I was feeling in the mood to split a beer or two, maybe three with Grandma SueAnn.  Yesterday she kicked butt. Cumulative fundraising of $800 for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on City Island and also volunteering at the walk event.  It was definitely some time to celebrate.

Zoktoberfest by KCBC – Kings County Brewers Collective

We started off with the Zoktoberfest by KCBC.  I am going to be honest, it is because of my driving.  When I showed up to Grandma SueAnn’s house, the Devious Imperial Pumpkin  had escaped the bag I was totting along.  I was still scared enough that I held it over the sink when I opened it!

The Zoktoberfest comes in with a 5.4% ABV and it has an overall untapped rating of 3.75.  It is described as “Smooth, bready malt character, with Clean earthy bitterness. Finishes crisp and dry. Crushable.  Brewed with 100% German malt and hops.  Worthy of your best lederhosen and your finest stein.”

This doesn’t feel like our typical marzen.  Grandma SueAnn and I tasted more of the bready malty flavors but then very crisp and light caramel.  Untapped has a few confused check ins too. 

(A hodge – podge of Untappd reviews of Zoktoberfest by KC BC – Kings County Brewers Collective)

And that is exactly how I’d describe it “Bit thin flavored” The flavors are all there but they are subtle and do nothing to excite me.  Grandma SueAnn concluded “It was just ok.” 

Devious Imperial Pumpkin by Fegley Brew Works

After some laundry checks and dogs walked it was time for the next beer.  I think I was scared of the Devious Imperial Pumpkin by Fegley’s Brew Works. 

Devious Imperial Pumpkin (DIP) comes in at a 9% ABV and an overall untapped rating of 3.77.  It is described as “Amber-hued and expertly brewed with real pumpkin, pale, Munich and caramel malts, this ale pours a frothy dark ruby color with enchanting aromas of pumpkin pie, spiced cookies and nutmeg.  A harmonious blend of ginger, cinnamon, clove and allspice balances natural pumpkin sweetness, revealing rich undertones of toffee, squash and clove.  Finished with unique notes of spiced pumping seeds and blood orange marmalade, this full bodied ale offers a sophisticated and delightful taste of the season, crafted with unmated passion and quality.”

Ah yes, we love a good pumpkin beer.  Not sweet and not too spicy.  Grandma SueAnn describes it as a beer you don’t even have to think about.  You just drink it and enjoy it.  You know what?  She is right.  It was so easy to just enjoy this well balanced pumpkin beer on a chilly fall day. 

• Drink More Beer!
• Amy

Post – Script

Ben jumping on here. Just want to say that Amy did an absolutely amazing job this weekend of helping Francis organize, run, and execute the Walk to End ALZ event on City Island at FNB Field in Harrisburg, PA yesterday. She absolutely puts her everything into it and always does such an amazing job. You can tell that she really cares hard about the quality and work that she does, and that she really cares about the cause.

Grandma SueAnn is no exception to that as well. She helped raise a lot of money for “Team Grandma Squared” and in honor of her mother.

It was also Grandma SueAnne’s 69th birthday on Friday night. After I got off work, we went over to Official BBQ and Brewpub in back of Rutherford (on Lyter Lane). Absolutely fantastic BBQ, and good brews as well. Micah and Aaron Delp do an amazing job there. If you check out our Instagram page you’ll soon see pics of our dinner at Official BBQ as well as pics from the Walk to End ALZ event.

Thank you for reading.

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:

