Belgian - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com Central PA beer enthusiasts and beer bloggers. Homebrewers, brewery workers, and all around beer lovers. Mon, 22 Apr 2024 02:57:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 https://i0.wp.com/thebeerthrillers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cropped-The-Beer-Thrillers-December-2022-Logo.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Belgian - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com 32 32 187558884 It’s been a long year, wait its only April? https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/04/21/its-been-a-long-year-wait-its-only-april/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=its-been-a-long-year-wait-its-only-april Mon, 22 Apr 2024 02:55:02 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=14805 It’s been a long year, wait its only April?

Long Tongue Liar by Boneshire Brew Works

It was time to sit down and have a beer with Grandma SueAnn.  I have spent so many recent weekends testing my limits of caffeine to work a part time job and it’s time to unwind.  Reaching for a Belgium Tripel just feels right.

As soon as it was bottled we picked up some Long Tongue Liar from Boneshire Brew Works.  This tasty Belgian comes in at a 9.6% ABV according to Untapped.  It is described on Untapped as “OH, what a wicked tale you weave.’  So immediately Grandma SueAnn and I are excited.

Boneshire Brew Works’ Facebook Announcement

The Facebook announcement states: The Liar has returned!  Finally after several years Long Tongue Liar will be available on draft (tomorrow) and in bottles (Thursday).  This beautiful Belgian beer is brewed with Belgian Candi Sugar, Honey, and our favorite Belgian yeast and clocks in at 10%.  Its not for the faint of heart, drink too many of these and you might turn into a Liar!”

(See Boneshire Brew Works Facebook Announcement.)

This is very tasty.  I’ll assume Grandma SueAnn thought the same since the first pour from the bomber bottle was gone in a couple minutes.  We both agreed this was a tasty treat; It has a silkiness to it that dances over your tongue.  We shared a salmon salad and we picked up on some buttery-ness that we attributed to the fish.

Skip to a few hours later and I’m home making dinner.  I’m sneaking some spinach into some homemade beef/turkey enchiladas and I’m thinking of cracking open the second bottle of LTL.  It has a slight boozy taste to it but the honey flavor shows up to compete.

In previous years it was aged in California Chardonnay barrel with Pennsylvania cherries and Brettanomyces Lambicus.

(See B. Kline’s beer review previously posted here: Beer Review: Longue Tongue Liar Aged with Cherries and Brettanomyces Lamcibus by Boneshire Brew Works.)

Long Tongue Liar with Salmon Salad

If I took a guess I’d say it was aged in Chardonnay barrels again.  That oaky taste is apparent and contrary to most dry chardonnay this one is one I’d like to sip on all night long.  I have to say by the second one, I am indeed a Long Tongue Liar.

End Notes

(This is Amy’s first column back after a while. Busy with Scarlet, life,  and everything in general, its great to see her jumping back into her Personal Column series again. We have sorely been missing her weekly posts here on the blog, so its so wonderfully great to have her back. You can find her full list of ‘Weekly’ Personal Column series below.)

Ben’s notes – we’ve had a busy few weeks lately. With the Battle of the Breweries tournament – which wrapped up and we got to announced Liquid Noise Brewing Company as the winner – as well as the in – person fun share of Central PA beers and Girl Scout Cookies pairing, to WrestleMania weekend, to the Eclipse, to going to the AC Brewfest, and so much more – in both our personal lives as well as our work lives, as well as here on the blog. We also have a lot of stuff coming up as well. We’ve all been certainly busy here at The Beer Thrillers. Especially Amy. So I am so glad that she was able to find time to write again. And great that she got to spend some time with Grandma SueAnn to enjoy a beer and write about it too. Please make sure you follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date with all that we’ve got going on, as we will certainly be having a lot more happening. Cheers!

Amy’s Column Series

Since getting back to writing for the blog after a short hiatus, Amy has started up a weekly column style writing for the blog. You can find these articles here:

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

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! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

 

]]>
14805
Mad Elf Clone (Homebrew Recipe) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/01/31/mad-elf-clone-homebrew-recipe/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mad-elf-clone-homebrew-recipe Wed, 31 Jan 2024 16:34:04 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=14529

A Mad Elf inspired homebrew. A Mad Elf clone homebrew recipe.

Troegs Mad Elf is a beloved holiday beer known for its rich malt profile, complex blend of cherries and honey, and the warmth from its high alcohol content, typically around 11% ABV. While the exact recipe for Troegs Mad Elf is proprietary, I can provide you with a homebrew recipe inspired by its characteristic profile. This recipe will aim to replicate the key flavors of Mad Elf, focusing on a 5-gallon batch size.

Inspired Mad Elf Clone Recipe

Ingredients:

Malt Bill:
  • 10 lbs (4.5 kg) Pilsner Malt
  • 2 lbs (0.9 kg) Munich Malt
  • 1 lb (0.45 kg) Caramel/Crystal Malt 60L
  • 1 lb (0.45 kg) Chocolate Malt (lightly use for color adjustment, consider around 0.25 lbs or 113g)
  • 1 lb (0.45 kg) Special B Malt
Sugars (for Fermentation and Flavor):
  • 2 lbs (0.9 kg) Honey (add at flameout or during primary fermentation to retain aroma)
  • 2 lbs (0.9 kg) Cherries (sweet or tart, depending on preference; can use puree, added during the last 5-7 days of fermentation)
Hops:
  • 1 oz (28 g) Hallertau Hops (60 min from end of boil)
  • 0.5 oz (14 g) Saaz Hops (15 min from end of boil)
Yeast:
  • Belgian Strong Ale Yeast (e.g., Wyeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale or White Labs WLP500 Monastery Ale Yeast)
Spices (Optional):
  • 1 tsp Allspice (added during the last 10 minutes of boil)
  • 0.5 tsp Cinnamon (added during the last 10 minutes of boil)

Instructions:

  1. Mash: Heat your water to around 152°F (67°C) and mash the grains for 60 minutes.
  2. Sparge: Sparge the grains with hot water (around 168°F or 76°C) to collect approximately 6.5 gallons (24.6 liters) of wort.
  3. Boil: Bring the wort to a boil, and follow the hop schedule as follows:
    • Add 1 oz Hallertau at the beginning of a 60-minute boil.
    • Add 0.5 oz Saaz with 15 minutes left in the boil.
    • If using, add spices during the last 10 minutes of the boil.
  4. Honey and Cooling: Add the honey at flameout, ensuring it dissolves thoroughly. Then cool the wort as quickly as possible to around 68-70°F (20-21°C).
  5. Fermentation: Transfer the cooled wort to a fermenter, pitch the yeast, and ferment at 68-72°F (20-22°C) for about 2 weeks, or until fermentation activity has slowed.
  6. Cherries: Add the cherries (or cherry puree) into the fermenter during the last 5-7 days of fermentation, allowing for additional fermentation and flavor extraction.
  7. Bottling: After fermentation is complete, including the additional time for the cherries, bottle the beer with priming sugar and let it carbonate for 2-3 weeks.
  8. Aging: This beer will benefit from some aging, so consider letting it mature for a few months to allow the flavors to meld and the alcohol warmth to mellow.

Notes:

  • The cherries and honey are crucial to achieving the characteristic flavor profile of Mad Elf. Adjust the amounts according to your taste and the intensity of the ingredients you have.
  • The optional spices can add additional depth and a holiday character but use them sparingly to avoid overpowering the cherries and honey.
  • Monitor the fermentation temperature closely, as higher temperatures can lead to more pronounced esters and phenols from the Belgian yeast, which can complement the fruit and honey but also risk dominating the flavor profile if too strong.

Enjoy the process, and hopefully, this recipe brings a bit of holiday cheer reminiscent of Troegs Mad Elf!

Homebrewing Recipes

We are circling back to include more homebrew articles. We have gotten some requests for recipes, so we have decided to write them up and post them here. Be sure to check for other Homebrew articles and recipes as well!

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

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! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

]]>
14529
Cordial Elf Grand Cru Releases Thursday https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/01/31/cordial-elf-grand-cru-releases-thursday/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cordial-elf-grand-cru-releases-thursday Wed, 31 Jan 2024 13:56:38 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=13735 Cordial Elf is Back, and This Time Its Gonna be Grand

The Cordial Elf is back for your Valentine’s Day needs, but this year – its gonna be grand!

This year Cordial Elf is using the Mad Elf Grand Cru base (rather than regular Mad Elf like last year), and they will be using a chocolate syrup in the recipe rather than cocoa nibs as an addition. These changes will be giving the beer a more robust, poignant, and rich taste.

Cordial Elf Grand Cru will be releasing tomorrow – Thursday – February 1st, 2024. It will be sold in 16 oz cans, in four packs, cases, and singles, at the Hershey brewery only. This will be a brewery exclusive to the Hershey Troegs Brewery.

On Valentine’s Day there will be a special ‘booked tour’ beer dinner in their barrel room. This will be a multiple course meal and will come with a different Troegs beer pairing for each course. As of right now, the only known beer that will be served is the Cordial Elf Grand Cru.

Tomorrow is the release of Cordial Elf Grand Cru at the Hershey’s Troegs Brewery. The brewery is located at 200 E Hershey Park Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania. It will be on draft, as well as for sale in the general store. No word on to – go limits as of now.

Troegs Independent Brewing just released Little Nator on Monday, as well as their Perpetual Exploration Variety Pack. Both are available in the general store. They will be releasing First Cut at the end of February.

