Pilsner - The Beer Thrillers

Beer Review: Prognosticator Pils (Logyard Brewing)

BKline — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 16:54:18 +0000

Prognosticator Pils (and Porter) by Logyard Brewing Company

2022 Official Groundhog Day Beer

The official beer of Groundhog Day 2022 is Prognosticator Pils by Logyard Brewing Company from Kane, Pennsylvania. Phil will even be at Logyard Brewing on February 5th from 5PM to 7PM to commemorate his prognostication.

Logyard Brewery’s beer the Prognosticator Pilsner has been named the official beer of Groundhog Day 2022. In recognition of that achievement, Punxsutawney Phil will be visiting the Logyard Brewery Taproom at 103 N. Fraley Street on Sat. Feb. 5 from 5 to 7 p.m.
“Punxsutawney Phil, also known as the ‘Prognosticator of Prognosticators’ is coming to KANE!” exclaimed Royce Novosel-Johnson, co-founder of Logyard Brewing. “All of our friends and local citizens know of Phil, but not many have ever ventured down to Punxsy to see him at 7 a.m. on Groundhog Day.”
Phil and his certified handlers — the fellows in the top hats — will be in the Logyard Brewery Taproom to mingle with visitors and celebrate the fact that the Prognosticator Pilsner has been selected as the official beer of Groundhog Day, which falls on Wed. Feb. 2 this year. Past designees of this award include Straub Brewery and Sam Adams, Boston Beer Company.
The Bradford Era – Logyard’s Prognosticator Pilsner Official Beer of Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day Again

Well… it’s Groundhog Day Again…. and this year, I’m making sure to cover it with Prognosticator Pilsner by Logyard Brewing Company. Who doesn’t love Groundhog Day? Movie or actual day/event. Maybe next year I’ll actually get to go out to the event and check it out, its certainly on my bucket list of things to do. I hear its a raucous party of fun, drinking, and possibly some prognosticating.

But, so here we find ourselves again, at another Groundhog Day, this time the 2022 edition of it. Phil certainly didn’t see COVID-19 / coronavirus on his radar and prediction in 2020, and didn’t see that 2021 would be much like 2020 (especially for me), but here’s to hoping he sees a good upcoming year.

…..And the results are in….

Six more weeks of stout season everyone. So bust down the doors of your cellars and get them bourbon barrel aged stouts ready, we got some more winter in store for us!

Beer Review

Of course I couldn’t just do a Groundhog Day beer review without throwing in Groundhog Day gif memes. Just like when I did the Scrooged IPA beer review, I had to throw in some Scrooged gif memes then as well. Same with my various Star Wars beer reviews as well. (And have no fear, just because I’m doing this beer review, doesn’t mean I’m forgetting that its Star Wars Wednesday, there will still be a Star Wars beer review today.)

Ok, lets get on to the beer review.

Prognosticator Pils by Logyard Brewing Company

Beer: Prognosticator Pils
Brewery: Logyard Brewing Company
Style: Pilsner – German
ABV: 6%
IBU: 20
Untappd Description: Our version of this world classic has a smooth and crisp character from an extended lagering period. Brewed with imported German Pilsner, Vienna, and a touch of Wheat Malt. Perfectly balanced with noble German Tettnang hops and just a hint of Cascade for a modern American twist.

Logyard Brewing Company is a fun little micro brewery in Kane, Pennsylvania. I got to visit it back in the summer of 2019 when me and my daughters took our trip out west in PA, visiting Kenzua Bridge, and other great local areas. You can read about that here: The Trip (2019) – Day 1. Logyard Brewing (according to Untappd) has 101 unique named beers and has a total ratings of 32,239 with a global average rating of 3.78 as of 2.2.22, they have no Untappd description.

This is a smooth smelling, beer smelling, crisp, pilsner; and you get a good nose of it on just cracking the tab. This is a beer for men who like beer. This isn’t a super fruited, smoothy, juice bombed, with five thousand different adjuncts and purees thrown into it.

Which leads right into how this looks – this looks like a beer’s beer. A beer for men who likes beer. Like a good version of Miller Lite or Coors Lite. Its mostly clear, its mostly transparent, it has a nice decent ring of head to it as it pours out, and it leaves some lacing on the glass. The extra bit of hop gives it a bit more haze to it than say a normal pilsner would have, but it also brightens up the light straw coloring as well.

