Beers #172-193 from July & August

Lots of catching up to do ... with (as of today) 77 beers in the back-log.  Still short of 365 beers for 2013. And even though I plan to put some more dents in that, I don't think I'll be trying 100+ beers before Dec. 31.

Towards the end of July, John C. and I made a day trip to Pittsburgh to meet face-to-face with some local brewers about the upcoming Oktoberfest. We met with Andrew Maxwell (Rivertowne) and Brendan Benson (East End), and then the GM at Church Brew.  We also stopped in at The Beermuda Triangle and House of 1000 Beers for some samples.

#172/365: Church Brew Lichtenhainer:
Sampled on tap at Church. Very mild maltiness, smokey notes with very light hops. Pale straw clear with light haze, topped with thin head. Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Starts wheat with nice sweet flavor. Medium smokey notes throughout, just enough to be tasty and not overpowering. Sweet clean finish with no bitter after.  Grodziskie/Gose/Lichtenhainer  66/100

 #173/365: Church Brew St. Agricola Ale:
Sampled on tap at Church. Mild spicy sweet nose. Malt and some molasses. Herbal note like lemongrass and/or ginger. Dark brown amber clear with thin head. Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Starts somewhat sweet with herbal/lemongrass citrusy notes and light bitterness. Medium nutty/hoppy bitter finish. Kinda tastes like Sen-Sen (breath freshener) and licorice. Sweet-smooth finish with light nutty sweet after.  Spice/Herb/Vegetable  68/100

#174/365: Church Brew Kenya Coffee Pale Ale:
Sampled on tap at Church. Very mild coffee aroma with neutral fruit sweetness. No discernible hop aroma. Pale golden clear with white lacing head. Medium bodied with medium-light carbonation. Starts with pale malt sweetness and light coffee. Interesting to have this flavor in a light-colored beer for a change. Finish is coffee and nutty sweet, with good hoppy bitter punch.  American Pale Ale  60/100

#175/365: Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Oatmeal Stout:
On tap at Beermuda. Roasted malt, molasses, light chocolate, coffee, and smoke. Sweet nose. Dark black opaque with foamy tan lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts sweet and malty with lots of molasses, chocolate, and coffee. Light bitter finish with sweet lingering after.  Imperial Stout  78/100

#176/365: Bullfrog Blackberry Juju:
On tap at House of 1000. Mild bitter berry nose, semisweet with some muskiness. Light golden amber clear with light haze. Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Starts sweet with mild pale malt and wheat, nice berry flavor and a bit of bitterness. Smooth sweet fruity after. Fruit Beer  72/100

#177/365: Bullfrog Op Tight:
On tap at House of 1000. Wet canvas and hoppy nose, lactic acid and coffee. Smells like the seat of a deuce-and-a-half with coffee spilled on it. Dark black opaque, light tan creamy head. Medium-heavy body and smooth nitro carbonation. Very sweet, rich, malty stout with soy. Sweet nutty finish and sweet after.  Sweet Stout  68/100

 #178/365: Central Waters Illumination Double IPA:  Sampled on tap at House of 1000. Apricot, pineapple, resin and fruit punch. Great hop nose. Golden amber clear with pillowy white lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Sweet with tons of pale malt, orange, pineapple, and apricot esters. Residual sweetness. Big bitter finish with muted bitter after, leaving you with tons of flavor. Nice IIPA.  Imperial/Double IPA  82/100

One evening at Benjamin's, I found ...

#179/365: Stoudts Four Play IPA Batch #2:
Sweet caramel nose with light hop floral notes. Bit of dusty grain and hint of oxidation. Coppery amber clear with thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts with light caramel and biscuit. Good hop bitter presence with medium bitter finish and light bitter after. Nutty sweetness.  India Pale Ale  64/100

Dana, Aidan, and I took a trip to IKEA and Pittsburgh one weekend, and I got the following on tap during the required Sharp Edge Creekhouse lunch stop.

#180/365: Southern Tier Plum Noir:
Very light nose of coffee, chocolate, and a bit of plum and raisin. Bit of sweet molasses. Dark black/brown opaque with thin off-white lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts sweet, rich, and malty with lots of chocolate, molasses, and a bit of fruity plum/raisin notes. Light bitter finish with smooth sweet nutty bitter after. Mild warming.  Imperial/Strong Porter  74/100

#181/365: Three Heads Country Shwheat Imperial Wheat: 
Light wheat and orange zest, raw malt, and some carbonic gaseousness. Neutral fruity character. Medium golden amber clear topped with white lacing head. Medium-light bodies with medium carbonation. Wheat notes, mild sweetness. Oxidation or perhaps beer line character? Mild to medium bitter finish with dry astringent bitter after.  Wheat Ale  54/100

At home ...

#182/365: East End Köst's Kölsch: 
From growler. Nice pilsner malt sweetness in the nose, with mild neutral fruity character and a bit of spicy noble hops. Medium golden clear with thin white foamy lacing head. Medium watery body with high carbonation. Starts sweet with pilsner malt and neutral fruity notes. Clean. Nice medium hop flavor and nice bitterness. Finish is light and sweet with crispy bitterness. Smooth clean after.  Kölsch  72/100

 #183/365: Cortland Firehouse Pale Ale:
Mild malt sweetness, with some biscuit and caramel. Lots of carbonic gaseousness and frothy bitters, with some neutral fruity hop character. Beautiful deep amber clear with creamy-foamy white lacing head. Medium watery body with medium carbonation. Starts with muted sweetness and some neutral fruity character, a little orange. Some caramel. Mild hop flavor with light carbonic acidity. Bitterness is closer to astringent but not too detracting. Has a homebrew-y taste to it, but I’m not sure why. Finish is smooth with light sweet after.  American Pale Ale  66/100

On August 8, I drove down to Pittsburgh to meet up with some fellow Ratebeer members for a tasting, hosted by Justin (one of the brewers at Church).  Nice afternoon ...

#184/365: Westbrook Weisse Weisse Baby:
From bottle, at Dog Days Tasting. Mild tart nose, light lactic, wheat, and cranberries. Pale straw hazy with white thin head. Light body with medium carbonation. Starts tart with cranberry and wheat, lactic sourness. Refreshing with sour finish and smooth tart after.  Berliner Weisse  76/100

 #185/365: Tired Hands Mr. Alien:
From growler. Very mild nose, a bit of pale malt but not much funk or tartness. Pale straw with haze, thin white lacing head. Watery body with medium-mild carbonation. Starts mild with light tartness and some funky quality. A bit water, wheat and mild at the finish. Light and refreshing.  Berliner Weisse  64/100

 #186/365: Trinity TPS Report Ale:
From bottle at Dog Days Tasting. Ginger, orange Tic-Tacs and Tang. Fruity, tart with some Brett. Pale golden with light haze and thin head. Medium body and carbonation. Starts tart and fruity with tangerine and orange, Brett and chalky yeast. Reminds me of a traditional lambic. Smooth tart after with light chalkiness.  Sour/Wild Ale  80/100

 #187/365: Tired Hands Lil' (Ol') Lady:
From growler at Dog Days Tasting. Funky Bretty nose with light malt sweetness and some wheat. Medium golden hazy, with white foamy lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts moderately tart with wheat, light funk and good bitterness throughout. Orange zest and nice hoppy finish with tart after.  Saison  74/100

 #188/365: Tired Hands Singel Hop Saison, Pacifica:
From growler at Dog Days Tasting. Subtle fruity and floral hop aroma - ethereal and heady. Mild sweetness. Pale golden yellow clear with thin white lacing head. Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Nice hop flavor, mild sweet notes with light bitter finish and after.  Saison  76/100

 #189/365: Trinity Damn, It Feels Good to be A Gangsta!:
From bottle at Dog Days Tasting. Smells like drying latex paint. Dull coppery amber clear with no head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts and stays tart with roasted barley and mild hop bitterness. Tart acidic finish with light nutty character and tart after.  Sour/Wild Ale  58/100

 #190/365: Santa Fe Sangre de Frambuesa:
Very mild sweet raspberry juice, musky with light alcohol. This is aged, but has held up well. Coppery amber hazy with off-white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation and alcoholic warming. Big raspberry flavor, aged but good. Alcohol. Medium sweet raspberry jam with mild funk. Mellow overall with warming. Fruity musky finish with nice raspberry after.  Fruit Beer  82/100

 #191/365: Funky Buddha Last Snow Porter:
Smells like Almond Joy with a hint of coffee. Dark black opaque with foamy-creamy lacing tan head. Medium-heavy body with medium-light carbonation. Starts moderately sweet with caramel, coconut, almond, coffee, and chocolate. Tastes like a coffee-Almond Joy mix. Finish is a little dry and watery with a lot of carbonic tartness in the after.  Porter  82/100

 #192/365: Full Sail Imperial Stout:
From 2010 bottle at Dog Days Tasting. Mild alcohol, coffee, chocolate, and tart light soy. Dark black opaque with foamy-creamy light tan head. Medium-heavy body with medium-light carbonation. Starts rich and sweet with chocolate and coffee, mild alcohol, and soy. Carbonic acidity. Light bitter finish with some bitter tang. Nutty sweet after with chalky coffee bitterness. Imperial Stout  80/100

#193/365: Stone Bourbon Barrel Old Guardian Barley Wine:
From bottle at Dog Days Tasting. Alcohol, nutty and oaky. Sweet and malty with light hop character. Smooth nose with some licorice. Dark coppery amber clear with thin lacing off-white head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Sweet with raisin, alcohol, bourbon and oak, and vanilla. Still hot with lots of warming. Heavy viscous sweet finish.  Barley Wine  78/100 

More catching up to do ... September and prepping for Oktoberfest

Beers #152-171: Miscellaneous Summer Tastings

Some more ratings from June & July at various locations ...

