Mikkeller Elixir (Monk's Brew)

My buddy Adam brought over a bottle of Mikkeller Monk’s Brew to share with my friend Jack and me. The beer pours a dark amber color with an extremely lofty and frothy beige colored head that leaves plenty of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of malts, caramel, raisin, fig, and burnt sugar. The taste is smooth and malty for a quick second before it becomes somewhat of a booze bomb. There are hints of caramel, raisin, and fig that peek through before the warming alcohol finish. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. The alcohol doesn’t show up in the nose, but man does it take over the mouth, but in quite an enjoyable way. There is somewhat of a sweetness to this beer, but make no mistake at the alcohol content.

Spring House Two Front Teeth Holiday Ale

I picked up a bottle of Spring House Two Front Teeth Holiday Ale while at the Spring House Taproom in Lancaster. The beer pours an orange-tinted golden color with a think bubbly white head. The aroma consists of coriander, orange peel, wheat, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The taste is biscuity with vanilla, orange peel, cinnamon, and coriander. The finish is warming and reminds me of a Christmas sugar cookie. The alcohol content is 9.75% ABV. The beer tastes somewhat different than it smell,s but it is quite an enjoyable holiday ale. It takes you on a different journey of flavors than most spiced beer, and I thank Spring House for that.

Hoppin' Frog B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Oatmeal Imperial Stout Batch #100

Heather Holmes picked me up a bottle of Hoppin’ Frog B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Oatmeal Imperial Stout Batch #100 from the brewery. The beer pours a black color with a frothy brown head that lingers for a while. The aroma consists of bitter and burnt malts, chocolate, oak, and vanilla. The taste is more dry than sweet dark chocolate, toasted and slightly burnt malts, and hints of coffee. Some vanilla brings out a sweetness before oak dries out the mouth and mocha can take over. The alcohol content is 9.4% ABV. Although I didn’t do a side-by-side with the original beer, I believe this was a little more bitter and had much more of a roasted flavor about it. That being said, it was still wonderful and had great chocolate and coffee flavors.

New Holland Envious Vintage 2010

I picked up a bottle of New Holland Envious Vintage 2010 from Discount Wine and Liquors in Booton, NJ. The beer pours a purple-ish amber color with a bubbly off-white colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, pear, malts, and raspberries. The taste is malty up front with some raspberry juice. The finish brings out some pear flavors, with plenty of caramel lingering behind. The after taste has the oak accents that the bottle advertises. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. This beer didn’t do it for me. The fruit flavors were too sweet and not balanced at all. The one redeeming factor was the oak accent, but it wasn’t enough.

Iron Hill Rudolph's Revenge

While shooting engagement photos, the fiancee and I stopped in to Iron Hill in Lancaster, and I ordered a glass of Rudolph’s Revenge. The beer pours a golden color with a foamy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of banana, grass, and has some hints of grapefruit. The taste is big on banana and very sweet at first. Some grassy dryness surfaces before the finish brings out hints of grapefruit and is nice and bitter. The alcohol content is 8.6% ABV. I like that Iron Hill created a spiced beer that is different from the traditional Christmas beers. More so, it has a great dry finish that balances the sweet banana flavor really well.

Pizza Boy Brewing TB9 Pale

On a recent visit to Al’s of Hampden, I decided to order a glass of the Pizza Boy Brewing TB9 (Test Batch #9) Pale, a Belgian Pale Ale. The beer pours a golden color with a light frothy white  colored head. The aroma consists of light tangerine and grapefruit with some banana and pepper as well. The taste is bitter with pepper on the front end before it smooths out with banana. Bitter grapefruit and tangerine hops pop out on the finish and dry the beer out nicely. The alcohol content is 5.9% ABV. For a Belgian Pale Ale, this was quite delicious and definitely on the bitter side, which made it pretty enjoyable for me.

21st Amendment-Ninkasi Allies Win the War!

