Southern Tier 2XMAS

The final beer I ordered at TJ’s Restaurant and Drinkery 9th Anniversary Party was the Southern Tier 2XMAS. The beer pours an amber color with a bubbly off-white colored head. The aroma consists of nutmeg, caramel, cinnamon, and allspice. The taste is spicy with the nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon from the aroma with hints of caramel and orange peel in the background, leading to a dry finish. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. This beer was all about the spice and quite frankly I wasn’t a huge fan of it. I like most of Southern Tier’s beers, but this one just did not connect for me.

Goose Island Imperial IPA

Another beer I ordered at TJ’s Restaurant and Drinkery 9th Anniversary Party was the Goose Island Imperial IPA. The beer pours a caramel color with a thin bubbly white colored head. The aroma consists of grapefruit, tangerine, orange, lemon, candy, and pine. The taste is bitter yet sweet with caramel and hops. Tangerine, orange, grapefruit, sugary candy, and passion fruit all arrive on the tongue and make quite a delicious brew. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. This was a great Imperial IPA with tons of fruit and bitter hops. A light bit of hop oil remains on the tongue to let this beer linger, which I didn’t mind at all.

BFM Brasserie Des Franches-Montagnes XIV La Quatorze

While at TJ’s Restaurant and Drinkery in Paoli for their 9th Anniversary Party, I ordered a glass of BFM Brasserie Des Franches-Montagnes XIV La Quatorze. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of Belgian spice, pepper, and caramel. The taste is nice and spicy with coffee, Belgian spice, banana, cloves, pepper, and a nice earthiness about it. Grass and hay linger behind on the tongue and dry out the beer. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. I’d say this was a rather enjoyable beer with nice fruity flavors and plenty of earthy flavors to accompany.

Gulpener Bierbrouwerij B.V. Mestreechs Aajt

Yet another beer that I ordered at TJ’s Restaurant and Drinkery in Paoli at their 9th Anniversary Party was the Gulpener Bierbrouwerij B.V. Mestreechs Aajt. The beer pours a dark brown color with a frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of cherry, vinegar, tartness, and sugar crust. The taste is bold with cherry that is accompanied with a light tartness hint and some vinegar accents. This beer is big on sugary crust accent and it also has a hint of oak in the finish. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer, as it was lightly tart and sour, but not too puckering while bringing along a pie-like flavor. If you see this beer, I recommend trying it.

Hill Farmstead Everett

At TJ’s Restaurant and Drinkery in Paoli, I ordered a glass of Hill Farmstead Everett during their 9th Anniversary Party. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, vanilla, and caramel. The taste is full of smoked malts, lots of dark chocolate, and some vanilla touches as well. A nice coffee accent dries out the mouth before a sweet caramel finish. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. This was a great porter and it met the great expectations that I have from Hill Farmstead beers. The robust flavors with smoky accents and a touch of vanilla absolutely made this beer overly enjoyable.

Brouwerij Liefmans Goudenband

While at TJ’s Restaurant and Drinkery in Paoli for their 9th Anniversary Party, I ordered a glass of Brouwerij Liefmans Goudenband. The beer pours a black color with practically no head. The aroma is slightly tart and consists of cherry, wine, oak, and chocolate. The taste is smooth and light bodied with a solid chocolate base. Wine, cherry, and oak flavors come out with a light tartness, and the after taste leaves red wine flavor behind. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. I can’t say the Goudenband was as tart as I was expecting, but it still was a delicious beer with a variety of intersecting flavors.

J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Calvados Barrel Aged)

Once inside of TJ’s Restaurant and Drinkery for their anniversary party, I ordered a glass of J.W. Lees Harvest Ale aged in Calvados Barrels. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy white color. The aroma consists of caramel, apple, oak, brandy, and smoke. The taste is sweet at first with caramel, toffee, apple, cinnamon, and raisin before transitioning into an alcohol bite with hints of smoke. Naturally, these flavors dry the mouth and leave behind a lingering smoke and oak flavor. The alcohol content is 11.5% ABV. I enjoyed this version of the Harvest Ale, as I have with the others that I have tried. The brandy was faint and more complementary rather than overbearing, but it was quite enjoyable.

Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Engineer’s Reserve Blackest Ale

While waiting in line for TJ’s 9th Anniversary Party in Paoli, the servers brought out tasting glasses of Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Engineer’s Reserve Blackest Ale. The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin speckled brown head. The aroma consists of chocolate, dark fruits, licorice, coffee, and vanilla. The taste is smooth and plenty sweet with lots of chocolate and toasted malts. Hints of fig, vanilla, licorice, and coffee all come out before leading to a dry alcohol finish. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. This was an excellent beer and a great way to start the day, not to mention that it was free as well.