#152/365: BrewDog Original Dogma:
From bottle, courtesy of dpjuart. Rye, green peppercorns, floral with pineapple, lemongrass, allspice, and sassafras. Deep coppery amber clear with foamy off-white lacing head. Starts and stays spicy with herbal notes. Smooth and sweet with lasting herbal and bitter finish. Fairly clean after.  Spice/Herb/Vegetable  72/100

#153/365: Evil Twin Yang:
First beer tried in my new Spiegelau IPA glass. Sweet caramel and toffee, mild Twizzlers and brown sugar. Aromatic floral-fruity hops and tea with candied oranges. Hazy orange amber, dark with amber creamy lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Alcohol warming. Starts and stays sweet with brown sugar and candi sugar, alcohol, and neutral fruity character. Floral hoppy character with oranges and apricots. Sweet finish with alcoholic warming. Medium bitter after with sugary tang.  Imperial/Double IPA  84/100

#154/365: Heather Ales Grozet:
From bottle, courtesy of Frank. Light earthy sewage notes. Wheaty with an astringent tang. Hazy-cloudy pale amber with thin white dissipating head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts medium dry and dull with wheat and a flat hop bitterness. Light bitter berry flavor. Sulfury-sewage aroma permeates the flavor, too. Astringent bitter after.  Traditional Ale  32/100

#155/365: Just Beer Horseneck Golden IPA:
On tap at Benjamin’s. Mild floral hop aroma with some butterscotch and biscuit. Medium amber hazy with thin off-white lacing head. Medium body and carbonation. Starts dry with lots of hop flavor, light carbonic acidity and medium biscuit sweetness. Big finishing hop flavor with lasting medium bitter after.  India Pale Ale  64/100

#156/365: Blue Point Rastafa Rye Ale:
On tap at the Knick. Really nice floral hoppy aroma, sweet with caramel and some brown sugar. Spicy rye grain notes. Hazy medium amber with thin off-white head. Medium body with heavy carbonation and carbonic fizz. Starts medium sweet with biscuit and toffee, light spicy character and decent floral hop flavor. Light sweet finish and smooth after.  Specialty Grain  58/100

#157/365:  Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout: From bottle, 4 or 5 years old. Smoky roasted aroma with toffee, vanilla, and a bit of oak. Dark black opaque with no head. Medium heavy body with medium carbonation and alcohol warming. Starts sweet with chocolate, vanilla, oak, and toffee. Big rich malt profile with medium dry bitter roast and some hop bitterness components. Finish is sweet with alcohol notes, roasted bitterness and coffee. Smooth sweet after.  Imperial Stout  84/100

#158/365: Fat Head's #1:
On tap at Mad Mex, Cranberry. Pleasant floral-sweet malt notes with honey, jasmine, and yeast. Mild bubblegum esters. Medium amber clear with light haze, topped with thin white head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts and stays sweet with lots of floral and fruity character, yeast, and bubblegum. Smooth sweet finish with no bitterness.  Saison  72/100

#159/365: Dark Horse Artic Dekoorc Eert:
On tap at Mad Mex, Cranberry. Wonderful hoppy apricot aroma. Fruity and fresh with light resin and light sweetness. Medium golden amber clear with thin head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Mild sweet starts with tons of hop flavor. Apricot and resin, big bitterness throughout. Finish is apricot and mild sweet with big bitter. Medium bitter after.  India Pale Ale   72/100

#160/365: Hill Farmstead What Is Enlightenment?:
From growler, courtesy of Peter & Yolanda. Beautiful hop aroma - piney, apricot, pineapple - sweet and luscious. Pale golden haze with thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts medium sweet with tons of hop flavors. Mild bitterness but intense flavor. A delicious APA and a real treat to try.  American Pale Ale  92/100

#161/365: Otto's Arthur's Imperial Red:
On tap at the brewery. Malt roasty character, nice sweet notes. Mild fruity character, nutty with medium hop aroma. Floral. Dark ruby-amber clear with thin off-white lacing head. Medium body with cask carbonation. Starts malty with roasted grain and lots of fruity notes. Floral hops, bitter throughout. Finish is smooth and nutty with tons of great hop flavor.  Amber Ale  78/100

#162/365: Goose Island Night Stalker:
On tap at Zeno’s. Sweet with licorice and molasses. Chocolate, coffee, cream, and smoke. Alcohol vapors. Dark black opaque with thin than head. Medium-heavy watery body with medium carbonation. Chewy. Starts and stays cloyingly sweet with soy, molasses, licorice, chocolate, and syrup. Big sweet finish and after with cloying sweet soy notes.   Imperial Stout  76/100

#163/365: Elk Creek Great Blue Heron Pale Ale:
On tap at Zeno’s. Rye, malted grain, spicy hop nose. Medium amber clear with some haze, topped with thin white head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts with spicy rye notes, dry grain, and pale malt sweetness. big hoppy presence but not harsh or overpowering. Nice pale ale.  American Pale Ale  72/100

#164/365: Church Brew Coconut Stout:
On tap at Benjamin’s. Light roasted malt with a bit of acrid smoke, lactose sweetness and a hint of coconut and chocolate. Dark black opaque with creamy light tan lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts medium dry with roasted and lightly burnt malt. Coconut flavor with some coffee and chocolate, and a bit of carbonic acidity. Finish is sweet with coconut and vanilla and mild nutty bitterness. A little watery.  Sweet Stout  64/100

#165/365: Ommegang Fleur de Houblon:
On tap at Zeno’s. Nice floral-fruity nose, like a traditional saison. Honey and bubblegum and spice. Mild hops. Light golden clear with some haze, topped with thin head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts medium sweet with dry hop flavor, bubblegum, and wheat. Fairly dry finish with smooth sweet after.  Belgian Ale  80/100

#166/365: Old Forge Celestial Blond Ale:
On tap at The Knick. Mild sweet wheat aroma with some coriander and orange. Honey. Golden amber clear with light haze and thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts sweet with bubblegum, coriander, and honey. Some yeast and fruity esters. Finish is dry with a little honey and mild hop bitterness. Nice but a little too sweet for my taste.  Belgian Ale  66/100

#167/365: Straub IPL:
On tap at The Knick. Rich malty lager aroma, like a heller Bock with lots of fresh grassy hops. There is a note of oxidation here, however not detrimental. Medium-dark amber clear with thin off-white lacing head. Medium-heavy watery body with medium carbonation. Starts medium sweet with rich malt notes and a bit hop bitterness - like a hoppy Bockbier, basically. Some oxidation notes. Big bitter finish and nutty sweetness, with lingering bitter notes.  Premium Lager  58/100

#168/365: Southern Tier 2X Stout:
On tap at The Knick. Mild rich malty nose with lactose, coffee, and chocolate. Pleasant, but not assertive. Mild oak and vanilla. Dark black opaque with beautiful light tan creamy lacing head. Medium body with smooth nitro carbonation. Starts sweet with lactose, chocolate, toasted and slightly bitter malt, and a hint of coffee and smoke. Smooth and sweet with pleasant nutty sweet finish and clean after.  Sweet Stout  80/100

#169/365: Marzoni's Hoppy Wheat:
On tap at the brewery. Nice fresh hop aroma. Citrus, pine, grass, and a bit of wheat tang. Medium amber hazy with thin white lacing head. Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Starts with mild wheat and pale malt sweetness. Huge hop flavor throughout with mild bitter finish and after. More like an APA than a wheat. Refreshing and delicious.  Wheat Ale  82/100

#170/365: New Holland Imperial Hatter:
On tap at Twisted Jimmy’s. Nice hoppy aroma. Spicy and piney with mild sweet caramel and toffee. Deep coppery amber clear with thin head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts somewhat sweet, sugar and caramel. Big hoppy flavor with smooth after and a bit of warming.  Imperial/Double IPA  76/100

#171/365: Lancaster Boss Hog:
On tap at Benjamin’s. Mild hoppy nose, not what I’d expect from IIPA. Deep amber clear with thin head. Medium bodied with medium-high carbonation. Very mild beer for IIPA. Malt sweetness with butterscotch, caramel, and light hop bitterness. Very little bitterness anywhere, with sweet smooth after.  Imperial/Double IPA  60/100

Second Annual Downtown Indiana Oktoberfest

On Saturday, October 12, Downtown Indiana and Holiday Beverages are sponsoring the 2nd Annual Oktoberfest.  Regular session tickets are $35, and the VIP tickets are $60 (SOLD OUT).  For regular session, the event is from 3-6pm, where patrons will be given a 5 oz. commemorative glass for sampling of all the available beers.  Several food vendors will be on hand for separate purchase of sandwiches, kettle corn, funnel cakes, etc.  Live music will be provided, too.

For those who purchased VIP tix, there will be a 2-3pm session, where patrons will be able to sample beers not available during the normal session.  In addition, VIP ticket holders will be able to participate in the after party with festival volunteers and brewers at the Coventry Inn.