This is a smooth sailing beer that you can see the future in… even if it looks wintry. This is a sipper and a drinker, and could easily be a spring, summer, fall, winter beer. Good mowing the yard beer, and a good beer for watching a groundhog get yanked out of his stump and forced to either see a shadow or not. There is just a hint and twist of the hop in it that gives you some small level of bitterness, and some different add on flavors that you’re not going to get from your normal pilsner or lager which makes this interesting and refreshing at the same time. There is a light bread to toast taste, some mild honey, with a light crisp finish with a bit of the hop bitterness to go with it. A nice solid mouthfeel, nothing cloying, no aftertaste, and no off flavors. This is a perfect pilsner to get stuck reliving the same day over and over and over and over and over with…..

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Average Untappd Rating: 3.77 (as of 2.2.22)

Numerologists Are Excited… The Deuces Are Wild

If you are a numerologist, today must be an exciting day, especially if two’s are your favorite number. Today is 2.2.22 (and later this month we’ll have 2.22.22, thats a bunch of two-twos or tutus). Always interesting to see these dates pop up (like 1.2.34 in twelve years, or 11.11.11 or 10.10.10 or 12.12.12, etc.). Some people say dates like these hold extra powers, like good luck or stuff, so who knows, maybe try out the powerball and see? But then again, I’m not a superstitious type of person (just a little stitious) (and working at a casino I see far too many of the super superstitious types), so I don’t really put any faith into any of this mumbo jumbo.

Working on Articles

I got a lot of articles working today. Wanted to have this one mostly done last night to go right first thing in the morning, alongside my Star Wars beer review for the day since it is Star Wars Wednesday and we got a new ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ episode today.

There is no way winter will end… for six weeks now, due to the pesky little groundhog Phil, but at least its not been a bad winter so far, like some previous years where hearing the call for “six more weeks of winter” felt like a deathknell. (Maybe I’ll do a stout review once a week for the next six weeks.) And at least there is always The Way of the Mandalorians…. (see how I segued that right back to Star Wars? ahhh… pretty good huh?) So be sure to check back in tonight or maybe this afternoon for the Star Wars beer review (no spoilers!). I will say, I was up at 4:45AM after falling asleep at only 1:30-2AM, so I’m kinda running on E right now, and I think thats why this article took so long to get out. (Also getting lots of calls and e-mails today), despite having the day off work. I will be busy from 1-4/5PM, but might get the review out before 7PM when I’ll be at Boneshire Brew Works tonight for Trivia. If I’m unable to get it out before we leave for trivia, I’ll have it after trivia (so 9-10PM). Be sure to be checking in to see when it hits.

In that spirit, make sure you check out our other popular culture and nerd culture beer reviews:

Nerd and Popular Culture Beer Reviews

Star Wars:

Rick and Morty:

Beer Review: Peace Among Worlds (Cushwa Brewing Company)

Space Balls:

Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

Beer Review: Game of Thrones: My Watch Has Ended (Omnegang Brewery)

The Simpsons:

Back to the Future:

Beer Review: Back to Reality (Three 3s Brewing Co)

Scrooged:

Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

Groundhog Day:

Beer Review: Prognosticator Pils (Logyard Brewing Company)

A Christmas Story:

Pro Wrestling:

Matrix:

Matrix Monday

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

Seinfeld:

Other:

Thanks For Reading

As always everyone, thanks for reading! Any thoughts, reviews, questions, concerns, ideas, insights, etc, please be sure to let us know! We got lots of fun things in the pipeline, so be on the lookout and make sure to check back regularly here at the blog, and through our social media platforms!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you!

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For more info: Logyard Brewing Company’s Prognosticator Pilsner the Official Beer of Groundhog Day 2022

Beer Review: Everyday Balloons (Milko Pour) (Gusto Brewing Company)

B. Kline — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 18:24:00 +0000

Everyday Balloons (milko pour) by Gusto Brewing Company

The Infamous Milko Pour

Well, we’re finally doing it….. we’re finally doing a milko pour beer review. (And not just one… but two… as another will be coming soon, from Fourscore Beer Co). Is this us jumping the shark? Chasing a fad? A little bit of all of that? Who knows really. Is this just the latest marketing craze or fad or ‘new idea’ in brewing that everyone is trying out?

Its been popularized by several breweries in the area (to us) (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, etc.). Breweries in PA (the page and group) have really tried pushing it as well.

Got to try this one from Gusto Brewing when we had our trip to Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. This was a great brewery and fun place with a wonderful talkative, upbeat, and cool staff. Outside of the beer I had on the ferry (Cape May IPA) the milko pour was my first of the day, before hitting a few other breweries in New Jersey on our way back to PA. You can read about our trip here: The Trip Home – Delaware, Cape May, and New Jersey. (Make sure to check out our travelogue section for more trip articles.)