• Brewfests with Anxiety (Amy’s original weekly column start)
• I’ve Missed Drinking (A Look at Non Alcoholic Beers)
• Beer and Pretzel Review: Legends and Lore (St. Boniface Brewing Company) and Garlic Parm Pretzels (Pretzels.com)
• Peanut Butter Eggs, Easter, Beer, and YAH Brew’s Shimmy Shake (Beer Review)
• Cox Brewing Company: Back to Their Roots
• Amy’s Day Off
• It Was All A Dream (A Visit to YAH Brewing)
• Just Another Weekend (A Hike at Saint Pete’s Trail and Hares Hill Brewing)
• I’m Pretty Darn Lucky (Happy Mother’s Day)
• Ready to Kick of the Summer
• Beer Review: Beer Devil IPA (Niagara Brewing Company)
• World MS Day
• Have you ever picked a beer based on the can art?
• Happy Father’s Day
• What is Your Summer Time Go To Beer?
• Holiday Weekend and Bomber Bottles
• Baby’s First Ffej
• We Can’t Always Be a Glutton Right? – Perfect Portions and Allusion Brewing Company
• Beer Review: Pocono Punch (Barley Creek Brewing Company)
• Getting Sworn In: A Sneak Preview of Sworn Brewing
• Beer Review: Tropical Stout (Troegs Independent Brewing and Windy Bridges Brewing LLC)
• RAR Brewing Brings the Nostalgia with Muppets Out of Order Series
• Happy Birthday to Ben
• Brewery Review: Cold Spring Inn and Brewery
• Hummelstown Doesn’t Deserve Maritza
• Enchilada Stuffed Peppers and Sunshine Pilsner
• Master of Pumpkins, Cupcakes, Cookies, and Bacon Cheeseburgers
• A Beer Review by Grandma SueAnn (Beer Review: Braaaiins! by Spring House Brewing Company)
• Grandma SueAnn and More Beer: Beer Reviews of: Zaktoberfest (KCBC – Kings County Brewers Collective) and Devious Imperial Pumpkin (Fegley Brew Works)
• You can find all of Amy’s articles here: Amy’s Archive of Articles.

(And please take a moment to fill out Amy’s survey on her ‘Holiday Weekend and Bomber Bottles‘ column.)

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.

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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:

• MAPS OF BREWERIES

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Fall Season

It is certainly that time of year… fall; and you can feel it in the crisp and cool air. And that means this time in the Hippo series, it needs to take a ‘fall’ turn and change, going from blue to red to pink to… fall. While maybe not a color like the others, fall is definitely a feeling, and works well for the series’ evolution.

(Check the links at the end of the review to read our beer reviews of some of the other hippo’s as well as other Boneshire Brew Works links.)

Mug Club

As you can see, my beer in question here is in a mug rather than a normal glass or anything. Sunday (Halloween Day, October 31st), me and a friend stopped in around noon to enjoy their 5th Anniversary ‘Shire’ Pastry Flight (you can read that here: Multiple Beer Reviews – Shire Pastries) and also get to try the new Fall Hippo. And lets just say, we enjoyed all five new beers.

The mug club is such a good deal if your a regular. Most breweries have them, and their typically relatively the same across the breweries with some different perks and add-ons and bonuses. One of my favorite perks is that the mug is 20oz rather than the normal 16oz, so all of your beers you get are 20oz pours rather than 16oz pours. Thats a big perk in my opinion, especially when you go often enough.

(Only downside is taking pictures for the blog, without the clear glass, but the overhead view is still good, and you still get an idea of the beer anyway.)

Beer Review

Beer: Fall Hippo
Brewery: Boneshire Brew Works
Style: Fruit Beer
ABV: 4.5%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: Next up in our Hippo Series, Fall Hippo. Brewed with Cranberry, Pie Spices, and Lactose. Fall desert in a glass.

Aroma is pretty on point with the description, and is certainly a fall desert in a glass aromatically. You get the cranberry and pie spices right up in those nostril canals when you lean in for a good whiff. Its not quite “pie on the window sill cooling” strong, but the notes are all present and you can smell them.

Appearance is hard to tell from the picture (but you can check Untappd for numerous other pictures here – Untappd: Fall Hippo). But, overall, it has a lovely pinkish, off cranberry coloring to it. Like a lighter, more diffused cranberry, maybe a cranberry mixed with water and other juices or similar. (Note: I am not saying its watered down, just trying to give an apt description of the appearance.)

Taste is lovely for this fine beer. Very enjoyable. This is a completely comfortable, ‘kill a four pack in one sitting’ smooth, easy beer. This is a wonderful all day sipper, you can crush a four pack (or more!) of these, and have no problems. Its not too tart to give you acid reflux or anything, and its not too heavy ABV that it’ll get your head swimming. You get a notable cranberry tartness to it, but its not too much, not too overpowering, or lip-puckering or anything like that. And its not too tart or acidic that it’ll you acid reflux or anything like that either. You can pick up the pie spice notes, that gives it this little extra ‘kick’ to it. There is a slick, smooth, slightly creamy feel and taste to it (feel moreso, taste is subtle) which is from the addition of the lactose (or I might be overreaching and thinking thats what its from). Its a very well balanced beer, nothing is overpowering or too much, everything is pretty much good accordance with each other. The mouthfeel is on point. There’s no slickness or cloying to it. It just tastes nice and smooth and light. Its also easy on the head with the ABV, though the lactose might make it not so easy on stomachs. All in all, this is just a smooth, easy drinking beer, that you could sit around the fire with, or sit around all day watching some football games (or early morning futbol games) and be fine at the end of the day, so thats just a win all around right there.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Average Rating: 3.86 (as of 11.7.21)

