Black Dog Honey Raspberry Ale

While at Tir Na Nog, I also ordered a bottle of Black Dog Honey Raspberry Ale. The beer is a dark amber with a slight pink accent. The aroma is sweet and fruity and so is the taste. There is a subtle honey accent with the raspberry flavor. The after taste is very light and refreshing, perfect for a hot summer day. The alcohol content is 5.1% ABV. I was impressed with the flavor of the beer and am very interested in the other Black Dog Ales. I would recommend checking out this beer, and the website includes a map of their distribution area.

Clipper City Marzhon

Prior to the Silversun Pickups, Manchester Orchestra, and Cage the Elephant concert in Baltimore, a group of us hit up Tir Na Nog Irish Pub. On draft, they had Clipper City MarzHon. The beer is gold in color and has a sweet aroma. The taste is sweet and malty, with an undertone of caramel. The after taste has a sweet bite to it. As for alcohol content, the MarzHon has a 5.25% ABV. I am a really big fan of this beer and I plan on getting some more of it. The sweet caramel taste is very satisfying and led me to order another beer during dinner.

Bowling for Soup- My Wena

I have always been a fan of Bowling for Soup, and this song is freaking hilarious! Mad props to any girl who wears a "wena" costume for Halloween.

Troegs Scratch 21- Artisan Ale

I stopped in to Troegs Brewery today to pick up some growlers of Scratch 21- Artisan Ale. This scratch is supposedly very similar to the Naked Elf. Troegs was taking a run at making Mad Elf without the cherries, honey or chocolate malt [so not really Mad Elf]. The beer pours a very similar reddish-brown color as Mad Elf. It smells of a strong alcohol content, similar again to Mad Elf. The taste is very malty and sweet. It definitely is not as potent or as sweet as Mad Elf, but you can't really expect to get Mad Elf with the Scratch. In comparison, it is not as good as Mad Elf. However, as a standalone beer, it is excellent. The after taste maintains the sweet malt taste with a strong yeast flavor. The alcohol content is 7.8% ABV. I think Troegs could market this beer all year long and it would sell very well.

As a side note, Troegs released Scratch 22 today when I was there. I was going to get a growler of it, but I decided to make a return trip in the near future. However, I did not pass on the opportunity to sample it. Scratch 22 is a pilsner, and at first I was not impressed. However, after sampling the beer, the after taste of coriander would not leave my mouth and I wanted another glass of it. I definitely plan on going back for a growler and a full review. Make sure to make a trip down to Troegs to check it the newest Scratch beer.

They're Not After Your Brains

A great picture I snapped outside the Mechanicsburg, PA Hooters. It earns the caption "THEY'RE not after your brains."

Flying Fish Exit 11 Hoppy American Wheat

My boy Matt picked me up a bottle of Flying Fish's latest in the Exit Series, Exit 11 Hoppy American Wheat. I have been anticipating this beer since it's release, so I was very excited to try it. The pour is a little thick and well carbonated, golden in color. It is also very opaque, hinting that the wheat is unfiltered. The aroma is very hoppy and floral. The taste is very light and crisp, with a decent amount of hops. The after taste reveals an apricot undertone and a slight hop bite. I'm not usually a fan of beers that are labeled "hoppy", but the Hoppy American Wheat is a very satisfying and balanced beer. The alcohol content is 6.2% ABV.

Iron Hill Cannibal

The second growler my boy Matt picked up from Iron Hill Brewery was the Cannibal. The beer is an unfiltered, cloudy yellow color. The smell is extremely sweet with hints of lemon. The taste is sweet at first, with an after taste of bitter lemon. It made for a great balance within the beer. The alcohol content is 7.8% ABV. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer, as it was equally tasty and refreshing. I highly recommend trying it if you happen to be at Iron Hill.

Iron Hill Raspberry Wheat

My boy Matt picked up two growlers at Iron Hill Brewery today. The one growler was filled with the Raspberry Wheat. The beer is a very light amber color and has a slightly sweet aroma. The taste was not that great in my opinion. I thought it had a hint of chemicals or something in it. I couldn't even get much of a raspberry taste out of it. The alcohol content is 4.1% ABV. I'm wondering if the growler had some leftover cleaner in it when it was filled. I might give it another try, but I will be reluctant to do so.

Paul Blart South Side Works Cop

As seen at the South Side Works in Pittsburgh.

Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh

As part of pre-wedding celebrations, I got into Pittsburgh last night and a group of us went to Hofbrauhaus for dinner and drinks. The restaurant is situated into three sections: A quiet room, outdoor seating, and the large dining hall. We chose to eat in the dining hall to be a part of the singing and drinking festivities.

The beer I drank all night was the Hofbrau Dunkel. The color is a dark amber. The aroma hints at the barley used with a sweet undertone. It has a malty taste with hints of caramel. The after taste is toasted. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. I enjoyed this beer so much that I ordered two liters of it for our dinner. The picture above it the beer in the signature 1-liter glass.

For dinner we started with the soft pretzels with bier cheese and sauerkraut balls. Both were excellent. I ordered Wurstlteller, which is a sampler of mettwurst, bierwurst, and bratwurst. On the side was German potato salad and sauerkraut. The food was absolutely fantastic and extremely filling.