So what exactly is the “milko” pour or a milk pour? Well, I covered some of that in a previous article here on the blog – about Human Robot’s 1st Ever Milk Tube Race. You can read that full article here: “Human Robot: The First Milk Tube Race in the World – USA vs. The World – Oktoberfest Invitational World Beer Fest“.

But let’s break it down a bit more for this article as well, and I think a great starting point is provided by Pilsner Urquell. Straight from possibly the best source on the topic:

The Mlíko is a special treat. It’s not the kind of beer you’d order again and again while you’re at the pub with friends. In traditional Czech pubs in the 19th and early 20th centuries it was served as a dessert, or as an elegant drink for women who weren’t big beer drinkers. Sometimes the bartender would give a Mlíko as a nightcap after the bill was paid.
These days, Tapsters at our Tankovna bars often give out a round of Mlíkos at the start or end of a shift. It’s something fun to change the mood, and it’s a different way to enjoy the Saaz hop aroma and the smooth, refreshing sweetness of Pilsner Urquell.
To pour a Mlíko, the Tapster opens the tap just slightly, letting the glass fill to the top with foam. Some of this foam settles, becoming beer – you get a full glass but you only pay for a half.
The History of the Milko Pour – Pilsner Urquell

A fun little discussion forum pop-up on the milko pour, courtesy of the BeerAdvocate’s Forum Pages:

What’s up with the milko (milk) pours?

The person’s post reads:

There’s a new trend in American craft beer: the mlíko (or milk) pour.
I’ve seen breweries from Pennsylvania to Utah promoting these on Instagram in recent weeks, but first encountered the phenomenon at Human Robot, which serves a roughly 95%-head pour of one of their Czech-style lagers in a stange and calls it a “Milk Tube.” It’s meant to be chugged.
Whats up with the milko pours?

The comments on the five page post varies from “no ways” and “f* that” to “I love it, its so creamy, so delicious”, etc. One of the first comments posted in reply reads:

I had my first Milk Pour on a small brewery’s (outstanding) Bohemian Pils last week. Tried it because I knew it was a Czech tradition.
Gotta say, the special tap really makes a creamy and delicious head — not at all like a bad AAL pour with too much foam.
FWIW — I had already tried the Pils with a regular pour and knew it was a great take on the style. Not sure the pours change up the flavor of the beer itself (once you get thru the head), but the mouthfeel of the head was nice.

This is definitely a ‘mileage may vary’ type of thing, especially for the craft beer community at large.

Another interesting article on milko pours is by Atlas Obsucura (Gastro Obscura): Czech Milk Beer Milko Pilsner.

Alright Already… Get to the Beer Review

When will they ever get to the fireworks factory?!!!!? (…..if you get that, you get it, if you don’t, you don’t.)

Ok, let’s finally get to this beer review and tackle it. Firstly, though, let me say, this won’t be quite like a normal beer review, primarily because it was a chug. In the sense, that we both CHUGGED it… because thats “what you do” with this style (the milko pour) – or so we’re told. The bartender told us its best to chug, so chug we did. So I won’t quite be able to give the same kind of review as I do of a normal beer pour and beer review. But lets get down to it!

Everyday Balloons (milko pour) by Gusto Brewing Company

Beer: Everyday Balloons
Brewery: Gusto Brewing Company
Style: Pilsner – Czech
Pour Style: Milko Pour
ABV: 5%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: Crispy, glimmering, and the liquid reward for a lawn well mowed — this is a Czech-style Pilsner brewed with Pilsner malt and hefty additions of Saaz. Upon reaching terminal gravity, it lagered at near freezing temperatures for one month. Notes of unsalted crackers, floral stuff, and earthy noble hop jazz.

As per Untappd, Gusto Brewing Company is a nano brewery in North Cape May, New Jersey. They have 148 unique beers and a total of 15,600 ratings as of 1.7.22. They have a global average rating of 3.91. Their Untappd description reads: We aim to cultivate something truly unique, to give like crazy, and whip up really swell beers. [something small + something weird].

Lets jump into this with the aroma, it smells malty, pilsner like, and beer like. There’s not a whole host of descriptors I can give for the aroma on this beaut, because I think its pour style kind of dilutes it all. The foam certainly changes a lot of aspects of this beer I imagine (really makes me wish I had gotten it regularly afterwards for a style comparison). This smells like a malthouse but muted a bit, or dampened (but obviously not wet dampened, just like a lesser version).

