Stoudt's Achluophobia Black Kolsch

Another beer I ordered at Fat Head’s in Pittsburgh was Stoudt’s Achluophobia Black Kolsch. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head that leaves a lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of chocolate, caramel, coffee, and lemon. The taste is light bodied with chocolate, lemon, coffee, toasted malts, grass, and pepper. All of the flavors you would expect from a stout were combined with those of a kolsch, and it blended really well. The alcohol content is 4.8% ABV. I thought this was a really good beer that brought two distinct and unique styles together in one glass, similar to a black and tan. The grassy finish on top of chocolate flavors is what sold it to me.

Stoudt's 5025 Sour Belgian-style Quad

My buddy Ed brought over a bottle of Stoudt's 5025 Sour Belgian-style Quad to share. The beer pours a caramel color with a bubbly white head. The aroma consists of raisin, wine, oak, and caramel. The taste is lightly tart with a dry wine flavor on the front end before settling into a raisin and fig base. There is a smooth finish with pepper on the back of the throat. The alcohol content is 11.0% ABV. I was amazed at how well the wine barrel-aging complemented this Quad and provided a wonderful dryness to the sweet caramel, raisin, and fig base flavors.

Troegs Scratch 67- Brotherly Suds #3

Troegs recently tapped their Philly Beer Week 2012 collaboration Brotherly Suds #3, so I stopped in to give it a taste. The beer is a Vienna Lager and was brewed with brewers from Iron Hill, Sly Fox, Stoudt’s, Yards, and Victory. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy white head that leaves a little lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of caramel, lemon, and grass. The taste is smooth and sweet with caramel before a delicately balanced bitterness comes into play. Lemon, grass, and pepper all come out and dry the finish, leaving a light residual film on the tongue. The alcohol content is 5.2% ABV. This was a well done beer that had a nice balance of flavors, with none overpowering the others. It was refreshing and easy to drink, which is perfect for the summertime.

Stoudt's Revel Red Hoppy Ale

I picked up a bottle of Stoudt’s Revel Red Hoppy Ale from D’s Six Pax and Dogz in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a red-tinted amber color with a lofty and frothy cream colored head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of caramel, lemon, pine, and has some hints of grass, grapefruit, and passion fruit. The taste is smooth and sweet at first with caramel and toasted toffee on the front end. A sharp hop bite kicks in and gives off some lemon, pine, and pepper flavors. The finish is dry and leaves some toasted malt and grassy flavors behind. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. The hops in this beer really take over the flavor profile, as there is only limited exposure to the sweet caramel and toffee flavors. They aren’t overly intense, but provide a decent balance to the sweetness.

Stoudt's Black Eye PA

A beer that my friend Deuane pulled out of his cellar to share was Stoudt's Black Eye PA. The beer pours a cloudy caramel color with a frothy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, lemon, and pine. The taste is sweet and malty with a caramel sweetness, licorice, and molasses. As far as spices, there is a large pepper profile, which creates a dry finish. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. This was a spicy black IPA, and I really enjoyed the entire profile of it. It had a great sweet base to build off of, so the added spices were not overwhelming.

Stoudt's Triple (2001)

My buddy Matt won a bottle of a 2001 vintage Stoudt's Triple at the Central PA Bottle Share Event, and he decided to share it with me. The beer pours a an orange amber color with a bubbly white head that dissipates rather quickly. The aroma is strong and potent, consisting of dried bananas, Belgian yeast, pepper, and caramel. The taste is smooth and very sweet with lots of banana flavors, especially dried bananas, caramel, and a light pepper accent. The consistency of the beer is similar to warmed caramel. The finish dries the mouth a little with a slight sourness on the sides of the mouth. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. The aging process did wonders for this beer, sweetening it up and eliminating the alcohol bite.

