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Tag Archives: Pennsylvania
Full Pint Perc E Bust
Full Pint Perc E Bust
Just look at the malt bill for Full Pint Perc E Bust Coffee Porter: Marris Otter, Munich, Melanoidin, Crystal, Caramel Wheat, Chocolate, Black. To go along with Guatemalan Coffee and a blend of Fuggle and Columbus hops.
The aroma delivers on the promise of coffee, as does the flavor. Coffee dominates, but there is a caramel sweetness behind it. Very complex thanks to the blend of malts. Ends dry and bitter, but more of a coffee bitterness than one from hops. Light and smooth body, if a bit watery.
Very nice coffee porter.
Grade: B
Weyerbacher Merry Monks
Weyerbacher Merry Monks
The first thing standing out about Weyerbacher Merry Monks is the unrelenting effervescence. A myriad of micro bubbles race through the sparkling clear Tripel to reach the creamy white head. Yeast, banana, and bread dominate the aroma. After a sip, sweet grapes come to the forefront, buttered toast, followed by just enough hops to balance. Gets sweeter, dryer, and the 9.3% is more evident as it warms.
Really enjoying this. I do get the slightest hint of skunk, but with no date, hard to tell if it’s normal. Still, this is one to enjoy.
Grade: A
Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot
Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot
Trying something new with Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot. Drinking it in a wine glass. Apparently, it’s great to serve Barleywines. Even Weyerbacher recommend it for Blithering Idiot. Let’s find out.
Pours a cloudy copper. Aroma is extremely inviting with rich malt, rum raisins, and toffee. Tons going on here. Brown sugar, banana, raisins, toffee, even a hint of bubble gum. Plenty of the requisite malt, too. Amazingly, the alcohol only shows up warmth and dryness in the finish. And at a giant 11.1% ABV, that is quite a task! I see where the name came from. It is dangerously smooth, complex, and tasty. Deceptively potent. Not sure the wine glass added anything.
Grade: A
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale boasts to be the biggest, baddest, brashest Pumpkin Ale there is. Only one way to find out.
Pours a cloudy deep orange. The aroma promises a spicy treat. Definitely brings the spice! Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg are the more noticeable. The touch of cardamom is rather interesting. If you try to find some pumpkin flavors, they are there, but the spices dominate. Thankfully, Weyerbacher has done an excellent job of balancing the spices among each other. The caramel malt and pumpkin eventually linger in the finish. The 8% ABV shows itself with a very pleasant warmth.
Big fan. Easily in my 5 best pumpkin beers. Grade: A
Victory Prima Pils
Victory Prima Pils
Now this is what a pilsner should be. The color of Victory Prima Pils is a very light yellow and totally see through. In fact, you might think it’s from Big Beer just from the look, even if it is a little hazier. But that first whiff will change your mind. Spicy and floral hops fill the glass so you know it’s actually got some flavor!
There is a bit of grainy malt here, but the hops really shine through. Spicy, floral, grassy, this packs a lot of flavor from the hops, but not so much that it’s overpowering. Very dry finish with the grainy and grassy flavors lingering.
One of the best pilsners there is! If only all beers marketed at pilsner tasted like this!
Grade: A
Troegs Mad Elf
Troegs Mad Elf
The first this that stands out with Troegs Mad Elf is the brilliant ruby color. The nose is full of interesting flavors, too, including sour cherry, black pepper, and a hint of vinegar.
Everything seems to come together quite nicely. The sour cherries aren’t too sour. The vinegar isn’t very aggressive, the hops add a nice dryness and bitterness at the end, and the huge 11% ABV is nothing more than a pleasant warmth. The sweetness from the malt and honey provide a nice counter point to everything else going on.
A different take on the style than most winter warmers and this relies on the cherries and yeast for flavor, rather than familiar warm spices. It would have been easy to go overboard with this one, but there is no hint of medicine or bad candy, something I was afraid of with the cherries. Definitely worth a try.
Grade: B
Victory Hop Devil
Victory Hop Devil
What’s in a name? The promise of a hop bludgeoning from Victory Hop Devil. And one of the coolest labels ever.That’s a tattoo waiting to happen.
The aroma delivers on the hop promise but there’s more to it than just hops. Lemon and toast, as well. The flavor is big with hops, but thankfully not overpowering. Loads of citrus and pine, but a hefty amount of malt gives this beer a very nice body. The finish is dry, almost bitter enough to make your eyes water, and it’s got some staying power. Hop heads won’t be disappointed with this one.
I enjoyed it. Not for the weak palated!
Grade: B
Victory Hop Wallop
Victory Hop Wallop
An IPA called Hop Wallop better bring it. Victory’s IPA offers a gorgeous hazy gold color and sticky white head. Lots of citrus in the smell. Tons of fresh citrusy hops complemented by lots of piney hops. And so bitter don’t be surprised if you pucker! Not much of a malt flavor here at all, but wow does that dry hop bite linger. Very subtle buttered toast, too. Interesting.
I’m actually surprised how quickly I got through this, especially at 8.5% ABV and with this much punch! It’s certainly aptly named. Hop heads, enjoy! If you want a beer to slap you with hops, you’ve found it.
Grade: B
Intercourse Brewing Blue Ball Porter
Intercourse Blue Ball Porter
Another beer that is impossible to pass up based on name alone, Intercourse Brewing’s Blue Ball Porter. While they’ll have you believe the brewing is in Intercourse, PA, it looks like it’s actually in Wilkes-Barre. But the fun they have with the name makes that a forgivable act of deception.
Blue Ball Porter starts like you want a porter to. Thick, dark, and a big dark head. More toffee and chocolate in the nose rather than roast, bit of alcohol, too. The first sip sets this porter apart and gives you the reason for the clever name; blueberries. Lots of blueberries at first. It’s a little watery for a porter, but a bold finish with lots of roast, even some char.
Just a tad over 5% ABV, so it’s not going to destroy you, either.
Not my favorite porter, but I’m kind of liking it. Props for doing something different!
Grade: B
Troegs Brewing Troegenator
Troegenator
You’ve heard beer referred to as “liquid bread.” Doppelbocks are why. During times of fasting, monks would rely on stronger beers, like doppelbocks, for nutrition. I love them because they taste good! Troegs Brewing makes quite a tasty one with Troegenator.
A dark copper with ruby edges flows out of the bottled adorned with an interesting looking character set off with bushy white hair and a nasty set of horns. I assume he is The Troegenator. Smells like bread and spice. Not a lot of hops here, but I do get some sweet, toasty bread, some spice in the finish with a bit of chocolate in the aftertaste. Not really bitter, and the 8.2% ABV is sneaky.
Compared to Celebrator, this is not as creamy and the mouthfeel isn’t as full, but the flavors are more assertive.
Troegs Brewing is based in Harrisburg, PA and this is the first I’ve had from them. But based on this and reading the brews on their website, I’m very interested in trying again.
Could I live on this if I had to? I’d certainly be willing to try!
Grade: A