Participating brewers this year include: East End Brewing Co., North Country Brewing Co., Rivertowne Brewing Co., Church Brew Works, Marzoni's Brick Oven & Brewing, Penn Brewing Co., Yuengling, and Samuel Adams.  Each brewery will be providing at least two different beers to try (not including VIP selections).

Each patron will be able to vote for their favorite beer of the festival, and the top three beers will be made available at a local pub sponsor (one beer each to the Coney, Twisted Jimmy's, and the Coventry Inn).

The weather forecast looks promising - partly cloudy with high of 70 and no chance of rain!  All proceeds will benefit the Downtown Indiana initiatives.

Beers #136-151: A Week at the Beach

In June, we drove down to Hilton Head, SC for a week's vacation. We've been going on and off since '94, and the beer scene has definitely improved over the years. Up until a few years ago, I usually took stuff with me or ended up just drinking a few SC brews or national brands.  For several trips down, we'd stop in Asheville, NC for a night or two, and I'd grab a case of mixed beers from a couple of the great beers stores there, like Bruisin' Ales.

Luckily, there are now a few places on Hilton Head to find great beer selections, such as Growlers Craft Beer & Ales (link not included because it's recently been attacked with malware).  And, of course, HHI has had a brewpub for years. The food is good, but the beer has been hit and miss. One year we visited and they had ONE beer on tap. During this year's visit, they had five. Meh.  So during this trip, I tried several new beers ...

#136/365: Westbrook White Thai:
From can at Steamers. Coriander and spice, wheat and some clover. Medium golden hazy with thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts sweet and wheaty, light bubblegum and coriander, lemongrass and ginger. Finish is mild bitter with lingering spicy after.  Belgian White (Witbier)  70/100

#137/365: Dieu du Ciel Corne du Diable:
From bottle at Steamers. Really sweet nose, caramel. Big hops, fruity character. Malty and sweet. Deep dark amber, murky with thin off-white lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium-high carbonation. Starts and stays sweet with tons of roasted grain, caramel and toffee. Mild bitter hop finish. Mainly toffee sweet with lingering nutty bitter after.  India Pale Ale  80/100

 #138/365: Evil Twin/Stillwater/Stone The Perfect Crime Black Smoked Saison:
From bottle. Light chocolate malt. Smoky notes and light acidity, hint of wheat. Dark brown clear with thin light tan lacing head. Medium body and medium carbonation. Starts medium sweet and roast, bitter chocolate, coffee, and smoke. Light carbonic tang. Light smoky flavor, not overbearing.  Saison  76/100

#139/365: BottleTree Belgian Blonde:
From bottle. Huge white head on pouring. Light mild sweetness, not quite corn or vegetal, but not favorable. Light fruity hop component and carbonic gaseousness. Clear golden with visible carbonation and hug white rocky-foamy lacing head. Medium body with vigorous carbonation. Starts sweet with pilsner malt, honey, and a hint of corn. Mild alcohol sweetness. Medium carbonic acidity with light bitter hop finish. Some bitter chalky after and lingering sweetness. Reminds me of certain European supermarket beers or a European strong lager in many ways. Belgian Ale   46/100 

 #140/365: Thomas Creek Appalachian Amber Ale:
From bottle. Nice roasted malt and caramel sweetness. Twizzlers. Has a nice dunker Bock nose. Dark amber-brown clear with thin off-white lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts sweet with Twizzlers, caramel, roasted malt, and nutty character. Medium hop bitter finish with lingering sweet nutty after.  Amber Ale  68/100

#141/365: Thomas Creek Up the Creek Extreme IPA:
From bottle. Mild fruity-floral hops with a bit of resin. Caramel and Twizzlers. Dark coppery amber clear with thin light amber head. Medium body with heavy carbonation and alcohol warming. Starts and stays sweet, more like a barley wine than an IIPA. Malty, rich, with nice bittering. Smooth bitter finish, rich and malty. Sweet lingering after.  Imperial/Double IPA  72/100

#142/365: Highland Devil's Britches IPA:
From bottle. Mild hop nose with light orange aroma, a bit spicy with a little rye. Dark amber clear with frothy-foamy white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts a little malty with carbonic bite and lots of hop bitterness. A bit musky with dry nutty bitter after and light oxidation.  India Pale Ale  62/100

#143/365: BottleTree Imperial Red Ale:
From bottle. Chocolate, some Twizzlers, musty and grainy with light metallic nose. Roasted barley. Dark coppery amber clear with light amber lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts a little sweet and bitter with caramel, roasted barley, and mild hops. Medium grainy and lingering bitter finish. Mild sweet nutty after and lingering bitterness.  American Strong Ale  56/100

#144/365: New South White Ale:
From can. Weak wheat-sulfur aroma. Bit of coriander and staleness. Clear dull golden with light haze and thin white head. Light body with medium carbonation. Starts dull and sweet with light wheat, some coriander and lemon. Finish is weak with no residual bitterness or sweetness. OK for a cold chug but not really a good wit.  Belgian White (Witbier)  30/100

#145/365: Lazy Magnolia Reb Ale:
From bottle, as Deep South Pale Ale. Decent hoppy aroma with a little skunk and caramel. Rich amber clear with off-white foamy lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts dry with medium hop bitterness, grainy malt notes and an astringent oxidized bitter quality. Light bit of soap. Finish is medium bitter with lasting astringent bitter after.  American Pale Ale  48/100

#146/365: Westbrook Mexican Cake 1st Anniversary Imperial Stout:
On tap at The Lodge. Nice rich chocolate and coffee nose. Toffee, nutty, with some molasses, mild vanilla, and sugar. Dark black opaque with thin lacing brown head. Thick body with medium carbonation. Starts sweet, malty with lots of cocoa, coffee, molasses, and vanilla. Bitter finish with warming. Nice sweet lingering after with mild bitterness.  Imperial Stout  78/100

#147/365: River Dog IPA:
On tap at The Lodge. Really great hoppy nose. Fresh, fruity, floral and resinous. Mild malt sweetness. Medium amber clear with light foamy lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts with juicy fresh hops and pale malt sweetness. Apricot and a little BandAid. A bit salty. Smooth finish with good hop flavor but no harsh residual bitterness. Nice IPA.  India Pale Ale  74/100

#148/365: R.J. Rockers Bald Eagle Brown:
From bottle. Musky grain, damp aroma. Raw, like a homebrew. A little funky with roasted barley. Carbonic gaseousness. Root beer brown clear with huge rocky-foamy tan lacing head. Medium body with vigorous carbonation (over carbed). Medium malt sweetness with caramel and biscuit. Big carbonic tang and fizzy burn. Neutral brown ale flavor with light tang in the finish and nutty smooth after.  Brown Ale  42/100

#149/365: Westbrook Second Anniversary Cap'n Skoon's Ballistic Stout:
From bomber. Really nice nose. Chocolate, vanilla, oak, smoke, coffee, Twizzlers, molasses. Dark black opaque with thin tan head. Oily body with medium carbonation and warming. Starts and stays sweet with roasted barley, coffee, vanilla, and oak. Alcohol. Big bitter finish with lots of roasted and toasted notes. Big sweet after with smoke and tang.  Baltic Porter  88/100

#150/365: R.J. Rockers Honey Amber Ale:
From bottle. So much CO2 that first sniff in the glass almost makes you asphyxiate. Carbonic gaseousness, neutral fruit and light musty grain. Orange amber clear with off-white lacing head. Medium body with heavy carbonation. Medium sweet start with raw grain, honey. Carbonic bite. Dull sweet finish with mild bitter character. Wet fur after, watery sweetness. Amber Ale  40/100

#151/365: Sweetwater LowRYEder:
From bottle. Medium fruity hop aroma and a little spicy rye character. Medium golden amber clear with mild haze, topped with rocky-foamy white lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Solid IPA, mild malt sweetness with a light rye spicy note. Good fruity hop flavor with medium bitter finish and lingering bitter after.  Specialty Grain  74/100

 Up next ... Downtown Indiana Oktoberfest

Indiana (PA) Beer Scene - Summer 2013

Many years ago, I wrote a blurb about the beer scene here in Indiana (PA). A lot has changed since then (for the better, I might add), so here's a recap of what our little town has to offer. Below is a list of good beer places in town. Caveat: my definition of 'good' is in regard to selections other than macro-brewed pale lagers (e.g., Bud/Miller/Coors, Corona, Heineken, Labatt, etc.) and their lite/light counterparts.

Bars & Restaurants (in no particular order)
Local places that offer up some craft beers on tap or in bottle.