My buddy Matt and I decided to split a four-pack of cans of the 21st Amendment-Ninkasi collaboration called Allies Win the War! I opened this can just before the news of Kim-Jong Il dying was hitting Twitter (coincidence?). The beer pours a dark amber color with a frothy beige head that leaves plenty of lacing on the glass as it recedes. The aroma consists of caramel, sweet malts, dates, and raisin. It reminded me of opening a container of dates when I was younger. The taste is sweet and smooth while having a nice bitterness to it. The front end brings caramel, dates, and malts before a pine and spruce hop accent kicks in and dries out the tongue. The after taste leaves bits of pepper on the tongue. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. This was great beer that started out with a nice sweetness, but complete brought out a bitter side with hops and dried out the mouth. I loved every second of it, and would love to pick up a few more cans.

Hoppin' Frog Frosted Frog's Christmas Barrel Aged Christmas Ale

I was fortunate enough to have Heather Holmes pick me up a bottle of Hoppin’ Frog Frosted Frog’s Christmas Barrel Aged Christmas Ale from the brewery. I previously had the non-barrel aged beer, and was excited to try this one. The beer pours a dark amber color with a thin filmy off-white colored head. The aroma consists of cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, allspice, vanilla, and bourbon. The taste is spicy and has plenty of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice on the front end. However, in comparison to the non-barrel aged version of this beer, the bourbon and vanilla sweetens and rounds out the flavor in the finish. The alcohol content is 8.6% ABV. While I didn’t hate the non-barrel aged version, this version was infinitely better, as the bourbon barrel aging smoothed out the spiciness, especially in the finish. The alcohol warmth added a true touch of Christmas, exactly what was missing from the beer before.

Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille V Cense

I picked up a bottle of Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille V Cense from Discount Wine and Liquors in Boonton, NJ. The beer pours a dark amber color with a frothy beige colored head that receded at first rapidly but a thin part of it lingered for a while and left a bit of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of caramel, pepper, banana, raisin, and plantains. The taste has a bit of burnt toffee and caramel on the front end with a dry grassy backbone. There is some raisin and banana flavor that comes out and it has a very dry finish with a hint of alcohol. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. I liked how dark and caramel-heavy this farmhouse ale was, all while retaining the dry grassy and peppery flavors in the finish. While it is sweet on the front end, it definitely dries out in the end. For those expecting a light-bodied farmhouse ale, you will not get what you are expecting, but it is a delicious beer.

New Glarus Fat Squirrel Ale

I received a bottle of New Glarus Fat Squirrel Ale from HopHeadRed in a beer trade. The beer pours a dark amber color with a frothy beige colored head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of caramel, toasted malts, cream, and nuts. The taste is smooth and sweet with a bit of caramel on the front end before some toasted malts and nutty flavors kicked in on the tongue. There is a creamy finish with a dry, roasty after taste. The alcohol content is 5.8% ABV. I like the smoothness of this beer with its roasty flavors. There is just enough sweetness to get the tongue going before it dries out the mouth in a nice manner.

Firestone Walker XV 15th Anniversary Ale

I was fortunate enough to have Doug Hanson get me a bottle of Firestone Walker XV 15th Anniversary Ale, and he shipped it to me to try. For their 15th Anniversary, Firestone Walker blended a beer to the following proportions:

18% Helldorado (11.7% ABV) Blonde Barley Wine
17% Sticky Monkey (12.5% ABV) English Barley Wine
17% Bravo (13.5% ABV) Imperial Brown Ale
13% Double Double Barrel Ale (11.5% ABV) Double Strength English Pale Ale
11% Good Foot (14.3 ABV) American Barley Wine
10% Velvet Merkin (8.6% ABV) Traditional Oatmeal Stout
9% Parabola (13% ABV) Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout

The beer pours a dark brown color with a frothy tan head that leaves no lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of raisin, fig, chocolate, caramel, malts, vanilla, oak, and bourbon. The taste is powerful and action-packed with chocolate, vanilla, caramel, cookie dough, fig, and raisin. It swiftly transitions into a bit of an alcohol burn with bourbon flavors before a dry oak finish that has hints of butterscotch and vanilla. The alcohol content is 12.5% ABV. The blend of this beer was rather excellent and rather intense. The bourbon really kicks out despite all of the other chocolate and dark fruit flavors, but I enjoyed it very much.