Boneshire Brew Works on The Beer Thrillers

Click below to read any one of our (is it a hundred yet?) articles on Boneshire Brew Works:

• Pigtoberfest 2021
• Boneshire Brew Works Expanding to Second Location
• Boneshire Brew Works 3rd Anniversary Celebration
• Beer Review: Pigtoberfest
• Beer Review: S’Mores LazaRIS
• Beer Review: Iscariot
• Beer Review: Tried and True (Mango)
• Beer Review: Dillston
• Beer Review: The Hog
• Beer Review: Harrishire
• Beer Review: Sunburst
• Beer Review: Road Less Traveled
• Beer Review: Blue Hippo
• Beer Review: Good Walk Spoiled
• Beer Review: Long Tongue Liar (Barrel Aged)
• Beer Review: AuZealand 2.0
• Beer Review: Caucus-Race 6.0
• Beer Review: Pandemic Pils
• Multiple Beer Reviews: French Toast Shire, Cinnamon Bun Shire, Coconut Shire, Hazelnut Shire (Boneshire Brew Works)

Small Brewery Sunday Giveaway

(Edited to add this heading and paragraphs – 11.23.21)

We are offering a free four pack of Fall Hippo through our blog and Facebook page. You can read more on how you can be entered to win this free beer here:

• Small Brewery Sunday Giveaway

Be sure to follow the instructions for your chance to win free beer!

Thanks For Reading

Thank you everyone for reading. It means so much to hear feedback from everyone, so if you have any thoughts, likes, dislikes, questions, or concerns, be sure to leave them in the comments section! And make sure to hit the subscribe and follow, as well as follow us on our social media accounts.

Cheers!

-B. Kline

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.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, 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!

Day four, and we’re kicking it up a notch here at The Beer Thrillers. Bigger, badder, bolder, better…. or other cliche crap marketers say. But all that withstanding, what I’m really doing is a multiple beer review again. Following a lecture at the Mid-Town Scholar by philosopher Eleanor Gordon-Smith promoting her book “Stop Being Reasonable” I walked down to ZeroDay to have myself a flight, read some of the latest book I purchased at Mid-Town Scholar, and be entertained by the antics of people playing trivia.

As I typically like to do when visiting breweries I don’t get to too often (its been about 4-5 months since I was last at ZeroDay) I get a flight, relax for a while, slowly sip, and if alone, read. And following the lecture at Mid-Town Scholar thats exactly what I chose to do. ZeroDay does great flights. Up to six beers at a time, for 2$ each for a total of 12$ (plus tip). Thats about as good and unbeatable of a flight as you can make. And ZeroDay typically has pretty top notch beers to boot, so thats as good a combination as you can make.

So I maxed out and went for a full six, with five new beers for me, and one I wanted to give a try to again, because the first time I didn’t enjoy it but was hoping my opinion of it would change. (And it did, not super super much, but it did.)

Beer: Sogni D’oro
Brewery: ZeroDay Brewing Co.
Style: Stout – Milk / Sweet
ABV: 8.8%
IBU: 15
Untappd Write-Up: A Biscotti inspired Pastry Stout brewed with 2018’s Dream Beer Winner. Sweet and Savory, this nitro stout is a dream in itself!

Started off the flight with basically a pastry stout (though listed as a Milk / Sweet; the style “Pastry Stout” isn’t used much in Untappd and isn’t fully recognized by a lot of people; the new Pastry Stouts would often get listed as Milk or Sweet Stouts under the old style guidelines).

Appearance is interesting for this one, not black, and not fully brown either, it has almost a purplish hue to it.

