Having a Guinness Draught with Ming and Don on St. Patrick’s Day

A Timeless Classic Revisited: Guinness Draught

In the ever-evolving landscape of craft beers, with its kaleidoscope of flavors, styles, and innovations, there remains one stalwart that continues to command respect and admiration for its enduring quality and unique character: Guinness Draught. As we dive into this beer review, we revisit this iconic stout, exploring the depths of its rich history, distinctive pour, and the sensory experience it offers.

Guinness is oft an overlooked beer, especially by the craft beer drinkers, those fickle and funny group of “beer nerds”. For me its a standard, an old faithful, an old friend to revisit every so often. Particularly every St. Patrick’s Day I enjoy myself an Irish Car Bomb (or two or three), and then a straight up pint of Guinness. But there are other times and places I enjoy the delicious dark Irish brew. But there are other times as well when I reach for the old fan favorite. Dark, stormy, wintry rainy or snowy nights, at the Irish pub off the boardwalk in Atlantic City (A.C.), or when needing a nice roasty drink to go along with shepherd’s pie.

Colorado Beer Guy is currently doing a 40-Day Beer Only Lent Fast, where he is drinking only Guinness and water, and eating nothing. You can follow along with him at his beer group devoted to that task: 40-Day Beer Only Fast (Facebook Group).

Beer Review: Guinness Draught

Having a Guinness Draught with Ming and Don on St. Patrick’s Day

Beer: Guinness Draught
Brewery: Guinness
Style: Stout – Irish Dry
ABV: 4.2%
IBU: 45
Untappd Description:

Swirling clouds tumble as the storm begins to calm. Settle. Breathe in the moment, then break through the smooth, light head to the bittersweet reward.

Unmistakeably GUINNESS, from the first velvet sip to the last, lingering drop. And every deep-dark satisfying mouthful in between.

Pure beauty. Pure GUINNESS.

Guinness Draught is sold in kegs, widget cans, and bottles. The ABV varies from 4.1 to 4.3%.

Guinness Extra Cold is the exact same beer only served through a super cooler at 3.5 °C

Appearance

The appearance of Guinness Draught is nothing short of iconic, a visual poetry that captures the essence of what a stout should be. As it settles in the glass, the beer’s deep, ebony darkness is crowned by a dense, creamy head, starkly contrasting in its color. This head is remarkably persistent, lasting until the final sip, leaving a lacing that clings to the glass like a memory. The allure of its cascade, where the bubbles seem to defy physics, moving downwards before settling, is a unique spectacle. This visual allure is not merely aesthetic but a prelude to the sensory journey that Guinness offers, setting the stage for what promises to be an exceptional beer experience.

From the moment a pint of Guinness Draught is set before you, its visual appeal is undeniable. The beer’s performance begins with its signature cascade, a mesmerizing ballet of tiny bubbles dancing their way to the top, culminating in the formation of a thick, creamy head. This spectacle is not just a treat for the eyes but a testament to the nitrogen gas blend used in its serving, which sets Guinness apart from its carbon dioxide-infused counterparts. The result is a smoother, creamier texture that has become synonymous with the Guinness Draught experience.

Color

The color of Guinness Draught is almost as famous as the brand itself—a deep, opaque ebony that, when held up to the light, reveals a rich, ruby red hue. It’s a color palette that promises depth and complexity, inviting the drinker to delve deeper into what this stout has to offer.

Aroma

The aroma of Guinness Draught gently wafts through the air, a subtle yet intricate blend of scents that prepares the palate for the first taste. It’s a bouquet that doesn’t overpower but entices, with roasted barley taking the forefront, followed by undercurrents of rich coffee and a hint of dark chocolate. This trifecta of aromas is beautifully balanced, creating an inviting and warm olfactory experience. The slight earthiness and a whisper of hops add complexity, making each inhalation a discovery of layers that speaks volumes of the craftsmanship behind this legendary stout.

On the nose, Guinness Draught is subtle yet inviting. It offers hints of roasted barley, coffee, and a touch of chocolate, creating an aromatic profile that balances richness with approachability. This is not a beer that overwhelms; instead, it gently beckons you to take the first sip.

Mouthfeel

One of the most distinctive features of Guinness Draught is its mouthfeel. The use of nitrogen over the more common carbon dioxide in its carbonation process results in a beer that’s velvety smooth and almost silky to the tongue. This creaminess is a hallmark of the Guinness experience, making each sip a luxurious indulgence. Despite its robust appearance and flavor profile, the beer has a surprisingly light body that doesn’t weigh down the palate. This combination of smoothness and lightness makes Guinness Draught exceptionally drinkable, a stout that can be savored slowly over time without becoming overwhelming.

And what a sip it is. Guinness Draught delivers a taste that is both robust and nuanced. The initial flavors mirror the nose, with roasted malt and coffee notes leading the way. There’s a mild sweetness that rounds out the bitterness, and a faint, almost imperceptible smokiness that adds another layer of complexity. Despite its bold flavors, Guinness maintains a medium body that, when combined with its creamy texture, makes for an exceptionally smooth and drinkable stout.