Captain Lawrence Drew's Brew

The final growler my buddy Tim got for me in a beer trade was Captain Lawrence Drew’s Brew. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of tangerine, grapefruit, bitter citrus, orange, and lemon. The taste is light bodied and very focused on bitter citrus hops. There is plenty of grapefruit, tangerine, orange, and lemon in there, but there is a pinch of sugar that balances it out. The finish has a hint of caramel before pepper and pine take over the side of the mouth and pinch the back of the throat. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. This was quite a wonderful beer with plenty of bitter flavors, but just enough sweetness to make it easily drinkable.

Shmaltz He'brew Jewbelation 15

I picked up a bottle of Shmaltz He’brew Jewbelation 15 from Discount Wine and Liquors in Boonton, NJ. Having reviewed the previous beers in this series, I was excited to try this one, although I was hesitant that they placed this large beer in a 22-ounce bottle. The beer pours a dark brown color, almost black, with a frothy beige head that leaves lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of raisin,caramel, malts, plum, fig, date, and vanilla. The taste is very sweet on the tongue and very malty, the flavors of raisin, fig, plum, and date coming to the forefront. A big glob of molasses takes over the mouth with vanilla and caramel. The finish brings out an alcohol warmth, but its not too intense. The alcohol content, is of course, 15%, matching the anniversary. If my recollection is correct, this was the smoothest drinking of the series and had a nice creamy mouth feel, all packed with great dark fruit flavors.

Brasserie Lacu Biere d'Abbaye Lacu

While out at McGrath's in Harrisburg, I ordered a bottle of Brasserie Lacu Biere d'Abbaye Lacu. The beer pours a golden color with a lofty and frothy white head. The aroma consists of banana, pear, grass, and pepper. The taste is smooth and sweet with banana at first before some dry grassy hops with pepper accents surface. As the beer warms, pear and apple flavors shine through. There is a bit of a biscuity mouth feel with a sweet candisugar after taste. The alcohol content is 6.3% ABV. The Biere d'Abbaye Lacu was a smooth and light bodied beer with plenty of flavor. It had nice fruit accents with dry earthy flavors, but I'm not sure it was worth the $22 cost for the bottle. I really enjoyed it, but thought the price was a little steep.

Captain Lawrence Espresso Stout

Another growler my buddy Tim gave me in a beer trade was the Captain Lawrence Espresso Stout. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head that fades rather rapidly. The aroma consists of chocolate, espresso, coffee, vanilla, and toasted malts. The taste is dry and bitter with plenty of dark chocolate taking the focus. A dry coffee and espresso flavor takes over the mouth on the finish, and a touch of vanilla sweetness rounds out the flavor. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. I rather enjoyed this stout with its power coffee and espresso punch. It definitely focuses on the dry flavors, especially the dark chocolate flavors.

Captain Lawrence Family Meal #1

My buddy Tim gave me a growler of Captain Lawrence Family Meal #1 as part of a beer trade. The beer pours a a golden color with a frothy white head with a little bit of lacing left on the glass. The aroma consists of light caramel malts and has hints of cinnamon and ginger. The taste is light on the tongue with a bit of caramel before lots of spices take focus. There is cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, and cloves. The alcohol content is approximately 6.5% ABV according to Captain Lawrence. This was a nice light drinking beer with plenty of winter-y spices. Therefore, it went down easy, but warmed up the soul on a cold night.

Troegs Scratch 54- Cocoa Porter

I stopped in to the new Troegs tasting room to try Scratch 54- Cocoa Porter. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of dark cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, dry roasted malts, and vanilla bean. The taste is dry and filled with dark chocolate, lots of cocoa powder on the side of the mouth, and is a bit gritty in the mouth feel. There is a vanilla sweetness on the finish that also smooths out the flavor. There is also a roasted malt after taste. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. I enjoyed the grittiness to this beer and how it completely packs a chocolate punch. There are no let downs, and for added vanilla flavor, be sure to make a beer float out of this beer.