Appearance is… foam. Ever been to a foam rave? Where they just douse you in foam and its everywhere, and it comes up to your knees, then up to your chest, and everyone is partying and jumping around, losing their ever loving minds? ….Just me? …Nobody else? No… well… ok… but anyhoo….. the appearance is similar to that. You can see why it has the nickname ‘milk’ or ‘milko’ pour, because the foam legitimately turns the beer into looking like your drinking a glass of milk. (Though if you notice, you can still see some of the regular pilsner looking liquid at the bottom, which looks like your typical pilsner – clear, golden light yellow, blond, beer looking beer).

Like I said, we both picked up our glasses, and chugged! I was able to completely down mine in the single chug, my friend had to do it in two. (Not bragging…. just stating). It goes down pretty easily, but it goes down like foam too, not like a pure liquid, so it kinda goes down ‘weird’. It tasted like what a good pilsner (a well crafted pilsner by a craft brewery, not like a Miller Lite or Coors or the similar) but doused so heavily in foam, that it tampers it so greatly. I could taste the pilsner while chugging, but the foam just overwhelmed everything. And here is where I will admit to not understanding the craze behind this, other than what certain groups and parties and pages have put out to make people more interested in them. I feel like its more ploy and noise than bang for your buck or interest. Yes, the pour was cheaper than a regular of the pilsner, and it was certainly a different style, and interesting to try something ‘new’ or innovative (even if it its an old technique brought back), but it just… felt more novelty than good, and was not my cup of tea (or beer if you will). I’d love to be able to talk to people back in the Old Countries and see their perspectives; both as customers and as brewers; about this style, and what their thoughts are on it. I believe some people and pages have a vested interest in trying to make it more of a thing than it is, and therefore the popularity explosion (especially in Pennsylvania), and especially when novelty for novelty’s sake is more important than the quality. But then again, I think its a case of mileage may vary and can be different dependent on the person. As seems to be the case with that BeerAdvocate’s discussion forum post on the subject. Personally, I don’t think its my cup of beer. Personally, if I’m gonna drink a Pilsner, I’d rather have it the way I’ve always drank it – like a normal beer. But, I also think Pilsner is on the lower side of the spectrum of beer styles that I enjoy, so there is that as well. I’m much more of a stout, porter, and barleywine kind of guy than the light, lite, airy, summer time mowing the lawn style beers. So take it for what its worth on that alone. I do think this somewhat contributed to me getting a bit sick later in the day; doing a chug of this straight foam side-pull milko pour with nothing else in my stomach after riding a ferry (where, admittedly I did have a small can of Cape May IPA, and I did take a single sip of my friend’s wine at the winery we visited); but I think filling my belly with a chug of pure foam, certainly did it no small favors. But I don’t know nor really worried about it now anymore.

I do think it would be interesting to do a side-by-side comparison with the same beer, one with the side pour milko pour, and one regularly. I imagine I will like the regular better, but don’t know for sure.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Average Untappd Rating: 3.87 (and this is for all pour styles of the Everyday Balloons) (as of 1.7.22)

Your Thoughts?

Whats everyone else’s thoughts on the milko pour? Enjoy it? Hate it? Keep it? Leave it? Let us know in the comments section below. Or let us know on our social media pages!

Thank You For Reading

Thank you for reading everyone. Hope you enjoyed reading, let us know if you have any thoughts, questions, comments, or concerns. We got a lot of stuff coming here on the blog, so make sure to follow, like, subscribe, and keep tuned for what we got to show!

-B. Kline

4th of July – Lagers, Pilsners, and Kolsches

BKline — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 13:01:25 +0000

Happy 4th of July America

Happy 4th of July America, and everybody. Its time to blow some stuff up! ‘Merica! *Insert Screaming Eagle Sound* Its fourth of July 2021 and its time to celebrate better, its been an interesting year, and an even more interesting two years, here at The Beer Thrillers, in America, and across the globe. So if there’s a time to celebrate with dads in New Balances and jean shorts, with tall white socks, and grass stained shoes, barbecuing, with some nice ‘dad beers’, this is it.

So looking around the Hummelstown, Hershey, Harrisburg, and Middletown area, let’s see what are some of the best “dad beers” around. For that, I’m talking lagers, pilsners, kolsches. Think Bud Lite, Coors Lite, Miller Lite…. but a thousand times better. A helluva better. Craft beers, good craft beers, well, created craft beers, rather than that ‘water’ (to use the most generous term that I could).

So, let’s break it down by category, and see what all we got in the area!

Lagers

These are your ‘lite beers’, nice easy drinking beers, light, crisp, and tasty.