For More Information on Troegs Independent Craft Brewing

According to Untappd, Troegs Independent Craft Brewing is a regional brewery with 153 unique beers listed (despite their being over 500 Scratches). (A lot of vintage and variants get consolidated into single unique listings as well.) They have 2.3 Million ratings and as of 1.31.24 have a global average rating of 3.79. Their Untappd bio reads:

Founded in Pennsylvania in 1997 by brothers John and Chris Trogner, Tröegs Independent Brewing is driven by a sense of adventure and curiosity. Our brewery has been built by family, friends and kindred spirits who share a love of great beer. Together, we all make Tröegs. You might know our Perpetual IPA, the best-selling IPA in Pennsylvania. Or the dark, malty and crisp Troegenator. You may have come across such iconic beers as Nugget Nectar or Mad Elf in your beer travels. Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to try one or two of the hundreds of experimental Scratch Series beers we’ve brewed over the years. Whether you’re already a member of our extended family or you’re just getting to know our brewery, there’s always something new to discover with Tröegs.

You can find them at the following social media pages:

More Troegs Independent Craft Brewing Related Articles

Looking for more Troegs in your diet? Here’s some other Troegs Independent Craft Brewing related articles we’ve written:

 

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

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! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
13735
Craft Beer Styles: Exploring the Wide World of Flavor https://thebeerthrillers.com/2023/05/09/craft-beer-styles-exploring-the-wide-world-of-flavor/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=craft-beer-styles-exploring-the-wide-world-of-flavor Tue, 09 May 2023 06:32:03 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=11313 Craft Beer Styles

When it comes to craft beer, there’s a world of flavor out there waiting to be discovered. From hoppy IPAs to malty stouts, each beer style has its own unique characteristics that make it a delight to savor. In this article, we’ll explore some of the most popular craft beer styles, along with their key attributes and what sets them apart.

IPA: The King of Hoppy Beers

A draft IPA poured at a local bar

India Pale Ales, or IPAs, have taken the craft beer scene by storm and have become a popular choice for beer enthusiasts around the world. Known for their distinct hoppy bitterness, IPAs are a complex and flavorful beer style that many have come to love. In this article, we’ll explore what makes IPAs so popular, the different sub-styles of IPAs, and why they’re the king of hoppy beers.

What Makes IPAs So Popular?

IPAs are popular for a reason – they’re bold and full of flavor. IPAs are brewed with a higher hop-to-malt ratio, giving them a more bitter taste and distinct hoppy aroma. The bitterness comes from the alpha acids found in hops, which also give IPAs a wide range of flavors such as pine, citrus, and floral notes. The bitterness of IPAs can also be balanced out with the use of different malts, which add sweetness and complexity to the beer.

Sub-Styles of IPAs

While all IPAs have a distinct hoppy bitterness, there are many sub-styles that have unique characteristics. Some of the most popular sub-styles of IPAs include:

  • West Coast IPA: This sub-style is known for its intense hop flavor and aroma, with a strong malt backbone to balance out the bitterness.
  • New England IPA: A hazy and juicy sub-style of IPA that is brewed with fruit-forward hops, giving it a tropical and citrusy flavor profile.
  • Black IPA: A dark and hoppy sub-style of IPA that is brewed with dark roasted malts, giving it a roasted, coffee-like flavor.
  • Double IPA: A stronger, more intense version of the IPA, with a higher alcohol content and a stronger hop profile.

Why IPAs are the King of Hoppy Beers

IPAs are considered the king of hoppy beers for several reasons. First, they offer a wide range of flavors and aromas, making them complex and interesting to drink. Second, they can be paired with a variety of foods, from spicy dishes to grilled meats. Third, they are versatile and can be brewed in many different sub-styles, giving beer enthusiasts a wide range of options to choose from. Lastly, IPAs are perfect for those who love bold, complex flavors and are looking for a beer with a lot of character.

IPAs are a popular craft beer style that offer a unique and flavorful drinking experience. With a wide range of sub-styles to choose from, there’s an IPA out there for everyone. So, whether you’re a fan of the West Coast IPA, New England IPA, or any other sub-style, grab a cold one and enjoy the king of hoppy beers.

Stout: The Dark and Delicious Brew

A roasty, malty, tasty Stout

Stouts are perfect for those who prefer a beer with a rich, roasted flavor. These beers are typically dark and heavy, with notes of coffee, chocolate, and caramel. While there are many sub-styles of stouts, the most well-known is the Irish dry stout, brewed with roasted barley and has a dry, bitter finish. Other popular sub-styles include oatmeal stouts, milk stouts, and imperial stouts.

Stouts are a beloved beer style that have been enjoyed by beer enthusiasts for centuries. Known for their dark and rich flavors, stouts are a complex and satisfying brew that can be enjoyed year-round. In this article, we’ll explore what makes stouts so popular, the different sub-styles of stouts, and why they’re a delicious and indulgent brew.

What Makes Stouts So Popular?

Stouts are popular for a reason – they offer a deep and complex flavor profile. Stouts are brewed with roasted malts, which give them a rich and deep color and flavors like chocolate, coffee, and caramel. The use of different malts can also give stouts hints of smokiness, nuttiness, and even fruitiness. Additionally, stouts are often brewed with a higher alcohol content, which adds to their warming and indulgent nature.

Sub-Styles of Stouts

While all stouts have a distinct dark and rich flavor, there are many sub-styles that have unique characteristics. Some of the most popular sub-styles of stouts include:

  • Milk Stout: This sub-style is brewed with lactose, which gives it a creamy and sweet flavor.
  • Imperial Stout: A stronger and more intense version of the stout, with a higher alcohol content and a more complex flavor profile.
  • Oatmeal Stout: A smooth and silky sub-style of stout that is brewed with oats, which adds a creamy texture to the beer.
  • Foreign Extra Stout: A sub-style of stout that is brewed with more hops, giving it a bitterness that balances out the richness of the roasted malts.

Why Stouts are a Delicious and Indulgent Brew

Stouts are considered a delicious and indulgent brew for several reasons. First, they offer a complex and rich flavor profile that is perfect for sipping and savoring. Second, they can be enjoyed year-round, making them a versatile beer style. Third, stouts can be paired with a variety of foods, from desserts to grilled meats. Lastly, stouts are perfect for those who enjoy a warming and satisfying beer that is full of character.

Stouts are a popular beer style that offer a deep and complex drinking experience. With a wide range of sub-styles to choose from, there’s a stout out there for everyone. So, whether you’re a fan of the creamy Milk Stout or the intense Imperial Stout, grab a cold one and enjoy the dark and delicious brew.

Sour: The Funky and Tart Brew

A sour beer just freshly poured

Sour beers are a relatively new addition to the craft beer scene, but they’ve quickly become a favorite among those who love a tart, tangy flavor. These beers are typically brewed with wild yeast strains or bacteria that produce lactic acid, giving them a sour taste. There are many sub-styles of sour beers, including gose, berliner weisse, and lambic. They’re perfect for those who love a little funk in their beer.

Sours have been gaining popularity in the beer world for their unique and distinctive flavor profile. These funky and tart brews have a distinct sourness that sets them apart from other beer styles. In this article, we’ll explore what makes sours so popular, the different types of sours, and why they’re a great choice for beer lovers.

What Makes Sours So Popular?

Sours are popular for their unique taste, which is a result of the brewing process. The sourness in these beers comes from the use of specific bacteria and yeast strains that produce lactic acid during fermentation. This acid gives sours their tart and tangy flavor that is often described as refreshing and crisp. Additionally, sours are known for their complexity, with flavors that range from fruity to funky.

Types of Sours

There are many different types of sours, each with its own distinct flavor profile. Some of the most popular types of sours include:

  • Berliner Weisse: A German-style sour that is often brewed with fruit syrups to balance out the tartness.
  • Gose: A sour that is brewed with salt and coriander, giving it a unique and salty taste.
  • Lambic: A Belgian-style sour that is brewed with wild yeast strains, giving it a funky and complex flavor.
  • Fruited Sour: A sour that is brewed with fruit, adding a fruity sweetness that balances out the tartness.

Why Sours are a Great Choice for Beer Lovers

Sours are a great choice for beer lovers for several reasons. First, they offer a unique and refreshing taste that is perfect for those looking to try something new. Second, sours are versatile and can be paired with a variety of foods, from salads to seafood. Third, sours are often lower in alcohol content, making them a great choice for those who want to enjoy a few beers without getting too tipsy.

Sours are a popular beer style that offer a distinctive and refreshing taste. With a variety of types to choose from, there’s a sour out there for everyone. So, whether you’re a fan of the salty Gose or the fruity Fruited Sour, grab a cold one and enjoy the funky and tart brew.

Belgian: The Complex and Spicy Brew

 

Chimay Triple – A great example of the Belgian beer style

Belgian beers are known for their complex flavors and aromas, often a result of the use of unique yeast strains and spices. These beers come in a variety of sub-styles, from the fruity and spicy saison to the rich and malty dubbel. Belgian beers are perfect for those who love a beer with a lot of character and depth.

Belgian beers have a long history and are known for their complex and spicy flavors. These brews are crafted using traditional brewing methods and unique ingredients, resulting in a flavor profile that sets them apart from other beer styles. In this article, we’ll explore what makes Belgian beers so popular, the different types of Belgian beers, and why they’re a great choice for beer lovers.

What Makes Belgian Beers So Popular?

Belgian beers are popular for their unique and complex flavor profile. They are often brewed with a combination of malted barley, wheat, and other grains, along with spices and herbs like coriander, orange peel, and cloves. The yeast strains used in Belgian brewing are also unique, giving the beer a distinct fruity and spicy flavor. Additionally, Belgian beers are known for their high alcohol content, which adds to their warming and satisfying nature.