Maine Beer Lunch IPA

While at RattleNHum Bar in New York City, I ordered a bottle of Maine Beer Lunch IPA to celebrate my birthday. The beer pours an amber color with a bubbly off-white colored head. The aroma consists of grapefruit, tangerine, orange, caramel, and pepper. The taste is dry and bitter with plenty of grapefruit on the front end. Passion fruit then takes over the mouth and lingers for a while before tangerine and hints of orange come out on the finish. Pepper lingers in the after taste and the beer has a very dry mouth feel. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. I was surprised at the amount of passion fruit flavor that this beer contains, but it was an excellent IPA that is both bitter and sweet.

Sixpoint Grand Crue

I ordered a bottle of Sixpoint Grand Crue from RattleNHum Bar in New York City to celebrate my birthday. The beer pours a ruby-red-amber color with a bubbly clear head. The aroma consists of raisin, date, fig, malts, and caramel. The taste is sweet and dry while the raisin flavor takes focus. Nutmeg, fig, and date make appearances on the palate before a spicy and peppery finish. The alcohol content is 12.4% ABV. I was quite impressed with the dark fruit flavors in the Sixpoint Grand Crue, but I was most surprised with the fact that Sixpoint bottles beers. That was new to me.

Brouwerij Rodenbach Classic Red

I ordered a bottle of Brouwerij Rodenbach Classic Red while eating dinner at Stout NYC. The beer pours a cloudy red-amber color with a bubbly white head. The aroma is slightly sour with raspberry, cherry, oak, and a hint of tart. The taste is sweet at first with cherry and raspberry before a dry oak flavor takes over the mouth. There are hints of chocolate and a slight tart flavor on the finish, but they are not prevalent. The alcohol content is 5.2% ABV. This was a great Flanders Red Ale with the faintest of tartness, but the fruity flavors, accompanied with a slight chocolate flavor, stole the show with the beer.

Brasserie Dupont Biere de Miel

My fiancée ordered a glass of Brasserie Dupont Biere de Miel while we were out celebrating my birthday at RattleNHum Bar in New York City. The beer pours a golden color with a bubbly white head. The aroma consists of grass, barnyard funk, pepper, horse blanket, and has a sweet candy-like lemon smell about it. The taste is dry yet slightly sweet with lemon, grass, barnyard funk, and horse blanket. The sweet candy smell that was in the aroma is not present in the taste. The alcohol content is 8% ABV. I like how dry and funky this beer was, but I was completely intrigued with the candy-like aroma, and slightly disappointed when it did not translate to the taste.

Laughing Dog Devil Dog Imperial IPA

I stopped in to Al’s of Hampden to kill time prior to my work holiday party and ordered a glass of Laughing Dog Devil Dog Imperial IPA. The beer pours an orange amber color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of caramel, toffee, tangerine, grapefruit, and sugar. The taste is sweet with lots of caramel on the front end before a light bitterness with grapefruit, tangerine, and orange comes out on the tongue. The finish has a spicy pine and pepper flavor. The alcohol content is 10% ABV. I thought this was a decent Imperial IPA, but it falls on the sweeter side rather than the bitter side. So be warned that this beer is not a hop bomb.

Pizza Boy Brewing TB8 Lager

I visited Al’s of Hampden to try a new beer from Pizza Boy Brewing called TB8 Lager (Test Batch #8). The beer pours a pale golden color with a bubbly white head. The aroma is faint but has some caramel and lemon. The taste mostly caramel with a bit of toasted toffee, lemon, and pepper. The alcohol content is 3.8% ABV, making this a very sessionable beer. The TB8 Lager was a good flavored lager that is easy drinking and flavorful. I liked the caramel punch, but once Al force carbonates his beer, this will be even better.

