Brewworks Angry Berry

I ordered a glass of Brewworks Angry Berry on a recent visit to the Bethlehem location. The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin filmy white colored head. The aroma consists of blueberry, strawberry, caramel, and malt. The taste is sweet at first with strawberry and blueberry flavors all built upon a solid caramel malt base. There is a light tartness in the finish with a lingering sugar sweetness and a light grassy hop hint. The alcohol content is 6.1% ABV. This was a nice alternative to those beers that do not have any base to them and focus on the fruit, usually leading to a watery taste. There is plenty of fruit flavor in this beer, but it also has a nice background.

Brewworks Black Friday

On a recent visit to the Brewworks in Bethlehem, I ordered a glass of Black Friday, a bourbon barrel aged Scotch Ale. The pours a black color with a thin bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of caramel, toasted malts, bourbon, vanilla, cherry, and grass. The taste is bold and sweet with caramel and toasted malts but very well balanced by the bourbon alcohol bite. Vanilla, oak, and cherry come out on the finish while bubbles tickle the tongue. The alcohol content is 8.4% ABV. I was more than impressed with this beer, and it had a nice sweet start but allowed the bourbon to balance and shine at the same time.

Brewworks Elongator

Another beer I ordered on a recent visit the the Brewworks in Allentown was the Elongator, a doppelbock. The beer pours a copper color with a thin and filmy beige colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, bread, and toffee. The taste is smooth and sweet with a large caramel and toffee presence on the front end, and a toasted bread finish. A hint of grassy hops with pepper does show up on the finish, and an earthy after taste lingers. The alcohol content is 7.2% ABV. I thought this was a decent doppelbock, but it wasn’t too adventurous either. I’d definitely order another glass as I love the style, and I think it’s one of Brewworks better beers.

Brewworks Always Sunny Pale Ale

I stopped in to Allentown Brewworks for lunch while in Allentown and I ordered a glass of Always Sunny Pale Ale. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of grapefruit, pine, tangerine, and caramel. The taste is dry and bitter with grapefruit and tangerine on the front end. Some pepper and pine come out on the tongue with a caramel finish. The alcohol content is 5.2% ABV. This was a pretty balanced beer with a dry and fruity presence. It may err a little on the watery side, but was quite refreshing.

The Brew Works Knuckleball

I took a Saturday lunch trip to The Brew Works in Allentown, and one of the beers I ordered was Knuckleball, a Belgian blonde. The beer pours a golden color with a bubbly white head. The aroma is sweet with Belgian malts, grass, pepper, lemon, caramel, and sour hops finishing out the nose. The taste is sweet and biscuty with lots of sweet malts, caramel, and a cracker taste. The after taste leaves a grassy and slightly sour malt flavor lingering on the tongue. The alcohol content is 4.2% ABV. The Kncukleball was a very good beer but maybe slightly on the sweet side. I won’t say that is a detriment to this beer because the sour and grassy hops bring the flavor back to the dry and bitter side, making it very enjoyable in warm weather.

The Brew Works Blueberry Belch

I ordered a glass of Brew Works Blueberry Belch at Al’s of Hampden, mostly because my sister recommended it. The beer pours an amber color with a bubbly white head. The aroma consists of wheat and lots of blueberry. The taste is blueberry up front, and lots of it, with a bubbly mouth feel. The flavor dies a little bit on the finish and is slightly watery, but most fruity beers follow that path. There is some wheat flavor in the after taste. The alcohol content is 5% ABV. I would say this beer has a great start and a decent finish, but all in all a tasty and refreshing drink.

The Brew Works Hop Explosion on cask with Citra and Chinook Hops

I stopped in to Al’s of Hampden and ordered a glass of The Brew Works Hop Explosion on cask with Citra and Chinook hops. The beer pours a golden color with orange hues and a foamy white head. The aroma is filled with fresh grapefruit, tangerine, orange, and lemon. The taste is dry and bitter grapefruit at first before tangerine and orange bring out a sweetness. The finish is dry and piny. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. This was a wonderfully fresh and citrusy beer that was also notably sessionable. If you get a chance to try this beer, go ahead and do it, as it is perfectly bitter and sweet.

The Brew Works Monkey Wrench

While at Al’s of Hampden, I ordered a glass of The Brew Works Monkey Wrench, a saison. The beer pours a light gold color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma is faint but has lemon and earthy hops. The taste is light and grassy with a wonderful lemon accent. There is a peppery finish that dries out the mouth. The alcohol content is 7% ABV. I thought this was an excellent beer and a very clean saison. It has a great earthiness to it that is complimented nicely with the lemon flavor.

The Brew Works Belgian Tripel

While at The Brew Works in Bethlehem, I ordered a glass of the Belgian Tripel. I had ordered Belgian crab cakes, so I felt this was the perfect compliment. The beer pours a yellow-gold color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma consists of banana and green apple with some candisugar rounding out the nose. The taste is bubbly with a pepper bite, light banana, and a big green apple flavor. On the finish lies a good amount of candisugar. The alcohol content is 8.8% ABV. Wow, what a great tripel Brew Works has created. I have not had very many that were so prevalent on the green apple, but it was a welcomed addition and one I would order again.

The Brew Works Barrel Aged Insidious Imperial Stout

With the announcement of a Bourbon Barrel Aged Insidious, I decided that trip to The Brew Works in Bethlehem was in order. The beer pours a black color with thin filmy tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate with oak and Bourbon. The taste is lively and bitey with plenty of bubbles and a sharp Bourbon pinch on the front end. Next, the chocolate, toasted malts, and light coffee flavors kick in. The best part of the beer was the oak and vanilla finish, which was both sweet and smooth and balanced the Bourbon perfectly. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. As stated before, the finish on this beer was immaculate, and the Bourbon was a welcomed addition to the Insidious profile.