Types of Belgian Beers

There are many different types of Belgian beers, each with its own unique flavor profile. Some of the most popular types of Belgian beers include:

  • Belgian Dubbel: A dark, malty beer with notes of raisin and chocolate.
  • Belgian Tripel: A golden beer with a complex flavor profile that is often described as spicy and fruity.
  • Belgian Saison: A light and refreshing beer with a dry finish and a hint of spiciness.
  • Belgian Witbier: A light and refreshing beer brewed with coriander and orange peel, giving it a citrusy and spicy flavor.

Why Belgian Beers are a Great Choice for Beer Lovers

Belgian beers are a great choice for beer lovers for several reasons. First, they offer a unique and complex flavor profile that is perfect for those looking to try something new. Second, Belgian beers are versatile and can be paired with a variety of foods, from spicy dishes to rich meats. Third, Belgian beers are often high in alcohol content, making them a great choice for those looking for a warming and satisfying beer.

Belgian beers are a popular beer style that offer a unique and complex drinking experience. With a variety of types to choose from, there’s a Belgian beer out there for everyone. So, whether you’re a fan of the malty Belgian Dubbel or the fruity Belgian Tripel, grab a cold one and enjoy the complex and spicy brew.

Pale Ale: The Refreshing and Sessionable Brew

American Pale Ale – photo courtesy of Craft Beer.com – American Pale Ale: A Style that Changed Everything

Pale ales are a great choice for those who prefer a lighter, more refreshing beer. These beers are typically brewed with a balance of hops and malt, giving them a crisp, clean taste. While there are many sub-styles of pale ale, the most popular is the American pale ale, brewed with American hops and has a citrusy, piney flavor. Pale ales are perfect for those who want a beer they can drink all day long.

Pale Ale is a classic beer style that is known for its refreshing taste and sessionable nature. This beer is brewed using a blend of malted barley and hops, resulting in a light and crisp flavor profile that is perfect for any occasion. In this article, we’ll explore what makes Pale Ale so popular, the different types of Pale Ale, and why it’s a great choice for beer lovers.

What Makes Pale Ale So Popular?

Pale Ale is popular for its refreshing taste and sessionable nature. It is a light and crisp beer that is perfect for drinking on a hot summer day or for a casual evening with friends. Pale Ale is brewed using a blend of malted barley and hops, which gives it a distinct hoppy and citrusy flavor. Additionally, the lower alcohol content of Pale Ale makes it a great choice for those looking to enjoy a beer without getting too buzzed.

Types of Pale Ale

There are many different types of Pale Ale, each with its own unique flavor profile. Some of the most popular types of Pale Ale include:

  • American Pale Ale: A hoppy and citrusy beer with a crisp and refreshing finish.
  • English Pale Ale: A maltier and less hoppy beer with a more balanced flavor profile.
  • Belgian Pale Ale: A fruity and spicy beer with a crisp finish.

Why Pale Ale is a Great Choice for Beer Lovers

Pale Ale is a great choice for beer lovers for several reasons. First, it offers a refreshing and sessionable drinking experience that is perfect for any occasion. Second, Pale Ale is versatile and can be paired with a variety of foods, from spicy dishes to lighter salads. Third, the lower alcohol content of Pale Ale makes it a great choice for those looking for a beer that won’t leave them feeling too buzzed.

Pale Ale is a classic beer style that is loved for its refreshing taste and sessionable nature. With a variety of types to choose from, there’s a Pale Ale out there for everyone. So, whether you prefer the hoppy and citrusy American Pale Ale or the fruity and spicy Belgian Pale Ale, grab a cold one and enjoy the refreshing and sessionable brew.

An Incomplete List of Beer Styles

Here’s 100 different beer styles. This is by no means a definitive list, but its a list, a hundred different styles for you to choose from. This just goes to show and emphasize just how diverse the craft beer world is.

  1. American Amber Ale
  2. American Brown Ale
  3. American Pale Ale
  4. American Wheat Ale
  5. Belgian Dubbel
  6. Belgian Tripel
  7. Belgian Quadrupel
  8. Belgian Strong Ale
  9. Belgian Witbier
  10. Berliner Weisse
  11. Bière de Garde
  12. Black IPA
  13. Blonde Ale
  14. Bock
  15. Brown Ale
  16. Cream Ale
  17. Czech Pilsner
  18. Dunkelweizen
  19. English Bitter
  20. English Brown Ale
  21. English IPA
  22. English Pale Ale
  23. English Porter
  24. Farmhouse Ale
  25. Fruit Beer
  26. German Pilsner
  27. Gose
  28. Helles
  29. Hefeweizen
  30. Imperial IPA
  31. Imperial Stout
  32. India Pale Ale
  33. Irish Red Ale
  34. Kölsch
  35. Lager
  36. Lambic
  37. Märzen
  38. Milk Stout
  39. New England IPA
  40. Oktoberfest
  41. Old Ale
  42. Oud Bruin
  43. Pale Lager
  44. Pilsner
  45. Porter
  46. Rauchbier
  47. Red Ale
  48. Russian Imperial Stout
  49. Saison
  50. Schwarzbier
  51. Scottish Ale
  52. Smoked Beer
  53. Sour Ale
  54. Spiced Beer
  55. Strong Ale
  56. Vienna Lager
  57. Wheat Beer
  58. Wild Ale
  59. Winter Warmer
  60. Baltic Porter
  61. Belgian Blonde Ale
  62. Belgian Dark Ale
  63. Belgian Golden Strong Ale
  64. Belgian Pale Ale
  65. Belgian Saison
  66. Belgian Specialty Ale
  67. Belgian Strong Dark Ale
  68. Belgian White Ale
  69. Belgian IPA
  70. Brett Beer
  71. California Common
  72. Chili Beer
  73. Coffee Stout
  74. English Mild Ale
  75. English Old Ale
  76. English Strong Ale
  77. Flanders Red Ale
  78. Flemish Brown Ale
  79. Gluten-Free Beer
  80. Gruit
  81. Historical Beer
  82. Imperial Red Ale
  83. Irish Dry Stout
  84. Kentucky Common
  85. Kvass
  86. Lichtenhainer
  87. New Zealand Pilsner
  88. Oatmeal Stout
  89. Pennsylvania Porter
  90. Piwo Grodziskie
  91. Pumpkin Beer
  92. Roggenbier
  93. Rye Beer
  94. Sahti
  95. Scottish Export Ale
  96. Scottish Heavy Ale
  97. Scottish Light Ale
  98. Smoked Porter
  99. Sour Brown Ale
  100. Specialty Beer

This list covers a wide range of beer styles from all over the world, from classic Belgian ales to German lagers to American IPAs. Each style has its own unique characteristics, from the malty sweetness of a brown ale to the hoppy bitterness of an IPA to the tartness of a lambic. No matter what your taste preferences are, there’s a beer style out there for you to enjoy.

This list includes a variety of beer styles, from traditional Scottish ales to innovative smoked beers to experimental specialty brews. Each beer style has its own unique history and brewing techniques, resulting in a wide range of flavors and aromas. Whether you prefer a classic German wheat beer or a modern sour ale, there’s a beer style out there that’s perfect for you.

Most Popular Beer Styles

The popularity of craft beer styles can vary depending on the region and the preferences of the local beer drinkers. However, some of the most popular craft beer styles in the United States include:

  1. IPA (India Pale Ale)
  2. Pale Ale
  3. Stout
  4. Porter
  5. Wheat Beer
  6. Amber Ale
  7. Pilsner
  8. Hefeweizen
  9. Brown Ale
  10. Belgian Ale

IPAs are currently the most popular style of craft beer in the United States, with a wide range of sub-styles such as West Coast IPA, New England IPA, and Double IPA. Pale Ales, Stouts, and Porters are also widely popular among craft beer enthusiasts, especially during the fall and winter months. Wheat beers like Hefeweizens and Belgian Ales are also popular, particularly during the warmer months of the year. In recent years, sour beers and other experimental styles have gained popularity among craft beer drinkers as well. Overall, the craft beer industry offers a wide variety of styles to suit a range of tastes and preferences.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the world of craft beer is a vast and exciting one, full of different styles, flavors, and aromas. Whether you’re a fan of hoppy IPAs, rich Stouts, refreshing Wheat beers, or spicy Belgian Ales, there’s a craft beer out there that’s perfect for you. By exploring the different styles and experimenting with new brews, you can expand your palate and discover new favorites. From small local breweries to large regional operations, the craft beer industry is growing and evolving, offering something new and exciting for beer lovers everywhere. So raise a glass to the wonderful world of craft beer, and cheers to all the delicious brews yet to be discovered!

Craft beer has become more than just a beverage, it’s a culture, a community, and a way of life. The passion and creativity of the brewers, the camaraderie among beer enthusiasts, and the uniqueness of each brew all contribute to the magic of craft beer. With so many styles and varieties to choose from, there’s always a new adventure waiting to be had. From seasonal releases to limited edition collaborations, the world of craft beer is always evolving, providing endless opportunities to try something new.

As the craft beer industry continues to grow and expand, it’s important to appreciate the artistry and skill that goes into each brew. By supporting local breweries and independent operations, you’re not only enjoying delicious beer but also contributing to the community and culture that surrounds it. The passion and dedication of the people behind the craft beer movement is truly inspiring, and it’s something that deserves to be celebrated and cherished.