But interestingly enough, starting off our list we start at Rubber Soul Brewery in Hummelstown, with a Dark Lager.

Distorted Soul

Distorted Soul by Rubber Soul Brewing Company

Beer: Distorted Soul
Brewery: Rubber Soul Brewing Company
Style: Lager – Dark
ABV: 5.4%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: Brewed with roasted barley and chocolate malt. Roasty, crisp and refreshing.
Untappd Rating: 3.94 (as of 7.4.21)

Next up we travel into Harrisburg for the Hellsbender Defender by ZeroDay Brewing Company. They’ve recently reopened their new taproom, and they have a larger expanded taproom listing now.

Hellsbender Defender

ZeroDay Brewing Company Logo

Beer: Hellsbender Defender
Brewery: ZeroDay Brewing Company
Style: Lager – Helles
ABV: 4.7%
IBU: 15
Untappd Description: This golden lager is brewed to the traditional German style. It is pale in color while being a little fuller in body than other light lagers. The use of German noble hops gives a slight bitter flavor, which is rounded out by a touch of malty sweetness. This balanced lager is a favorite beer among our brewers who get really excited to share it with you each Spring.
Untappd Rating: 3.73

Moving on to Hershey, right next to the famous Hershey Park Amusement Park; which sadly is not doing their annual fireworks show this year (second year in a row) (either due to COVID-19 still, or due to cost cutting measures, or who knows what); is Troegs Independent Brewing Company. One of the largest breweries in the state, and one of their flagship beers happens to be one of the best lagers you can find.

When in Doubt Helles Lager

When in Doubt Helles Lager by Troegs

Beer: When in Doubt
Brewery: Troegs Independent Craft Brewery
Style: Lager – Helles
ABV: 4.3%
IBU: 21
Untappd Description: When in Doubt is all harmony. It begins with a single note, a clean and delicate pilsner malt reminiscent of freshly baked bread. Tradition hops add hints of wildflower and subtle bitterness, and our crisp lager yeast pulls it all together. In the end, this refreshing Munich-style Helles is greater than the sum of its parts and – when in doubt – always a good call.
Untappd Rating: 3.57

Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be as many lagers in the area, but there is definitely a lot of pilsners. So lets jump right into another dad favorite!

Pilsners

First up on our tour of pilsners, is starting again right in Hummelstown at Rubber Soul Brewery.

Soul Patch

Soul Patch by Rubber Soul Brewing Company

Beer: Soul Patch
Brewery: Rubber Soul Brewing Company
Style: Pilsner – Czech
ABV: 4.6%
IBU: 31
Untappd Description: Czech style Pilsner that is clean, crisp and refreshing. Earthy with a little spice with the Saaz hops. Imagine that perfect day and the bead of sweat across your brow. You need something to cool off with…something light but has that body! Get your razors out boys. It’s time for a Soul Patch.
Untappd Rating: 3.69

Staying in Hummelstown, we are moving over to Howling Henry’s on 2nd Street. Despite the name being LOLAGER, its a pilsner (German).

Lolager

Lolager by Howling Henry’s

Beer: Lolager
Brewery: Howling Henry’s Brewing
Style: Pilsner – German
ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 15
Untappd Description: This session pilsner is light in body, flavorful, very refreshing, and clean finishing. If you need an easy drinking beer H2B has it with this offering. Easy, and fun session beer that will not weigh you down.
Untappd Rating: 3.37

Swinging into nearby Middletown, we have Basic Dad Pilsner by Tattered Flag.

Basic Dad Pilsner

Basic Dad Pilsner by Tattered Flag

Beer: Basic Dad Pilsner
Brewery: Tattered Flag
Style: Pilsner – Other
ABV: 4.8%
IBU: No IBU
Untappd Description: PA Preferred, gluten reduced Pilsner made with local Double Eagle pennyback pils, hoppped with ahtahnum. Light and biscuity with a crisp finish.
Untappd Rating: 3.47%

Heading to the outskirts of Harrisburg – Rutherford to be exact – we come across Boneshire Brew Works which has Stickhead Pills.

Stick Head Pils

Stick Head Pils by Boneshire Brew Works

Beer: Stick Head Pils
Brewery: Boneshire Brew Works
Style: Pilsner – German
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: A Crushable Pilsner. Drink it up!
Untappd Rating: 3.83

Brewery Review: Highway Manor Brewing Co.

BKline — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 13:00:00 +0000

Highway Manor Brewing Co. opened their doors (finally!) for in-house service Saturday, at 11AM (September 26th, 2020). You can read our preview article here: Brewery Opening – Highway Manor.