Pizza Boy Brewing Holy Fuggle Pale Ale

Another sample I was able to try from Pizza Boy Brewing was the Holy Fuggle Pale Ale. Its name is derived from the whole leaf fuggle hops used in the beer. The beer pours a cloudy golden color with a frothy white head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of a funky lemon, grass, and has hints of grapefruit and sugar. The taste is dry and lightly bitter with lemon and tangerine up front. There are hints of grapefruit in the background, and a bit of burnt toffee on the finish with a squash-like sweetness. Al’s didn’t post the alcohol content, but I would guess it to be about 6.0% ABV. This beer had a big citrus profile with a pine and spruce finish that allows the grass flavors to linger.

Pizza Boy Brewing TB7 Cream Ale

The first beer I tried from Pizza Boy Brewing was the TB7 Cream Ale (that’s Test Batch #7). The beer pours an amber color with a bubbly white head. The aroma consists of caramel, lemon, pine, and pepper. The taste is rounded with a creamy mouth feel and plenty of dry lemon flavors. There is a pine finish with a hint of grapefruit. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. This was a light bodied that was easy drinking and has a nice bitterness to it. It was a little light on the carbonation for now, but Al stated that he hasn’t forced carbonated the beers yet.

Pizza Boy Brewing Double IPA

I stopped in to Al’s of Hampden to sample Al’s new Pizza Boy Brewing beers, and he gave me a sample of the Double IPA. The beer pours a cloudy orange-tinted amber color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of grapefruit, tangerine, orange, caramel, and pepper. The taste is dry and bitter with lots of ruby red grapefruit on the front end and tangerine on the finish. Plenty of pine and pepper flavors are left remaining on the tongue. He didn’t list the alcohol content, but I would guess it to be about 7.5% ABV. This was a bitter hop bomb, but if you are a hop head, I think you will find it quite delicious.

Rogue Mocha Porter

I ordered a glass of Rogue Mocha Porter while at TJ’s 8th Anniversary Party in Paoli. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of coffee, chocolate, mocha, vanilla, milk, and caramel. The taste is smooth but dry with lots of milk chocolate, mocha, and coffee on the front end. It is a light bodied beer with a vanilla and dry oaky finish. The alcohol content is 5.8% ABV. For the dark flavors in this beer, it was rather easy drinking and quite enjoyable.

Brouwerij St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

I ordered a glass of Brouwerij St. Bernardus Christmas Ale while at TJ’s 8th Anniversary Party. The beer pours a dark amber color with a thin filmy beige head. The aroma is very malty and has plenty of caramel in it. The taste is also malty but with a lightly sour toasted malt flavor. Cherry, chocolate, and a dry alcohol finish round out the flavors. The alcohol content is 10% ABV. I’d rank this as a solid performer in the Christmas beer category and quite a delicious Belgian Strong Dark Ale. The slight sourness from the toasted malts really made the beer enjoyable.

Brasserie Artisanale De Rullés SPRL La Rulles La Grande 10

While at TJ’s 8th Anniversary Party, I ordered a glass of Brasserie Artisanale De Rullés SPRL La Rulles La Grande 10. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of hay, barnyard funk, lemon, and dirt. The taste is smooth and rounded with plenty of dry and grassy flavors up front. Hay, barnyard funk, and a hint of lemon take over, and make a wonderfully tasting beer. There is a bubbly finish with pepper spice and a slight warming after taste in the back of the throat. The alcohol content is 10% ABV. This was one of my favorite beers of the day, as it had a nice funk to it with a solid lemon citrus base.

Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu Grand Cru

I ordered a glass of Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu Grand Cru at TJ’s 8th Anniversary Party. The beer pours a dark amber color with red hues and a bubbly white head. The aroma is malty and consists of caramel, raisin, and cherry. The taste is mostly chocolate and raisin, but there is a nice sweet cherry accent that lurks in the background. The alcohol content is 10.5% ABV. This beer was quite delicious, but it definitely errs on the sweet side of the Grand Cru spectrum.