The Brew Works Stop Hop and Roll

While at the Bethlehem Brew Works, I grabbed a growler of Stop Hop and Roll, their double IPA. The beer pours a red-amber color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of grapefruit, sugar, tangerine, and orange. The taste is smooth but bitter with plenty of grapefruit hops taking over the tongue. There is a faint caramel base, but less so than in other double IPAs. Some pine, tangerine, and orange peek through on the finish. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. While I really enjoyed the hop content of this beer, I felt that the caramel base may be lacking a bit. Still, it was a delicious hop-infused beer and was quite drinkable.

The Brew Works Rude Elf's Reserve (2009)

I picked up a bottle of The Brew Works Rude Elf's Reserve from Al's of Hampden. Based on the release date in the middle of October 2010, it was clearly a 2009 batch since The Brew Works does not release the new batch until November1. The beer pours a cranberry-amber color with a foamy and solid beige colored head. The aroma consists of lots of cherries with Belgian spices, yeast, and faint hints of banana. The taste is big and powerful with lots of alcohol on the forefront before the sweetness of cherry and candisugar kicks in. The Belgian spices and yeast hit on the finish, leaving a bready and banana taste in the mouth. The beer carbonation bubbles and the spices kick back in on the after taste and tingle the tongue playfully and is very warming on the back of the throat. The alcohol content is 10.5% ABV. This beer, being packed in a small 12-ounce bottle, packs a big punch on the tongue. The alcohol really kicks in without being overwhelming, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Belgian aspect of this beer.

The Brew Works Bagpiper's Brew

My girlfriend was near The Brew Works and called to ask if she could bring home a growler. I naturally said of course and she brought home the Bigpiper's Brew. The beer pours a brown color with a foamy off-white head. The aroma consists of sweet caramel and toasted malts. The taste is smooth and sweet with a hefty helping of caramel, which transitions into toasted malts. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. The balance in this beer was perfect, as the caramel was not too overpowering or sweet, and the toasted malts really round out the flavor.

The Brew Works Zomerbier

I stopped into The Brew Works in Bethlehem on my way to New Jersey for some food and drinks. I ordered a glass of the Zomerbier with my food. The beer pours an orange-amber color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma consists of orange, coriander, candisugar, and yeast. The taste is citrus and very big on orange with some good biscuit flavors. Hints of coriander, yeast, and peppery hops round out the flavors. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. The Zomerbier was refreshing and delicious, perfect for a warm summer day.

The Brew Works Devious Pumpkin Ale

I picked up a bottle of Brew Works Devious Pumpkin Ale from Pinocchio's in Media, PA, with high expectations for this beer. The beer pours an amber color with orange hues and a lofty foamy off-white colored head. At the conclusion of pouring, my first thought was “Holy nutmeg!” The aroma has a good helping of nutmeg with some pumpkin, cinnamon, and allspice mixed in as well. The taste is vibrant and hits with a good bit of pumpkin at first before transitioning into a dry finish with cinnamon, allspice, and lots of nutmeg. The mouth feel is somewhat bubbly and carbonated, but it helps keep the spices from overpowering the pumpkin flavor. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. Another beer from the Brew Works, and another high quality impression left. I have thoroughly enjoyed every beer I have had from Brew Works, and the Devious Imperial Pumpkin Ale is no different.

The Brew Works Space Monkey

I picked up a bottle of The Brew Works Space Monkey, which is a saison brewed with raspberry juice, from Al's of Hampden. The beer pours a red-tinted copper color with a very lofty and foamy white head that does dissipate quickly. The aroma has a wheat base but is dominated by the sweetness of raspberry. The taste is a great balance between wheat flavors and raspberry. This beer isn't overly sweet or sour, and the raspberry provides the perfect accent to the light wheat flavors. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. I really enjoyed the Space Monkey as it added a nice little twist to the world of saisons. Nothing was overdone, and it definitely wasn't a “fruity” beer. Pair this beers with a warm sunny afternoon, and experience all it has to offer.

The Brew Works Insidious Imperial Stout Ale

I picked up a bottle of The Brew Works Insidious Imperial Stout Ale from Al's of Hampton. The beer pours a dark black color with a very loft foamy head; the cork almost hit the ceiling after popping. The aroma has a good helping of chocolate with bits of vanilla, coffee, and oak. The taste is mostly chocolate, but is rounded out with some oak on the outside of the mouth. The beer then dries a bit with a coffee finish that leaves the mouth a bit thirsty. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. The alcohol in this beer does also help to dry the mouth a bit. I really enjoyed this beer, but be sure to have a glass of water handy, as you will need to refresh yourself while drinking this beer.

The Brew Works Hop'solutely

I picked up a bottle of The Brew Works Hop'solutely at Al's of Hampton after talking with the distributor at Westy's. I wasn't sure I wanted to drop $70 on a case of Hop'solutely, but he informed me where I could pick up a bottle to try before I purchased a case. The beer pours a brilliant golden color with a slowly rising white bubbly head. The aroma consists of with a fresh hop scent and plenty of citrus, including lemon, grapefruit, and orange. The taste is smooth a sweet, like a sugar coated grapefruit. The beer then has a nice peppery and pine hop bite of the outsides of the mouth. It finishes with a smooth caramel finish that goes down really easy. There is even a hint of oak underneath all of the flavors. As the beer warmed, a honey sweetness emerged. The alcohol content is 11.5% ABV. This beer was stunningly delicious. It is not overly hoppy, with just the right amount of hops, that are smoothed out by sweet citrus and caramel. I will definitely go pick up another bottle of this beer, or possibly even a case.