Taste

The taste of Guinness Draught is where its true character shines through—a masterful blend of bitterness balanced with a subtle sweetness. The roasted barley that hints at its presence in the aroma comes to the forefront in the taste, delivering a rich, malted flavor with notes of coffee and a dark chocolate undertone. There’s a complexity here that is deceptively simple, with each sip revealing a new layer or nuance. The bitterness is perfectly pitched, providing a refreshing counterpoint to the malt’s richness, while the finish brings a dryness that cleanses the palate and invites further exploration. It’s a taste profile that is both satisfying and sophisticated, making each pint a journey in itself.

The finish of Guinness Draught is as satisfying as its beginning, with a pleasantly dry aftertaste that invites another sip. This beer does not linger overly long on the palate, but it leaves a memorable impression, encouraging a slow and savoring consumption.

In a beer landscape that often prizes novelty over tradition, Guinness Draught stands as a testament to the power of consistency, quality, and character. It’s a beer that transcends trends, offering the same rich, full-flavored experience that has captivated drinkers for generations. Whether you’re a stout aficionado or a casual beer drinker, Guinness Draught is a brew that deserves a place at your table. It’s not just a beer; it’s a piece of brewing history that continues to delight and surprise with every pint.

Overall

In the realm of stouts, Guinness Draught occupies a place of honor, a testament to its enduring appeal and the timeless quality of its brew. From its captivating appearance and inviting aroma to its smooth mouthfeel and balanced taste, Guinness is a beer that appeals to both the seasoned aficionado and the casual drinker alike. It’s a brew that transcends the ordinary, offering an experience that is both comforting in its familiarity and exciting in its depth. Overall, Guinness Draught is not just a beer; it’s a tradition, a piece of cultural heritage that continues to inspire and delight. Whether enjoyed in the bustling atmosphere of a pub or the quiet of one’s home, it remains a stout that stands apart, a classic that continues to define and elevate the very idea of what a beer can be.

In conclusion, this beer review reaffirms what many have known for years: Guinness Draught is more than just a stout; it’s an institution, an icon, and above all, a delightful drink that stands the test of time. Whether enjoyed in a cozy pub or at home, Guinness Draught remains a benchmark for quality, a beer that embodies the heart and soul of stout.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.77 (as of 2.3.24)

Other Guinness Related Articles

• Beer Review: Baltimore Blonde (Guinness Open Gate Brewery)

• Guinness Brewing is Closing Their Maryland Production Facility

More Information on Guinness Brewing

The following comes via Untappd.

Guinness is a macro brewery from Dublin, County Dublin Ireland. They are a subsidiary of Diageo. They have 112 unique beers and over 2,900,000 ratings, with a global average rating of 3.52 (as of 2.3.24). Their Untappd description reads: “The Guinness® brand enjoys a global reputation as a uniquely authentic beer and the best-selling stout in the world. Famous for its dark color, creamy head and unique surge and settle, this distinctive beer originated at the St. James’s Gate brewery in Dublin, Ireland. Over 10 million glasses of Guinness beer are enjoyed every single day around the world, and 1.8 billion pints are sold every year. Guinness beer is available in well over 100 countries worldwide and is brewed in almost 50. About Diageo Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan’s, Windsor and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness. Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.”

You can find them at these social media platforms:

• Guinness – Official Website
• Guinness – Facebook
• Guinness – Instagram
• Guinness – Twitter
• Guinness – Untappd

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May the Fourth Be With You! Been waiting to post this beer review up here on the blog. Been keeping it on the backburner just for this day. (This review has been written and revised and edited and updated time over time, and I’ve just been waiting for the perfect time to upload it – and what more perfect time than May the Fourth?)

As anyone familiar with this blog will know, I am a huge Star Wars nerd and if there’s a Star Wars themed beer, then its gonna get reviewed as soon as I’m able to try it and review it.

Back in early January me and my friend Ming hiked in Maryland and visited Flood Zone Brewery and Brewery Fire (January 2nd). Turned out Brewery Fire is known for their pop culture beers (they had Simpsons referenced ones, like Eat My Shorts Dude, and Star Wars themed ones, etc.). I had grabbed this as a four pack and took it with me to go.

January 2nd, 2021

Going back to when we visited the brewery and everything, lets start with the day. You can read more about it here: “Catoctin Mountain Hike, Flood Zone Brewery and Marketplace, and Brewery Fire”. This was a day hike me and Ming did in Maryland on the Catoctin Mountain, which then led to us stopping at the Flood Zone Marketplace and Brewery for food and drinks, and then at Brewery Fire on the way home.

The hike was pretty and nice, but muddy (had rained two days prior). Flood Zone Brewery was very nice, and even had live music, which is always nice, especially back in January, where in Pennsylvania you wouldn’t have been even able to go into a brewery to sit and drink or eat (due to the second shut down of COVID-19), so that was a nice added treat. We then stopped at Brewery Fire on the way back home to Mount Joy – to drop Ming off before I headed home.

