Heineken - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com Central PA beer enthusiasts and beer bloggers. Homebrewers, brewery workers, and all around beer lovers. Thu, 23 May 2024 03:15:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://i0.wp.com/thebeerthrillers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cropped-The-Beer-Thrillers-December-2022-Logo.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Heineken - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com 32 32 187558884 Top Popular Beer Brands https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/03/22/top-popular-beer-brands/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=top-popular-beer-brands Sat, 23 Mar 2024 03:01:47 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=15053

Some of the Popular Beer Brands

Top Popular Beer Brands

Decided to try out the new Chat GPT 4.0, and see what it said The Top Popular Beer Brands are currently. And here’s what it had to say:

Here are the top beer brands based on the search results:

Most Popular Beers in the U.S.

  1. Guinness
  2. Heineken
  3. Corona
  4. Modelo
  5. Samuel Adams
  6. Stella Artois
  7. Blue Moon
  8. Coors Light
  9. Miller Lite
  10. Budweiser

Some key points:

  • Guinness, an Irish stout, is consistently ranked as the most popular beer brand across different generations in the U.S.
  • Mexican beer brands like Modelo, Corona, and Dos Equis are very popular, especially among younger generations like Millennials and Gen X.
  • Classic American brands like Budweiser, Coors, Miller, and Samuel Adams remain popular choices, particularly for older generations like Baby Boomers.
  • Craft beers like Blue Moon and newer brands like White Claw hard seltzer are gaining popularity among Millennials.

Top Beers on Reddit

Based on the Reddit comments, some highly rated beers mentioned include:

  • Local/regional craft beers like Fulton, Castle Danger, Summit (Minnesota)
  • Belgian beers like Chimay, Duvel, La Chouffe, Westmalle
  • German beers like Paulaner, Franziskaner
  • Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
  • Voodoo Ranger, Founders Dirty Bastard (craft IPAs)

Overall, while major brands remain popular, craft beers and imports from Mexico, Belgium, and Germany are increasingly favored, especially among younger drinkers and beer enthusiasts.

Resources and sources: 45 Most Popular Beers Ranked from Best to Worst, 25 Most Popular Beers in America According to YouGov, Men of Reddit – What are Your Top Beers?. Chat GPT 4.0, and Perplexity AI.

 

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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!

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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.

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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!

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(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.)

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The Misunderstood Journey from Chilled to Room Temperature: Why Your Craft Beer Is Still A-Okay https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/01/04/the-misunderstood-journey-from-chilled-to-room-temperature-why-your-craft-beer-is-still-a-okay/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-misunderstood-journey-from-chilled-to-room-temperature-why-your-craft-beer-is-still-a-okay Thu, 04 Jan 2024 14:04:53 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=14729 The Misunderstood Journey from Chilled to Room Temperature: Why Your Craft Beer Is Still A-Okay

Craft beer being sold in a ‘to go’ store fridge display.

In the ever-evolving world of craft beer, myths and misconceptions can sometimes cloud our judgment and rob us of simple pleasures. One such fallacy is the staunch belief that once a beer leaves the cool sanctuary of the fridge, it must never return under penalty of ruining its intricate flavors. But, dear readers, it’s high time we dispel this myth and embrace the fluidity of our beloved brews’ temperatures. Let’s delve into why transitioning from cold to room temperature—and yes, back again—is perfectly fine for your craft beer.

The Fear of Flavor Loss: A Misguided Concern

The Troegs General Store. Beer sold in the fridge in the back, and beer sold on the floor at room temperature.

The heart of the issue lies in a common misconception: that beer, once warmed, undergoes some irreversible change, leading to a loss of flavor or, worse, spoilage. This belief likely stems from a partial truth—beer does change as it warms up, but not in the way many fear.

Craft beers, especially those rich in complexity and depth, often reveal different facets of their flavor profiles at varying temperatures. A stout, for example, might offer a bold coffee note when chilled, which then gives way to subtle dark chocolate undertones as it warms. This isn’t a degradation of quality; it’s a journey through the sensory experiences that the brewer intended.

As you can see from the image here – Troegs Brewing, like most breweries and most beverage distributions / warehouses – sell their beer both at fridge temperatures as well as room temperatures. All of their beer comes from their back “main cooler” before either going to their sales room floor (for sale at room temperature) or goes to their “small cooler” (the fridge pictured in the back of the image). So this means that at one time all of their beer was cold and chilled to cooler temperatures before being sold at the current room temperature.

Beer itself is created cold and then gets warmed up in transportations to various places as well as for sales. Even the kegs you see in bars and breweries, and used for on site consumption, at some point has likely gone to “room temperature” in their travel from the original brewing location to their bar room destination.

