Troegs Troegenator

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was unable to get a growler of Troegs Scratch 19, so I filled my growler with Troegenator instead. I've had this beer many times, but it occurred to me that I have not formally reviewed the beer on my blog. So here is goes, officially. 

Trogenator is one of my top beers. The quality that goes into this beer can be appreciated with each sip. This dark lager, which is a heavenly dark amber color, has an alcohol content of 8.2% ABV. There is a nice subtle spice associated with the beer, with an excellent after taste. The caramel aroma warms the nose and alarms you that this beer will have a little bit of bite. For anyone who has not had a Troegenator, I highly recommend gong out and getting one as soon as possible. It is a very smooth drinking beer, so many beer fans can enjoy. This beer does not disappoint, and it uses the highest quality of ingredients.

Troegs Scratch 19- Espresso Stout

I slipped down to the Troegs Brewery today. I went to the growler filling station with my growler and was disappointed to find out that they were out of the Scratch 19- Espresso Stout. Since I made the 5-minute journey to the brewery, I decided to fill my growler with Troegenator. When I received my growler back, I asked the guy working how long ago they kicked the keg. He said that I missed it by about 20 minutes, but there should be some left available for samples only at the bar.

I immediately went to the bar to at least have a try of this anticipated Scratch Series beer. Fortunately for me, there was some beer left for sampling. The Espresso Stout has an excellent coffee aroma with a nice dark color. The flavor has a very strong coffee taste with a nutty accent and a slight bitter after taste. It has a full, robust taste that keeps the taste buds piqued. The alcohol content is 9.5%. I enjoyed the beer, but not quite as much as Appalachian Brewing Company's Espresso Stout. However, I am very disappointed that I could not get a full growler of Troegs Espresso Stout and hope that this recipe makes it's way around again on the scratch list again.

Pittsburgh- A Champions First?

With the Penguins returning to the Stanley Cup finals, I reminisced to earlier this year when the Steelers won the Super Bowl. My mind then began to wander as to if any other cities ever have held the Lombardi Trophy and the Stanley Cup during the same season. Surprisingly, the answer is NO. There are two instances of close but no cigars:

• The Steelers won Super Bowl IX in 1975, followed by the Flyers winning the Stanley Cup in 1975. This is the only time both trophies have been held in the same state in the same season.
• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003, followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning winning the Stanley Cup winning the Stanley Cup in 2004. This is the only time the trophies were awarded in back-to-back seasons in the same city.

With the above facts, no city has ever held the Lombardi Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season. The Penguins have a chance to put Pittsburgh in a category of its own. They face a difficult battle in facing the Detroit Red Wings, but the way that the Penguins are playing right now, I believe they have a great chance. Notice to the Pirates: If the Penguins win the Cup, you are on the clock...

Eel River California Blonde Ale

I stopped by a local distributor, Brass Rail, that is known for its great variety. After about 20 minutes of perusing the selection, I settled on California Blonde Ale from Eel River Brewing Company. This award-winning organic ale is very crisp and refreshing, excellent for the 83-degree Memorial Day holiday. The hops provide a nice bite without being too overpowering. The alcohol runs at 5.8% ABV (Note: this is the ABV printed on the label, but the website says 5.62%). The beer really tastes fresh due to the lack of preservatives, as it is certified organic. I recommend giving it a try. I also look forward to trying additional beers from Eel River Brewing Company.

Special 1 TV- Season 1 Episode 14

I might be going out later.

Pete's Brewing Company Sampler Pack

Today I hit up the beer distributor and picked up the three-beer variety pack from Pete's Brewing Company. The three beers in the pack are Wicked Strawberry Blonde, Wicked Ale, and Wicked Rally Cap Ale.

I started with the Wicked Strawberry Blonde. This beer had a nice little hop bite with a great strawberry aroma. The strawberry flavor is not overpowering, but all-in-all it is a pretty good asset. I feel that this beer may be lacking one thing, but I cannot place it. However, do not let it hold you back from trying this beer. It is a quality, tasty beer and the alcohol content is 5.0%.

Secondly, I tried the Wicked Rally Cap Ale.  This beer is billed as a golden ale with natural lemon flavor. I feel the this beer has an excellent lemon accent. It does not taste like a lemon beer, but has the perfect undertone of lemon. The hops offer a perfect hop compliment and the beer finishes very smooth. The alcohol content is 5.3% and I thoroughly enjoyed this beer.

Finally I tried the Wicked Ale. When I poured the beer, I immediately noticed the beautiful brown color. The beer has a creamy aroma with a smooth creamy taste. Overall, the beer has an excellent flavor with an alcohol content of 5.5%. This is one quality beer.

Out of the variety pack, my favorite beer was the Wicked Rally Cap Ale. However, this is a quality sampler pack and I highly recommend it.