I enjoyed my first visit to Hofbrauhaus in Pittsburgh. I highly recommend that you make a visit to stand on the benches and sing along to the German polka band that plays every night. It really is quite the fun atmosphere and experience.

Appalachian Brewing Company- July 2009

Drawn by the rumor of the Blackberry Wheat, I dropped into Appalachian Brewing Company tonight to check out some new beers.

The first beer I ordered was the Blackberry Wheat. The beer came out a deep red color, almost purple. There was a light aroma to the beer with a slight fruit accent. The beer tastes sweet at first, but finishes a little tart. The blackberries are prevalent in the beer. The Blackberry Wheat finishes a bit dry, but is still very tasty. The alcohol content, according to the bartender, is 5.25%-ish, as he was not sure if it was brewed with the blackberries or infused, so he assumed infused. Overall, the beer was decent and I think it would get better with age. It is still a beer worth checking out.

The second beer I ordered was the Dom Blonde. I have always been a fan of the Dom Blonde, even though it may be light and pale in color it packs a lot of flavor. The beer I received came with no head and the Dom Blonde does not have much of an aroma. However, the taste is sweet and smooth, with a light hop after taste. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. I like this beer as it is very drinkable, but also packed with flavor.

The final [new] beer I had this evening [it was my fourth actually] was the Anniversary Maibock. I have been craving the Maibock for a while and tonight I finally was able to drink it. The beer comes with a beautiful amber color and a light head. The beer has a sweet aroma with a hint of alcohol. The taste is smooth, malty, and hints at a caramel undertone. The alcohol content is 7.64& ABV. I thoroughly enjoyed the Maibock, especially as a night cap. The alcohol content is enough to give you a little boost, but the taste dances on your tongue. I recommend getting a glass of the Maibock before it is gone until next year.

Rock Art Infusco

My boy Matt also picked up a bottle of Rock Art Infusco. The beer has a very dark color and a thick head. The aroma smells of chocolate with a hint of the alcohol. The beer tastes of dark chocolate, which is slightly bitter in taste. The alcohol content is 8% ABV. Overall, I thought this was a decent beer, but it was not what I was expecting. Most chocolate beers are a little sweeter, but I thought the bitter dark chocolate adds another dimension to this beer.

Brasserie d'Achouffe La Chouffee

My boy Matt picked up a bottle of Brasserie d'Achouffe La Chouffe on his way over to my house today. The beer has a bright golden color with a fruity and peppery aroma. The beer has a slightly spicy taste and a minor bitter after taste. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. Overall, I thought this is an excellent beer. Despite being brewed with spices, it has a very smooth taste that is also warming.

Selin's Grove Brewing Company

From Kupko's Mind. Bottled.

On Friday, three friends and I decided to return to Selin's Grove Brewing Company. You may have read my previous post from my first visit to the brewery. On this trip, I decided to try some new beers.

The first beer I ordered was the Kriek. This beer has won several awards and has been compared to a lambic, but it is not a lambic. The beer is almost a purple color with a fruity aroma. Upon tasting the Kriek, you mouth is taken over by an intense fruit flavor. There was a sweet bite in the after taste, due to the high alcohol content. The alcohol content was listed in the beer menu as "we'd be guessing?", so I will assume it is in the double digits. I am a big fan of this beer and plan to go back and try it again. The brewery is worth the trip alone for this beer.

The second beer I ordered was the Steamer Triple. The beer is a dark gold color, which is very enticing. The aroma was very faint but had a light spice accent to it. The flavor was fully rounded with spices, yet surprisingly smooth. At the end of the taste, the bite from the alcohol hits you in the throat. The brewery limits each customer to three of these, as the alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I enjoyed the Triple thoroughly and thought it went really well with the soft pretzels that we ordered (which are excellent!).

My final beer, which was ordered in part for dessert, was the Organic Baltic Porter. As expected, the porter comes dark brown with a roasted aroma. The head on the porter was frothy, but not too thick. The taste includes chocolate and toffee flavors, making this beer an excellent meal ender. However, the warmer the beer got, the better the beer taste. As the temperature increased, the chocolate and toffee flavors became more present and changed the complexion of the beer. By the end of the glass, the sweetness of the porter was completely satisfying. The alcohol content is 7.9% ABV.

After my second review of Selin's Grove Brewing Company, I really hope you give it a try. And definitely order the food there as it might be the best brew-pub food I have ever had.

Victory Whirlwind Witbier

Prior to heading into the Harrisburg City Islanders vs. Crystal Palace FC (London) match, we stopped by the Brickyard in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The place has a decent beer selection and the food was pretty tasty as well. The Brickyard had Victory Whirlwind Witbier on tap, so I grabbed a couple of glasses of it. The beer is white in color, with a sweet aroma that has a slight citrus hint. As for the taste, it is very clean with a minor spice undertone. The after taste consists of a lemon flavor. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. I was pleasantly surprised with the Whirlwind Witbier and would jump at the opportunity to have more of it. It was a refreshing beer that is good to drink while eating, as it is light in body.