From Highway Manor Brewing Co’s Facebook page – a screenshot of our posting about their brewery opening

Saturday night after work got over (7PM) I got the pleasure to get to Highway Manor Brewing in Camp Hill. I left work at 7 and got there at about 7:25-7:30. There was still a decent crowd at the time when I got there (inside tables were full and the tables with the swing seats were full). I ordered the Mr. Blackberry and a Turkey Sandwich to start.

Mr. Blackberry by Highway Manor Brewing Co.

Beer: Mr. Blackberry
Brewery: Highway Manor Brewing Co.
Style: Sour – Other
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: None

First time having this, I’ve had several other Highway Manor beers at various brewfests (Lititz Brewfest, Lancaster Brewfest, possibly Little Big Beer Fest or the Mount Hope RenFaire Brewfest), and this was just as good as all of those. This was super tart, delicious, fruity, with a great berry flavor.

On Untappd I gave it a ****.25
The global Untappd rating (as of 9.27.20) is: 3.73

Soon my food was arriving, and I had already drained my Blackberry sour, so I needed a new beer to help eat the food. (By the way, the entire food menu looked amazing, the turkey sandwich was phenomenal. Top of the line, high quality food, and very cheap, and with huge portions.)

Once my sandwich arrived I needed another beer, and decided to try some of their guest taps that they had running (they had five drafts; all guest taps). I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about Human Robot but haven’t had a chance yet to try anything from them, so I decided to try out their IPA – Dreams of Orgonon.

Dreams of Orgonon by Human Robot

Beer: Dreams of Orgonon
Brewery: Human Robot
Style: IPA – New England
ABV: 6.6%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: Deliciously dreamy juice bomb brewed with sweet golden promise malt and hopped intensely with Citra, Mosaic, and Idaho 7. Its like the sun coming out…

My Untappd Rating: ****.5
Global Untappd Rating: 4.15 (as of 9.28.20)

This was extremely tasty, juicy, dank, and delicious. Everything you want from a New England IPA, this had in spades, plus some. All around amazing beer and went fantastically with my sandwich. By this point I had moved to the center table and sat across from the one swing. I was informed by Johnny (Johnny Compton III – owner/brewer at Highway Manor Brewing) that a friend of his bought everyone a round. I was then joined by a couple – Lucas and Kaitlin who sat next to me.

They were both wearing ‘cat’ pants (pants with dozens of cat faces all over them), and quickly from talking to them I realized Lucas was Johnny’s friend. I thanked him for the beer, and for the rest of the night there, talked with them while we all drank, as well as talked with a few others who were there and one or two that came and went.

Compton Pilsner (a collaboration by Raney Cellar Brewery and Highway Manor Brewing)

Beer: Compton Pilsner
Brewery: Raney Cellars Brewing Company
Collaboration with: Highway Manor Brewing Co.
Style: Pilsner – Czech
ABV: 5.4%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: A traditional Pilsner with Mr Johnny Compton from Highway Manor Brewing. Saaz Hops from start to finish on this Pils.

As I’ve said in the blog here before when doing reviews, pilsners are a style that can be very hit or miss for me. This was a complete hit for me. Blew me away how wonderful the flavor was, how crisp it was, no lingering aftertastes (which I sometimes get from pilsners and why they are often a miss for me). This is just a fantastically brewed beer.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.88 (as of 9.28.20)

Throughout the night I had been texting with the group text of guys from my work, a group of us that regularly meet to play the Game of Thrones board game (and other games) and just group text each other about all kinds of things, from beer to philosophy, to politics, to work, to movies, shows, nerd culture, etc. My one friend and co-worker in the group text decided he would spend the night throwing out some new “blog names” for me instead of using The Beer Thrillers. At this point, I’d like to take a divergence from the brewery review and highlight the best that D. Pezzuti had to offer:

Benjamin Buzzin
Get Ben’t
Bend Over Bens Benders
The Curious Cases of Benjamin Buzzin

We then discussed doing a segment of beer reviews of Nitro stouts and rate them in the style of WCW Nitro Years. With five star Nitro stouts being WCW Nitro ’97 and one star Nitro stouts being WCW Nitro ’01. We also discussed calling the faithful to the blog “Hopamaniacs”.

Anyway…. back to the program…

Time for another beer, this time I went for another guest draft – this time from Naked Brewing; Thank Frank.

Thank Frank by Naked Brewing Company

Beer: Thank Frank
Brewery: Naked Brewing Company
Style: IPA – American
ABV: 5.6%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: West Coast IPA hopped with Citra & Amarillo.
Refreshing and perfect for those warm September days. Notes of dank citrus & delicious sticky resin.