Aroma is sweet smelling, vanilla, some rich malts, bready smell to it. A good whiff of this gets you that biscotti smell but you also can already pick up the nose of booze on this one… which leads me to…

Taste… immediate booze which is interesting since its only a 8.8% (ABV) so its kind of odd to get a bite of booze right out of the gate. Especially non-barrel aged, so no added bourbon, scotch, whiskey, etc. flavors from a barrel for this; so the booze bite is odd, not bad really though. Its not off putting, just a “oh… hey… ok….” kind of immediate reaction. There is a very nice malt backbone to this that gives the biscotti bready flavor a great profile to work on. The booze taste lightens off and your left with a very fine tasty pastry stout.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.68 (as of 11.4.19)

So this is the one I’m giving a second try to. The first time, I did not enjoy it, but this time that has improved. So either my palate or tastes changed, or the beer has, or my opinions / reflections of the day have, maybe it was my mood, or who knows what, perhaps bad tap lines, who knows.

The first time I had it was June 7th, 2018 and my Untappd rating was **.75 and gave it a: “Ehh… typical cream ale but a bit worse off.” Not a whole lot to go on, and I apparently didn’t feel like giving a really good, in-depth review, but apparently I must have thought it very bland and boring and not too tasty. That has changed a bit. I got a lot more flavor out of it this time.

First thing I’ve noticed looking back, is the appearance has changed. The one I had in 2018 looks much lighter, more straw colored, more like (hate to use this as a comparison point, but I think its apt) Miller Lite or Coors Lite. The one I had in 2019 is a bit darker, more amber-brown hued, and looks to have a fuller body.

But I’m getting ahead of myself here, so lets get the stats out:

Beer: Wastin’ Daylight
Brewery: ZeroDay Brewing Co.
Style: Cream Ale
ABV: 4.9%
IBU: 12
Untappd Write-Up: Crisp and refreshing, this light-bodied cream ale brewed with corn is the perfect brew to sit back, relax, and waste some daylight with.

So as I was saying, the hue for this (now anyway) is a light amber to brown. Still see through, still transparent, but darker hued than previously. It also looks to have a fuller body. This is what is leading me to think there was a recipe tweak or change since the first time I’ve had it.

Aroma is thin, not a whole lot going on, you got some light flavors of vanilla and cream and a light smell. Cream ales typically aren’t known for a robust aroma (at least in my experience, I’ll admit I’m not fully diverse in this style).

Flavor is much better this time around. You get a rich creamy mouthfeel. You got some nice relaxing sippable flavors that make this a whole-day crushing beer. A keg of this late summer going into fall would be wonderful for pre-bonfire start (and of course one the bonfire kicks off then you go into the heavy stouts before passing out).

My Untappd Rating (NOW): ***.25
Global Untappd Rating: 3.35 (as of 11.4.19)

Beer: Market Research
Brewery: ZeroDay Brewing Co.
Style: IPA – American
ABV: 6.8%
IBU: 75
Untappd Write-Up: After years of conducting our own market research and brewing experimental batches, we developed this West Coast style IPA. Highlighting Amarillo, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops, Market Research has a level of perceived bitterness, which is balanced by a prominent malt backbone. Enjoy this crisp, clear IPA time and time again because it’s not going anywhere!

Its always nice to find a well made IPA – West Coast (or regular or American) style. In a market dominated by New England IPAs, Milkshake IPAs, and the like, its great to find the occasional West Coast IPA, especially one thats done well, and not just meant to be a hop bomb to distinguish itself purposefully from the sea of NEIPAs.

This looks just like your prototypical West Coast IPA. Light brown strawish earthy coloring. This is not a knock on it, this is exactly how it SHOULD look, and it does that exactly.

This smells perfectly like a well made IPA. Very hop forward, but not total hop bomb. You get notes of the grain and malt but the hops do powerfully overtake it. Amarillo, El Dorado, and Mosaic are some of the more “juicy” hops so they provide a very strong aroma note.

This was fun to drink. It seems rare that I get to drink a good hoppy West Coast IPA anymore, unless its done too overblown. Like their making a point by being as hoppy as humanly possible with extreme IBUs and thirty different hop varieties thrown in. This falls in a nice place, just right, not too hoppy, not unhoppy either. Just right. Mouthfeel and drinking it is nice, little thin, but overall its a solid beer.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Untappd Rating: 3.89 (as of 11.4.19)

Beer: Peach Novelty
Brewery: ZeroDay Brewing Co.
Style: Fruit Beer
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 45
Untappd Write-Up: With loads of fresh peaches from Strites Farms, this bright and sunny peach milk sugar IPA hopped exclusively with Mosaic, is like sipping sunshine and rainbows, and is sure to hit all the right strides.