Linkin Park- New Divide

Check out the new Linkin Park song which will be a part of the Transformers 2 Soundtrack. On my first listen, I didn't like it too much. However, the second time I listened, I began to like it. I can see this song growing on me quickly. What do you think?

Saturday Night Live Celebrity Jeopardy

This might have been the funniest one ever. I have dearly missed this sketch.

Special 1 TV- Season 1 Episode 13

"I have nothing against gangster rap."

The Westend Workout is hilarious..

Mendocino Bock Beer

A nice warm spring afternoon calls for a complimentary beer. Today I chose the spring seasonal from Mendocino Brewing Comany, Bock Beer. Starting with the pour, you know this is going to be an excellent beer due to the golden color of the lager. The beer starts out in your mouth as smooth and sweet, with a clean and crisp hops aftertaste that is just right. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. This beer leaves you wanting another glass to compliment the beautiful day and perfect season.

Lancaster Brewing Company

My boy Chris wanted to go to Lancaster Brewing Company for his birthday to have a few quality beers for his birthday. Loving quality beer, I could not complain. Here are five of the beers I took pictures of that I tried. Some of the beers I have had before, but felt the need to post them.

Strawberry Wheat

The Strawberry Wheat is one of my favorite LBC beers, and one cannot go wrong ordering this. There is a great flavor of strawberry in this beer, and it is not too overpowering. The beer runs at 4.7% ABV. All in all, the beer is very refreshing and does a nice job of quenching your thirst.

Rare Rooster Rye Ale

This was my first time trying the Rare Rooster Rye Ale, but I was fairly impressed. The beer is very dry and leaves a peppery aftertaste, but the beer does have a nice flavor. The beer is very light in color and runs at 4.8% ABV. This isn't a beer to drink in quantity, but having one or two is the perfect dose of the rooster.

Milk Stout

As far as stouts go, the Milk Stout is fairly run of the mill. It runs at 5.3% ABV and has an excellent dark color. The taste is pretty fresh and has slight hints of chocolate and coffee. It is a decent beer, but not my favorite stout of all time.

Gold Star Pilsner

I was most impressed with the Gold Star Pilsner. I had not previously tasted the Pilsner, but the flavor was excellent. The malts overpower the hops to bring a nice smooth taste. The beer runs at 5.1% ABV and I highly recommend trying the Pilsner. I will definitely order it everytime I go back.

Fest Beer Amber Lager

The Fest Beer Amber Lager had an excellent taste and had a good balance of hops added to the beer. The lager has a nice amber color and runs at 5.6% ABV. The Fest Beer Amber Lager is a little creamy, especially in the head, but very smooth. The lager is not my favorite beer, but definitely enjoyable.

I highly recommend going to Lancaster Brewing Company. Most of the beers will not "wow" you, but they are high quality decent beers. I now recommend the Gold Star Pilsner in addition to the Strawberry Wheat.

Bell's Two Hearted Ale

While watching hockey, I cracked open a bottle of Bell's Two Hearted Ale. This beer is one of the few IPAs that I can stand, because it it more in line with the traditional English IPA and not the overpowering American IPA. Pouring the beer into the glass releases a great deal of aroma, which smells like a spring morning. The beer itself is very crisp and fresh tasting, with a very refreshing aftertaste. The hops are delicately balanced and not overpowering. The aftertaste is a little bitter, but let the flavor change in your mouth. I understand where the "Two Hearted Ale" comes from, as there are two levels of taste. It starts out a little bitter, but smooths itself out. The alcohol runs at 7.0% ABV which is normal for an IPA. Give it a try.

Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale

It was a lovely spring day, so I decided to crack open the bottle of Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale I had in my refrigerator. The pour was very frothy, almost marshmallow-like. It has a beautiful dark amber/brown color to it. The taste is very smooth, as you would expect after seeing the head on the beer. There is a slight hint of bananas in the beer, which rounds out the flavor nicely. The alcohol runs at 7.5% ABV, so a 750mL bottle will do a nice job of relaxing you on a warm spring day. I first tried this beer on draught at a bar, but I think I like drinking it from the bottle better. Usually I feel the opposite way, but this beer does well aged in the bottle.

Special 1 TV- Season 1 Episode 12

Pretty funny overall..."Shut up Pirate!"

Philadelphia Union

Even though the announcement isn't until Monday, a t-shirt with the Philadelphia logo has been leaked. I must say I am very impressed with the colors, the logo in general, and the snake. But most of all, let's not forget about the name. Love it! And Union til I die! The three colors give the team three possible jerseys in addition to the white, so I am pumped so see ::fingers crossed:: a powder blue jersey. 

Just no gold...US Women already tried that:

No thanks!