A traditional hoppy IPA, this was a change of pace from the crisp pilsner, the juicy New England IPA, and the super tart and delicious sour Mr. Blackberry. This was a good, hoppy, bitter, earthy IPA, old west coast style old-school vibe to it.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.75 (as of 9.28.20)

It was starting to get late, I had thought about meeting two friends (D. Arndt and Youngblood) at Ever Grain before Ever Grain closed (at 11 – just like Highway Manor) since they were doing their Anniversary weekend, but Youngblood’s comedy (stand up comedy) bit went on longer and they wouldn’t be leaving their show til just before 11 anyway. So I stayed til closing getting to talk to Lucas and Kaitlin and others.

At this point, we also got introduced to Johnnie’s dog – a great dane and black lab mix – named Luna. Absolutely beautiful and wonderful dog. Fun and playful and nice drinking companion (no, I didn’t give the dog any beer).

So for my final beer of the night, I tried another brewery I never had before but have heard nothing but great things about – Brewery ARS.

Unfortunately for this, I do not have a pic, as just as I was ordering, my phone died and I did not have a charger on me. (9 hour day at work, plus driving using my GPS, plus texting, plus Untappd, and other apps, for notes, etc., really drained the battery).

Beer: Embrace the Day
Brewery: Brewery ARS
Style: IPA – Imperial / Double New England
ABV: 8.7%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: Hazy Double IPA :: mosaic, simcoe, falconer’s flight, el dorado

Another juicy, bright, delicious New England style IPA; this time a DIPA. A great beer to end the night on. This was super easy to drink, juicy, and went down fast (also perhaps because it was the end of the night and my fifth drink, but who knows).

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 4.09 (as of 9.28.20)

Before leaving, I said my goodbyes to everyone, and got to talk to Johnnie Compton a bit more. He is a great dude, knows his saisons, knows his yeast, knows his beer, and very down to Earth. Thanked me for coming out, and sent me on my way with a few (free) bottles of Mr. Peach and Mr. Plum. Which I will be diving into on the next stream with D. Scott for The Knights of Nostalgia.

I will discuss the aesthetics of the brewery now. The building is small, but well laid out (even with the current COVID restrictions), it has two rooms for dining tables, and then an open patio like area. Kind of reminds you of a house in the suburbs with the patio garage area.

The swings are really neat. I am wondering if they may become a problem with an ‘intoxicated’ person, but at a brewery, I highly doubt this will come up, but you never know. The tables and seating area though is gorgeous, both indoor and outdoor. Indoors, it has a rave like vibe with the glowing lights and the glow in the dark paint. (Make sure to check out the bathroom to really see what I mean.)

Lucas summed it up when we were discussing the brewery and the area, that its a “Philly bar in Camp Hill, turned saison bottle brewery.” And thats probably the most apt way to describe it. Johnnie and I were discussing how it was like opening during COVID and everything, and he was saying how nuts he was for opening a brewery primarily based on bottles rather than draft, and to do it during a global pandemic on top of everything.

The food menu on Saturday night looked fantastic. Lamb, turkey, vegetarian or vegan sandwich, and many other options, all for 8$ or less. Not sure if that menu is permanent or if it will be changed or updated or switched, but Johnnie did say he’s hoping to have food trucks in their parking lot area and grass field area across from the brewery on weekends.

The following pictures I took Saturday night while I was there:

Highway Manor Brewing Co. (Pictures by: The Beer Thrillers) (Include: Highway Manor Brewer and Luna)

The following pictures are courtesy of Highway Manor’s Facebook page:

Highway Manor Brewing Co. Grand Opening – September 26th, 2020 (Photos courtesy of Highway Manor Brewing Co. Facebook page)

This will certainly be a stop I will make regularly when on the West Shore, and will be perfect when hitting the area to do a brewery lap. Other great local breweries include Ever Grain, Mellow Mink, Hemaur Brewing, and Pizza Boy (as well as Liquid Noise which is a bit further, but still in the general area). So lots of great options all in the area.

I personally highly recommend checking the brewery out, and trying their wonderful tremendous beers. Especially if you like farmhouse ales, saisons, tart beers, sours, lambics, or all things similar. They also will have a rotating guest draft list that looks great for the area (Johnnie said he would like to keep it relatively full of Philly area beers), so that looks great – getting to try Philly beers and Philly breweries without the 2 hour drive to Philly. The brewery has a super cool vibe. There was a food menu for kids though it might not be 100% the most kid friendly; its certainly not anti-kid, but the venue vibe seems to be aimed away from parents. It is also dog friendly.