Here’s another one of those ‘oddities’ of Untappd and everything else. Its listed on Untappd as a “Fruit Beer” but it specifically says in the write-up “Milk Sugar IPA”. And if you see it, look at it, drink it; you’d know this is a Milkshake IPA far and above anything else. I don’t know if its because of how peach forward it is, but whoever entered this one into Untappd did it a bit of an injustice. I’d assume they even promote, market, and write it on their draft lists as a Milkshake IPA, no “fruit beer” style anywhere to be found with this beer. (Not a knock on fruit beers, I love them too; just this a fruit beer it is not.)

Appearance for this is your spot on NEIPA / Milkshake IPA. A sugary hazy, opaque, unfiltered IPA. The sediments floating, the look of sugar coating the glass, the hazy yellow glow.

Aroma though is extreme peach. Almost as if cutting a peach right in front of you. There is some notes of vanilla but the peach is just extremely overpowering on the aroma front.

Taste is pretty much just the same. Peach dominates. Extreme domination. Extremely dominating. (I probably popped up in all the wrong sorts of SEOs and search engines now… oh boy…. oh well….) This has a rich creamy feel to it, and with the peach flavor, it does very much feel like drinking a peach milkshake. So if you don’t like peach you probably want to avoid this, otherwise its a terrific beer.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Rating: 3.8 (as of 11.4.19)

So let me just change gears a slight bit and preface the rest of this entry…

Everything up to and prior to this was written this morning before I went to work. But I ran out of time and had to finish up tonight. Well, after work, I stopped at the Gin Mill in Lebanon and just now got home to finish. So the last two beers for this multi-beer review are after having a few drinks at the Gin Mill and after a long day of work. So take that for what its worth.

Beer: Oktobock
Brewery: ZeroDay Brewing Co.
Style: Bock – Dopplebock
ABV: 8.7%
IBU: 26
Untappd Write-Up: This one was Theo’s brainchild. As a creative team, we wanted to start focusing on craft lagers as a new series. ZerØday Pilsner was our first go, and Oktobock is the second iteration. Think the drinkability of a Marzen lager with the deep flavors of a Doppelbock.

This is pretty much a mashup of a Bock and a Marzen, and its very tasty for it.

Appearance is darker in color, similar to how bocks and marzens both are. Both of these styles look relatively similar that its not an issue. And this coloring matches up with both.

Aroma is bready, heady, and more on point with a marzen. Though once again, marzens and bocks can smell and taste and look pretty similar.

Taste is pretty complex. There’s a lot to this. Its bready, its heavy, its got some nice fall flavorings with complexity, its got a deep and heavy mouthfeel, its got a deep and heavy malty grain bill that really tastes and acts complex, it looks deep, it looks interesting, it tastes even more so.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Untappd Rating: 3.77 (as of 11.4.19)

Beer: Lucky Cat Lien
Brewery: ZeroDay Brewing Co.
Style: IPA – New England
ABV: 5.4%
IBU: 70
Untappd Write-Up: This Hazy IPA is opaque in appearance but light in body, and the use of rice in the grain bill really lets the hops shine. Generously hopped with a combination of experimental 07270, Amarillo, and Vic Secret, drinking a glass of Lucky Cat Lien reminds us of enjoying papayas and grapefruit in a tropical oasis.

I think looking at it, and at first sip, I wanted to like this more than I should have. That isn’t to say that this is a bad beer. Just not what I was expecting or wanting, and kind of talked myself into (perhaps) rating it a bit higher than it deserved.

Appearance is heavy and dark and opaque. Its a hazy orange-juice color, with a nice ring of head but not too much. This is certainly unfiltered.

Aroma is pretty hoppy but not too crazily so. Theres not a whole lot to smell in a NEIPA like this, but a nice hop aroma definitely adds to the overall of the beer, somehow adding to the actual taste.

Taste is a good NEIPA. Not amazing, but good. It did taste a bit less than most NEIPAs I’ve had. It had the haze, it had the hop, it just… the flavors might not be jelling that well, or maybe something was just a bit off in the beer or recipe or production or something.

My Untappd Rating: ***.50
Global Untappd Rating: 3.64 (as of 11.4.19)

Thank you for reading this long winded review. Sorry the last two were a bit short and not as in-depth as the others. But… well… I had two Toppling Goliaths, and a Dewey, and a bit more than that, to drink at the Gin Mill.

And this concludes #4, just 26 more to go!

