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.

Brooklyn Brewmaster's Series Mary's Maple Porter

I ordered a glass of Brooklyn Brewmaster’s Series Mary’s Maple Porter from Mad Mex in Shadyside. The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin bubbly tan colored head. The aroma consists of strong maple syrup, toasted malts, and coffee. The taste is full of roasted malts accompanied by plenty of maple syrup. A hint of coffee appears before a dry finish that is very robust. The alcohol content is 7.2% ABV. I thought the maple syrup provided a great flavor to this beer, but there wasn’t enough of a backbone to balance out the sweetness. I’d probably drink it again, but I can only drink one of these per sitting.

Brooklyn Bamboozle

My buddy Ben brought over a bottle of Brooklyn Bamboozle to share with me. The beer pours a pale golden color with a lofty and frothy white head the leaves specks of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of lemon, pepper, grass, and caramel. The taste is light and refreshing with lemon, pepper, and grass. There is a little bit of a cardboard flavor finish to it. The after taste lets some earthy hops linger on the tongue. The alcohol content is 8.67% ABV. This was an alright Belgian Pale Ale with some decent flavors, but the finish was a little less than stellar.

Brooklyn Blast

I ordered a glass of Brooklyn Blast on a recent trip to Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a golden color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma is floral and has caramel, lemon, pepper in it. The taste is very floral and dry with a caramel backbone. Pepper and lemon accents balance the beer nicely and tie it all together. The alcohol content is 8.0%. The was a really good beer with English hops. The floral flavors were more than enjoyable, and the beer was exceptionally balanced.

Brooklyn Companion

I was sitting in Al’s of Hampden when they tapped Brooklyn Companion, so I ordered a glass without hesitation. The beer pours an orange-tinted amber color with a very thin filmy white head. The aroma is fruity and yeasty and consists of banana, raisin, and fig. The taste has some tea leaves, banana, raisin, fig, grassy hops, and pepper. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV, but it is masked very well. I enjoyed this example of a wheatwine and the first thing I noticed was how fruity it was, but I think the tea and pepper balanced out the sweetness nicely.

Brooklyn Summer Ale

My buddy Matt picked up a case of Brooklyn Summer Ale for our trip to the beach and we needed to have cans on the beach. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of wheat, lemon, pepper, grass, and funk. The taste is smooth and sweet with yeast and lemon, a grassy hop accent, and a pepper spice. The finish is slightly sour, but not a pucker sour. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. This is a nice, light, and refreshing beer to drink on the beach, and has a nice sour twist to it.

Brooklyn Concoction

Once I saw Al’s of Hampden had tapped the Brooklyn Concoction, I had to make a trip there to give it a try. The beer pours an amber color with a bubbly white head. The aroma is malty and first but then a wave of other smells come at the nose. There is lemon, a slight funk, orange, and wheat. The taste is big on caramel early on with a hefty amount of spice. Also noticeable are orange peel, lemon grass, caramel, toffee, cloves, thyme, and pepper. There is a slightly fruity sour finish before an after taste settles in with sweet tea and honey. The alcohol content is 7.6% ABV. The Concoction contains lots of spices and is very complex. I would say that the spices work well together, rather than tasting like they were just thrown in there. I enjoyed the finish, with its sweet tea and honey characteristics the most, as they were difficult to pinpoint at first.

Brooklyn Black Ops

While at Al's of Hampden, I noticed a case of Brooklyn Black Ops sitting in the hallway. I tweeted Al to find out when it would be released, and he came over to sell me a bottle (do you see why I go there so often?). The beer pours a syrupy black color with a frothy tan head that fills the glass nicely. The aroma consists of lots of coffee and dark chocolate with some espresso and toasted malts. The taste is big and bold with lots of chocolate flavor, both dark and milk chocolate, with plenty of coffee dryness. The finish is smooth and dry with a bourbon bite. The after taste lingers on the back of the mouth with some chocolate and warms the throat with the bourbon. The alcohol content is 11.3% ABV. The warmth that comes in the bottle of Black Ops was perfect for a cold windy night and has nice accents of coffee and chocolate.