Xbeeriment Black Force One

One of the beers I was excited to try at TJ’s 8th Anniversary Party was the Xbeeriment Black Force One. The beer pours a black color with a lofty and frothy tan head that leaves a nice lacing. The aroma consists of smoke, gym socks, chocolate, and toasted malts. The taste is very smoky and dry with charcoal, a dark chocolate background, and a dry woody finish. The alcohol content is 10.4% ABV. I would say this beer is rather good once you get past the aroma. I wasn’t a huge fan of the aroma and its gym socks, but the smoky goodness of this beer is too hard to pass up In the future.

2010 BFM Brasserie Des Franches-Montagnes Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien

I went to TJ’s in Paoli for their 8th Anniversary party, and I ordered a glass of 2010 BFM Brasserie Des Franches-Montagnes Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien. The beer pours a red-amber color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma consists of raspberry, cherry, tartness, and some sugar. The taste is puckering with slight hints of vinegar, but mostly consisting of raspberry and cherry. Tartness comes out just before an oak finish with a pinch on the side of the mouth. The alcohol content is 11% ABV. I was wholly impressed with this beer, as its sourness was well hidden and it only let some tartness escape, causing a slight pucker.

Troegs Scratch 53- Helles Bock

I stopped in to the Troegs brewery to order a glass of the recently tapped Scratch 53- Helles Bock. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of caramel, grass, malts, and lemon. The taste is dry and slightly bitter with caramel, pine, and lemon flavors dominating the palate. There is a dry grassy finish that really balances the beer well. The alcohol content is 6.4% ABV. This was a rather smooth drinking beer that goes down way too easy, all while being full of citrus and caramel flavors. I’d say this was a hit for Troegs.

New Glarus Unplugged Cran-bic Ale

I received a bottle of New Glarus Unplugged Cran-bic Ale from Bob Pack in a beer trade. The beer pours a pink-tinted amber color that looks similar to Cherry 7-Up with a thin bubbly white colored head. The aroma consists of sour cranberries, vinegar, cherries, and pie crust. The taste is nice and smooth with plenty of cranberry and cherry flavor up front. There is a bit of sweetness underneath that is pie like. The mouth feel is bubbly, and very soda-like. The alcohol content is 4.8% ABV. This was such a wonderfully crafted beer with a great sweet cranberry pie flavor with just enough tartness and vinegar to balance it out.

Weeping Radish OBX Beer

My buddy Jeff brought me a bottle of Weeping Radish OBX Beer from the Outer Banks. I’ve had this beer many years ago when it was just named Kolsch, and absolutely loved it. The beer pours a pale golden color with a frothy white head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of lemon, wheat, pepper, and some hints of grass and caramel. The taste is smooth and light on the tongue with a nice lemon flavor that comes on the front end. The beer finishes with grassy and peppery hops that leave a bit of dryness on the tongue. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. This beer still stands as my favorite kolsch style beer, as it is the smoothest and most flavorful I’ve ever had with the style. IF you can get your hands on this beer, do so immediately.

Boulevard Smokestack Series Dark Truth Stout

I received a bottle of Boulevard Smokestack Series Dark Truth Stout as an extra from Bob Pack. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of chocolate, smoke, toasted malts, and vanilla. The taste is very dry and extremely smoky, similar to a charcoal grill. Behind the smoke, there is some dark chocolate, toasted malts, and and light vanilla flavor. The finish is dry and really brings out the toasted malts. The alcohol content is 9.7% ABV. This beer has a great smoke content, and starts out that way, but the best part about it is the smoked malts that come out in the finish. It is dark and chocolaty, but all about the toast and smoke.

Brasserie Fantome Magic Ghost

I received a bottle of Brasserie Fantome Magic Ghost from the Michael Jackson Rare Beer of the Month Club. The beer pours a Ecto-Cooler green with a bubbly white head that will foamy up rapidly and recedes just as quickly. The aroma consists of vinegar, hay, swamp air, and barnyard funk. The taste is certainly interesting with vinegar, tea, grass, melon, pepper, lemon, and earthy. The finish is really herby and leaves a funky and dirt-like flavor behind in the mouth. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. While this beer has a bit of sourness to it, it is truly made by its funkiness. Rounding out the funk is a touch of honey, which makes everything perfect.

