Penn Brewery Small Batch 001- French Oak and Kentucky Bourbon

As part of the Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week festivities, I went to Mad Mex in Monroeville for the Penn Brewery event. On cask, they were serving their limited Small Batch 001, French Oak and Kentucky Bourbon. The beer is a Munich Dunkel aged on bourbon-soaked chips. The beer pours a dark brown color with a creamy off-white colored head. The aroma is sweet with toffee, caramel, oak, vanilla, bourbon, and cherry. The taste is smooth and creamy with sweetness on the front end consisting of toffee and caramel. There is a light smoked flavor before oak dryness settles in on the tongue. A hint of bourbon shines on the finish without overpowering the other flavors and vanilla lightly accents the beer with some sweetness. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. I was quite impressed with Penn Brewery’s first Small Batch beer, and I think there will be some great beers in the future. It was easily drinkable and could be used as a great introductory beer for those that haven’t ventured into craft beer or oak aged beers.

Church Brew Works-Penn Brewery-Hofbrauhaus Inaugural Ale

The final Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week collaboration beer on tap at Bocktown in Robinson that I tried was the Inaugural Ale. The sour mash red ale was brewed at Church Brew Works with assistance from staff at Penn Brewery and Hofbrauhaus. The beer pours a red tinted brown color with a foamy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of cherry, malts, caramel, and chocolate. The taste is dark chocolate with a light cherry tart accent. Toasted malts make their way through this beer before a dry grassy finish takes over the beer. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 7.5% ABV. This was my favorite of the three collaboration beers. I think some people expected this beer to be a sour beer, but it only claimed to be a sour mash, providing a light tart hint in the background.

Rock Bottom-Penn Brewery-Hofbrauhaus Home Opener

Another Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week collaboration on tap at Bocktown in Robinson was Home Opener. This kolsch was brewed at Rock Bottom in Pittsburgh with assistance from staff from Penn Brewery and Hofbrauhaus. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of light lemon, pepper, and caramel. Overall, the aroma is pretty faint, but that is typical of the style. The taste is clean and fresh with lemon, buttered crackers, and a grassy dry finish. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be approximately 4.5% ABV. I’d say this was a pretty delicious kolsch, although I wouldn’t rank it among my favorites. The slight buttered cracker flavor got in the way of it tasting 100% clean, and I am very picky when it comes to kolsch beers.

Penn Brewery-East End Brewing-Arsenal Cider House Cheeky Yinzer

I ordered one of the three Pittsburgh Craft Beer Collaborations, Cheeky Yinzer, while at Bocktown in Robinson. This beer was a British Style IPA and was brewed at Penn Brewery with assistance from Andy at East End and Bill from Arsenal Cider House. The beer pours a caramel color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of caramel, pine, and lemon. The taste has a nice caramel flavor on the front end with a large dose of toasted toffee. A light grassy hop flavor with lemon accents the sweetness nicely. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 5.5% ABV. As for a British Style IPA, this beer was a great example. It was fresh and clean with just enough sweetness to play with the grass and lemon flavors.

Penn Brewery B2 Black IPA

I ordered a glass of Penn Brewery B2 Black IPA from Bites and Brews in Pittsburgh. According to Bites and Brews' Facebook page, this beer will be the house beer at all B2 locations. The beer pours a dark brown color with a foamy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, toasted malts, lemon, cream, and pine. The taste is dry and roasty with lemon and pine. There are hints of caramel and chocolate in the background, but this beer really focuses on the toasted flavor. The alcohol content 6.0% ABV. If you are looking for a Black IPA that is more porter-like with roasted malt flavors, this is your type of beer. I typically have been shying towards the hoppier Black IPAs, so this wasn’t my favorite in the style, but it still was fairly easy to drink and had plenty of delicious flavors.

Penn Brewery 25th Anniversary Imperial Pilsner

I went to Bocktown in Pittsburgh for lunch and I noticed they had the Penn Brewery 25th Anniversary Imperial Pilsner on tap, so I jumped at the chance to try it. The beer pours a golden color with a foamy white head. The aroma consists of caramel and lemon, but is somewhat faint. The taste is bitter with lemon and peppery hops on the front end with a caramel and toffee base. There is a dry grassy finish, with a lingering dryness. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would guess it to be approximately 7.5% ABV. This was a great beer that is refreshing and really builds on the Penn Pilsner that has been a staple in my Pittsburgh drinking experiences.

Penn Brewing Penndemonium

I ordered a glass of Penn Brewing Penndemonium at Fat Head’s in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a caramel color with thin filmy white head. The aroma is sweet and malty with caramel and light grass hops. The taste is big and sweet with lots of caramel on the front end and some butterscotch mixed in there as well. The finish is dry, leafy, and grassy. The alcohol content is 8% ABV. Overall, the Penndemonium is an excellent beer that is smooth and sweet with just enough hops to balance all of the flavors nicely.

Penn Brewing Company Brewer's Choice Rye P.A.

While at Bocktown in Pittsburgh, I ordered a glass of Penn Brewing Company Brewer's Choice Rye P.A. The beer pours a dark amber color with a frothy white head. There is a malty aroma with caramel and rye dominating the nose. The taste is big on caramel with a wonderful rye accent and a good dry pine hop bite on the finish. The after taste left in the mouth is dry but quite pleasant. The alcohol content isn't available online, but I would estimate it around 7.0% ABV. I really enjoyed the caramel and rye interaction on my tongue, as they are complete opposites yet compliment each other quite well. Overall, this is a very drinkable beer with great flavors.

Penn Brewing Company Allegheny Pale Ale

I picked up a bottle of Pennsylvania Brewing Company Allegheny Pale Ale from Al's of Hampden as part of a mixed six-pack. The beer pours a copper color with a foamy white head that dissipates fairly quickly. The aroma is faint but consists of pale malts and light hops. The taste is bitter with fresh hops and a light malty backbone that doesn't exert itself very much. Bits of pine, spruce, and lemon make their way through on the finish, and a dry after taste lingers. I couldn't locate the alcohol content online but would guess it be around 6.0% ABV. This pale ale definitely drinks a lot smoother than most pale ales, as it does not have an overwhelming hop presence that bites at the tongue. It is pretty smooth and probably won't satisfy most hop heads, but it still a decent drinking beer. However, one note: if you eat this beer with some sharp cheddar cheese, it really brings out the sour hop flavor.

Penn Brewery St. Nikolas Bock Beer Brewer's Reserve

When I visited the reopening of Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh, I saw that they had felt bag-wrapped bottled of St. Nikolas Bock Bier- Brewer's Reserve. I did not hesitate to pick up a bottle, especially for only $5. The beer has a dark amber color with a light bubbly head. The aroma is malty with raisins. The taste is sweet and heavily composed of raisins, figs, and toffee. There is an underlying hint of toasted malts. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. This is a very excellent beer and I was disappointed that there wasn't a regular run of production in 2009. however, at the reopening of the brewery, they had a limited amount of the brewer's reserve. I highly recommended if you can find it.

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.