-B. Kline

Following the ‘For the Love of Beer‘ book panel discussion at Mid-Town Scholar, and dropping off my books at my car, I walked the block and a half over to The Millworks brewery. It was getting late but if I was in the area I couldn’t pass up on stopping in at a local brewery, and its been quite a while since I’ve been to the Millworks. I think the last time was sometime last year with D. Scott after we hit up ZeroDay Brewing.

Toting my For the Love of Beer book just got at the panel discussion I took a seat at the bar and ordered myself a flight. With a good and diverse tap list, that rotates regularly, nearly all the beers on the tap were ones I haven’t had yet, but these four particularly caught my eye. And as a bonus for this blog post, I’ll be doing a review of the Single Hop #11 that I had at the Mid-Town Scholar book panel discussion. Though that one will be pretty brief as I was more sipping while they were discussing and not really putting a whole thought process into the beer itself (like its aroma, appearance, etc.).

Starting off with a dark stout after a good two hour session in a bookstore sounds like the perfect idea to me.

Beer: People’s Imperial Stout
Brewery: The Millworks
Style: Stout – American Imperial / Double
ABV: 9.8%
IBU: 60
Untappd Write-Up: Dark, smoky flavor with a little hoppy kick. Strong and a good sipping beer.

Appearance is a very dark hue, perhaps not quite Razor Ramon hair dark, but pretty bleak and black. Even for a sample glass it had a nice foamy, creamy head with good lacing, good bubbles.

Smell is malty, some roast notes, some caramel notes, but a lot of malt characteristics on the nose. With a good inhale you can pick up some smokeyness to it, and a subtle note of the hops.

The flavor on this is very nice, its a dark heavy, roasty, malty, lightly smokey stout, its heavy, feels heavy, but there’s also a bittering at the end from the hops that has a bit of last-second punch to it. This makes it for a nice fall bonfire type beer that you can sit around a fire with friends and slowly sip at while staying warm under the blanket(s). This deserves a full pint rather than just a sample but sadly I didn’t have the time to revisit the beer after my flight.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.84 (as of 10.5.19)

One of a few beers on the taplist that is PA Preferred, meaning the majority of the ingredients come from Pennsylvania farms or dairies or gardens or what have you. (Can be anything from vegetables, to trees, to dairy, to meat, to honey, to anything edible and produced within Pennsylvania.)

The Millworks is very big on “from farm to table” which is very important to helping sustain local communities, local farms, local jobs, as well as helping the environment (less road travel time, less fumes and emissions, less waste, less carbon footprint, etc.). The ingredients tend to be better as well this way, fresher, localized, non processed, and the feel-good factor of helping local community rather than bigwigs from who knows where.

Beer: PA Pine Farmhouse Ale
Brewery: The Millworks
Style: Farmhouse Ale – Saison
ABV: 5.1%
IBU: 20
Untappd Write-Up: (Blank)

I really enjoyed this, its a bit of a unique take on the saison and farmhouse ale styles, and it was very delicious. Wish there was an ingredient list or something on Untappd to read up on the process behind it or what all ingredients were Pennsylvania farmed and from where.

Appearance is light in color, typical for saisons and farmhouse ales. Fizzy with a slight bubbled head to it. Light golden, clear, and see-through.

Aroma is straight up pine, as if I was standing under a pine tree in winter. Nose walloping pine smell. Some notes of spices, but not really sure what, the pine smell is so overbearing that the spice notes are very minute and hard to pinpoint, I think some coriander, perhaps a bit of orange peel, but nothing too remarkably distinguishable.

Taste is delicious. Very heavy pine, but with a nice tart / funkness that comes with the typical farm house ale / saison. Not a sour but just a light refreshing tartness that complements the pine more than anything else. With taste I could pick up orange peel though minutely, but it was more apparent in taste than in smell.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.74 (as of 10.5.19)

New England #6 IPA from the Millworks, one must assume there is a New England #5, a New England #4, a New England #3, etc. To be honest, I don’t know, but Untappd will provide the answer…. and huzzah there is, six different variants, named from New England #1 all the way to New England #6 (though one was a Double New England IPA). They all looked to be relatively the same ABV, though some do have a write-up provided, this one had no description. This is the latest iteration of this process.

