Guinness Black Lager

My brother-in-law brought over a bottle of Guinness Black Lager for me to try. The beer pours a black color with a frothy cream colored head that leaves a lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of caramel, chocolate, wet cardboard, and toasted malts. The taste is very light with faint hints of chocolate, toasted malts, and caramel. A light sweetness takes over with some vanilla hints, and it finishes with a spice. The alcohol content 4.5% ABV. This beer was not that enjoyable, and I absolutely would rather have a Guinness Stout. The flavors fell very short and it was almost watered down.

Dogfish Head Birra Estruca Bronze

I picked up a bottle of Dogfish Head Birra Estruca Bronze from Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a bronze color with a lofty and frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of wheat, grapes, pomegranate, honey, caramel, and raisin. The taste is light and fruity with white grapes, pomegranate, raisin, and honey all on the front end. An earthy root flavor comes out and spices the beer a bit and it finishes with pepper lingering on the back of the throat. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. I can’t say that I liked this beer off of the first sip, but it grew on me as it warmed up and as I drank more of it. The fruit juices were too sweet at first, but they mellowed and became more complimentary as it went on, so I may actually get this beer again.

Duclaw eXile X-4 Macchiato Milk Stout

I picked up a bottle of Duclaw eXile X-4 Macchiato Milk Stout from Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly cream colored head that recedes rather rapidly. The aroma consists of coffee, milk, toasted malts, caramel, and vanilla. The taste is bold and roasty with plenty of coffee, chocolate, and espresso flavor. A soft milk backbone accentuates caramel and vanilla thoroughly. The toasted malt flavor hits in the finish, but does not dry out the mouth. The alcohol content is 6.3% ABV. This was a smooth drinking coffee-infused beer with great chocolate flavors.

Troegs Scratch 87- Bourbon Barrel Troegenator

I stopped in to the Troegs tasting room eagerly to get a glass of Scratch 87- Bourbon Barrel Troegenator. For those that don’t know, Troegenator is one of my favorite beers and definitely a go-to beer for me. Therefore, barrel aging this beer was the best idea I’ve heard. The beer pours a dark caramel color with a fizzy and bubbly cream colored head that recedes quickly. The, aroma consists of caramel, raisin, coconut, vanilla, and a hint of bourbon. The taste is smooth with caramel on the front end. A wonderful toasted coconut accent arrives accompanied with vanilla. Oak hints carry raisin to the back of the throat and it finishes with alcohol and pepper spice. The alcohol content is 11.5% ABV. Oh my, my, my was this beer amazing. The bourbon plays so well with the doppelbock since the biting alcohol flavor pierces the sweet body. The oak added a great character and the toasted coconut was most memorable.

Hopfenstark Captain Swing

Another beer I ordered at Teresa’s Next Door in Wayne was Hopfenstark Captain Swing. The beer pours a caramel color with a bubbly cream colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, toffee, raisin, alcohol, pepper, pine, and lemon. The taste is smooth at first before a bite pinches the mouth. Caramel, toasted toffee, and lemon arrive before a large hoppy presence on the finish that brings out pine, pepper, spruce, and a hint of tangerine. There is a light alcohol burn in the after taste. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. Overall, this was a pretty decent barleywine with a rather aggressive hop profile, something you don’t find in all barleywines.

Brooklyn There Will Be Black

I went to Teresa’s Next Door in Wayne for dinner and ordered a glass of Brooklyn There Will Be Black. The beer beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of toasted malts, rich dark chocolate, caramel, and vanilla. The taste is spicy with lemon, pepper, pine, and tangerine. There is lots of roasted malt flavor with a chocolate backbone. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. This was a very delicious and robust hoppy beer that was, very hop forward and aggressive. I’d say it is worth coming back to or seeking out if you haven’t had it yet.

Goose Island Bourbon County Cherry Rye

I received a bottle of Goose Island Bourbon County Cherry Rye in a trade with my friend Joel. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of bourbon, cherry, vanilla, rye, caramel, oak, alcohol, chocolate, and toasted malts. The taste is smooth and sweet with a strong cherry and vanilla front end and the solid chocolate and toasted malt base. Vanilla, oak, and a nice alcohol accompaniment with the strong whiskey flavor. The alcohol content is 13.7% ABV. As expected, this was a wonderful offering in the Bourbon County series, as the cherry and the rye whiskey flavors totally took over and made for a wonderful experience.