• Ironwood Gril [1830 Oakland Ave.] Has quite a large tap system in place with a few regional micros (Troegs, Penn) and more national brands such as Sam Adams, Leinenkugel's, etc.  The downstairs has coolers with decent six-pack selections and bombers of Stone, Voodoo, and a few imports. One thing I don't care for is that smoking is permitted in the tap room. CORRECTION - Smoking is no longer permitted. And I've visited on a couple of different occasions where the tap lines needed a good cleaning (this hopefully is no longer an issue either).
•  The Coney [642 Philadelphia St.] Offers a few good crafts on tap, which rotate with some frequency. You'll always find a Penn seasonal brew, too. Troegs, Dogfish Head, Leinie's, and Sam Adams are just about always present. For about a year, they carried Marzoni's Avalanche IPA, but that apparently fell out of favor. Monthly bottle selections are offered, ranging from Victory to Bell's to Stone. Recently, they've offered a few large bottles, such as Arrogant Bastard and the 0.5-L Franziskaner (a bit overpriced, however). The food is solid and they still offer my favorite Buffalo wings.
• Benjamin's [458 Philadelphia St.] Terrific enclosed indoor/outdoor patio & bar, with about 18 beers on tap - many are one-offs and they rotate frequently. The current local hangout of the young professional to middle agers, usually always packed.  I've had a lot of good beer here recently, including Bell's Hopslam, Anderson Valley Hop Ottin', Troegs Nugget Nectar, East End Big Hop, Harpoon Chocolate Stout, Southern Tier Pumking, and many others. Chris does a great job of bringing in good stuff on a regular basis.
• Coventry Inn [11 N 6th St.] One of the neater places in town. It opened in the mid-to-late 90's as an English pub, then closed for a while, then reopened in the mid-2000's.  It is only open for dinner (4:30-11:00p) on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.  Great decor - really feel like you're not in Indiana! Small but very good menu offerings, live music on Fridays/Saturdays, and they often hold special events here. The most attractive point to the Coventry is their Happy Hour specials - from 4:30-6:00 on Thur/Fri, you get half-off select appetizers and mixed drinks/beer.  Now, their beer selection is very small and not very interesting, but the food and service is always good. Not a place for a quick in-and-out bite to eat, however.
• Twisted Jimmy's [29 N 7th St.] This place is adjacent to Steel City Samiches, and is owned/operated by the same family.  For the time being, the menus are the same, though I've been told that Jimmy's plans to have a more sophisticated upscale menu (small plates, burgers, etc.) to get away from the traditional bar food that is so prevalent in this town.  They opened in Fall 2012, and once the N 7th Streetscape is finished, they'll be working more with their patio next to the pedestrian area outside. The recently installed a glycol-chilled 20-tap system, with more than half the offerings dedicated to good craft beer. And from 10-12pm, beers are half price ... about $3 for a glass of Dragon's Milk??? I'm in!  Also, I'm told to look for a sister location in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
• H.B. Culpeppers [653 Philadelphia St.] Kind of a standard college town bar, catering to more young professionals and college students. I don't go here that often, save for the occasional happy hour gathering with some IUP colleagues on Friday evening.  Menu is OK and the beer selection has improved. The really good beers are actually upstairs in a renovated bar area (about 5-6 years ago) that's really attractive. Unfortunately, it is also very smoky. I'm not crazy about trying to enjoy a good beer through a cloud of second hand tobacco smoke.  The other annoying part to this is that sometimes they'll have something on tap that I want upstairs, but the wait staff downstairs won't go and get it - meaning I have to either a) settle for mediocre offerings downstairs, or b) go up and get it myself.
• Grub's Sports Bar [566 Philadelphia St.]  With an al fresco dining area, tons of large-screen TVs, and the tagline "Cheap Drinks and Lousy Food" ... what's not to like?  Adjacent to Wolfie's, this place opened a few years back and is very popular.  Occasionally, they'll have a decent craft beer on tap, but mostly they cater to the college sports bar crowd with light beers and pale fizzy lagers. The food is straightforward, good, and cheap.

Distributors & Stores (in no particular order)
Local places that offer up some craft beer by case, six-pack, or singles.

• Holiday Beverages [471 Water St.] Good selection of craft beer in cases with weekly craft beer tastings.
• Duquesne Beer Distributor [1215 Maple St.] Large selection of craft beer in cases, decent prices.
• Martins [1570 Oakland Ave.] Martins started selling beer about two years ago.  Their selection is decent and slightly cheaper for mix-your-own six packs. However, their selection is not as good (my opinion) as Giant Eagle.  They other annoying thing about buying beer here is that - unlike Giant Eagle - you cannot carry your purchase out of the cafe area while you complete your shopping.  So, you either have to buy your beer after you've shopped or you have to make a trip back to your car. Annoying!
• Giant Eagle [475 Ben Franklin Rd. South] The 'new' Giant Eagle opened up a few years back, after the old one downtown was closed and demolished for the new Giant Eagle Express. Very nice beer selection of six-packs, bombers, and mix-your-own.  Prices are a little higher than Martins, but the selection is better.  For me, this store holds the distinction of carrying my absolute favorite beer: Orval (and a few other Trappist beers).  Seasonal offerings abound, and I can always find a beer or two that I've not had yet.  Also, despite having to purchase your beer separately, you can put it in your cart and continue shopping (unlike Martins). Or, you can have a few beers in the cafe with food from the hot bar or salad bar.
• Giant Eagle Express [435 S 7th St.]  Opened last year at the site of the 'old' Giant Eagle, with beer at the cafe in six packs, mixed singles, and bombers.  Again, a better selection that Martins but more expensive. Handy for lunch, too, since you can get subs/sandwiches/salad bar/sushi to eat with your beer in the cafe - and there is outdoor seating and free wireless.

Homebrew Supplies

• Montgomery Underground Winery [11032 US 422, Shelocta] The winery has a retail store on 422 near Elderton that also serves as a homebrew supply store.  They carry all of the basic (and some specialized) equipment, ingredients, and kits. And if they don't have it, they'll make every attempt to order it for you.  Many of the club members get their stuff here, and the owners (Tom & Della) are regular attendees (and great brewers!).
• The Homebrew & Hobby Shop [540 Franklin St., Clymer] Just opened a few months ago. I've not yet been, nor do I know anything about it.

Beers #123-135: Pints for Pets

So this has turned out to be the "summer that wasn't", in terms of feeling like it's actually summer. Yeah, we've had some warm weather and all, but between home projects and research at work, I don't feel like I've had much downtime (including updating this blog!).  But I shall attempt to get caught up in the coming few weeks before the Fall semester starts in 3 weeks.

#123/365: Sixpoint 3Beans:
From can. Chocolate malted nose, sweet with brown sugar and molasses. Tootsie Roll. Dark black opaque with foamy-rocky light tan lacing head. Medium chewy body with medium-light carbonation. Carbonic tang and light alcoholic warming. Starts sweet and malty with lots of chocolate, some coffee, and a barley wine-like sweet malt flavor. Coffee and light vanilla. Finish is sweet with a good hit of astringent bitterness. Fairly smooth after with lingering bitter.  Imperial/Strong Porter  80/100

#124/365: Leinenkugel's Canoe Paddler:
On tap at Twisted Jimmy’s. Very mild aroma - a bit of beany hops and mild pale malt sweetness. Light golden blond clear with thin white head. Light body with medium-high carbonation. Starts with light carbonic acidity, mild pale malt sweetness ,and light beany hop flavor. Mild flavors overall, with some carbonic bite to it. Some honey and dusky grain. Watery finish, clean after. Nothing really wrong with it, but not a good kölsch example.  Kolsch  42/100

On May 18, several fellow homebrew club members & beer lovers rented the Coney van to travel to the Altoona Curve ballpark for the annual Pints for Pets beer festival.  I have gone every year since this started - except for last year because IUP's graduation conflicted.  Well, this year, graduation also conflicted, but I decided to go drink beer instead (sorry grads, but no regrets here!).  We attended the 1-4pm session, followed by dinner (and more beer) at the Knickerbocker.

#125/365: Old Forge Hopsmith India Pale Ale:
Nice beany hop aroma, crisp noble hop note. Pale golden clear with white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts dry with crisp hop profile and mild pale malt sweetness. Finishes bitter but nice smooth after. Crisp and refreshing.  Premium Lager  72/100

#126/365: Rock Bottom (Pittsburgh) Surely You Zest:
Nice spicy nose with lime, lemongrass, and herbal notes. Spicy hops and aromatic. Pale golden clear with thin white head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts zesty and citric with lime and lemongrass. Nice sweetness to it. Finish is herbal and bitter with a tang of citrus.  Wheat Ale  66/100

#127/365: Victory Swing Session Saison:
Light hoppy aroma, spicy with notes of citrus, sulfur, and fruity esters. Yeasty. Nice saison aroma profile. Pale straw clear with thin head. Medium body with vigorous carbonation. Starts with wheat and pilsener malt notes, light sulfur, citrus and herbs. Tasty saison that’s not too overwhelming. Not quite crisp but enjoyable. Done well for the style, with mild chalky bitter after.  Saison  74/100

#128/365: Riepstine's Timbertown Scotch:
Buckwheat honey and sweet tang, light oak. Sweet and musky, very nice aroma. Medium brown amber clear with light haze. Thin white head. medium body and carbonation. Starts sweet with molasses and buckwheat honey, rich malt. nice oak flavor on this one. Finish sweet and smooth - a nice Scottish ale.  Scottish Ale  80/100

#129/365: Uinta Dubhe Imperial Black IPA:
Rich roast, rubbery, light chocolate and coffee, lots of hops. Dark brown clear with thin tan head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Roasted notes, chocolate and coffee. Big hop flavor with molasses. Finish is medium bitter but not harsh.  Black IPA  78/100

#130/365: Voodoo Delicate Like A Flower:
Light hop nose, subtle. Hazy amber with thin white lacing head. Medium body with heavy carbonation. Starts medium sweet with light pale malt and wheat character. Subtle but delicious hop flavors and an underlying herbal quality. Smooth finish with light floral orange blossom.  Belgian Ale  74/100