Beer: New England #6 IPA
Brewery: The Millworks
Style: IPA – New England
ABV: 7%
IBU: No IBU
Untappd Write-Up: (blank)

Appearance seems to be a bit mixed on this. I had the gentleman to my left drinking this as well in a pint glass. His had a very turbid almost whitish hue to it, very unfiltered. Mine, in the sample glass has a orange juice colorization, but also very unfiltered. Certainly nothing see through or clear about this, its completely hazy (haze for days) and a little bit of floaters and sediment due to the unfiltered process.

Aroma is a typical New England IPA juicy hop bomb. All kinds of hop notes assaulting you and combining into a juicy melody rather than a bitter one. More citrus forward and nothing earthy about these hop notes.

Taste is spot on for New England IPAs. Very juicy, very dank, very flavorful and very hop flavorful. You get notes of zest, citrus, and the juicier varieties of hops rather than pine, or spruce, or grass, or earthy notes, and nothing bitter. No ending hop kick or anything from this as well.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 3.88 (as of 10.5.19)

Decided to end my night and my flight on a refreshing, tart, delicious blueberry gose. As I’ve said in some previous reviews, like the one for Edmund’s Oast Blueberry Sour – blueberry beers can be hit or miss with me. Luckily this one was a hit.

Beer: Blueberry Gose
Brewery: The Millworks
Style: Fruit Beer
ABV: 5.4%
IBU: 3
Untappd Write-Up: Tart ale brewed with Blueberries and sea salt.

This is just a pretty beer, like other sours, goses, and berry fruited beers, it has a purplish / violet appearance to it. Under the right lights or with the right lights shining through it it has a sparkly cranberry juice like appearance.

Aroma is very blueberry. Pretty much nothing else distinguishable about the smell or aroma, just pretty much a tart smelling blueberry-ness to it.

Taste is very delicious. Its tart, its refreshing, its enjoyable. Soft and not cloying to the tongue and the blueberry flavor is the right kind of tartness with no funkyness or off flavors or bad sour flavors and notes that some blueberry beers get. Gose is a good style to work with blueberries in as they complement each other nicely. The sea salt in this probably adds to the tartness but its not enough to be noticeable or pick up (easily or by me anyway) on tasting.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 3.72 (as of 10.5.19)

BONUS TRACK: Turn over to side B of this cassette for a bonus track!

Ok, since I had it at the Mid-Town Scholar for the book panel discussion, and then went to Millworks afterwards for a flight, I might as well review it in here, can’t hurt right? So its a five-beer review instead of four. No one’s making you read…. you can easily stop right now if you want…. Or…. you can read on!

This was so new I had to make the Untappd listing for it myself when I checked it in during the book panel discussion (actually did the add-in and check-in just before they started, so I wasn’t multi-tasking, sorry to disappoint).

They’ve been doing a single hop series of IPAs at The Millworks using a variety of different hops in just single-style. The previous one was Huel Mellon (#10), they’ve also done Eukanot, Azacca, Mosaic, Calypso, Amarillo, etc.

Beer: Single Hop #11 – Citra Hops
Brewery: The Millworks
Style: IPA – New England
ABV: 6%
IBU: (None Listed)
Untappd Write-Up: Single Hop Series. Citra hops.

I’ll give a brief and quick rundown and breakdown of this. Its a New England style IPA and its very tasty. Appearance is hazy and typical for NEIPAs. Its juicy looking, its dank looking, its unfiltered, and its hazy.

Aroma – I took a quick whiff of it as I got to my seat, and its definitely a citra beer (duh obvious, totes!). Meaning its very citrusy, zesty, fruit style hop. No earthy or bitter smells to this.

Taste was very good, pleasant, nice enjoyable tasting NEIPA. I enjoyed it while sipping on it listening to the panel discussion. Nothing off about it, no off flavors, nothing bad, no aftertaste, etc.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: Well, there’s been a total of 7 check-ins to this, and one is mine, so there’s no global rating yet for this. (As of 10.5.19)

If you are downtown Harrisburg, make sure you stop in and check out The Millworks. Its a beautiful brewery with fantastic beer offerings, and a great food menu that any foodie (or any person who eats) will enjoy. Well worth the visit. Make sure to check out the numerous art galleries and see all the beautiful artwork of local artists as well!

-B. Kline

The award winning collaboration between Tattered Flag and Pilger Ruh Brewing, straight from the Schuylkill brewfest to cans. This is one absolutely delicious and beautiful brew and deserves the award. And its a perfect beer on a 90 degree hot day in late June.