Gordon Biersch WinterBock

My brother-in-law gave me a bottle of Gordon Biersch WinterBock to try. The beer pours a dark amber color with a frothy cream colored head that leaves a thick lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, raisin, caramel, toffee, and vanilla. The taste is smooth with lots a dark chocolate, raisin, toasted malts, caramel, and toffee. There is a hint of vanilla on the finish with a malt dryness and a hint of grassy hops. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. I really enjoyed the bold flavors in this beer, and while it was rather sweet, it was nicely balanced. The lingering chocolate and malt sweetness tussles with the alcohol bite and light grass hops.

21st Amendment Zambo

At Mad Mex in Shadyside, I ordered a glass of 21st Amendment Zambo. The beer pours an amber color with a bubbly cream colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, alcohol, pepper, lemon, and toffee. The taste is sweet and smooth with lots of caramel and malts on the front end. Toffee also peeks through before a peppery finish with lemon accents and a light alcohol burn. The alcohol content is 9.6% ABV. This beer was a little bit on the malty side and not too well balanced, but it was drinkable. I wouldn’t seek it out again, but if it was available I’d consider ordering it again.

Iron Hill Grandma Drum's Wee Heavy

On a recent visit to Iron Hill Lancaster, I ordered a glass of Grandma Drum’s Wee Heavy. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy beige colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, raisin, and scotch. The taste is smooth but spicy with caramel, raisin, and fig on the front end. There is a scotch alcohol bite and a smooth and sweet finish that leaves a pepper and spice after taste. The alcohol content is 8.3% ABV. This was a nice and easy drinking Wee Heavy that did have a little bit of an alcohol bite. Overall it was quite enjoyable and I’d have another one.

Iron Hill For Richer or Porter

I went to Iron Hill in Lancaster for dinner and I ordered a glass of For Rich or Porter. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of toasted malts, chocolate, and milk. The taste is full of roasted malts, toast, and dark bitter chocolate before sweetening up a little bit with vanilla and milk. The alcohol content is 8.7% ABV. Robust and delicious, For Richer or Porter lingers for a while on your tongue and lets you savors the chocolaty and toasty goodness.

New Belgium Frambrozen

I picked up a bottle of New Belgium Frambozen from Bruisin’ Ales in Asheville. The beer pours a red-tinted amber color with a frothy pink-cream colored head that leaves a thin lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of raspberry, toasted malts, caramel, and toffee. The taste is lightly tart with raspberries built upon a toasted malt, caramel, and toffee base. The finish has a fruity extract flavor and leaves behind a grassy dryness. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. The tartness took me by surprise in this beer, and I can’t say that I was too overly impressed with the overall flavor. I think it started off nicely with the raspberry, but the brown ale left me wanting more.

East End Brewing First

While at the new East End Brewing Company location, I picked up a growler of First, the first beer brewed at the new location. The beer pours a cloudy dark amber color with a lofty and frothy cream colored that leaves behind some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of toasted malts, caramel, pine, pepper, and hints of smoke. The taste is smooth and dry at the same time with plenty of toasted toffee, caramel, light smoke, and lemon. The finish brings out a peppery spice in the back of the throat and some pine as well. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. This was a rather bitter and hoppy amber ale, and I loved the light touches of smoke. I’d highly recommend that East End make this a regular in their lineup.

Indigo Imp Brewery Jester

Somebody gave me a bottle of Indigo Imp Brewery Jester (I can’t recall who), but I found it in my fridge and decided to open it. The beer pours a golden color with a lofty and frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, grass, and a strong scent of cardboard. The taste is dull and very bland with some caramel, grass, and lemon flavors on the front end. The finish comes out with wet cardboard and is also very watery. It leaves behind an unwelcome dry and musky hop flavor. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 5.5% ABV. This was not a good beer, as the flavors that it gave off were just dank and musty, with a slight tartness that should not be present in a Belgian Pale Ale.

New Belgium-Brewery Vivant Lips of Faith Biere de Garde

I picked up a bottle of the New Belgium-Brewery Vivant collaboration Biere de Garde, part of the Lips of Faith series. The beer pours a golden color with a bubbly white colored head. The aroma consists of lemon, orange peel, caramel, grass, and Belgian yeast. The taste is light bodied and refreshing with lots of lemon and orange peel flavors right on the front end. Hints of banana and caramel make up the background, and there is a light funk on the finish with some hay. A bit of grass and a biscuity after taste that lingers for quite a while. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. This was a nice drinking Biere de Garde with lots of biscuity flavor in the backbone, but it is still refreshing with lemon and orange peel mixed in there as well.