#131/365: Blue Canoe Cream of Hop Soup:
Wonderful hop nose, floral and aromatic, grassy. Pale golden amber hazy with thin white head. Medium body and medium carbonation. Starts medium sweet with tons of hop character. Beany, rubbery, grassy, and resinous. Delicious stuff. A nice IPA with smooth bitter finish and after.  India Pale Ale  84/100

#132/365: Straub Maibock:
Double decoction German bock aroma. Sweet and malty with light herbal hops. Medium amber golden clear with thin white head. Medium body with light carbonation. Starts and stays sweet with rich malt flavor. Nice hop finish, and sweet lingering after. Very nice!  Heller Bock  74/100

#133/365: Thirsty Dog Citra Dog:
Really nice hoppy aroma on this. Grassy and resinous. Light golden clear with white lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Nice hop flavor throughout, medium sweetness and light carbonic tang. Nice IPA, finishes smooth and well balanced with lingering hop bitterness.  India Pale Ale  78/100

#134/365: Elysian Idiot Sauvin IPA:
Hoppy nose with notes of pear and apricot. Sweet notes. Medium amber, hazy with thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium-light carbonation. Starts sweet with fruity esters. Fairly bitter finish with sweet eatery after. Very nice IPA with big hop profile but not a harsh bitterness in the finish or after.  India Pale Ale  76/100

All in all, a good festival (as usual) and they once again raised a lot of money for the Central PA Humane Society.  I can't remember the rest of May, really, other than getting ready for our vacation.  I did have one new beer before that ...

#135/365: Maine Beer Mean Old Tom:
Nice rich malty aroma, smoke, charred coffee, light vanilla. A bit of tang and earth, lactose. Dark black opaque with thin cocoa-brown lacing head. Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Starts dry with lots of roasted character, mild coffee and char. Some light carbonic acidity with medium bitterness. Finish is light sweet with medium bitterness. Can just taste the vanilla here but it’s subtle. Charred bittersweet after.  Stout  80/100

Coming up ... a beach trip.

Coming Soon ...

Been a bit busy!  Here's what's coming up soon ...

• a review of Craft Beer magazine (iPad app)
• notes from Pints for Pets
• South Carolina & beer
• Downtown Indiana Oktoberfest
• my first homebrew in a while

Beers #116-122: An Afternoon in the Burgh

To celebrate the end of classes for yet another academic year, I dropped the boy off at my parents and headed to Pittsburgh for a few hours of alone time (sort of).  Drove down through Butler to check out the locations for two new upcoming brewpubs in town (Butler Brew Works and Reclamation Brewing Co.) - a block away from each other!  That's going to be interesting in such a small town, but it works in other places, so I can only hope it'll work out for both of these places in the coming years.

Picked up my brother and headed to Piper's Pub for lunch. Tried their chips & curry appetizer (spicy but not overwhelming) and got my favorite dinner - lamb & smoked chestnut shepherds pie.  With that I enjoyed a couple of draughts of specialty beers crafted for PCBW.

116/365: Penn Fakin' The Funk:
Light woody tart nose and not much else. Coppery amber clear with lacing head. Medium body with medium-light carbonation. Watery tart with mild woody notes and medium acidity. Dry nutty finish with dry after.  Sour Red/Brown  56/100

117/365: Full Pint None More Black IPA:
Roasty and hoppy, like a toasted Band-Aid. Sweet and a bit smoky. Light hoppy notes. Dark black opaque with thin tan lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Carbonic tang with roasted coffee and chocolate. Light Band-Aid and big big hop bitterness. Finishes roasted and bitter with big last hop bitterness. Lingering dark chocolate sweetness in the after.  Black IPA  68/100

After dropping my brother off at his place, I ran some errands and did some shopping before heading over to New Kensington to the House of 1000 Beers.  I love this place, and the $3 6-oz pours allows one to try a bunch of stuff without getting overwhelmed.  (Here is their current tap list)

118/365: Draai Laag Goedenacht:
Light sweet tripel aroma, yeast and esters, mild bubblegum and honey. Light golden clear with thin white lacing head. Medium body with light-medium carbonation. Starts and stays sweet with light bubblegum, yeasty notes, and a hint of honey-sugar tang. Notes of cherry wood in the finish, with sweet after. Mild warming. Nice ale, fruity.  Belgian Ale  72/100

119/365: Voodoo Redneck Riviera Red:
Fresh grassy-spicy hop aroma, wonderfully aromatic. Just a hint of caramel sweetness. Deep coppery amber clear with some haze, topped with large foamy off-white head. Medium body with medium-soft carbonation. Starts rich with lots of caramel, big fresh bitter spicy hop character and light grainy notes. Finish is bitter and smooth with lingering bitter chalky after.  American Strong Ale  80/100

120/365: Half Acre Daisy Cutter:
Fresh citrusy hops, bursting with aroma. Light grassy notes, really pops. Orange blossom and ozone. Pale golden clear with pillowy white lacing head. Medium-light body with medium carbonation - smooth. Starts dry with tons of hop flavor. Bright, citrus, pine resin, and ozone. Dry finish with tons of hop flavor but not much bitterness. Nice dry APA.  American Pale Ale  84/100

121/365: Harpoon Leviathan Czernobog:
Smoky with coffee, soy sauce, molasses, and chocolate. Light alcohol sweetness. Mild vanilla. Dark black opaque with thin cocoa head. Medium chewy body with medium carbonation. Starts rich and malty with chocolate and molasses, coffee, and a bit of smoke. Mild alcohol warming. Big chocolate-molasses finish with nutty sweet and bitter after.  Imperial Stout  84/100

122/365: Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon:
Chocolate, roast coffee, and vanilla. Mild hop nose. Dark black opaque with thin lacing head. Thick body with medium carbonation. Sweet, rich, and malty. Smoky with molasses, coffee, and vanilla. Nice warming. Big sweet malty after with a bit of lingering bitterness.  Imperial Stout  84/100

Beers #110-115

Got a few new samples over the past week or so.

110/365: Church Brew D'Pomme Rye Saison:
From growler, courtesy of John C. Mild fruity character, bit of apple juice and light tart quality. Yeasty esters and a bit of banana and bubblegum. Medium golden amber clear with no head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts with neutral fruity character. Honey and mild apple cider vinegar tang. Yeasty bubblegum finish with orange tang and lasting juicy character.  Saison  66/100

111/365: Penn Overlook IPA:
From bottle at Nap’s. Skunky hop aroma. Sulfury, vegetal, eggy, and a bit of noble hops. Medium amber clear with foamy white lacing head. Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Starts dry with lots of hop bitterness. Mild malt sweetness with some vegetal notes. Big bitter dry finish with lasting harsh bitter in the after.  India Pale Ale  44/100

112/365: East End Pennsyl-tucky Uncommon:
From growler. Tart nose, roasted barley and smoky, with light chocolate and some spicy character. Dark brown hazy-clear with thin brown head. Medium bodied with medium-high carbonation. Starts tart with cherries and sour mash. Kind of like a brown sour but more acidic, less sweet. Nice tart finish with roasted smooth finish and after.  Traditional Ale  74/100 

113/365: Helltown Rapture:
On tap at Burgatory. Fresh hoppy grassy nose with neutral fruit sweetness. Dark amber clear with thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium-heavy carbonation. Starts fairly dry with huge hop flavor and bitterness. Big bitter finish with alcohol warming and a bit of neutral fruity character. Big bitter after.  India Pale Ale   74/100

114/365: New Holland Black Tulip Trippel Ale:
On tap at the Knick. Light bubblegum and yeast. Bit of fruity ester with mild alcohol vapor. Medium golden pale clear with thin white head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation and alcohol warming. Starts sweet with honey, bubblegum esters, light chalky yeast and alcohol notes. Big sweet finish with light smooth after.  Abbey Tripel  72/100

115/365: Lancaster Black Boar IPA:
On tap at the Knick. Rich malty and chocolate nose, with light coffee grounds and light hops. Dark black clear with thin off-white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Dry roast black patent malt, dusty with carbonic tang. Dry bitter finish and after. Tasty black IPA.  Black IPA  76/100

Hoping to get somewhere tomorrow for a few pints in celebration of the end of Spring semester, and next weekend (May 18), I'm excited to be going to the Pints for Pets festival in Altoona!

Beers #89-109: The Sour & The Funky

I was able to get to one event in celebration of Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week 2013 - The Sour & The Funky tasting at House of 1000 Beers in New Kensington (Sat Apr 27).  In light of my poor performance in April, I was eager to enjoy as many sour and funky beers as possible.  I arrived shortly before 1pm to check in. The tasting was run festival-style, with participants given a wrist band and tasting glass for ~2-3 oz. pours from taps and bottles.  It was very laid back, and the majority of my conversations were with Dan, a fellow RateBeer member from Pittsburgh.

Here goes ...