In the end, craft beer is more than just a drink, it’s an experience. It’s a way to connect with others, explore new flavors, and discover something truly special. So next time you reach for a cold one, take a moment to appreciate the craftsmanship, creativity, and passion that went into creating that perfect brew. Cheers to the world of craft beer, and all the wonderful things it has to offer!

A Series of Craft Beer Articles

This is just one of several in a series of over arching ‘craft beer’ related articles. Several alone in a ‘flagship’ series. In the next few weeks there will be some more that come out as well. I would like to have this general level of different ‘craft beer articles’ that everyone can kind of jump to and read and use for informative purposes, and give a better understanding for the other articles on the site.

Some of these articles are about definitions (like “What is Craft Beer?“) and others are about Craft Breweries in general like the Top 50 Producing Craft Breweries, etc.

Thank You For Reading

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! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
11313
Craft Beer Styles: A Guide to the Different Types of Craft Beer https://thebeerthrillers.com/2022/01/18/craft-beer-styles-a-guide-to-the-different-types-of-craft-beer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=craft-beer-styles-a-guide-to-the-different-types-of-craft-beer Tue, 18 Jan 2022 15:19:00 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=12682
Craft Beer Styles

Craft beer is a broad term that encompasses a wide variety of different beer styles. From light and refreshing pale ales to dark and rich stouts, there is a craft beer style to suit every taste.

Styles of Craft Beer

If you’re new to craft beer or looking to learn more about different craft beer styles, here is a guide to some of the most popular craft beer styles:

  • Pale ales: Pale ales are light and refreshing beers with a moderate hop flavor. Popular pale ale styles include American pale ales, English pale ales, and India pale ales (IPAs).
  • IPAs: IPAs are a type of pale ale that is known for its strong hop flavor and aroma. IPAs can range in bitterness from moderate to extreme. Popular IPA styles include American IPAs, West Coast IPAs, and New England IPAs.
  • Stouts: Stouts are dark and full-bodied beers with a roasted malt flavor. Popular stout styles include American stouts, English stouts, and Irish stouts.
  • Porters: Porters are dark and flavorful beers that fall somewhere between stouts and brown ales. Popular porter styles include American porters, English porters, and brown porters.
  • Wheat beers: Wheat beers are light and refreshing beers that are made with a significant amount of wheat malt. Popular wheat beer styles include American wheat beers, Belgian witbiers, and German hefeweizens.
  • Sour beers: Sour beers are beers that have been fermented with wild yeast or bacteria, which gives them a sour flavor. Popular sour beer styles include American sours, Belgian lambics, and German gose.
American Craft Beer

Explore!

These are just a few of the many different craft beer styles that are available. With so many different styles to choose from, there is sure to be a craft beer style out there that everyone will enjoy. Cheers!

Some Good Articles to Read

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

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! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer ReviewsHike ReviewsBook ReviewsBrewery News, Brewery OpeningsBrewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)

]]>
12682
Beer Review: B-52 Belgian Dubbel (Bottle-Conditioned, 2017) – Cox Brewing Company (CBC) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2020/12/17/beer-review-b-52-belgian-dubbel-bottle-conditioned-2017-cox-brewing-company/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beer-review-b-52-belgian-dubbel-bottle-conditioned-2017-cox-brewing-company Thu, 17 Dec 2020 21:21:25 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=6503 It’s winter here in PA, and making it more apparent than ever that it is that time of year is SNOW. On the ground. Actual white, powdery, cold, SNOW. The fact that the temperature has plummeted into the lower 30’s is just the icing on this very chilly cake. With projected depths of 24″ in places, it’s time to settle in and ride out this “Snowpocalypse”. However, at the time of writing this, we’re sitting at modest 2″ just after 5pm. As with the colder months, glasses of heavier and thicker alcohols must be filled, if only to trick the brain into thinking we’ll get warmer. Stouts are typical and almost expected this time of year, but I’m not one to always follow the trend. Winter Ales exist for a good reason, though the subject of this review goes a step further. I’m especially referring to Belgian beer styles. Dubbels, Tripels, and Quads are among those heaviest of hitters. Three beer styles that can range anywhere from 9-15% and still come off impossibly smooth and delicate. Just don’t try to stand up too fast…or at all if you’ve had more than one. Perhaps then it seems fitting that I suggest you sip those styles of beers on a “night in” when you’re able to get regrettably pants drunk and don’t have to be seen or heard from at any local venues or watering holes. Wait…this is 2020, so what the heck am I talking about?! Let’s crack open a bottle and find out.

The mighty B-52 Stratofortress

Just before we crack on, I would like to set the scene a little. The beer that I am about to write a review for is the better part of three years old. Because of that, I am going to elaborate more than normal as this is decidedly not an IPA and as such, deserves a little more time and effort spent waxing philosophic. You’ll want to strap in.

The Beer

Beer: B-52 Belgian Dubbel (Bottle-Conditioned, 2017)
Brewery: Cox Brewing Company (CBC)
Style: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 7.7%
IBU: 10
Untappd Description: A smoked Belgian Dubbel, bottle conditioned one year before release and aged with raisins.
Enjoy In: Tulip, Snifter
Enjoy At: 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit or 30,000ft

The last dram

The Review

It’s 2017 and a friend of mine has asked me to join him and his father at a small brewery in Rheems, PA. Back then I had never heard of Cox Brewing Company, much less tried any of their beer. However, it’s local brewery and I’m more than willing to check a new place out. We pull into an industrial and farm looking part of town and up to what appeared to be a hole in the wall. The kind of place that only those that were “in-the-know” frequented. And there we were, walking into a crowded and cramped garage that was abuzz with conversation. The whole time I was wondering just how good the beer was, but after the first sip, all doubt fled through that same garage door and I began enjoying myself. Spent a few moments scanning the chalkboard menu and spotted something very interesting. I was going to choose by name, and then I noticed the style. WOAH! “Dubbel” Now there’s something you don’t find very often. While being very happy to see the style, I have to admit I was still a bit of a sceptic. My personal experience with US brewed Belgian styles has been a bit spotty at best. Not many breweries seem to be able to replicate the unique taste found in Belgian beers. So naturally, I did what any beer nerd would do: I ordered a pint. I remember being very glad I was sitting down as much fresher versions of the flavors I’ll depict later washed over me. I enjoyed it so much that I vowed then and there that I would be back to buy two bottles, because only a fool would buy one. I returned a week later, making good on my promise. One of those bottles was had two years ago, and thought it unlikely that it would get any better.

Fast forward those two years and I finally popped the cork on the last bottle that had been sleeping in my cellar ever since. It doesn’t feel like it’s been three years, but with the way 2020 has gone, time is a mere construct, and a fickle one to be sure. Regardless, after carefully coaxing the cage and cork from the glass bottle, the sound of bubbles frothing and bursting echoed forth from the long neck to the tune of a Geiger counter. The effects of the beer contained within wasn’t quite so nuclear, though it will blow away the day’s stress or the frigid temperatures outside. This is a sipping beer in much the way that relaxation and a comfortable lounging chair are the quintessential furnishings of an in home get-a-way. The bottle reads 7.7% but with the way it drinks, you’d swear it was hovering just above the mid 5% range. Either way this beer doesn’t wash down the throat like either of those as it slips easily beyond the tongue and tonsils (if you still have them), down the esophagus and into a waiting stomach. Tickling your nose isn’t the sensation of bubbles popping but the rich, almost candied essence of raisins toiling and rising with a very mild and light smoke. And now to look at the gentle fluid now occupying space in your vessel of choice. A gorgeous, deep ruby red hue briefly accompanied by a coarse, thin, light brown head that evaporates shortly after being poured. Open the hatch, over the gums, and bathe your tongue in liquid bliss, as the taste buds pull out sweet notes of the raisins your nose sniffed out, laced with a subtle, yet comfortable smokiness. The concept might sound a little weird at first, but I assure that this combination not only works, it’s downright delicious. For having such heavy flavors and notes, this is a beer that disappears from your glass and you’re left wondering where it all went and why it’s all gone. Don’t stand up. Allow me to repeat myself a little louder: DO. NOT. STAND. UP. Not only will you likely stumble if you’ve downed the bottle yourself (which I may or may not have done in this case), but you’ll ruin the cozy, warm feeling you’ve likely built up while reclining in your favor chair. Allow the rich flavor to linger and envelope you as you sink deeper into that recliner. Relax and let your mind wander. Oh for that last sorrowful dram of sweet release, how does it linger. A slow flavor evolution that ends with hints of milk chocolate. Odd? Yes, but given that raisins appear in the flavor profile, chocolate only bolsters the thickness of this flavor. This was well worth the wait, so perhaps I should be happy there was snow as I would have left this one to age even further. Prost!

Only proper glassware will do

My Untappd Score: ****-1/4
Global Rating: 4.21/5 (as of 12/17/2020)

PROST!

J.Doncevic

]]>
6503
Brewery Opening: Highway Manor https://thebeerthrillers.com/2020/09/24/brewery-opening-highway-manor/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=brewery-opening-highway-manor Thu, 24 Sep 2020 19:33:13 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=4427
Highway Manor Brewing Co. will be opening Saturday 26th, 2020 in Camp Hill (Pennsylvania)

Another brewery is due to open in the greater Central Pennsylvania area (Central PA); this time its Highway Manor and it will be opening up in Camp Hill. This has been a long time work, and they’ve been working hard to get here. Yet again another brewery opening despite / during COVID-19 and the mess that the coronavirus has created this year (2020).