Brooklyn Sorachi Ace

I picked up a bottle of Brooklyn Sorachi Ace from Al's of Hampden based on several positive recommendations from friends. This beer is a saison with the addition of the Sorachi hop and fermented with a Belgian yeast. Be careful when popping the cork of this bottle, as it is ready to explode.The beer pours a golden color with a very lofty and foamy white head. The aroma consists of banana, lemon, pine, and fresh hops. On the tongue, the beer is alive and bubbly from the Champagne yeast. The taste is sweet and consists of banana, lemon, yeast, white grapes, and hints of pine. The finish comes in with a dry hop flavor. The alcohol content is 7.6% ABV. I thoroughly enjoyed the Sorachi Ace, as it was a lively and vibrant beer on the tongue. Once the carbonation settled down, the beer was packed full of wonderful flavors, especially the banana and grape. But Brooklyn did not leave out the pronounced hop finish, and I thank them for that.

Brooklyn Buzz Bomb

I ordered a glass of Brooklyn Buzz Bomb Ale from Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA. I was excited to come across this beer in Pennsylvania, since it only comes in draft form. The beer pours a straw yellow color with a thin bubbly white head. The aroma consists of hops and lemon. The taste is lemon, cream, and a touch of meringue. Overall, the beer is a smooth drinker and has a light peppery hop bite on the finish. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. I thought the Buzz Bomb Ale was delicious and a great drinking beer. This beer is a great way to introduce someone who doesn't like a hop-heavy beer to the lemon and pepper flavors of hops without overwhelming them in hoppiness.

Brooklyn Local 2

I ordered a bottle of Brooklyn Local 2 based on Katie the Bartender's recommendation at McGrath's in Harrisburg. The beer pours a dark amber color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma is full of alcohol and Belgian yeast. The taste is sweet and malty with flavors consisting of caramel, candisugar, and a hint of orange and honey. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I thought that the Local 2 was really good and had a great balance. The alcohol really kicks in by the end, but it is not hidden at all during the experience.

Brooklyn Cookie Jar Porter

On my last trip to New York, I made it a point to track down Brooklyn Cookie Jar Porter. The beer has a dark black color with a very thin filmy head. The aroma is filled with chocolate and oatmeal. The taste is very sweet and bitter chocolate at first. The beer then finishes with morsel-like chocolate flavor. The transition in this beer goes from light dry chocolate to dark sweet chocolate. The alcohol content is 7.8% ABV. I thought that the Cookie Jar Porter was a great chocolate-oatmeal porter and definitely had cookie/dessert characters. If you have the chance to sample this before it is gone, do not pass up the chance.

Brooklyn Monster Ale

While at D's Dix Pax and Dogz in Pittsburgh I ordered a glass of Brooklyn Monster Ale, their barleywine. The beer has an amber color with a thin white head. It smells malty and lemon. The taste is sweet with vanilla and caramel flavors and light lemon accents with a slight alcohol bite. It finishes with an oak taste on the back of the tongue. The alcohol content is 11.8% ABV. Overall the Monster Ale was very drinkable and mostly enjoyable. It drank very smooth and light, but packed a nice alcohol punch.

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Katie at McGrath's informed be that they had just received bottles of Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, so I eagerly ordered a bottle. The beer has a deep black color with a tan foamy head. There was not too much to the aroma, but a slight chocolate hint could be detected. The taste is milk chocolate with a sweet and smooth finish. The alcohol content is 10.6% ABV. I thought that this beer was very excellent and I cannot say enough good things about this beer. The chocolate flavor was perfect without being overpowering and the mouth feel was not too dry. It has a nice alcohol content without hinting at it. This beer comes highly recommended by me.

Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale

At Wegman's, I picked up a case of Post Road Pumpkin Ale from Brooklyn Brewery. The beer is amber in color and smells sweet of pumpkin. The beer tastes mostly of pumpkin and has a slight spice bite on the finish, but not prevalent. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. The beer was ok, but not one of my favorites. I am glad I only purchased a six-pack and not a case. The Post Road Pumpkin Ale is more focused on the pumpkin than spices, and I prefer a delicate balance of pumpkin and spices. I would drink it again if it was available at a bar, but not pick up a case of it or choose it over other pumpkin ales.