89/365: Bullfrog Jong Bruin:
Nice Flemish sour brown and oaky aroma. No hops. Tart and funky. Dark brown clear with no head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Tart sour brown ale with oak and funky notes, not quite cheesy. Wonderfully acidic and fruity, with smooth tart aftertaste and a bit of lingering sweetness.  Sour Red/Brown  78/100

90/365: Draai Laag La Pienture:
Estery with alcohol and isopropanol notes. Fruity and vapory. Dark brown hazy with foamy-creamy off-white lacing head. Medium body with medium smooth carbonation. Starts a bit sweet with nice oaky notes. Cherries and alcohol, finishing with cherry and oak. Smooth after. Nice tart fruit beer.  Lambic-Fruit  80/100

91/365: Bullfrog Pomme Par Jour:
Mandarin oranges, pears, and a light funk note. Apple must, yeasty. Light golden clear with thin white head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts sweet with apple notes, light chalky notes, and hop bitterness. A hint of Calvados. Finishes musty and bitter.  Fruit Beer  64/100

92/365: Allagash Interlude:
Light Brett nose but not overpowering. Bit of oak and hint of tartness. Hazy amber golden with thin head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts medium sweet with underlying funky-Brett and tart side. Oaky notes with neutral fruit, with light bitter finish. Ends with some carbonic tang and underlying bitter funky quality.  Belgian Strong Ale  76/100

93/365: Bullfrog Aggro Wheat:
Fresh fantastic hop nose with hint of spice to it. Underlying sweetness, grassy. Pale straw with light hazy and very thin head. Medium body with heavy carbonation. Starts with mild wheat and a ton of hops, not funky. Light overall, with a medium bitter finish and chalky after. More of a hoppy ale than sour or wild.  Sour Ale/Wild Ale  80/100

94/365: Petrus Aged Red:
Smells like cherry Sucrets - dark cherry and woody notes. Dark blood-red clear with thin light-pink head. Medium-thick body with medium carbonation with some fizz. Starts sweet with cherries and brown sugar sweetness. Underlying bitterness and tannic quality at the finish. A little too sweet for my tastes.  Sour Red/Brown  68/100

95/365: Anchorage Whiteout Wit Bier:
Smooth yeasty Brett notes, sweet. Subtle nose by very nice. Cloudy straw-white with thin white head. Medium body with light carbonation. Starts yeasty and Bretty with sweetness and a hint of light funk or tartness. Tasty and smooth.  Belgian White (Witbier)  76/100

96/365: 1809 Berliner Style Weisse:
Watery funky nose with apricot and pear nectar notes, light Brett funk. pale straw clear with foamy white lacing head. Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Medium tart beer with light sour-funk. Notes of pear and apricots. Tart but not as sour as other Berliner Weisses I’ve tried. Light, refreshing, and overall, a little watery.  Berliner Weisse  60/100

97/365: Cisco Island Reserve Pedaler Blueblerry Bleer:
Mild funky notes with predominant notes of blueberries, fresh and musty aromas. Light tang and medicinal funk. Dark blue-reddish hazy with thin pink lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts and stays tart with lots of berry flavor. Musty and bitter with blueberry sour finish, light chalky acidic after. A bit of BandAid in the after, but not bad.  Fruit Beer  68/100

98/365: BRUX Domesticated Wild Ale:
Pretty mild nose, light Brett and neutral fruity funk and some honey. Cloudy golden amber with white lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts and stays sweet with mild Brett and light honey, caramel. Not much funk to this one. Perhaps needs to age a bit? Belgian Strong Ale  62/100b

99/365: Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura:
Sour Coco Wheat! Funky and chocolatey nose with hints of coffee and molasses. Muddy coffee-brown with thin cocoa-colored lacing head. Medium body with silky carbonation. Tart stout with tons of cocoa powder and wonderfully tart finish. Smooth.  Stout  74/100

100/365: Uinta Crooked Line Birthday Suit - 20th Anniversary:
Nose of sour milk and lavender. Tart and smooth. Dark brown clear (like root beer) with thin head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Like Hawaiian Punch and apricots, sour and tasty and easy drinking. Almost like a fruit juice with carbonic tang. Smooth tart after.  Sour Ale/Wild Ale  78/100

101/365: Oude Gueuze Tilquin a l'Ancienne:
Sour, Bretty, horse blanket and leather. Funky, sour, and sublime. Hazy golden amber with thin white head. Medium watery body with medium-high carbonation. Starts sour, sour, sour. Brett, acidity, and funky leather. Dry, tasty gueuze that I could drink all day. Funky, sour, tasty, and refreshing. Sublime.  Lambic-Gueuze  86/100

102/365: Green Flash Rayon Vert:
Nose of BandAid and Brett, carbonic tang. Hazy golden amber with foamy white lacing head. Medium body with heavy carbonation. Starts medium sweet and dry with tons of Brett and light BandAid. Pale malt and carbonic acidity. Really carbed up, surprised these aren’t bottle bombs. Smooth tangy finish with light Brett, dry after.  Belgian Ale  74/100

103/365: Russian River Sanctification:
Mild tart nose with good Brett notes, yeasty and aromatic. Pale golden hazy with thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts and stays sour with tons of Brett and sour-funky notes. Carbonic acidity, with sour and Bretty finish. Nice one.  Sour Ale/Wild Ale  80/100

104/365: Goose Island Madame Rose:
Tart fruit and cherry, vanilla and oak. Nice aroma. Dark brow-amber clear with thin lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Nice cherry sour and Bretty funk. Smooth and tart. Oaky with vanilla and light chocolate. Delicious.  Sour Ale/Wild Ale  82/100

105/365: The Bruery Rueuze:
Funky and Bretty and sour. Nice wheaty funk. Very traditional profile. Cloudy golden pale with no head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Tons of Brett and funk, with acid reflux sourness. Delicious and reminiscent of traditional versions. Nice sour gueuze that I would drink a lot of.  Lambic-Gueuze  82/100

106/365: Rodenbach Vintage (2010):
The aroma of Grand Cru, oaky and sour with soy and vinegar. Dark reddish-brown hazy with thin off-white head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Sweet, oaky, tart, and sugary. A bit of cherry, light oxidation. Beany sweet finish with light soy tang.  Sour Red/Brown  72/100

107/365: Goose Island Matilda:
Nice funky nose, sweet with a bit of vapor and light woody notes. Mild Brett. Medium golden clear with light haze, topped with big fluffy head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts light sweet with caramel, honey, and a bit of funk. Yeasty with alcohol vapor and honey. Light sweet funky after.  Belgian Ale  72/100

108/365: Telegraph Reserve Wheat: 
Medium wheaty nose with a bit of sour character. Cloudy pale with thin head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Mild sour Brett notes but overall a bit watery. A decent level of sourness but not assertive. Wheat-lemon after.  Berliner Weisse  58/100

109/365: Voodoo (HTP) Hail to Pitt IPA:
Wonderful fresh hoppy nose, floral and bright. Mild sweetness. Pale dull golden clear with thin lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Huge hoppy profile throughout and mild sweet character. Big hop flavors from start to finish. Big hoppy finish with bitter lasting after.  India Pale Ale  66/100

Whew!  All in all, a really nice tasting. Well run and laid back with a lot of great samples to try.  I'm still behind in my tastings, but a little closer now to being caught up.  I look forward to getting back on track, and in particular, I am excited to get back to this year's Pints For Pets Brewfest in Altoona on May 18.

Beers Offered at the 2013 "The Sour & The Funky"

On Saturday, April 27, House of 1000 Beers in New Kensington held "The Sour & The Funky" beer tasting event from 1-4 pm, in celebration of Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week.

Here was the line-up:
Bottles:

• Anchorage Whiteout
• Petrus Aged Pale
• Petrus Oud Bruin
• Bell's Oarsman
• Bockor's Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge
• The Bruery Saison Rue
• Cisco Pedaler Blueblerry Bleer (no, that's not misspelled)
• Goose Island Matilda
• Green Flash Rayon Vert
• Hanssens Oudbeitje
• Hanssens Oude Kriek
• Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura
• Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial
• Liefmans Cuvee Brut
• Lindemans Cassis
• Lindemans Cuvee Rene
• Lindemans Faro
• Oud Beersel Framboise
• Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse
• Rodenbach Classic
• Sierra Nevada/Russian River Brux Domesticated Wild Ale
• Telegraph Reserve Wheat
• Tilquin Oude Gueuze
• Timmermans Framboise
• Timmermans Kriek
• Timmermans Strawberry
• Timmermans Bourgogne des Flandres
• Uinta Birthday Suit (20th Anniversary)
• St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition
• Monk's Cafe 

On Tap:

• Allagash Interlude
• Petrus Aged Red
• Bullfrog Aggro Wheat
• Bullfrog Jong Bruin
• Bullfrog Pomme Par Jour
• Draai Laag Goedenacht
• Draai Laag La Pienture
• St. Louis Framboise

Special bottles (after 3pm)

• The Bruery Rueuze
• The Bruery Sour in the Rye
• Goose Island Madame Rose
• Rodenbach Vintage 2010
• Russian River Consecration
• Russian River Sanctification

Beers #82-88: A Slow Month

"April is the cruellest month", if one is to believe Mr. Eliot, and for my beer drinking it certainly has been. April is the month in academics where everyone tries to cram in every last thing they can before the summer break. As a result, I've been drinking a lot more coffee than anything else, and my 'beer a day' challenge has suffered a serious setback because of this.  Today is the 119th day of the year and I am behind!  Below are a few brews I had between the last week of March and last week.

