Great Lakes Brewing Alchemy House Double IPA

I picked up a four-pack of Great Lakes Brewing Alchemy House Double IPA at Giant Eagle while in Pittsburgh. The beer pours a golden-amber color with a frothy white colored head that leaves a lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of passion fruit, orange, lemon, mango, tangerine, and fruit cup. The taste is sweet with citrus hops before a bitterness settles in. Plenty of passion fruit, pineapple, and mango dominate the palate with some tangerine, orange, and lemon accents. Some pine, pepper, and floral flavors make an appearance but are not dominant. The alcohol content is 9.4% ABV. This was a solid Double IPA and a departure from the prototypical one that grapefruit and tangerine dominate, as this one focused on passion fruit and mango flavors.

Captain Lawrence IPA

In a beer trade with my friend Tim, I received a bottle of the new Captain Lawrence IPA. The beer pours a golden color with a lofty and frothy white colored head that leaves a few specks of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of tangerine, pineapple, grapefruit, passion fruit, and plenty of orange. The taste is bitter and hop-forward with plenty of citrus flavors including passion fruit, pineapple, orange, tangerine, and grapefruit. A spicy pepper and pine flavor comes out and mixes with the carbonation, drying the finish. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 6.5% ABV. This was a really fresh and fruitful IPA that push home the citrus and not just the typical tangerine and grapefruit but rather pineapple and passion fruit. It was really delicious, and I recommend trying it.

Brasserie des Sources Bellerose Biere Blonde Extra

As part of the January shipment from the Michael Jackson Rare Beer of the Month Club I received a bottle of Brasserie des Sources Bellerose Biere Blonde Extra. The beer pours a golden color with a lofty and frothy white colored head that leaves specks of lacing on the glass as it subsides. The aroma consists of grass, earthiness, wheat, lemon, peppercorn, and a hint of raisin. The taste is light and bready with solid biscuit flavor on the front end. A spicy earthiness makes an appearance with some lemon, wheat, and peppercorn flavors. The finish is dry and grassy with a touch a raisin sweetness. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. This was a nice, easy, and refreshing beer to drink with a solid bready base and a great compliment of spices.

Troegs Scratch 88- Chocolate Stout

I went to Troegs tasting room to pick up a growler of Scratch 88- Chocolate Stout. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head that leaves specks of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of dark Belgian chocolate, toasted malts, milk, lemon, and pine. The taste is very dry with chocolate powder and gristle on the tongue. Plenty of toasted malts arrive as well with some lemon and pine accents. It actually has quite a potent hop bite, but it balances well with the robust chocolate offering. ON the finish, a light hint of vanilla lingers behind. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. This beer tasted like biting into a bar of unsweetened chocolate, but was quite delicious. While it may have been a little powdery and gritty, it wasn't
 unbearable like some others I've had.

Dogfish Head-Sierra Nevada Life and Limb Rhizing Bines

I received a bottle of Dogfish Head-Sierra Nevada Life and Limb Rhizing Bines from Dogfish Head and poured it into one of the new IPA glasses. The beer pours a golden color with a very lofty and frothy off-white colored head that leaves a think but nicely patterned lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of pepper, fresh cut grass, wheat, light hints of caramel, and a pungent hop oil. Orange, apricot, and tangerine provide subtle accents as well. The taste is bitter and hop-forward with lemon, pine, pepper, and grass flavor all coating the tongue with an oily residue. A solid malty backbone provides support for this beer, a little more so than I expected. It has has a light wheat taste white somewhat bridges the gap between the bitter and the sweet by adding a light dryness. Tangerine, orange, passion fruit, apricot, and pineapple give the a noticeable fruity character. On the finish, oily residue is left behind on the tongue with a pronounced bitterness. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. Overall, this beer wasn’t as bitter as I had expected, but it was definitely a hop-forward with with plenty of hop profile. It has a quite refreshing quality about it while driving home hop oils that linger.

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.