Stoudt's Brewers Reserve 2X Chocolate Porter

Two friends and I were halfway to TJ’s in Paoli to get Pliny the Younger when it kicked, so we decided to stop into Stoudt's rather than just turn around. While there, i ordered a glass of the Brewers Reserve 2X Chocolate Porter. The beer pours a black color with a tan foamy head. The aroma consists of chocolate and toasted malts; not overly complex, but it tells you what’s in the beer. The taste is smooth at first before a toasted bite kicks in on a carbonation wave. There is smooth and very tasty chocolate finish with hints of oak and caramel. As the beer warms, a delightful licorice flavors peaks through. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. I really enjoyed this beer, especially as it warmed and left a lingering licorice flavor in the mouth. It isn’t overwhelmed by roasted flavors and the chocolate perfectly balances the malts.

Stoudt's Smooth Hoperator

I ordered a glass of Stoudt’s Smooth Hoperator at Duke’s Riverside in Wormleysburg, PA. This is the first time that I’ve seen Stoudt’s at the bar, and it seems they are trying to infuse a little more craft beer into the restaurant, and I approve. The beer pours an amber-caramel color with a frothy off white head. The aroma consists of a good amount of caramel with large helpings of pine, lemon, grapefruit, and tangerine. The taste is smooth and fresh with a sweet caramel base. Then the bitter and citrusy hop bite kicks in giving off flavors of orange, grapefruit, and lemon. The finish is lightly drying and pine flavored. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. Despite being a liquid, this beer is mouthwatering while drinking it. The citrus content is quite pleasant and not overly bitter.

Stoudt's Brewers Reserve Gemutlichkeit Ale

I picked up a bottle of Stoudt's Brewers Reserve Gemutlichkeit Ale from the brewery on my way home from working in Reading. The beer pours an amber color with a bottle of foamy white head. The aroma lightly malty with sour hops. The taste is smooth and malty with a bit of caramel and a bite of hops. The alcohol content is 6.8% ABV. I was a big fan of this beer, as it finished very crisp and refreshing with a good amount of flavor.

Stoudt's Blonde Double Mai Bock

I picked up a bottle of Stoudt's Blonde Double Mai Bock from the brewery on my way home for working in Reading. The beer pours an unfiltered golden color with a bubbly white head. The aroma is sweet with lemon and apricot. The taste is dry and sweet with lemon and a bit of lemon meringue/ There is a a bit of sour hops on the finish and also a pepper bite. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. I thought that this was a thoroughly delicious brew and very satisfying. It left a great citrus after taste in the mouth and was very refreshing.

Stoudt's Old Abominable Barley Wine Ale

I picked up a bottle of Stoudt's Old Abominable Barley Wine Ale from the brewery on my way home from working in Reading one day. The beer pours a dark amber color with a foamy tan head. The aroma consists of fig and toffee with a light hint of pine. The taste is is sweet with caramel and toffee. The beer finishes dry from the alcohol and pine hops. There is also a bit of fig and apricot and a bit of oak on the outside of the mouth. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. Stoudt's has provided a fantastic barley wine that could not be better. This barley wine fit the style perfectly, and the oak accents round out the beer nicely.

Stoudt's Karnival Kolsch

I picked up a case of Stoudt's Karnival Kolsch for poker night at my house, knowing I needed to have a lighter beer for my coworkers to enjoy. The beer pours a straw color with a bubbly white head. The aroma is sweet and malty with light hops in the background. The taste is sweet and malty with a bit of grapefruit in there. The beer has a lightly dry hop finish. The alcohol content is 4.8% ABV. I though that Stout's has provided an excellent example of a Kolsch, and I highly recommend this beer for the summer. Everyone at poker seemed to enjoy it as well, so it would be a great beer to serve those that do not typically indulge in craft beer.

Stoudt's Double IPA

Another beer I ordered at TJ's in Paoli was Stoudt's Double IPA. The beer pours an amber color with a bubbly white head. The aroma is citrus and floral. The taste is very smooth and sweet, even more smooth than expected from a Double IPA. The flavors are delicate and not overpowering, balancing citrus sweetness with a light hop bite. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. The Double IPA from Stoudt's was very delicious and I thought it was not a typical double IPA. It wasn't intense as most are, but it was very enjoyable.

