North Coast Old No. 38 Stout

I received a bottle of North Coast Old No. 38 Stout from Bob Pack in a beer trade. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly beige colored head. The aroma consists of dark chocolate, sweet caramel, vanilla, and molasses. The taste is smooth and chocolaty with a nice roasted malt flavor and a great molasses accent. There are touches of vanilla and caramel, and the finish is dry and toasty. The alcohol content is 5.6% ABV. I really enjoyed the dark chocolate flavors in this beer with great molasses and caramel accents. It was quite the Irish dry stout, and I would love to get my hands on another beer.

North Coast Grand Cru

My buddy Matt opened a bottle of North Coast Grand Cru to share with some friends and me. The beer pours a golden color with a foamy white head. The aroma consists of banana, biscuit, pepper, agave, and pear. The taste is sweet and strong with banana and agave on the front end. There is a big alcohol burn that really has a bite before a spice of pepper comes out on the finish. The alcohol content is 12.9% ABV.  I’d say this beer had some really great flavors to it, but the alcohol presence can get in the way of really picking up the agave. However, I would be sure to drink this again.

North Coast Old Rasputin

While at Al’s of Hampden, I noticed that he had North Coast Old Rasputin on tap, and having only had it at a beer festival, I decided to order it. The beer pours a black color with a filmy tan head. The aroma consists of dark chocolate, pine hops, pepper, and cream. The taste is smooth with a deep and dark chocolate flavor while being dry and bitter due to pine and spruce hops. There is some cream and caramel that comes out in the finish accompanied with an alcohol dryness and warmth. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I thoroughly enjoyed this Russian Imperial Stout, as it had a great chocolate base and a wonderful spicy and peppery warmth to it. This is a perfect example of the style.

North Coast Le Merle

My buddy Matt brought over a growler of North Coast Le Merle that he picked up at Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a golden color with a lofty and frothy white head. The aroma consists of lemon, grass, wheat, yeast, and biscuits. The taste is lemony with a pronounced wheat base. There is a light pepper accent that comes out in the finish. The alcohol content is 7.9% ABV. I would say that no flavor stands alone in this beer and overall it is a wonderful blend of flavors and refreshing. While drinking it, I think of how simple it is, but that is exactly how I would like my saison to be, and this one is spot on.

North Coast Brother Thelonious

Another I beer I ordered at Al's of Hampden (for dessert!) was the North Coast Brother Thelonious. The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin bubbly head. The aroma consists of dark fruit, fig, and yeast. The taste is malty with heavy caramel, toffee, fig and some cherry accents. The alcohol content is 9.4% ABV. Overall, I would say that this beer was very delicious. It wasn't overly complex, but all the right flavors were there, making this the perfect dessert beer.

Pittsburgh Brewfest 2009

I went to the Pittsburgh Brewfest to help support the Pittsburgh Rugby Club. It was hosted at the Steelhouse, Bar Room, and Saddle Ridge in Station Square. I thought the event was well organized and had good food for all to enjoy. Below you will find my tasting notes of the beers I had from the night.

Erie Brewing Company Ol' Red Cease & Desist- The beer is a red amber color with a malty aroma. The taste is sweet at first with a hop and spice bite on the finish. It has a slight dryness due to the alcohol content. The alcohol content is 10.1% ABV. I thought the taste was great for the high alcohol content, as it was not apparently that it was that high.

Erie Brewing Company Mad Anthony's APA- The beer is yellow in color and is cloudy and unfiltered. There is a slight yeast aroma. The taste is very light with mild hops. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. I thought this wasn't a bad pale ale, but it was light on the flavor. However, it makes it very easy to drink.

Erie Brewing Company Misery Bay IPA- The beer has a copper color with no head. The taste is dry and hoppy with a slight malt undertone. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. I drinks a little bit creamy and is very enjoyable.

Rivertowne White Lightning- The beer is a cloudy white with a sweet coriander aroma. I thought it had an excellent taste, consisting of coriander with grapefruit accents. The alcohol content is 6.3% ABV.

Bud Light Golden Wheat- Due to the fact that it was free, I decided to give the Golden Wheat a try. It has an unfiltered gold color with a minimal wheat aroma. The taste is lemony, but very light. There is no aftertaste. The alcohol content is 4.1% ABV. At first, I thought that it was not as bad as I expected it to be but it was not great. However, it did get worse the more I drank it and I would not recommend this beer.

Boulder Mojo IPA- The beer had a decent head and a gold color. The aroma consisted mostly of floral hops. The taste is smooth with lemon and pepper accents and it finishes with plenty of hops. The alcohol content is 6.8% ABV. I thought that the beer was pretty good, but it was a little too carbonated.

Breckenridge Vanilla Porter- The beer is amber in color with light head. The smell is sweet with a light vanilla hint. The taste consists of toasted malts with a sweet vanilla undertone, but the vanilla is faint. The alcohol content is 4.7% ABV. I found that as I let the beer warm up it got better, so if you try this beer drink it after it has warmed up.

Southern Tier Phin & Matt's- The beer has a pale gold color with a lemon aroma. The taste consists of lemon with a slight pepper accent. It finishes dry due to the hops. The alcohol content is 5.4% ABV.

Great Lakes Eliot Ness- The beer is dark amber in color with a lofty head. It has a light malt aroma. The taste is malty with hints of caramel and a dry hop finish. The alcohol content is 6.2% ABV. I really liked the flavor and the drinkability of the beer.

Penn Brewery Kaiser Pils- The beer has a golden color with no head or aroma. The beer has a light crisp taste. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. I thought that this was a decent pilsner. It is very light drinking, but still has enough flavor to make it enjoyable.

North Coast Brewing Company Old Rasputen Russian Imperial Stout- The beer has a black color with a tan head. The smell has hints of chocolate. The taste is hoppy with toasted malt and chocolate flavor. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I really liked this beer and plan on having more in the future.

Three Rivers Underground Brewers Smoked Porter- The beer is dark brown in color with a light smoke aroma. The taste is malty and sweet with a light smoke finish. There are chocolate and toffee hints. I am not sure what the alcohol content is due to it being a home brew. This beer ended up being my second favorite beer of the night and it was full of flavor.

Three Rivers Underground Brewers British Ale- The beer is a dark brown color with a lofty creamy head. It smells very fresh and lightly hoppy. The taste is sweet and dry with a nice malt flavor. I am not sure what the alcohol content is due to it being a home brew.

Three Rivers Underground Brewers Slutty Red Head- The beer is a dark amber color with a frothy head. It has a light hop aroma. The taste is smooth and round and finishes slightly dry. It has a light cream taste. I am not sure what the alcohol content is due to it being a home brew.

Atwater Vanilla Java Porter- The beer is a dark brown color with a lofty tan head. It smells like coffee with cream. The taste is full of chocolate, java, and vanilla. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. I thought this was the best beer at the brewfest. The flavors were so dynamic and pleasing that I had to have several glasses of this beer. This is definitely a recommended beer.

North Coast Pranqster

Another bottle I noticed on the McGrath's beer list was North Coast PranQster. This Belgian is golden in color with a sweet and spicy aroma. The taste is spicy and crisp with a sweet finish. There is a slight caramel and vanilla undertone. The alcohol content is 7.6% ABV. This beer has won several awards, including many gold awards at the World Beer Champhionships, and it is easy to see why. The beer drinks very smooth and easy, but provides a full palet of flavors. This is a must order if you ever see it on a beer list.