Millbock Brewing 12 Hops of Christmas

While at the Warwick Hotel in Hummelstown, I ordered a glass of Millbock Brewing 12 Hops of Christmas. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white colored head that leaves a thin lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of grass, lemon, orange, and grapefruit. The taste is bitter and citrusy, with lemon, orange, and tangerine making up the fruity part of the beer. There is some pepper and grass as a result of the hops and light hints of caramel and toffee that set up the base. A dry finish with lingering bitterness is quite welcome at the conclusion of the beer. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 6.5% ABV. I liked this hop bomb of a beer, as it was light bodied but strongly hoppy.

Founders Bolt Cutter

I went to the Warwick Hotel in Hummelstown to try a glass of Founders Bolt Cutter. The beer pours a red-tinted amber color with a thin bubbly white colored head. The aroma consists of raisin, caramel, malts, grass, and pepper. The taste is sweet and smooth with a bold malty profile. Caramel, raisin, fig, and dark fruits are aplenty and the finish has a strong alcohol bite that is quite drying. The alcohol content is 15.0% ABV. This was a big and boozy beer that was very hot with alcohol. I think it could benefit from some aging, so I am glad that I got one bottle of it to stash away in the cellar.

Goose Island Bourbon County Rare

I was fortunate enough to try some of the Goose Island Bourbon County Rare bottle that my friend Deuane brought over to a friends house. I’m a big fan of Pappy Van Winkle, so this beer thoroughly excited me. The beer pours a black color with a thin frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of strong bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, oak, and milk. The taste is smooth with a delicate milk chocolate flavor and some lightly toasted malts. The transition into bourbon is smooth and forgiving and it leaves alcohol burn on the finish which is quite warming. The alcohol content is 13.0% ABV. This was as smooth and amazingly delicious as I expected it to be, and if I ever see a bottle of this I will snatch it up. The chocolate flavors mixed and played very well with the smooth and delectable bourbon.

Westbrook Brewing Covert Hops

While over at my friend Ffej’s house, I was able to try a glass of Westbrook Brewing Covert Hops from a growler that he brought back from South Carolina. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, lemon, toast, smoke, and tobacco. The taste is dry and chocolaty with lots of tobacco on the front end. Some burnt toast, pepper, and caramel come out to formulate a dry finish. The alcohol content is 5.7% ABV. This was absolutely a southern beer with its strong tobacco influence, but it was quite enjoyable and I would seek this beer out if I was in South Carolina.

Olde Hickory Christmas Ale

I picked up a bottle of Olde Hickory Christmas Ale from Bruisin’ Ales in Asheville. The beer pours an amber color with a lofty and frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of cinnamon, caramel, nutmeg, and honey. The taste is dry with spices up front including cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. A touch of honey sweetens up the finish with orange and is accompanied with a light grassy hop after taste. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be approximately 7.0% ABV. The beer fell short of expectations after having The Event Horizon from Olde Hickory, and it definitely was not among my favorite Christmas beers. I may drink it again, but wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

Epic Brewing-DC Brau Fermentation Without Representation

While at Bruisin’ Ales in Asheville, I picked up a bottle of the Epic Brewing-DC Brau collaboration Fermentation Without Representation, an imperial pumpkin porter. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head that leaves specks of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of toasted malts, chocolate, caramel, and pumpkin. The taste is smooth with a nice roasted pumpkin flavor on the front end with a solid chocolate and toasted malt flavor. Very light hints of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg make an appearance and accent everything very nice. The alcohol content is 7.7% ABV. I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of flavors in this beer, as the porter provided a great base that allowed the pumpkin and spices to provide a wonderful balance.

Troegs Scratch 81- Export Lager

My sister brought over a growler of Troegs Scratch 81- Export Lager to share (guess I forgot to snap a photo). The beer pours a golden color with a frothy cream colored head that leaves specks of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of lemon, caramel, malts, and grass. The taste is smooth and very easy to drink with a large malty profile and lemon accents. A light grassy and peppery hop balance compliments the beer very well. The alcohol content is 4.9% ABV. This was a very nice and easy drinking beer from Troegs that had enough of hop spice to it to make it very enjoyable. I probably would have liked it a little bit better if it was released in late Spring or early Summer.