The Highway Manor Brewing Co. will be opening their doors as a taproom this Saturday – September 26th, 2020 – in Camp Hill at 11:00AM. They are located on Gettysburg Road (Camp Hill).

This has been their building that they’ve been brewing out of for years, but is now finally being turned into a taproom and will be opened to the public.

For many, if you are a big sour fan, or lambic, or Belgian, or saison fan, you are fully familiar with the portfolio that Highway Manor has to offer. They’ve been doing many brewfests for years, a highlight of which being their consistent showings and offerings at Lititz Brewfest. I remember one particular year, me and friends were there and had their Sour Stout (yes, you heard that correctly – a SOUR STOUT). Very unique and interesting beer. To see their full portfolio of beers you can check out their website here: Highway Manor’s Portfolio.

For others, you might have become familiar with them due to their statewide shipping that they’ve started during the COVID-19 and quarantine lockdown. They like several others in the state (Levante, Tired Hands, Tattered Flag, The Larimeer, etc.) have adapted, and overcame during the pandemic, creating a delivery system that allowed for them to ship statewide. If you would like to order statewide from them through their “drink from the barrel” – #drinkfromthebarrel – system, you can order here: Highway Manor Statewide Shipping – Ordering – Drink From the Barrel.

Highway Manor Logo

Highway Manor is ran by brewery owner and head brewer – Johnnie Compton III. He specializes in saisons, sours, lambics, and Belgians – especially Belgian Farmhouse styles. For those with knowledge of wine, and an appreciation for it, you will definitely enjoy his style and take on beers then as well. The house yeast for Highway Manor has been personally cultivated since the 1840s from Liverpool, Pennsylvania.

Be sure to follow Highway Manor Brewing Co. on their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

As always with us here at The Beer Thrillers we will be definitely checking them out in person hopefully very soon. So be sure to stop by Saturday when they open, starting at 11AM.

Also, please make sure to follow us on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. Our account links are on every page (just click the logos), and be sure to sign up here on our site to subscribe and follow us directly. Be sure to like and comment as well, we always are glad to hear from everyone.

And make sure to check out the ‘BREWERY NEWS‘ section and ‘BREWERY OPENINGs’ section of our blog to stay up to date on brewery news and openings in the Central PA area.

Be sure to check out our other articles on brewery openings:

Cheers everyone!

-B. Kline

]]>
4427
Beer Review: Long Tongue Liar (Barrel Aged with Cherries and Brett-Lam) (Boneshire Brew Works) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2020/03/06/beer-review-long-tongue-liar-barrel-aged-with-cherries-and-brett-lam-boneshire-brew-works/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beer-review-long-tongue-liar-barrel-aged-with-cherries-and-brett-lam-boneshire-brew-works Fri, 06 Mar 2020 15:22:01 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=2495
Long Tongue Liar, by Boneshire Brew Works. A new take on the original Belgian. This was barrel aged in a Chardonnay barrel for 2.5 years with cherries and Brettanomyces Lambicus.

Leap year means leap beer. The best thing about a leap year? Its an extra day to drink! And Boneshire Brew Works provided that with their release of a new Long Tongue Liar. Long Tongue Liar, a beer I’ve mentioned on the blog before, but not reviewed, was quickly one of my favorites from them when first released. Its not released as often as some of the more staples that Boneshire offers (like Green Machine, Testify, etc.) but when it does, I’m quick to order a pint (…or two… or three…. or perhaps even four.)

This version of it though is something special altogether. This was barrel aged, for 2.5 years; aged in a California Chardonnay barrel with Pennsylvania cherries and Brettanomyces Lambicus. It was worth every day this beauty spent penned up and locked in that barrel. This is just a beautiful and wonderful beer.

First, let’s dive into what makes this complex beer tick. Starting off with something people might not know about: Brettanomyces Lambicus. Wyeast has this to say about it: “Brettanomyces lambicus. Profile: This is a wild yeast strain isolated from Belgian lambic beers. It produces a pie cherry-like flavor and sourness along with distinct “Brett” character. A pellicle may form in bottles or casks.” (Wyeast) From Wikipedia: “Brettanomyces is a non-spore forming genus of yeast in the family Saccharomycetaceae, and is often colloquially referred to as “Brett”. The genus name Dekkera is used interchangeably with Brettanomyces, as it describes the teleomorph or spore forming form of the yeast.: (Wikipedia) The quick and the short of it – is that the Brettanomyces lambicus is what gives this beer its tartness, its sourness, what turns it from being a Belgian into something reminiscent of Belgian Lambics such as the famous ones like Cantillon.

This is the heavy duty yeast strains that Mellow Mink works with a lot. If you recall our visit there earlier this year, where we sampled some from the various barrels that were currently aging beer; as well as their Scarlet Sunrise, this is THEE yeast that does all the magic for all of these types of beers.

Obviously, the next big thing to discuss is the California Oak Chardonnay barrel this is aged in. And aged for a WHILE to boot. Two and a half years to be exact. Thats a long time to age, and it imparts a lot of the Chardonnay flavors and tannins. This is where most of the dryness comes from, as well as a bit of the tartness. You also get some of the oak flavors in the beer; as well as the wine like qualities from the Chardonnay. The barrel definitely imparts a lot of nuanced flavors into this beer.

But, ontop of the yeast strain, and the Chardonnay barrel, the cherries give this beer the biggest punch of the tartness. Cherries on their own can have a tartness, but let to sit in a beer, aging in oak, for two and a half years, and you are gonna get a lot of tartness. Some dryness. But also a ton of flavor, and that’s certainly achieved here.

So, now that we discussed some what makes this beer tick; let’s break it down and review it!

Barrel aged Long Tongue Liar at Boneshire Brew Works

Beer: Long Tongue Liar – Barrel Aged with Cherries and Brett-Lam
Style: Belgian Tripel
ABV: 10.5%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: This version of Long Tongue Liar was aged with Pennsylvania Sweet Cherries and with Brettanomyces Lambicus. This strain of Brett intensifies the cherry flavor and sourness and creates a distinct “Brett” character. All of this was done in a California Chardonnay Barrel. Did we mention that this sat patiently for 2.5 years?!

Appearance is dark wine red. Like the barrel this aged in (Chardonnay) it gives off a very vibrant red coloring, both from the barrel as well as all of the cherries that this sat and soaked in with. It has the look and feel of a heavy Belgian. This is definitely a full, heavy bodied beer.

Aroma is strong, powerful, like uncorking a bottle of wine. You get the cherries super powerful, right up front, kicking in the front door and leading the charge, you get the oak of the barrel, you get the Chardonnay wine notes, and then you get the distinctive Belgian (particularly the distinctive original Long Tongue Liar) notes; that particular smell that comes from the yeast strain, the various spices, etc. Its bold, its strong, and its powerful. This just smells damn delicious before even getting to the first sip.

And oh boy, what a first sip that is! I think calling this complex might be a bit of an understatement. There is a lot to unpack with this beautiful beer, and it just rocks you right on that first sip. First off, this is chock full of cherry flavor. Both sweet and tart cherry, but neither more overpowering than the other. Its more sweet cherry but the tartness of the Brett and aging makes it very tart as well. So right out of the gate you got very heavy cherry flavor thats competing in kind of a tug of war between sweet and cherry, then you get rocked with the oakyness of the barrel, which segues right into the Chardonnay flavor. Chardonnay is an interesting wine; like most wines, it gets a lot of its distinctive notes and flavors from the area the grapes are mostly harvested from. This can lend it all kinds of fruit flavors; apple, lemon papaya, mango, and even pineapple. It is also a dry wine, with a medium level of acidity and alcohol (compared to other wines). When stored in barrels, it gets different notes based on what barrels its stored in; oak typically gives it a vanilla and smoothness to it that alleviates some of the acidity. What this imparted to the Long Tongue Liar – (or at least what I took from it or tasted) was some apple, lemon, some of the vanilla smoothness, I also took away a little of the papaya in its buttery smoothness though this could also be part of the vanilla flavors I picked up on. The tartness really shines in this beer, it gives you a very mouth puckering, enjoyable, dry, dense, tartness that really brings out the flavors. There is nothing cloying about this, nothing too sweet. The mouthfeel feels exactly spot on, heavy, nothing is watery, certainly no off flavors and no bad aftertaste. Finally the final notes of tasting are the various Belgian spices: coriander, orange peel, clove, all in minute, subtle, just a hint of each. All combined to leave this as one of the most complex, gorgeous, and well rounded and tasting beers I’ve had in a looooooong looooooong looooooong time.

My Untappd Rating: ****.75
Global Untappd Rating: 4.23 (as of 3.6.20)

This article was meant to be posted yesterday, but my time kept getting used up… plus then it got gorgeous out…. so I had a lunchtime beer outside while reading… then I had to run errands… and then before I knew it, it was time for my business meeting with the rep from Visit Hershey & Harrisburg at the new Tattered Flag Distillery Lounge; formerly the Hershey Biergarten. That was a great meeting, scheduled from 5-7, instead hung out with the guy until 8:40 discussing the blog, beer, the local area, various breweries, ways to promote breweries, and things that I can’t discuss here yet on the blog (but soon!). Lots of exciting things planned in the future; not just for myself, but for the local breweries and everyone. So definitely stay tuned for all of that, and we’ll be right on the front line of that.

There is definitely lots of fun things on the horizon here for The Beer Thrillers. So be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and like and subscribe to us here on the blog.