Flash pasteurization is the biggest reason why this isn’t an issue for beer and craft beer.

The biggest issues for craft beer are light (UV rays) as well as time (how old a beer is). This is particularly true with high hoppy content beers (ie. New England IPAs, West Coast IPAs, IPAs in general, pale ales, and other high IBU products). The light is particularly an issue for beers that come in clear (think Corona) or light green (think Heineken or Yuengling) bottles, or if they are stored in direct light where even the dark brown or “near black” bottle glass will still allow some of the light to penetrate.

The Real Culprits: Light and Time

A display of Troegs beer at room temperature in their General Store.

If there are villains in this story, they are not the shifts in temperature but rather exposure to light and the passage of time. Light-struck beer can result in unpleasant skunky flavors, a fate far worse than any temperature fluctuation could cause. Similarly, while craft beers can and do age, there’s a delicate balance. Over time, even in ideal storage conditions, a beer might lose its vibrant hop character or develop off-flavors.

In the intricate ballet of brewing, bottling, and savoring craft beers, two formidable forces—light and time—play pivotal roles, often determining the fate of a brew’s journey from conception to consumption. These elements hold sway over the delicate balance of flavors within each bottle, particularly for styles as celebrated and hop-centric as India Pale Ales (IPAs). Understanding how light and time interact with beer can illuminate why certain IPAs taste vibrant and fresh while others may fall flat, losing the aromatic hop character that is their hallmark.

Light, especially UV light, is a well-known adversary of beer, with the potential to initiate a chemical reaction within hop compounds, leading to the dreaded ‘skunky’ beer phenomenon. This reaction occurs when hops’ bitter compounds break down and recombine with sulfur-containing compounds, producing a chemical very similar to that which gives skunks their distinctive defense spray. The impact of light is most pronounced in beers stored in clear or green glass bottles, as these do less to block harmful UV rays compared to amber glass or cans. For IPAs, which pride themselves on their hop-forward profiles, exposure to light can quickly degrade the nuanced layers of hop aroma and flavor, turning a once-exquisite sensory experience into something unpleasantly reminiscent of our nocturnal, white-striped friends.

Time, while a less aggressive foe than light, is no less significant in its effects on craft beers, and IPAs suffer its passage keenly. Hops, the soul of an IPA, impart their coveted flavors and aromas—citrus, pine, floral, or tropical notes—through oils that are inherently volatile and begin to degrade the moment they’re introduced to the brew. Over time, the vibrant, fresh hop character that defines a freshly brewed IPA gradually diminishes, giving way to a more muted or even muddled beer. The rate of this decline can vary, influenced by factors such as the beer’s storage conditions, the hop varieties used, and the beer’s original hop intensity. Consequently, brewers and enthusiasts alike champion the mantra, “Drink fresh,” particularly for IPAs, to savor the full spectrum of hoppy goodness before time dulls its luster.

In response to these challenges, craft brewers have become increasingly innovative, exploring methods like cold chain distribution, where beers are kept refrigerated from brewery to consumer, and dark packaging, to shield their brews from light. Additionally, many brewers now prominently display packaging dates and encourage retailers and consumers to treat IPAs with the same perishability as fresh produce. These efforts underscore a collective commitment to preserving the integrity of craft beer, ensuring that each IPA can be enjoyed as intended, vibrant and bursting with flavor, regardless of the inevitable dance with light and time.

Proper Storage: The Key to Longevity

Understanding that temperature flexibility isn’t the end of the world doesn’t mean we advocate for carelessness. Proper storage is still crucial for maintaining your beer’s integrity over time. Keeping your beers away from direct light and at a stable temperature—yes, even if that means taking them out of the fridge for a period—is advisable. Extreme temperature fluctuations, especially heat, can accelerate aging and not in a graceful way.

The Taste Test: Trust Your Palate

Ultimately, the proof, as they say, is in the pudding—or, in this case, the pint. Conduct your experiment by sampling a beer at various temperatures. Many craft beer enthusiasts find that allowing a beer to sit for a few minutes out of the fridge enhances its character, making for a more enjoyable drinking experience. Trust your taste buds; they’re your best guide on this flavorful voyage.

Flash Pasteurization

Craft Beer For Sale

Flash pasteurization has emerged as a knight in shining armor for many craft beer enthusiasts and brewers alike, ensuring both the safety and the integrity of the beloved brew. This method, involving a rapid heating and cooling process, is a modern alchemy that allows beers to retain their rich, intended flavors while eliminating potential pathogens and extending shelf life. Unlike traditional pasteurization, which might hold beer at high temperatures for extended periods, thus risking alteration of its delicate flavor profile, flash pasteurization heats the beer to a high temperature for a very short duration. This brief thermal excursion effectively neutralizes unwanted microorganisms without overstaying its welcome or dulling the beer’s vibrant character.