Highway Manor Brewing Co.

Be sure to check out some of our other brewery opening articles:

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Thanks for reading everyone and hopefully someday I’ll see you at Highway Manor and have a beer together. Until then, virtually, cheers!

-B. Kline

(Post Script: This was meant to go up Sunday night, but everything kinda got pushed back and thus why its gone up this morning, Monday, September 28th. My parents celebrated their 40th Anniversary on Sunday the 27th, and originally – pre-COVID – we were all going to go to the Bengals vs. Eagles game at the Lincoln Center in Philly; since they are big Eagles fans and I’m a Bengals fan, but unfortunately that didn’t get to work out. Instead, we got to watch the overtime – because the game in regulation time was not aired locally – and we got to see possibly the most apathetic overtime ever played. Six punts by the two teams combined in the 10 minute overtime. Neither team trying on their last plays to score. And on top of all this, the Phillies still had a chance to make the playoffs, and all they had to do was win, against a team that was locked in at their seed, and that they had just lost to twice, ….and of course they couldn’t do it. So despite it being an 8-team playoff for each conference, the Phillies *STILL* couldn’t manage to get in. So disappointing. But needless to say despite all this, the article is now up, just a bit later. Enjoy!)

Beer Review: BFD (Sierra Nevada)

B. Kline — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 17:15:00 +0000

BFD by Sierra Nevada

BFD

First… let’s ask ourselves what B – F- D stands for. Is it Beer For Drinking? Is it Big F….ing Deal? Is it Beautiful Fractional Dimensions? Is it Bubbly Farts Dissipate? Sierra Nevada Brewing tells us it means “Beer For Drinking” so let’s just go with that then!

Introduced in 2017, Sierra Nevada proudly features BFD among their year-round beer selections, sharing the stage with other newcomers like Hop Bullet, Sidecar Orange IPA, Hazy Little Thing, Otra Vez Lime & Agave, and Sierraveza. However, the absence of BFD from the brewery’s 2019 release calendar raises eyebrows, hinting that Sierra Nevada might not be actively promoting this particular brew. It’s a challenge to find on store shelves, typically confined to solitary tallboy cans in gas station convenience stores, despite being a year-round offering from the nation’s third-largest craft brewery.

Beer Review: Beer For Drinking (BFD) by Sierra Nevada

Beer: Beer For Drinking (BFD)
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Style: Golden Ale – Other
ABV: 4.8%
IBU: 33
Untappd Description: There are days when you want a beer —just a beer — that hits all the right spots. Well, this is it. No snifters required, no special occasions, just an unfussy, uncomplicated hoppy golden ale brewed to fit in no matter where it goes. This isn’t beer for collecting, this is beer for drinking.

Tasting Notes: I crack open a substantial 19.2oz can, bearing a clear packaging date of 2/1/19. As I pour it into the glass, BFD reveals a slightly hazy pale golden hue, crowned with a voluminous head of bright white foam that lingers for well over a minute. The aroma takes me by surprise; it’s reminiscent of fresh air with subtle floral hops, notes of honeysuckle, and even a hint of celery stalk. As the beer warms, orange blossom honey emerges, giving BFD a delicate quality that oddly resembles a saison.

The flavor profile further emphasizes the saison comparison, presenting a reasonably dry and minimally bitter (0/10) experience. High carbonation and a touch of sourdough acidity add to the overall effect, which some might describe as bland, but I lean towards a petite saison vibe. It’s refreshing, with subtle flavors reminiscent of lemon seltzer water. While I appreciate the nuanced experience, it’s likely to leave many consumers, especially long-time Sierra Nevada aficionados, somewhat perplexed.

Final Thoughts: BFD departs from Sierra Nevada’s typical grainy flavors and lacks the expected hoppiness, contradicting its official description and the brewery’s usual associations. Understandably, Sierra Nevada aims to tap into a different consumer base—one that is more casual, less brand-conscious, and seeks simplicity in their beer. However, Firestone Walker’s 805 achieves this effortlessly and deliciously.

Despite its quirks, BFD does serve a purpose by accentuating the appeal of Sierraveza. Another addition to Sierra Nevada’s “easy-drinking” lineup, Sierraveza can be readily found in stores. It shares BFD’s light-bodied and approachable characteristics but offers a more cohesive experience with enhanced hop aromas and richer malt flavors. My recommendation is to opt for Sierraveza and reserve BFD for those intrigued by novelty.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Untappd Rating: 3.5

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