(And before I forget, Boneshire Brew Works still has bottles of this beauty at their brewery on Derry Street, for 22$ a bomber. As of last I have seen, they still had this on tap, but by the time you’re reading this, it might be kicked because they only saved a little for kegging.)

Slainte!

-B. Kline

Long Tongue Liar, aged for 2.5 years, by Boneshire Brew Works
]]>
2495
The Best of 2019 https://thebeerthrillers.com/2020/01/02/the-best-of-2019/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-best-of-2019 Thu, 02 Jan 2020 12:35:00 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=1903 This is the second part of my end of the year series. You can read the first part here: “The End of 2019“. Which was essentially a recap of the year 2019 for The Beer Thrillers. I discussed when / why the blog was started back on May 17th, 2019, and how its grown since then to where we are now. I discussed how we have grown exponentially since we first started, from just me writing a few beer blogs, to adding J. Doncevic, to adding Default Brewing, to doing contributing work with Breweries in PA and Let Us Drink Beer blog as well as numerous other things, like how we’ve done brewery reviews, beer event reviews, book reviews, and gotten asked to write up brewery openings, etc.

2019 has certainly been a big year. For the brewing industry, for myself, for this blog (well… primarily because its been the only year the blog’s been around…), for the country, and for the world as a whole. It was certainly a pivotal year. (Though at the end of each year, it feels like we say this every year.)

I wanted to do a bit of a recap and “best” of series all wrapped up in one. This second part will recap some of 2019; in the sense I’ll talk about my personal favorite beers I had in 2019 for the first time, my favorite new brewery stops, the blog’s top viewed articles, and I’ll show the results of fans top beers / breweries. I asked here in the blog, on my personal Facebook, our Twitter, and in several Facebook beer groups what people’s favorite beers / breweries of 2019 were, and I’ll share the results of that.

First off, I’ll start with the blog, and then work towards my personal, then to our fans.

 

The Top Ten Viewed Articles Here on The Beer Thrillers:

 

Working our way up to the #1 most viewed:

10. We actually have a 3-way tie to start off the list, so this really becomes a Top 12 rather than Top 10. The first of the three way tie is:

Caucus-Race 6.0 by Boneshire Brew Works

Caucus-Race 6.0 by Boneshire Brew Works
Looking through the glass at Boneshire Brew Works, used for the article – Breweries Around Harrisburg PA

Breweries Around the Outskirts of Harrisburg – an article about the various breweries in the Harrisburg / Hershey area

And the third tie for #10 is – A Beer Flight from Ever Grain, reviewed. Their 3rd Anniversary, Cinn-a-bon, etc.

Ever Grain Brewing Co.

Number 9 on the list is Guava Lemonade Kettle Sour by Newfangled Brew Works

Guava Lemonade Kettle Sour by Newfangled Brew Works
AuZealand 2.0 by Boneshire Brew Works

Number 8 on the list is AuZealand 2.0 by Boneshire Brew Works

Number 7 is the Mango Guyabano sWheat Tart beer review by J. Doncevic, brewed by Rotunda Brewing Company

Mango Guyabano sWheat Tart by Rotunda Brewing Company
The Hog by Boneshire Brew Works

Number 6 is The Hog by Boneshire Brew Works, a recent article, but one that climbed fast and got a ton of views quickly.

Numbers 5 and 4 are actually tied and are both recap / listicles: November Recap and Some Old Posts.

Number 3 is yet another Boneshire Brew Works beer – Harrishire

Harrishire by Boneshire Brew Works
Dillston by Boneshire Brew Works

And number 2, and the last individual page that got the most views was Dillston by Boneshire Brew Works.

Because number one overall, is our main page – The Beer Thrillers homepage. Which I suppose should come as no surprise. But the Boneshire Brew Works beers definitely cleaned up, with several in our top 10 – Dillston, Harrishire, The Hog, AuZealand, and Caucus-Race.

I love seeing the statistics and analytics of what posts get the most views, where the people are coming from or how they find the site through different search engine results and things. So its neat to see some of the local beer reviews we’ve done – for Boneshire and for Rotunda – making the top 10.

 

Now, onto the personal. I got to check out 17 new breweries or brewpubs this year:

  • Columbia Kettle Works (2nd Gear) – Lancaster, PA
  • Twisted Bine – Mount Joy, PA
  • Tun Tavern and Brewpub – Atlantic City, NJ
  • Battlefield Brew Works – Gettysburg, PA
  • Straub Visitor Center, Tap Room, and Brewery – St. Mary’s, PA
  • Logyard Brewing – Kane, PA
  • Twisted Vine – Kane, PA
  • ShuBrew Brewery – Zelionople, PA
  • Cinderlands Beer Co. Warehouse – Pittsburgh, PA
  • The Church Brew Works – Pittsburgh, PA
  • Yellow Bridge Brewing – Delmont, PA
  • Stone Bridge Brewery – Johnstown, PA
  • Olde Bedford Brewery – Bedford, PA
  • Cushwa Brewery – Williamsport, MD
  • Mad Chef Brewing Company – East Petersburg, PA
  • Rotunda Brew Pub – Hershey, PA (formerly Irv’s Pub, I’m counting this as “new” since its now rebranded as a brewpub)
  • Official BBQs and Burgers, Pizza Boy’s Second Location – Rutherford, PA

Out of these 17 places, I’m going to have to say my favorite was Logyard. Stopped there, during my three day vacation trip with my daughters, and they loved the brewery, loved the food, loved the atmosphere, and the beer was phenomenal. It was also small, out of the way, not even really on the map. So I think it was super cool for that. A runner-up would definitely be Cushwa. Which had fantastic beer, a great bartender, didn’t get any food, and didn’t get to stay long, so I can’t really speak of the atmosphere. Third place would have to go to The Church Brew Works, which is a must-visit just for the aesthetics of seeing an old church turned into a brewery. A visually stunning location and brewery and worth a trip to see when in the Pittsburgh area.

 

Top beers is going to be much harder to narrow down and pick and choose. I have so many I could pick. From local breweries, I loved this year’s version of Double Blizzard, by Troegs Brewery, I also loved several of the sWheat Tarts I got to try this year, notably the Juicy Fruit one by Rotunda Brewing. Boneshire Brew Works also pumped out some amazing beers, like the s’Mores Lazaris, The Hog, the 2019 Holiday Reserve, several of their one offs, Caucus-Race 6.0, AuZealand 2.0, Sunburst, almost too many to list. And Tattered Flag really pumped out some great beers this year. The Peach Rings of Fire beer, Inexplicably Juicy, the Should Have Put Him Custardy, the Imperial Churro collaboration, basically any collaboration they made was phenomenal. I loved the beers I had at Yellow Bridge, Cinderlands, Mad Chef, Cushwa, and especially Logyard. I got some great beers from trades that I really liked, like There’s Nuttin Butter Than a Nice Pair of Camo Pants, and Azathoth, I also got gifted Sap and Autumn from Tree House, which were fantastic. So many good beers, so hard to narrow them all down. Had some really great ones at the various brewfests I went to like Lititz, Mount Hope, Atlantic City’s, etc. I’m going to just have to cop out here and say I can’t name just one.

I will provide a link here to my “Your Year in Beer” by Untappd. Ben’s 2019 Year in Beer.

It was certainly a great year with 1,000+ unique beer checkins from a ton of breweries.

 

Now lets switch again and go to some reader responses.

On my personal Facebook page, Tyler Budwash said his favorite was Should Have Put Him in Custard by Tattered Flag.

On the Central PA Whalerz Facebook group, the answers were varied. Some were:

Collin Short said Trillium’s Max Headroom, Monk’s Western and Del Amo, Solo Hike, Bloom Blossom, Super Fluffy; Veil’s Buried Alive 3, We Ded Mon 3, Good Morning Anxiety; and Aslin’s Castle Hill and Sperryville.

James Nicastro said 3 sons and Voodoo’s Summagick, Aslin’s Luling, Sperryville, Alexandria, and Gang Gets a Barrel; Other Half’s BA Snowbirds; Monkish Space Churro; Hudson Valley’s Amorphia, Other Half’s 5th Anniversary, Tilted Barn’s Space Cactus, Equilibrium’s Dream Wave Distortion, and Dream Wave Fluctuation.

Chris Scott said New Trail’s Red Line.

Greg Brunner liked The Veil’s Patient Man and White Bugatti.

 

When posed the question to the Breweries in PA Facebook group, I got a large range of answers as well:

Douglas Allen – MissileToad by Ever Grain
Anthony Ferraro – New Trail Backast Double IPA and Victory’s Cloudwalker IPA.
Kaela Williams – anything by Imprint
Michael Dunmore – Special Cookie by Free Will Brewing
Michael Keener – North County Brewing White Tea, Abjuration Brewing WCPM v1.0
Shawn Bryne – Broken Goblet Brewing – Hazenberg IPA
Dean Horning – Yuengling’s Hershey Porter
John Welsh – Ralphius – Free Will (and variants)
David Villafane – Lollihop – Troegs
James Frank – Wild Berry Pineapple Puffsicle
Tim Kilian – A Nap in the Pollen – Forest and Main
Nevile Mehta – Schmoojee beers – Imprint
Scott Bombeck – Shallow and Pointless – New Trail
Wilson Myers – Frost – Robin Hood Brewing
Chris Ciccarone – Raspberry Heliocentric – New Trail
Teri Smith – Morning Blonde – Hop Hill Brewing
Matthew David Prince – Double Guava Milkshake IPA – Tired Hands
Andie Bicho – Stratophonic – Levante
Siobhan Royack – Lost in Suspension, Apricot – Lost Tavern
Thomas Slovik – Chaka – Schaylor Brewing and Sunny Side Up by Pizza Boy

 

So this kind of wraps up 2019. Sums it up to some degree. Between this and the “End of the Year – 2019” article, I think I wrapped up the year of 2019; for the blog, for myself personally, and for some of our readers. Hopefully you enjoyed what we’ve done in 2019, and even more importantly, hopefully you are looking forward to what we have in store for 2020. I know I am.