The beauty of flash pasteurization lies in its gentle approach to a process that could otherwise feel like walking a tightrope over a pit of flavor compromise. It’s particularly beneficial for craft breweries that distribute their liquid art beyond the local taproom. By swiftly elevating the beer’s temperature and then quickly cooling it down, the process preserves the nuanced expressions of hops, malt, and yeast. Consequently, beer lovers can enjoy their favorite brews with the confidence that each bottle or can maintains the quality and taste intended by the brewer, even if it journeys from fridge to room temperature and back.

Moreover, flash pasteurization doesn’t just play a defensive role by guarding against spoilage; it also embraces the beer’s journey, acknowledging that the path from production to consumption isn’t always a straight line of constant refrigeration. This method fortifies the beer against the unpredictability of storage conditions without compromising its soul. Whether a beer aficionado accidentally lets a bottle warm to room temperature or deliberately experiments with varying temperatures to unlock flavor profiles, flash pasteurization ensures that the beer’s essence remains intact, ready to tell its story and delight the senses, sip after thoughtful sip.

Embracing Flexibility: A Toast to Temperature Tolerance

The takeaway from our exploration? While respecting the craft and properly storing your beers, don’t let the temperature police dampen your spirits. Beer is resilient, and its journey from the fridge to room temperature and back again is not only okay but can also be a path to deeper appreciation.

So, the next time you accidentally leave that bottle out a bit too long, remember: It’s not a misstep; it’s an opportunity. Here’s to the nuanced, ever-surprising world of craft beer—may we never stop exploring its depths, no matter the temperature. Cheers!

Update: Pints and Panels

A recent Pints and Panels piece about the urban myth.

Recently Pints and Panels – https://www.pintsandpanels.com/ – posted about the “Urban Myth” of not letting beer go from cold to room temperature. Her quick summation is a good take away of how people have allowed this urban myth to fully germinate – particularly in America.

More Beer Education Series Articles

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.

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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.)

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Beer Review: Hershey’s Chocolate Porter (Yuengling Brewery) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2019/10/28/beer-review-hersheys-chocolate-porter-yuengling-brewery/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beer-review-hersheys-chocolate-porter-yuengling-brewery Mon, 28 Oct 2019 12:09:21 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=1047
Hershey’s Chocolate by Yuengling

This is going to be something different, and don’t expect much more of this kind of thing. I’m not a huge fan of doing the mainstream beers, and I definitely don’t want to be doing macro beers (so have no fear, no Naturdays review coming up or Bud Lite Platinum or whatever other BS their peddling).

Yuengling is Pennsylvania though, through and through. You walk into any bar in Pennsylvania and say ‘lager’ you are going to get a Yuengling. Simple as that really. So if I have to drink the “lesser” beers, or the “swill” or “macros” or “mainstream” or “lower quality but mass produced beers”, Yuengling is usually my go to. Over the other heavily distributed beers like Miller Lite, Coors, Bud, Corona, or Heineken. I am not above drinking macro and I’m not making this a beer snobbery post, I drink, and I’ll drink anything/everything if nothing else is available. For instance, family parties where say a brother in law has just Corona, I’ll drink the Corona. So be it.

At the Boneshire Brew Works 3rd Anniversary party on Friday night (which by the way, look for an upcoming joint blog post from both me and J. Doncevic) I was hanging out with J. Doncevic and we discussed this exact drink, and we also discussed Yuengling in general, and macro beers as a whole. He’ll be upfront with any of you who ask him, he takes his beer snobbery to a whole new level, and he’s damn proud of it. He was telling me he’s never had Miller or Coors or Bud and won’t, and would rather not drink at a party then drink those. My unabashedly candid alcoholism tells me to drink everything and anything if available – so I do. Different strokes; different folks. Nothing wrong with either approach (in my opinion). But we did have a consensus that Yuengling is craft (it is by definition of the Craft Brewer’s Association) and that we both are willing to drink it.

In the South Central PA area, primarily every Hershey bar/brewery, beer place, etc, as well as in Harrisburg, Hummelstown, Elizabethtown, etc, nearly every place that has a good enough distributor got this (the Chocolate Porter) on tap. Specifically Hershey, Hummelstown, and Harrisburg. The Warwick, the Bear’s Den, Hershey Biergarten, Primanti Brothers, Hotel Hershey, Boro Bar and Grill, Chick’s Tavern, Boneshire Brew Works, The Sturgis, Ted’s Bar and Grill, Arooga’s on 422, Arooga’s on 22, just to name a few places that carried this.