Telegraph Winter Ale

As part of Michael Jackson’s Rare Beer of the Month Club, I received a bottle of Telegraph Winter Ale. The beer pours a dark brown color with a frothy beige colored head the leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of raisin, cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerbread, allspice, and caramel. The taste is dry at first with plenty of spices including cinnamon, allspice, and gingerbread. The flavor then pops out some raisin and caramel with a dark chocolate flavor before nutmeg hits a really dries out the mouth. The finish has the faintest of hints of chilies, giving the beer a nice spicy kick. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. This was quite a tasty winter ale with plenty of spices to dry out the mouth, but just enough caramel and raisin to sweeten the beer and get the tongue through the spices.

Iron Hill Fe 15

I picked up a bottle of Iron Hill Fe 15 from the Lancaster location, a beer in celebration of their 15th anniversary. Stylistically, this beer is an American Imperial Tripel, which is a new one to me, and I was unsure as to why the tripel needed the imperialization. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white colored head that leaves some lacing the on the glass. The aroma consists of banana, yeast, pepper, orange, honey, and biscuits. The taste is smooth like no other beer I’ve had and sweet with plenty of banana, clementine, orange, and what I believe to be butterscotch that really sweetens the whole beer. There are hints of grapes, pepper, and grass. ON the finish, an alcohol warmth, not a burn, comes out and hits the throat. The alcohol content is 15.0% ABV. I literally have not encountered a beer with as many flavors in one bottle as there were in this beer. My face lit up upon sipping this beer for the first time, and I was blown away at its composition. While it definitely falls on the sweet side, it is rather delicious.

Weeping Radish IPA 25

As part of the sampler pack, my buddy Jeff brought me back a bottle of Weeping Radish IPA 25. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of lemon, orange, grass, pine, and a hint of caramel. The taste is big on lemon flavor with a slight pucker built upon a slight caramel base. The focus quickly shifts to the dry, but clean, hop finish that has lots of grass flavors. In the background, there is a hint of pine. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. This was a refreshing beer with plenty of lemon and orange citrus flavors that I enjoyed very much, and also liked the dry grassy finish.

Iron Hill Russian Imperial Stout

I picked up a bottle of Iron Hill Russian Imperial Stout at the Lancaster location on my last visit. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and toasted malts. The taste is full-bodied chocolate, mixing both dark and milk chocolate, with some toasted malts. There are hints of lemon and orange in the background, but the are quickly overtaken by molasses. The finish brings out some vanilla and cream before a coffee and espresso after taste dries out the mouth a bit. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. I completely understand how this beer won a gold medal, as it is wonderfully balanced, but focuses heavily on the chocolate and coffee flavors.

Weeping Radish Black Radish

My buddy Jeff brought me a bottle of Weeping Radish Black Radish from the Outer Banks. The beer pours a caramel color with a frothy beige colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, pepper, toffee, and plenty of malts. The taste is smooth and sweet with a light sour hop pinch on the side of the mouth. There are plenty of caramel and toffee malt flavors that make up the base, but there is a nice dry, earthy hop flavor on the finish. The alcohol content is 5.3% ABV. This was a solid lager with a wonderful sweet malty presence, but it’s the dry hop finish that makes it overly enjoyable.

The Bruery-Dogfish Head Faster, Bigger, Better, Bolder (Gradually, Quietly, Steadily)

I picked up a bottle of The Bruery-Dogfish Head collaboration Faster, Bigger, Better, Bolder (Gradually, Quietly, Steadily). The beer pours a pale golden color with a lively and lofty frothy white head. The aroma consists of lemon, wheat, orange (kumquats?), peppercorn, and grass. The taste is light and citrusy with lemon and grass on the front end with a smooth orange accent, which comes from the kumquats. The finish leaves a dry flavor in the mouth with grass, peppercorn, and some wheat. The alcohol content is 8.25% ABV. I would say that I was a little disappointed in this beer, coming from two brewing giants. It wasn’t bad, but I really didn’t enjoy the finish and thought it reminded of an adjunct lager.