I just want to say thank you for reading, for myself, Josh, AJ, Default Brewing, Let Us Drink Beer, and everyone else who has worked to help me with this blog behind the scenes, we all want to thank you – the readers – for checking us out, and reading. Thank you!

Happy New Year. Happy start to 2020, and lets make it a fantastic year!

 

Cheers, toast, and prost!

 

-B. Kline

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
1903
Multiple Beer Reviews: Tattered Dreamz (Tattered Flag), Twin Mount .50 (Newfangled Brew Works), Government Spending 2019 (Tattered Flag), Seven.Point.Six.Two (Tattered Flag), 556 Stout (Cox Brewing Company) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2019/11/14/multiple-beer-reviews-tattered-dreamz-tattered-flag-twin-mount-50-newfangled-brew-works-government-spending-2019-tattered-flag-seven-point-six-two-tattered-flag-556-stout-cox-brewing-co/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=multiple-beer-reviews-tattered-dreamz-tattered-flag-twin-mount-50-newfangled-brew-works-government-spending-2019-tattered-flag-seven-point-six-two-tattered-flag-556-stout-cox-brewing-co Fri, 15 Nov 2019 04:47:02 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=1296
My flight of 5 beers from Tattered Flag (as well as their collaborations with Newfangld Brew Works and Cox Brewing Company) on Veterans Day

Monday was Veteran’s Day and it was a bit of a busy day for me. At least at work it was; as usual most Monday holidays tend to be a bit busier at work. So after work I jumped right on I-81 and drove the 26 minutes to get to Tattered Flag. And to be honest, I couldn’t think of a better place to be Monday night than at Tattered Flag Brewery and Distillery. A veteran owned brewery with veteran employees on Veterans Day sounded like a perfect idea to me.

As anyone who has been familiar with this blog knows, I did the 556 Stout review already, (two days ago in fact), but I will gloss over it at the end of this flight review. Needless to say it’s my favorite of this flight.

Also, anyone who has been checking in with us daily has seen that I am doing a blog post per day the entire month of November. This is day 14 and this is my 14th blog post of the month. It is also blog post #100 (if counting small posts discussing our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts, and counting our two listicle posts – Old Articles and Most Popular Articles). And its amazing to see that today we also hit 100 likes on our FaceBook page with a total of 102 followers counting RSS. We also pushed up to 80 on Twitter. So today is a bit of a milestone in that sense. So I would like to take the time right now to thank everyone who has read any of the posts, commented, liked, followed, subscribed, up-voted, thumbs-upped, retweeted, or anything else. We greatly appreciate it. It means a lot to me and J. Doncevic. Thank you!

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, lets move on to this wonderful beer flight!

Tattered Dreamz – a sour collaboration between Tattered Flag and Wolf Brewing Co.

First up on my flight is Tattered Dreamz. This sour behemoth is a collaboration between Tattered Flag and Wolf Brewing Co.; created for the Brewsgiving Brew Fest. This is a special collaboration brewfest where each beer you have there is a beer created by breweries in a joint collaboration effect. Tattered Flag worked with Wolf Brewing Co. at the brewfest. Other breweries that did brews together included Pilger Ruh with Snitz Creek, as well as Liquid Noise and Cold Spring, Hidden Stories, Lindgren Brewing, Cave Brewing, Rotunda Brewing, and many others. Always sounds like a killer and fun event and one I’ve been wanting to check out for a while but unfortunately due to work I haven’t yet. The winners compete for tag championship belts. Last year Tattered Flag and Wolf Brewing Co. won and this year they came in second place.

This beer is worthy of second place minimum. Its a terrific high end, high ABV, sour that will just blow you away.

Beer: Tattered Dreamz
Brewery: Tattered Flag
Collaborator: Wolf Brewing Co.
Style: Sour – Fruited
ABV: 10.5%
IBU: None
Untappd Write-Up: A Collaboration with Wolf Brewing Co. This fruit imperial sour was brewed with Apricots, Peaches, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Vanilla.

First off, its a rarity to see or find sours that cross the 8% threshold. Especially ones that are done this well. The few 8%+ ones I’ve had ended up tasting too boozy or just being a bit too all over this place. Not the case for this beautiful gem.

Appearance is a soft orange. Similar in look and coloring and appearance to that of hazy NEIPAs; it has the unfiltered opaque look with a sugary-ness left over on the glass as you drink it similar to a lot of other fruited sours and smoothie sours. The lacing on the glass s legit and well, and at initial pouring there is a thin ring of head to it. A small look of sediment but nothing too bothersome.

Aroma is kind of similar to milkshake IPAs and fruited sours. You get notes of vanilla, notes of apricot and peach. A lot of apricot aroma as you inhale deeply on it. Small traces of the cinnamon and nutmeg but almost imperceptible and subtle. Not a whole lot of nose on those flavors. The vanilla is noticeable and gives it a nice creamy smell to it that like I said gives kind of a nose of milkshake IPAs.

Taste is just phenomenal and will blow you away. This is extremely delicious. Easily drinkable and with how delicious it is, and at the high ABV that it is, this is just scary. My initial quick Untappd write up on it reads: “ Extremely delicious sour. Vanilla and apricot heavy with notes of peach. Not a whole lot of nutmeg and cinnamon but a slight spice finish. ” And this pretty much holds up; just needs some explaining. It is extremely delicious (and it is a sour, duh). You do get mostly vanilla and apricot from drinking this especially at the start. The vanilla and lactose makes it smooth, and gives it a creamy taste. Apricot takes the forefront of the flavors with some peach coming in. The cinnamon and nutmeg is very minute however. Which is probably a good thing because I’m not sure how those flavors in abundance would have affected the taste of this, and this is so damn good as it is right now, I’d think it might make it worse. The mouthfeel for this is smooth and thick, very heavy, very textual, lovely. Nice pulp left on the glass after drinking.

This is still currently on tap at Tattered Flag; not sure how much they made in addition to what they made for the Brewsgiving event, so it might not last long. I believe they did a minimal canning run for this as well. So make sure to stop in and grab a draft (or cans if they did canning / have any left). You won’t regret it!

My Untappd Rating: ****.50
Global Untappd Rating: 4.17 (as of 11.14.19)

Another sour from Wolf Brewing Co we reviewed: Wolf Prints.

What a great way to kick off this flight. And moving on….

Twin Mount .50 by Newfangled Brew Works with Tattered Flag, Cox Brewing Company, and 717 Armory

In honor of Veterans Day, three local breweries, as well as a local armory all joined forces. All three breweries are veteran owned, as well as the armory. Those breweries are: Tattered Flag, Newfangled Brew Works, and Cox Brewing Company. The armory is 717 Armory. All four joined up to brew three different beers, giving each brewery their own one as main credit, and the other two breweries being listed as collaborators on each one. Those three beers are: Twin Mount .50 (Newfangled lead), Seven.Point.Six.Two (or 7.62) (Tattered Flag lead), and 556 Stout (Cox Brewing Company lead). The beers will be on tap at each of their locations, and all of them are on tap at Tattered Flag. On Veterans Day they also did a special sampling session at the 717 Armory (located on Derry Street in Rutherford, right next to Boneshire Brew Works and the BBQ food truck), where they also gave veterans a free hour on the range.

Tattered Flag’s beer is an IPA (the 7.62 IPA), the Cox Brewing Company is a stout (the 556 Stout), and Newfangled Brew Works’ beer is a Belgian (the Twin Mount .50).

Beer: Twin Mount .50
Brewery: Newfangled Brew Works
Collaborators: Tattered Flag, Cox Brewing Company, 717 Armory
Style: Belgian Tripel
ABV: 9%
IBU: None
Untappd Write-Up: Belgian Tripel brewed as an all Veteran Collaboration with Tattered Flag, Cox Brewing Co and 717 Armory.

Belgians, Tripels, Quads, Dark Belgians, Dubbels, any and all Belgians are one of my favorite styles (when done right obviously). It always just has wonderful taste, wonderful notes, wonderful characteristics, and isn’t done that often, that it makes it such a fantastic style. And this is certainly no exception.

Appearance is similar to that of the Tattered Dreamz but translucent rather than opaque. Not hazy, filtered rather than unfiltered, no sediment or pulp or sugar on the glass. Thin ring of head that looks good and shows a nice carbonation. Good lacing on the glass as you drain it down. The coloring looks slightly more IPA-ish than a normal Belgian, but I think thats due to its sweetness. Which is unusual for a Belgian, but not unheard of, and not in a bad way.

Aroma is all about that yeast. That typical Belgian yeast brings out a forefront yeasty smell on the aroma that is typical for Belgians and is just classic. If you like the style you can note it a mile away, even without knowing what style or what kind of beer you are smelling or tasting. There is also a sweet smell to this that ties in I think with the coloring, and certainly ties in with the taste.