82/365: 21st Amendment Lower De Boom:
Sweet and sticky toffee and caramel aroma with a lot of neutral fruit and mild hops. There is a metallic note here, too, like copper or iron. Dark coppery amber clear with hardly any head. Heavy body with medium carbonation and alcoholic warming. Starts sweet with alcohol, hotness, caramel, toffee, and brown sugar. Plenty of bitter hop finish with neutral fruity character. Warming nutty bitter-hoppy finish. Lingering sweetness in the after but not cloying. A little rough around the edges.  Barley Wine  66/100

83/365: Coors Batch 19:
Nose is be any with noble hops and skunky notes - no sweetness. Dark orange-amber clear with foamy off-white lacing head. Medium watery body with medium-high carbonation. Starts with light malt sweetness, light carbonic acidity and a dry hoppy bitterness. Fairly mellow throughout with decent hop finish - slightly nutty and sweet, with carbonic fizz-bite. Dry light sweet after with some be any hop flavor.  Premium Lager  48/100

84/365: Third Shift Amber Lager:
(This is another MillerCoors beer - pretty much a maltier version of Batch 19). Nose is be any with noble hops and skunky notes - no sweetness. Dark orange-amber clear with foamy off-white lacing head. Medium watery body with medium-high carbonation. Starts with medium malt sweetness, light carbonic acidity and a dry hoppy bitterness. Fairly mellow throughout with decent hop finish - slightly nutty and sweet, with carbonic fizz-bite. Dry light sweet after with some medium hop flavor.  Amber Lager/Vienna  46/100

85/365: Samuel Adams New Albion Ale:
Sweet with beany alcohol-light vegetal nose and a bit of hop-fruity character. Dull muted nose. Dull golden clear with thin white head. Medium body with medium-dull carbonation. Sweet and neutral fruit character. Light to medium chalky bitterness with vegetal-metallic notes. Reminds me of a European strong lager, actually.  American Pale Ale  58/100

86/365: Marzoni's Biere de Marz:
Mild sweet pale malt aroma with light bit of sulfur and a tad yeasty. Honey and lemon peels. Cloudy medium amber with thin frothy head. Medium body with medium-light carbonation. Starts and stays sweet, with coriander, bubblegum, orange peel and yeast. Light chalky bitter finish with mildl grain notes. Nice smooth finish. Very easy drinking beer.  Belgian Ale  74/100

87/365: 21st Amendment Sneak Attack Saison:
Floral and fragrant, spicy with cardamon and allspice notes. Orange and orange peel with a little vanilla. Medium golden clear with thin white lacing head. Medium body with heavy carbonation. Starts sweet and spicy with cardamon and bitter orange peel. Bitter spice and hop finish with carbonic tang. Lasting bitterness with orange zest sweetness.  Saison  66/100

88/365: Heather Ales Fraoch (Bottle):
Mild herbal-floral notes, a bit of lemongrass and some sweetness. Medium golden amber clear with thin white head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Sweet with pale malts, herbal notes and a light bitterness. Overall, a mild ale with decent sweet herbal quality.  Traditional Ale  54/100

Next up ... trying to catch up at The Sour & The Funky!

Beers #78-81: San Francisco Day #3

We decided to have breakfast at The Grove again, since it was both enjoyable and convenient. Today we decided that we would take a ferry over to Tiburon, have lunch, and then grab a bus up to Muir Woods to see some Redwoods.

We grabbed a streetcar near the hotel in order to get to Pier 39.  As luck would have it, it took over 30 minutes to get there. We arrived at 11:45 to take the 11:40 ferry (last one until afternoon) ... and found that they had some issues and were still docked!  Waited about 15 minutes and took off for a boat ride over to Sausalido, passing Alcatraz Island.  From there, we rode to Tiburon.  Quaint little town with shops and restaurants, not as touristy as Sausalido.  However, we found out too late that the buses that run up to Muir don't start until May ... no way to get there from here, as it were.

Since we couldn't get a boat back to town for a couple of hours, we had a lazy lunch at Sam's Anchor Cafe, sitting on the dock and enjoying the sunshine (while also keeping an eye out for greedy gulls). They boasted about their New England clam chowder. It was OK but nothing special.

78/365: Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin:
Light chocolate, coffee, licorice, and burnt-roasted malts. Mild hop character and a little tang. Dark brown-black with thin tan head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts dry with roasted malt and light burnt character. Carbonic and sugar tang with mealy-meaty soy finish. Nutty mild sweet after.  Stout  64/100

After lunch, we walked around town, then sat by the docks and waited for the ferry.  The ferry ride back first went to Angel Island, then Sausalido, then finally back to the city.  By this time it was pretty cloudy, so I caught a nap inside the boat.

Since the redwoods didn't pan out, we decided to take a GPS-guided tour through the city on a little go-cart ... you look really cheesy driving around with the helmet, etc., but it was really a lot of fun. Found in San Diego, Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon, the GoCar allows you to putter along the streets while a GPS-tour guide gives you the low down about the sites you're passing.  We took a two-hour tour and drove up to the Golden Gate Bridge, through the Presidio and various neighborhoods, and down Lombard Street before returning to the shop. It was a little chilly and a few of the hills were almost too much for the little thing, but we had a great time - I'd highly recommend it!

Not wanting to wait for the bus again, we splurged on a cab back to the hotel to get changed.

For our last dinner in town, we went to the Abbot's Cellar in the Mission. Same folks who run the Monk's Kettle have this place, though the Cellar is a bit more upscale. It was a Monday night, so even though we'd made reservations, we didn't really need them.  Small but quality food menu, including a four-course tasting menu paired with beers. Beer menu was eclectic, not huge, but of very high quality.  It was nice that they allowed bottle pours from 750 mL bottles, but a lot of them were overpriced considering the sample size.  Over dinner, I enjoyed:

79/365: Firestone Walker Pivo Pils:
Really aromatic nose, malt and grains, jasmine, soap, and tea. Fruity-herbal hoppy notes. Golden clear with roomy lacing white head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts with terrific herbal hops and beany mash. Pilsner malt sweetness, but finishes dry with great grassy hop bitterness. Tasty beer. Very drinkable with lasting bitter after.  Pilsener  84/100

80/365: Heretic Shallow Grave Porter:
Roasted toasted coffee, licorice, chocolate, and lactose. Really nice sweet and salty porter aromas. Dark black-brown opaque with lacing tan head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation and some warmness. Starts sweet and rich with chocolate, coffee, lactose, and molasses. Chocolate malted milk, sweet finish with nutty sweet bitter after. Nice porter.  Porter  84/100

81/365: Freigeist Abraxxxas:
Nice smoky nose, a bit of tart with a hint of lactic. Airy, fruity, oranges. Cloudy pale amber with thin white lacing head. Medium watery body with medium carbonation. Starts with a little orange sweetness. Nice smoky flavor throughout - more like a lichtenheiner than traditional Berliner, could be tarter, but nice.  Berliner Weisse  76/100

We grabbed a taxi back to the hotel, packed, and got ready to get up at 3:30 for our 6:00 flight home. All in all, a great trip - not really that relaxing compared to sitting on a beach but enjoyable.

Beers #73-77: San Francisco Day #2

On Sunday, we slept in.  After getting ready, we walked a few blocks over to have a late breakfast at Blue Bottle Coffee.  Apparently a popular place, as there was a 20-minute wait to order.  The coffee was good, don't get me wrong, but I didn't see anything substantially better in it than we can get right here at home at The Commonplace.  From here, we strolled over to Market to get a bus and headed up Haight on our way to Golden Gate Park.  Of course, I can't ride up Haight without stopping at Toronado for a few short pours!

73/365: Moonlight Bombay by Boat IPA:
Nice hoppy aroma. Fresh and grassy, caramel, and toasted malt. Pale golden amber clear with thin rocky-foamy white lacing head. Medium body with cask carbonation. Starts medium dry with some caramel and roasted malty character. Tons of hop flavor and bitterness from start to finish, though not completely overpowering. Nice cask IPA.  India Pale Ale  78/100

74/365: Dupont La Bière de Beloeil:
Aroma is rich and malt with a lot of dark fruit notes, vinous with plum and Concord grape juice. Candy-like. Dark golden amber clear with thin lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts malty and slightly sweet. Dark fruit sweetness with mild orange notes and grape juice. Finish is light bitter with good sweet notes and nutty bitterness. Tasty.  Bière de Garde  82/100

75/365: The Bruery Sour in the Rye:
Light tart-lactic nose with oak, light spicy character, and a hint of sweetness. Hazy lustrous orange-amber with thin white head. Medium body with heavy carbonation. Tarts and lactic with chardonnay, mild spicy notes and touch of vanilla. Great sour ale with woody funky finish and lasting tart after.  Sour Ale/Wild Ale  84/100

76/365: Moonlight Death and Taxes:
Great chocolate malt, roasted barley, light smoke - sweet and nutty. Dark black opaque with thin creamy lacing tan head. Medium body with high carbonation and a bit of fizz. Starts rich, malty with roasted barley, light smoke, and chocolate. Ground coffee notes with light carbonic tang. Nutty sweet finish with some light smoky after.  American Dark Lager  82/100

We got back on the bus and went up to Golden Gate Park. After a pit stop at Whole Foods, we entered the park and walked for about an hour, then exited on the northern side to catch another bus to the beach.  We walked along the beach for a bit, enjoying the sun and views.  Our plan was to do some hiking along the Coastal Trail, but we decided to have a light lunch before the hike.  Up the hill from the beach was the Cliff House, a nice (a bit pricy) restaurant on a cliff overlooking the Pacific.  In addition to a Deschutes Black Butte Porter, I had

77/365: Pyramid Hefeweizen:
Very mild aroma with the faintest hint of clove and esters. Not a very strong nose. Looks nice, with cloudy golden amber body topped with a thin white head. Medium-light watery body with medium carbonation. Starts a little sweet with mild fruity esters and a bit of clove and wheat. Mainly kinda bland, watery - but not off. Orange is probably the biggest flavor component. Refreshing but not really much towards the style.  Wheat Ale  48/100

After lunch, we walked up the hill and got on the Coastal Trail, which leads up around the bend to provide spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the coastline.  A bit windy, but a nice hike for a few miles.  We ended up in a residential neighborhood and walked down to China Beach, then grabbed a bus and headed back to our hotel.