Iron Hill Great Pumpkin Stout

I went to Iron Hill in Lancaster for dinner and I ordered a glass of Great Pumpkin Stout. The beer pours a pours a black color with a thin frothy tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, and has some faint hints of sweet pumpkin. The taste is chocolaty at first with dark chocolate before sweet pumpkin comes in to play. Cinnamon and nutmeg kick in with the perfect balance of spices and hints of vanilla come out on the finish with a light toasted malt flavor. The alcohol content is 9.4% ABV. This was quite an enjoyable beer, with plenty of chocolate flavors, but not so much that the pumpkin was masked. The spices in this beer were very enjoyable as well, without being too overpowering.

Ithaca Gorges Smoked Porter

I ordered a glass of Ithaca Gorges Smoked Porter from Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a black color with a thin filmy tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, smoke, and toasted malts. I’d like to think there was more to the aroma, but the smoke masked anything else for me. The taste is smoky and dry with a nice dark chocolate base and plenty of toasted malts. The finish, as expected, was dry with smoke that lingers around for a while. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. I enjoyed the Gorges Smoked Porter very much, as it provided a solid base for the smoke to flourish rather than overpower.

Boulder Never Summer Ale

On a recent visit to Al’s of Hampden, I ordered a glass of Boulder Never Summer Ale. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white colored head. The aroma is faint but consists of malts and some caramel. The taste is smooth and creamy (this beer was poured on nitro) with caramel flavors aplenty. There is a dry lemon and pepper hop accent that takes over the mouth. The alcohol content is 5.94% ABV. For a winter warmer, this beer was quite hoppy and citrusy. I enjoyed it and thought it was best enjoyed in November, when I had it, than in February.

New Glarus Raspberry Tart

I received a bottle of New Glarus Raspberry Tart in a beer trade with Bob Peck (NoVABeer). I previous tasted this beer at Great American Beer Festival, but I never had a bottle of it. The beer pours a red amber color with a thin bubbly white head. The aroma consists of raspberries, sugar, and pie crust. The taste is sweet and powerful with plenty of tart raspberry punch on the tongue. It is rather sweet with some vinegar underneath and a pie-like finish. The alcohol content is 4.0% ABV. This beer provides such a delectable experience, with its start as lightly tart and sour before transitioning into a dessert-like drink, similar to pie in a bottle.

Odell Woodcut Number 5

My buddy Matt brought back a bottle of Odell Woodcut Number 5 from Denver and brought it over to my house to share. The beer pours a dark amber color with a frothy cream colored head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of raspberry, vinegar, funk, grassy, hay, and dirt. The taste is lightly sour, but not too much, with a solid caramel and raisin base. The sourness comes out with some vinegar, raspberry, hay, barnyard funk, and a bit of lemon. The alcohol content is 11.3% ABV. This was quite the quality beer with wonderful flavors. The mixture of raisin flavors with funk and sour raspberry made for a great balance, one that took the tongue on a wild ride.

Persha Pruvatna Brovariya Medove (Honey)

The final beer in the Persha Pruvatna Brovariya sampler pack was Medove, which translates to Honey. The beer pours a honey-golden color with a filmy white head. The aroma consists of honey, and lots of it, with caramel malts. The taste is smooth and sweet with plenty of honey flavors sitting atop a caramel base. There are some faint grassy hops with a pepper accent lingering in the background. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. I enjoyed this beer very much with its honey sweetness and its underlying caramel base. It also had enough spices in the background to hold up to the sweetness.

Persha Pruvatna Brovariya Platinum Svitle

The third beer I tried in the Persha Pruvatna Brovariya sampler pack was the Platinum Svitle. The beer pours a golden color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma consists of light sour malts, hints of caramel, grass, and lemon. The taste is light bodied and malty with some caramel, toffee, and lemon. There are some grassy hops as well, but not too much flavor. The alcohol content is 5.6% ABV. While drinkable, this beer was very light-bodied and, worst yet, light-flavored. There wasn’t much depth to its flavor, and I felt it fell rather short of good.