Taste is your usual Belgian. Very high note of the yeast strain that is common to Belgian. You get a lot of coriander and the usual Belgian spices. But this has an overarching theme of sweetness to it. An underlying taste to it that is just sweet and makes this a very smooth Belgian. I’ve had a few like this in the past and its a nice change of pace to that of regular Belgians. It adds a nice complexity to an already dense and complex beer style and just creates a bit of a different mouth feel and flavor than one you normally expect or are prepared to expect in the beer.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.97 (as of 11.14.19)

Another Newfangled Brew Works beer we reviewed: Pumpkin Stout or Guava Lemonade Kettle Sour.

Moving on to a regular IPA from Tattered Flag, and solely their own creation, no collaborators for this one.

Government Overspending 2019 by Tattered Flag

I know from talking to the guys at Tattered Flag that this is a different version than last year’s. They tweaked and changed the recipe of it enough to feel confident calling it “Government Overspending 2019” rather than just continuing with “Government Overspending”. Interestingly though, I couldn’t find the original check-in for this on Untappd (No Government Overspending listed anyway on the app) and I don’t believe I had it; or if I did, I don’t recall it, and unable to look it up. So I’m not sure if they ret-conned it and retroactively changed the name of the old version, or if it got deleted, or if it never really existed like I thought it did. Not sure. But I do know from talking to the actual brewers and owners, that this is a second version of this beer. Regardless of whatever the prior version was called.

Beer: Government Overspending 2019
Brewery: Tattered Flag
Style: IPA – Triple New England
ABV: 10.5%
IBU: None
Untappd Write-Up: Its time to overspend again. This year we used a ton of Galaxy in this years version of Government Overspending. Then we used more Galaxy Citra and Mosiac to Triple Dry hop this beer.

So right there, from the Untappd write-up you can tell its the second year of it. Just no idea what happened to the original version of this in the app.

(So… I’m not crazy… …maybe…. sorta…. …possibly…)

Anyway….. back to the beer…. appearance wise… its a golden orange, hazy, unfiltered, as per the NEIPA style. This is probably slightly more on the yellow spectrum then most NEIPAs, especially TIPA (Triple IPAs) ones. Again, as per with the rest of the beers of the flight, the carbonation was good, giving it a nice foam head, small ring of diverse bubbles, and followed by good lacing on the glass.

Aroma is straight hop. Juicy hop. Fruity citrusy hops. Galaxy is really a wonderful hop and has quickly become one of my favorites. Even before reading the write up on this, from aroma alone I could pinpoint Mosaic and Galaxy. They are such distinct, wonderful hops and provide such great aroma and taste. The triple dry hopping really brings the hop aroma to the front.

Taste is pure hop juicyness. No bitterness. This is soft, pillowy, very dank, delicious hop brew. All kinds of wonderful hop notes and citrus and juicy hop flavors play over your mouth as you drink this down. The high ABV is barely noticeable.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 4.02 (as of 11.14.19)

We’ve done several IPAs from Tattered Flag in the past: You Hoppin On Me? , Banana Milkshake IPA, Inexplicably Juicy, and Multiple Beer Review – Levante and Tattered Flag.

Seven.Point.Six.Two or 7.62 IPA by Tattered Flag with collaborators Newfangled Brew Works, Cox Brewing Company, and 717 Armory

Tattered Flag’s turn to take the lead on one of the collaborations from Vet Collab day. And of course they’d make an IPA. …or maybe a sour… or… or…. But yea, Tattered Flag has become known for their IPAs (and sours) in recent years, and for good reason: they are pumping out some amazing IPAs (and sours).

Beer: Seven.Point.Six.Two (7.62) IPA
Brewery: Tattered Flag
Collaborators: Newfangled Brew Works, Cox Brewing Company (CBC), 717 Armory
Style: IPA – New England
ABV: 7.62%
IBU: None
Untappd Write-Up: Seven.Point.Six.Two a 7.62% NEIPA made with veterans blend hops The 2019 Veterans Blend is comprised of five different Pacific Northwest-grown varieties including Simcoe®, Loral® and Ahtanum®. It will perform well in any hop forward beer, providing a well-balanced mix of tropical, citrus and herbal aromas. Proceeds go to wounded warriors family support fund. Collaboration with Cox and Newfangled brewery.

It is always heart warming, and awesome, and amazing to see when beers and breweries give some of their proceeds and money earned to charities. Especially ones in such need like Wounded Warriors. Just a great showing by Pat (owner of Tattered Flag) and the others from Newfangled, Cox Brewing, and 717 Armory, to do this. I cannot fully endorse this more.

This has more of that typical NEIPA look than even the Triple NEIPA (Government Overspending 2019) had. This has the hazy, opaque, unfiltered, glowy orange juice like look to it. And once again, nice carbonation, and nice lacing. Good theme going for the day on both of those fronts.

Aroma is very floral hoppy. A nice selection of different style of hops brings out a very well rounded aroma to this. Sometimes a wide variety of hop can provide for too much of a jumbled aroma, with competing smells of floral or herbal or citrus or pine, (same thing can happen with taste, too many bitter vs. citrus hop blends that don’t pan out well), but here this all works well, its a nice varied combination to make a layered floral hoppy bouquet. It just works.

Taste is similar to aroma, as is often the case. Its a floral hoppy cornucopia of hop flavors and tastes. I like this a bit more than Government Overspending (2019) primarily due to it having a bit of a bitterness to it, kind of uncommon for NEIPAs, but there is just a bit of a bitterness bite to this that provides it with a kick and a punch to it that is lacking from Government Overspending. I like that, and despite it, there is also a smoothness to this, probably some lactose or other smoothing agent in the beer (possibly vanilla as I get slight notes of it, which could also be lactose, or could also be a sign that this is beer #4 in a flight of 5).

This compares nicely to the recent New Trails Broken Heels I had.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 4.23 (as of 11.14.19)

556 Stout by Cox Brewing Company (CBC), with Tattered Flag, Newfangled Brew Works, and 717 Armory

Ok, so I reviewed this one separately, and in more depth just a few days ago. You can read that review here: 556 Stout by Cox Brewing Company (CBC).

But, I will give the bare-bones information on it here:

Beer: 556 Stout
Brewery: Cox Brewing Company (CBC)
Collaborators: Newfangled Brew Works and Tattered Flag
Style: Stout – American
ABV: 5.56%
IBU: No
Untappd Write-Up: Vet Collab Stout with Newfangled and Tattered Flag

Fast forward through a lot of the review, to just my thoughts on the taste (if you want to read more, check out the other article, its far more in-depth):

Taste is what really drives this. It is immediately amazing. Wonderful flavor profile, wonderful mouth feel, wonderful taste, wonderful notes and characteristics, and …. wonderful any other cliche catch-all terms that you want to use. Its sweet, its malty, its caramel, its dark, its heavy, its low key and not boozy, and only a 5.56% ABV (get it… … …you know… since the name is 556… they made sure to work the OG and sugars to make it 5.56% ABV). This all combines perfectly and into one wonderful stout. A perfect cold weather stout, a perfect warm weather stout, a perfect all year round stout. But more importantly, a perfect Veteran’s Day stout.

Some other stouts we’ve reviewed are: S’Mores LazaRIS, Walkers Station Stout, Vanilla Ice Cream Stout, Salted Caramel Moo Hoo, and Irish Table.

My Untappd Rating: ****.75
Global Untappd Rating: 4.1 (as of 11.14.19; on the previous article, there wasn’t enough ratings yet to give it a global rating).

(I will point out that the 556 Stout was my absolute favorite of the flight. And if I had to rank my flight of 5, it would go like this:

1. 556 Stout
2. Tattered Dreamz
3. Seven.Point.Six.Two (7.62) IPA
4. Twin Mount .50
5. Government Overspending

Thats not to say any of the lower ordered ones were bad, just how this flight went. And considering my ratings for them, you can see that it was an amazing flight!)

Well, I’m shooting a buzzer beater with this one. Finishing this up right now its 11:40. So just barely getting this to print (or to screen) before the deadline and maintaining my blog post per day. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little bit smoother and I get my post up sooner. I am also going to be doing more work / editing on this in the morning. So if you read it now, and then re-read it around 9AM, there will be some edits, links added in, and other things. I’ll note them here at the ending in an “UPDATE: EDIT” section.

Thanks for reading everyone. Thanks for getting us to 100 blog posts. And thanks for getting us to 80 Twitter Followers and 102 FaceBook followers. We appreciate each and every one of you!

UPDATE / EDIT: Ok, so starting at 6AM when I woke up… well… ok… 630AM after I watched The Mandalorian’s newest episode…. I went through and linked up things to their correct places. This should look better. No content changes, just cosmetic changes. Last night I was pretty tired and feeling kinda lazy to do a lot of the HTML / inside / behind the scenes work of the blog, and just posted up the writing side of it. Now it looks more accurate. Sorry for those who read the original version and didn’t see the links. (Not a huge change made.)

Also, just to reiterate we are on the Top 100 Best Beer Blogs currently sitting at #11. We debuted at #137 and second week went to #11 and have sat there ever since. Would be great to gain some momentum and move up! Be sure to check out the site, and click back to us, not sure if it helps, but it certainly can’t hurt anyway.

We’re making a lot of big strides here at The Beer Thrillers. We just hit 100+ posts, 100+ followers on Facebook, and 80+ Twitter followers. Coming in with the new year we are looking to move over to a full blog status, adding a home brewer to our writing staff, and possibly one or two more writers to our staff. Lots and lots of content for lots and lots of people to read, so make sure to like, subscribe, follow, and do all the fun stuff so you can see all our hard work! We appreciate you checking us out, and thanks for making all of this hard work so much fun!

Cheers All!

-B. Kline

]]>
1296