Tag: Mid-Town Scholar

  • Multiple Beer Reviews: Sogni D’oro, Wastin’ Daylight, Market Research, Peach Novelty, Oktobock, Lucky Cat Lien (ZeroDay Brewing Co.)

    My flight of beers at ZeroDay Brewery

    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.

    Eleanor Gordon-Smith at Mid-Town Scholar

    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.)

    Sogni D’oro by ZeroDay Brewing Co.

    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)

    Wastin’ Daylight by ZeroDay Brewing Co.

    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.

    Wastin’ Daylight from 2018

    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)

    Market Research by ZeroDay Brewing Co.

    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)

    Peach Novelty by ZeroDay Brewing Co.

    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)

    Oktobock by ZeroDay Brewing Co.

    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)

    Lucky Cat Lien by ZeroDay Brewing Co.

    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

  • Book Review: For the Love of Beer (Dr. Alison E. Feeney)

    For the Love of Beer by Dr. Alison E. Feeney

    I got to pick up this book by Dr. Alison E. Feeney last Thursday at the Mid-Town Scholar ahead of her panel discussion (alongside Hannah Ison, Jeffrey Musselman, and Sara Bozich). You can read about that here: “For The Love of Beer – Panel Discussion“. It was a fun and entertaining (and informative) night at the Mid-Town Scholar getting to listen to the three of them discuss breweries, beer, brewing, and community.

    And that is the heart of this book. Communities. Even moreso than the breweries this is ‘about’, the heart of the book though is communities. And at the heart of a lot of communities, and growing, is craft breweries. Breweries, in particular craft breweries, are the seat of many things in communities now adays. Places like Boneshire, Moo-Duck, Troegs, and many other breweries that give back to their communities through charities and other activities. Breweries like ZeroDay and Millworks that act like centerpieces for revitalization of downtown areas.

    There is so much to love about craft breweries and what all they do (and can do). And Dr. Feeney’s book covers that so well. From revitalizing downtown areas, or old historic buildings, to providing a center and a place for a community, to being an employment opportunity for the local town, to sustainability and environmental help, providing spent grain for local farmers, to helping charities, to hosting events, to having delicious food, to having local ingredients, etc, there is so much that breweries do for their local communities.

    Dr. Alison Feeney has traveled all across Pennsylvania checking out various breweries, hop farms, malts, grains, communities, universities, etc, and has gotten a feel for the state, its history, its brewing industry, and the breweries and the people. She’s interviewed tons of people, she’s talked to customers, brewers, hop growers, home brew shop owners, just about everyone you can think of attached to the industry.

    The book covers a lot of different breweries across the state. From big to little. From regional powerhouses like Victory and Troegs to smaller localized shops like Moo-Duck, Boneshire, Bonn Place, etc. She has traveled all across the state, all of the regions covered.

    There is a wealth of information in the book detailing the history of beer, the history of brewing, the history of Pennsylvania, and brewing and beer in Pennsylvania, as well as a wealth of information and knowledge on brewing, the beer industry, and hops and other things in general. There is a ton of information on the breweries she’s visited as well, small details like the beers they have, or the information on how they restored the buildings they occupied, or little bits and info on the brewers or their styles.

    The book is filled with pictures and images from all assortments of things, like hops, to the various breweries, to beer, to the workers at the breweries, to signs, to locations, etc. These pictures help fill in an overall image and idea of the breweries from across the state for those who haven’t gotten to visit them yet. Also with each brewery mentioned there is a small map of Pennsylvania showing where its located with an actual address as well. Its not a complete map of every brewery, and Dr. Feeney even states at the beginning that she isn’t providing a comprehensive listing of every brewery in PA as it’d be out of date before the book even saw print. Case in point – the book mentions Harty Brewing which has since folded up (relatively recently). But don’t let that fool you, this book is chock full of information and knowledge about PA beer and breweries.

    At the beginning of the book is a note saying that a portion of the proceeds of the book are going to animal shelters and local places for animals. After this is the chapter previews which list which breweries are mentioned in which chapters and provides an outline for the book. Early chapters discuss beer and the history of it, progressing from Europe and Africa and Asia to America. Detailing the early pioneers to America and bringing beer over on the Mayflower, etc. It then discusses the history of beer and brewing in Pennsylvania.

    Following this is how breweries affect communities, how they revitalize communities and buildings, and a chapter on historic buildings and how breweries are reusing old buildings. A chapter on the sustainability and environmental issues and help that breweries are doing and then a closing chapter on looking forward.

    This book is a good read for anyone interested in beer, brewing, and especially for those interested in the craft breweries of Pennsylvania. She has provided lots of knowledge on the inner workings from the beginning to the present day on just about every tangential topic with the beer industry. I would certainly recommend this for anyone looking to learn about brewing and beer in Pennsylvania or just loves reading about breweries in Pennsylvania.

    My GoodReads Score: ****
    Global GoodReads Score: 4.00 (two ratings, three now, as of 10.9.19)

    This was the first book review on the blog, hopefully you all like it, I know its a bit different then the beer and brewery reviews. But I am looking forward to doing a few more of these as I have a lot of beer books to read and go through. This is combining two of my loves – literature / books and beers, so this is definitely a double-win for me getting to review books about beer here for the blog. So if you are interested in this, let us know! Also if you have any beer book recommendations, be sure to leave them in the comments!

    Thanks and cheers all!

    -B. Kline
    My GoodReads review link can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3007622590