Most places even did a glass give away the first night of the tapping. I know Boneshire Brew Works did (thus the glass in the picture), as well as the Gin Mill in Lebanon did. Hershey Biergarten did as well and I believe the Primanti Bros. did also. It is a lovely glass, a nice tulip with the logo in gold on it, looks very lovely and is a nice drinking glass for stouts, porters, belgians, etc.

So, on Wednesday the 16th, Boneshire Brewery announced that they were going to be tapping a keg of the Hershey’s Chocolate Porter and giving away the glasses. I got done with work at 5:40 (NEO from my work) and went straight to the library to drop off books, and was going to be meeting a friend at Newfangled Brew Works, but stopped at Boneshire to try out the porter.

So let’s break down the beer thats basically taken the beer industry, Twitter, social media, and the internet by storm. The beer that all of your non-craft beer friends have been bugging you about and asking you about for your opinion of it. Well, now here you go, you can just point them to this article, because I’m sure I speak for everyone. ………I kid…. I kid.

Hershey’s syrup

I feel like I could just break down Hershey’s syrup and that would be all the review needs to be. A slightly alcoholic version of the syrup, and bam-o there you go, review done. But, its not quite that simple, and there are a few more subtle notes.

This does seem to be the point of contention, for some it tastes like the syrup, for some it tastes completely different, it seems theres two sides to the coin of this beer, and the multitude of my friends fall on both spectrum(s).

Beer: Hershey’s Chocolate Porter
Brewery: Yuengling Brewery (or D.G. Yuengling and Sons Brewing Company)
Style: Porter – American
ABV: 4.7%
IBU: No IBU
Untappd Write-Up: Yuengling, America’s Oldest Brewery, and Hershey, America’s most iconic chocolate, are collaborating, for the first time in their history, to provide a once in a lifetime creation for their loyal fans to enjoy. America loves beer and America loves chocolate, so Yuengling and Hershey joined forces to bring the best of both worlds to their fans with a limited-edition Yuengling Hershey’s Chocolate Porter. This collaboration gives consumers the opportunity to savor and indulge in the unique beer from America’s Oldest Brewery and America’s most beloved chocolate brand.

Yuengling Hershey’s Chocolate Porter is a fresh take on Yuengling’s 200-year-old Dark Brewed Porter. Don’t miss your chance to enjoy, for a limited time only, America’s #1 craft brewery, Yuengling, come together with America’s most iconic chocolate brand, Hershey’s, for their first-ever collaboration — Yuengling Hershey’s Chocolate Porter.

Thats quite the marketing ad write-up right there. Gotta give an A+ to the ad team on this one, or at least a raise or something, that was a very well crafted (ah….. pun intended) and well made Untappd write-up for the beer. You can tell if a Brewery has a good marketing or ad-team with their social media presence, and things like a good Untappd write-up for their beers (like Troegs usually has a fantastic write-up, even for their Scratch beers) is a good sign of it; great Twitter posts, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc posts are always a good sign of a good marketing team which reflects well on a brewery as a whole.

So you have the oldest American brewery (left) and a staple of the East Coast (specifically North East Coast) dive bar, and the “most iconic” chocolate company in America teaming up to make a beer. Yuengling is the oldest brewery in America; by process of elimination. It wasn’t the oldest founded, it wasn’t the first founded, but it has survived through prohibition, and other stretches when most American breweries folded, by changing what they sold, how they sold, downsizing, upsizing, etc, and they are to be commended for how they were able to achieve and survive and thrive despite times like prohibition, etc.

Hershey’s is iconic, insofar as anyone from the United States has heard of it, if not had it. From Pennsylvania to California, from Maine to Texas, Hershey’s is distributed. And that’s not speaking internationally. I could go into the history of Hershey’s (or even Yuengling) and talk about how the company was started, by who, how they’ve grown, etc. I could talk about Hershey Park, Chocolate World, the town of Hershey in Derry Township, etc, but its all stuff we pretty much know, and its all stuff that’s not really necessary or relevant to the beer review. Suffice it to say that the write-up is pretty spot on despite everything; Yuengling and Hershey are both iconic. Perhaps some hyperbole but it is mostly true, and a sound argument, and a pretty remarkable thing for the two of them to hook up and collaborate on this beer.