Stoudt's Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout

I grabbed a bottle of Stoudt's Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout at D's Six Pax and Dogz in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a black color with a light bubbly tan head. The smell consists of bitter chocolate, coffee and toasted malts. The taste is sweet and chocolaty at first and it finishes a little bitter and has somewhat of a licorice taste. There is somewhat of a milky cream aftertaste that is sweet and smooth. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. This was an excellent beer and very dynamic. I really enjoyed the bitter chocolate and coffee tastes rounded out by the cream finish. This is a must try for anyone who likes imperials stouts.

Stoudt's Winter Ale 2009

While out in Philadelphia, I ordered a draft of Stoudt's Winter Ale. I had last year's version and thoroughly enjoyed it. The beer pours a dark amber color with no head. The smell is lightly floral and hoppy. The taste is malty with caramel hints and the hops taste like pine, lightly adding spice accents to the beer. The alcohol content is 6.2% ABV. I thought that the beer was very enjoyable and as good as last year. I also liked that the beer finished with a minor citrus after taste, adding another dimension to the beer.

Stoudt's Bock

Another bottle I picked up at Stoudt's brewery was a 26-ounce bottle of the Bock. The beer is a reddish amber color with a light frothy head. It smells sweet and malty. The taste is malty and sour, with slightly toasted malts and caramel undertone. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. I thought that this is a unique and delicioius bock, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you get a chance to swing by the brewery and pick up a bottle (only place it's available as far as I know), I suggest you do so.

Stoudt's Brewers Reserve Belgian-Style Quad

When I was at the Stoudt's brewery, I picked up a 26-ounce bottle of the Brewers Reserve Belgian-Style Quad. I read that this was a limited edition on the website, so I could not pass up the opportunity to try it. The beer is purple-amber in color with absolutely no head at all. It has a sweet fruity aroma, consisting of hints of grapes and alcohol. The taste is powerful, filled with raisins, bananas, and of course alcohol. I thought that it really kicks with alcohol, which causes the beer to finishes a little dry. The alcohol content is 11% ABV. Overall, I thought that the Brewers Reserve Belgian-Style Quad was an excellent quad that definitely packs a punch. If you are looking for complex beer with a high alcohol content, this Quad from Stoudt will leave you satisfied.

Stoudt Pumpkinlicious

I stopped by the Stoudts Brewery on my way to Philadelphia to try the Pumpkinlicious, which is only available at the brewery. The beer is a golden orange color with a soft white head. The aroma is mostly comprised of ginger with a hint of pumpkin. The taste is heavy on pumpkin with accents of ginger and vanilla. The beer finished a little dry with an undertone of cinnamon. The alcohol content is not posted on the website, but I would guess around 7.5% ABV. I thought overall this is a very good pumpkin beer and was worth the side trip. Drinking this beer fresh from brewery could have also made the difference, as the freshness was very evident. I will make this side trip again.

Stoudt Triple

While in Ocean City, I was surprised that the distributor had a nice selection of Stoudt beers. We picked up a six-pack of the Triple. The beer is gold in color with a sweet aroma. The taste is also pretty sweet with a hint of alcohol. I thought it was a little bitter on the finish, but very enjoyable. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. While this may not have been the best triple I have ever had, I thought it was solid and enjoyable. I would consider purchasing this beer in the future.

Stoudt's Heifer-in-Wheat

I recently read in All About Beer magazine about Stoudt's Heifer-in-Wheat and was very intrigued. The beer consists of 50% malted barley and 50% malted wheat, making a hybrid heiferweizen and wheat beer. The beer pours an opaque orange, hinting at both types of beer included in this brew. It has a fresh and slightly citrus-like aroma, making it very enticing. The taste is extremely smooth, with hints of citrus, and a very clean and refreshing finish. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. This beer is very enjoyable and I highly recommend picking up a case. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect with the beer, but the Heifer-in-Wheat came out totally satisfying. I think this is a beer that can be enjoyed by people of all types, even those light beer drinkers.