a bit of fig and dark fruit along with it and dry out the back of the mouth with cinnamon and nutmeg. The alcohol content is 7.7% ABV. This was a thoroughly delicious brew, but I would only have to question the timing of the release in bottles. It is somewhat of a winter warmer, and it was released a week before summer starts. I don't mind terribly, as I will drink a good beer anytime of the year. This beer definitely fits the bill of a beer that I will drink anytime, and I recommend you get a bottle before it's gone...forever?

Appalachian Brewing Company Schwartz Bier

While at Appalachian Brewing Company on my last visit, I ordered a mug of the one-off Schwartz Bier. The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin filmy tan head. The aroma consists of toasted malts and a bit of chocolate and coffee. The taste is loaded with coffee and is very dry. There is also some chocolate in there and toasted malts. The alcohol content was not available in the email alert I received, but I would guess it to be around 6% or 7% ABV. I thought that the Schwartz Bier was not quite as good as a stout or porter because the creaminess of a porter rounds out the flavor, but it was still a good beer.

ABC Single Hop Series

The ABC Single Hop Series- From Left: Zeus, Horizon, and Simcoe

I stopped into Appalachian Brewing Company to sample their Single Hop Series. Basically, ABC created three IPAs, the only variation between the three being the hops used. I figured this would give me the perfect opportunity to train my palette even further and help it recognize the types of hops used in beers. All three beer looked the same, but the Simcoe IPA definitely had a more pronounced head than the other two.

The first beer was made with Zeus hops. The aroma consists strawberries. The taste is lightly bitter with a bit of burnt caramel. In the background there is also some lemon and pepper. This seemed like it was a run-of-the-mill hop used in making IPAs.

The second beer was made with Horizon hops. This beer was not very aromatic and it was difficult to pick up an hops. The taste is faintly lemon and somewhat plain. The beer has a dry finish. Overall, the taste was more caramel than hops, coming from the base malts used to make the beer. I thought that this was a simple base of hops, but could be used to introduce more people to the IPA style of beer.

The third and final beer was brewed with Simcoe hops. I immediately recognized this type of hops with its grapefruit aroma with sweet sugar undertone. From the beers I have tried, the IPAs using the Simcoe hop have become some of my favorite brews. The beer had a great grapefruit taste that is sweetened with sugar. Overall, this was a delicious brew and I saved some of it for last and wanted to savor each and every drop.