The idea of these two brands hooking up and collaborating on a beer is pretty amazing and impressive in its own right. I don’t know what the process was; who contacted who; what the involvement was that each brand had (I can’t imagine Hershey had much say, I have to assume its kind of like how the write-up reads, that they took their recipe for their old Dark Porter and just added Hershey’s ingredients to it, and called it a day – it tastes that way as well). But its brilliant marketing and strategy plan, especially given the anniversary of Yuengling, and with Hershey doing their big launching of the new entrance to Hershey Park and everything.

But enough of all this gibberish and jibber-jabbing…. lets get onto the actual beer itself.

Chocolate Porter

Appearance is a typical porter, Razor Ramon hair black, full bodied, thick, like some entertainers of the evening. It has a nice head to it, foamy, bubbly, a good half-inch that dissipated with nice interspersed and varied bubbles. The foam has a light brown look to go with the richness of the beer.

Aroma is chocolate syrup… Hershey’s chocolate syrup to be exact. Like flipping the lid of the syrup container and immediately getting that whiff of it. You get malty roasty grains from the porter to go with it, but the chocolate smell overpowers much of that. This is fine, this is what its being billed as, and it works well for this.

Moving on to taste; once again the very first thing you are going to note and taste is the Hershey’s chocolate syrup. I’ve likened this to drinking an alcoholic version of the famous Hershey’s syrup. But even in that aspect, its not too much of it, since the ABV is only 4.7% anyway. So its not a boozy version of Hershey’s syrup thats for sure. There is some malt, some roast, some dark notes underneath the chocolate syrup abundance, but its pretty subtle and mute. The mouthfeel is heavy, its thick like a good porter, and it hangs and feels right in your mouth, all signs that the beer is well made. I think beyond the chocolate syrup, there is a blandness to the beer. The chocolate syrup wears thin on the taste as you start to sip, and then its just a kind of generic bland porter with not enough malt backbone to really keep the taste alive or to really hold the beer. The more you sip and drink it, the less notable and profound the chocolate syrup taste is, and the weaker the beer as a whole gets. This is in general a discussion of mass market beers typically; that they don’t usually have the most flavorful beers, the most robust character notes, that there is just an underlying general blandness to most beers, like Bud, like Coors, like Miller, like Yuengling lager, like Corona, or Heineken, etc, theres just a ‘blandness’ or ‘been there’ kind of taste. Like McDonald’s to your local diner or restaurant, might be a very apt comparison for that sake. There’s just a mute blandness that this beer takes on as you sip it more and the chocolate syrup dissipates more. …or perhaps I’m full of it and reading too much into things and have my head up my own…..

Either way on this beer, it has certainly gotten the beer universe a flutter for a while, from Twitter to Instagram, from your friends at work and family who know you like beer “so how was it” or “did you hear Hershey and Yuengling are teaming up?” to actual craft beer enthusiast nerdy hipsters willing to try it out, it has gotten the attention, and the marketing it was aimed and designed for.

Overall, its not the worst beer you are going to drink, you know the hype is overblown, like it usually is for anything; not even just the craft beer industry, but all aspects (stares at the latest Star Wars trailer…. I know what your game is….). Its worth seeking out for the novelty of it. I couldn’t imagine myself ordering this again, but it was acceptable, and a fine drink at the moment of.

My Untappd Rating: ***.25
Global Untappd Rating: 4.03 (as of 10.27.19)

This review was started yesterday morning (Sunday, October 27th) but I wasn’t able to finish it before work, and then work happened, and then post brewski’s happened with my friend D. Scott. Which, he has finally finished the podcast that we did discussing Breaking Bad and El Camino, so I will provide the links for that, its two podcasts (a two-parter) because of how ridiculously long it was. This was done with our friend Esty and its for their podcast channel “WTF did I watch”.

You can check them out here:
WTF Did I Just Watch: Breaking Bad and El Camino – Part 1
WTF Did I Just Watch: Breaking Bad and El Camino – Part 2

Just as a heads up, there is some language in the podcasts, it would probably receive a R rating from the FCC, they are also long podcasts, so devote some time if you are going to watch them.

Thank you all for reading, please click the like, follow, subscribe, comment, etc. we always appreciate that here at The Beer Thrillers. When I do more podcasts with D. Scott, I’ll be sure to post them here (I won’t be posting the ones I’m not involved in). Also look for an upcoming collaboration article between myself (B. Kline) and J. Doncevic about the Boneshire Brew Works 3rd Anniversary Celebration. I also have plenty of beer reviews to post up. So please be on the lookout for all of that!

Tonight will be busy, work from 10-6, then blood donation at the Hershey Library, then the Hummelstown Parade, and then a party at a brewer from Tattered Flag’s house, so most likely no posts or blogs from myself tonight, but I’m sure I’ll have something for you all tomorrow, so be on the lookout!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

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