A wonderful fruity tart blueberry alcoholic drink is just what the day is calling for after mowing two yards and working on your hops (the bugger’s just won’t stop growing!).

Beer: You Should Have Put Him in Custardy
Brewery: Tattered Flag and Pilger Ruh Brewing
Style: Sour – Fruited
ABV: 7%
IBU: None
Untappd Write-Up: Blueberries, lactose, vanilla and graham cracker make this blueberry custard beer creamy and refreshing.

Firstly, the beer just looks absolutely gorgeous. Its a wonderful purplish-dark bluish sour looking beer, not dissimilar to many other sours and beers of that nature, looks on the fruited side, but not the slushie/smoojie/etc side like The Veil’s Black & Blue or similar beers.

The aroma is completely fruity, obviously blueberry, but with notes of various berries, vanilla, and something more not quite discernible. Inhale on this one, it smells amazing and just makes you thirstier smelling and looking at it.

Finally getting to sip at it and it is remarkable from the first sip on! Immediately this is a beer that you both want to down quickly because its so delicious and sip at …because its so delicious.

It is cooling, refreshing, delightful. You immediately take notice of the blueberries, the flavor is powerful and smacks you right across the tongue, the lips, and the whole mouth. There is that smoothness and creamyness that lingers from the lactose and vanilla and as you sip you start to pick up the vanilla as a flavor. There is nothing cloying or over-powering about this and there is no astringency or off flavors at all.

It is tart, but not lemonhead sucker, your lips won’t deform into your mouth, but you will get that ‘bite’ of tartness with this, which just furthers the deliciousness and makes it a great sippable beer.

There is a bready note that is extremely subtle. You faintly taste it and wonder if you tasted it or not, almost not enough to mention but worth pointing out because I did pick up on it. This is the graham cracker I assume. It adds a little complexity to it, but I have a feeling most people won’t even be able to notice or taste it.

The mouthfeel is wonderful with its creamyness and the texture of the beer is wonderful. It has a great head when poured, big, soft, foamy with an amazing smell.

Unfortunately this sold out almost as quickly as it was released. So you’ll be hard pressed to find it, and I’m unfortunately down to just 1 more (hint hint to anyone out there….), but if you can get your hands on one, you definitely need to give it a try!

My Untappd Rating: ****.5
Global Untappd Rating: 4.22 (as of 6.27.19)

-B. Kline

Boneshire is about as much of a second home brewery as one comes for a person. I’m there as often as I can, and its an absolutely wonderful atmosphere that is very reminiscent of Cheers, wherein pretty much if you go once or twice, your name is remembered and everyone will know you.

So its only about time I finally get around to reviewing one of their newest offerings (as well as talking about the place a little bit). And this is certainly a fantastic beer to start off with.

Beer Name: Sunburst
Brewery: Boneshire Brew Works
Beer Style: Fruit Beer
ABV: 3.5%
IBU: None
Fruits Used: Tangerine and Grapefruit
Untappd Write-Up: We teamed up with Sara Bozich to bring you the perfect summer crusher! Sunburst is brewed with a healthy dose of Tangerine and Grapefruit and is slightly tart.

So let’s dive into this one, it is tart, but not unpleasantly so, and not “lemon-head” sour. It has a nice summer lemonade style tartness to it that goes perfectly with its low ABV to make it a nice sessionable summer beer.

The aroma is very citrusy, it has great notes of the grapefruit and tangerine with hints of other citrusy fruits like lemon/lime.

The color is a nice light straw, a bit hazy in appearance but also a fair bit transparent. It looks similar to a child’s juice drink of orange or tangerine or nectarine or something similar in that fashion, but not crazily hazy or pulpy.

It’s a perfect summer, grilling, poolside, beachside, easy going, relaxing, only 3.5% ABV beer. A crowler of this and barely an impact on you – other than a good time. This is just a wonderfully delight beer that reminds you of being a kid and enjoying a Capri Sun outside in the sun in the summer, maybe catching fireflies or lighting up a bonfire or grilling. Its refreshing, crisp, tangy, tart, wonderfully clean, and completely delicious.

It was the perfect beer to have after a long day at Hershey Park with my three daughters and while relaxing there at the brewery chatting with a friend and fellow beer enthusiast (thanks for the trade Josh!) while playing a game of CandyLand.

Could drink this all day.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.82 (as of 6.14.19)

-B. Kline