We got warmed up, took a break, then decided what to do about dinner.  After tossing around options, we decided we were hungry for Chinese again.  We took the bus to Chinatown and ate next door to House of Nanking at a place called Chef Jia's.  Great food and less expensive than House of Nanking - can't figure out why they don't gather the crowds like their neighbor!

After all the walking, we grabbed a bus back to the hotel and called it a night.

Up next ... San Francisco Day 3

Beers #68-72: San Francisco Day #1

On Saturday, March 16, my wife and I caught a 6am flight from Pittsburgh to San Francisco for a three-day vacation.  The flight out is direct, but coming back you have to fly through Chicago (O'Hare) ... no idea why ... guess not enough people want to fly from San Fran to Pittsburgh?

Anyway, we enjoyed three days of sightseeing, walking, and enjoying a lot of great food and beer.  If you've never been, San Francisco is a GREAT beer city.  Tons of local breweries/brewpubs, and of course, access to a lot of West Coast products that never seem to quite make it back to Pennsylvania.

We arrived around 8:30 and caught the BART train to downtown.  After dropping of our luggage, we grabbed breakfast at The Grove.  Had a terrific steak & eggs dish similar to huevos rancheros with copious amounts of coffee.  From there, we walked up Market Street and watched the crowds gather for the St. Patrick's Day parade.  I bought some three-day travel passes while Dana held a place in line to catch the cable car over to Fisherman's Wharf.

We walked around some of the piers (not 39, however) and just sat by the ocean for a bit and enjoyed a sunny, albeit windy, late morning.  Great views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and downtown.  From there, we walked over to Chinatown and had lunch at House of Nanking, home to award-winning chef Peter Fang.  He waited on us, and suggested a tasting menu.  Kinda pricy for lunch, but a cool experience. And like many of the places we seemed to end up in SF, it was cash only.

We walked through the city, back to our hotel on Market and 4th, checked in and took a break.  Dana decided to have a nap, so I walked on over to City Beer, a superb beer bar and bottle shop on Folsom St.  In addition to a Russian River Salvation, I tried:

68/365: Local Option Dampf Loc - Neue Welt Hefe Gerste:
Mild grain and mash sweet notes, dusty and mealy. Very light hop character in the nose. Dark golden amber clear with medium haze, topped with thin off-white creamy lacing head. Medium watery body with medium carbonation. Starts nutty and sweet, with light mash flavors, alcohol, and some mild astringent woody parts. Easy drinking, fairly well balanced with smooth nutty-sweet finish and after.  Traditional Ale  70/100

69/365: Ölvisholt Lava:
(My first beer from Iceland) Nice rich smoky nose, with coffee, chocolate, juniper smoke and molasses. Alcohol sweetness. Dark black opaque with thin tan creamy head. Medium-heavy body with high carbonation. Light warming. Carbonic tang and fizzy. Starts medium sweet. Rich with licorice, juniper smoke, chocolate and molasses. Carbonic acidity, alcohol sweetness and good bitter finish. Smooth sweet finish with light smoky after.  Smoked  80/100 

After getting back to the hotel and hanging out for a bit, we decided to catch a bus and head out past Chinatown for dinner at La Trappe Cafe, a nice Belgian-themed gastropub with a nice beer selection.  Over curried mussels and frites, I tried:

70/365: Engelszell Gregorius Trappistenbier:
Very mild nose, plum and roasted malt. Sweet with a subtle richness. A hint of fruity red wine. Dark coppery amber clear with thin off-white lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Light warming. Starts sweet, alcoholic. Plum, rich malt, sugary - leans towards a Chimay Bleu but not overly complex compared to other quads. Sweet after with light alcohol warming and fruity after.  Abt/Quadrupel  76/100

71/365: New Belgium Lips of Faith - Heavenly Feijoa Tripel:
Big fruity nose, kinda funky and tart, cheesy. Not bad. Dark golden clear with thin foamy-rocky white head. Medium body and carbonation. Starts fruity and tart with some apples and sour peach. A little funky and cheesy, with crisp fruity-tart finish and after. Not bad.  Abbey Tripel  72/100 

72/365: Baladin Wayan Sour Edition:
Sour nose with chardonnay and oak. Light acetic acid, fruity, light, and enjoyable. Golden dark clear with no head. Medium-light watery body with light carbonation. Starts mild, kinda sour with oak and chardonnay. A bit of sweetness in the finish and mild acetic character. Overall, a bit watery and not worth the price.  Sour Ale/Wild Ale  66/100

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel and called it a night.

Next ... San Francisco Day 2

Beers #60-67: Nice Beer Weekend

One of the March bottle offerings at The Coney is a Vienna from Hop City Brewing in Canada ..

60/365: Hop City Barking Squirrel Lager:
Very mild caramel aroma with a bit of toasted malt and light hop essence. A hint of coffee. Deep amber clear with thin head. Medium body with medium-mild carbonation. Starts medium sweet with caramel and biscuit. Carbonic bite and quite a bit of bitterness in the finish. Nutty sweet and astringent bitter after.  Vienna  48/100

On Saturday, March 9, we had lunch at The Knick in Altoona. As usual, they had several new ones for me to try:

61/365: Flying Dog Chipotle Dark Ale:
Mild chocolate nose, roasted and slightly burnt malt. A hint of earthy-fruity-smoky chipotle with no discernible hop presence. Dark rusty red-brown opaque with creamy light tan lacing head. Medium watery body with vigorous carbonation. Nice dry porter to start, with light carbonic bite, a hint of heat. Earthy and fruity pepper character. Chocolate and roasted malt, light hop bitterness with smooth peppery bitter after.   Stout  70/100

62/365: Goose Island Sofie:
Herbal, peppery, citrus rind, sweet with honey and orange blossom. Oak and chardonnay. Tart fruity character. Golden clear with light, light haze and very thin white head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts medium sweet with grapefruit, coriander, light chardonnay, and herbal notes. A bit of yeasty funky note but not outrageous. Nice tart finish with fruity chardonnay after; mild chalky bitterness component.  Saison  76/100 

63/365: Innis & Gunn Winter Treacle Porter Oak Aged Ale:
Nose is a mix of Twizzlers, oak, Flemish brown ale, caramel and treacle, marshmallow, and vanilla. Terrific aromas. Dark coppery caramel-brown clear, with creamy off-white lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium-high carbonation. Starts sweet with lots of treacle, oak, caramel. Smooth and well rounded with very little bitterness at the finish. Has a nice oak-sweet after. Not as dark as I’m used to for a porter, but really nice.  Baltic Porter  80/100

64/365: Widmer Brothers Reserve Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout:
Chocolate covered raspberry truffles with light carbonic tang, light melon, coffee, and toffee. Dark black opaque with creamy light tan lacing head. Medium chewy body with medium carbonation and light alcohol warming. Starts sweet with tons of roasted malt, light coffee, a hint of smoke, some raspberries, and a nice finish of nutty bitterness at the end.  Imperial Stout  82/100

That evening, we met a high school/college friend of Dana's and her husband for dinner at Amici's in Ebensburg. Really nice place to eat - great food and a very nice, though small, tap selection.  Over a great dinner, I enjoyed:

65/365: Southern Tier Eurotrash Pilz:
Clean, if not crisp, light noble hop aroma on top of sweet corn-grain malt notes. Like a mild German pils or Bohemian pils. Medium amber clear with foamy-frothy white lacing head. Medium watery body with medium to heavy carbonation. Starts medium dry with nice pilsener malt sweetness, good noble hop character, and a touch of sulfur. Overall, clean and refreshing, with light to medium bitter finish and smooth after.  Pilsener  68/100

66/365: Great Lakes Alchemy Hour Double IPA:
Sweet nose with lots of brown sugar and caramel. Big hoppy nose, funky and herbal with grapefruit and pine. Dark amber clear with foamy off-white lacing head. Medium to heavy watery mouthfeel, with medium carbonation. Starts pretty sweet, but not cloying, before you get smacked with a good dose of bitterness. The two don’t quite meld together as well as they could, but it’s still a nice IIPA.  Imperial/Double IPA  84/100

67/365: Southern Tier Choklat:
On tap at Amici’s (in one of the largest snifter portions I’ve ever had). Dark chocolate, light caramel, some licorice, coffee and sour smoke. Sweet with light carbonic tang, oak and vanilla. Not too boozy. Dark back opaque with cocoa-tan, slightly lacing head. Medium to heavy water body, not quite chewy, with medium carbonation and nice alcohol worming. Starts and stays pretty sweet, with chocolate, coffee, licorice and molasses. Mild oak, light hop bitterness, nutty character, and just a bit of carbonic tang. Finish is smooth, sweet, and lasting.  Imperial Stout  90/100

Up next ... Spring Break in San Francisco!