Brewery Fire Mural

We drank (well, I drank) outside, since Ming didn’t really feel like going inside and be around people more than he had to (can’t say I blame him on this really, COVID or no COVID). The coolest feature about the Brewery Fire venue was the large pop culture mural on their wall. Which you can see in this group of pictures I took here:

How many pop culture references do you get? How many characters do you recognize? Hopefully it’s a lot. And its a pretty interesting and diverse grouping too, and I like the interchange of most of them. The artwork is also well done.

Sad to say, Ming only got a few of the references. Do you think you can do better than him? Hopefully, if not, I doubt you’d be reading this blog anyway with the sheer pop culture references and nerd-isms that I throw on here.

Brewery Fire

As I’ve done with past recent beer reviews, I’m devoting a section of each review to the brewery itself behind the creation. Brewery Fire is a pretty small venue and brewery located on the backend of a bowling alley. Me and Ming had to do a drive through the parking lot to find it, even with the sign at the road, the actual location and entrance is a bit tricky and hard to find.

According to Untappd, Brewery Fire is a nano brewery with 126 unique beers, and 6,480 ratings (as of 5.4.21). It has a global average rating of 3.89. The Untappd description reads: “Small batch craft brewery and tasting room.” They are located in Taneytown, Maryland. You can check out their Untappd page here: Brewery Fire (on Untappd).

While I was there, I had a flight of their beers, and grabbed the Mangolorian as a four pack to take with me. My flight consisted of: Black Ka’kaRYE, The Chrystal Calls, The Hero of Canton Drinks the Best Rum in the House!, and Eat My Shorts, Dude. My ratings for them: Black Ka’karye – 3.75, The Chrystal Calls – 4, The Hero of Canton – 3.75, and Eat My Shorts – 4.

Beer Review

As you can see this was a beer I got in January, but drank that night, as well as several other nights. The review portion of this post was written in March after the latest time I had the beer. (Don’t worry, the IPA held up, plus, I had the notes from the first times I had drank it, in case it didn’t.)

(This portion of the blog post has not been touched since it was written, the above sections were, and then the ending of the post was, but the actual review is as it was since March, with only the average rating changed to reflect the date and updated for any change in the overall score.)

Interesting note here – the beer on Untappd was originally The Mangolorian, as well as it saying so on the can, but if you look up the beer now, it is only just “Mangolorian” on Untappd. Not sure why the name change, but this is just an interesting fact that I’ve noticed from when I first drank it – January 2nd, til now – March 16th. So sometime in this period there was a name change at least insofar as Untappd goes.

Beer: Mangolorian
Brewery: Brewery Fire
Style: IPA – American
ABV: 6%
IBU: 40
Untappd Description: This beer is dry hopped with Vic Secret hops which is perfectly accented by a copious amount of Mango. This is the way.

Obviously, this better be Mango flavored and scented, otherwise… well… that would just be a fail right? And that is most certainly NOT THE WAY. Thankfully, this is very mango forward, so problem solved, and it fits all criteria, and thus, adheres to the way.

So lets start off with the appearance. It looks clean and crisp, it has a lighter color west coast IPA look to it, a bit bubbly and almost a champagne look to it with its effervescence. It is clear and see through with a nice amber hue. It has a decent small foamy head to it that retains for a fair bit of time, and it leaves some lacing on the glass.

Moving on to aroma, you certainly get its namesake – it smells just like a Mandalorian would…. I mean… it smells very heavy mango. Not very heavy Mandalorian. Which is probably a good thing, because I can only imagine what a warrior trapped in Mandalorian armor would smell like after an intense day of bounty hunting…. *shudders*…. poor Baby Yoda (Gogru!). If you are a mango fan, then this is a treat, if not, you probably should just pass on this beer altogether. It has a very strong and upfront nose of mango, that then gets a bit hoppy, but the mango still is the strongest nose to this bad boy.

I would best describe this as a ‘dry IPA’. Its the “old school” (god, do I feel old having to describe ‘regular’ IPAs as “old school”) West Coast style IPA. The mango is interesting in the flavor for this, compared to the nose of it. On the nose, I thought the mango was very strong and powerful, but in the flavor its a bit of a different story. And its almost a ‘by the can’ type thing. The one can I had, the mango flavor was pretty strong, but the other three, it was much more subtle and in the background. A friend who had visited the brewery before (unbeknownst to me, he had it at a different time, and I had never even heard of this brewery or knew he went there until we discussed it), he had it on draft and had two pints of it, he said it was subtle to slightly more upfront in draft. The first pint he said it was very much in the background instead of the forefront, and in the second it was a bit more forefront, but this could also be because it was his second draft of the same beer. It is a pretty light and crushable IPA, and not a hazard to drink the whole four pack yourself in one sitting. It only clocks in at 6% so it’s not too strong, and at 40 IBU’s, its not a palate wrecker. I wouldn’t label it a “Session IPA” but its certainly on the lighter side of things (for example – Troegs’ flagship IPA – Perpetual IPA – is a 7.5% and 85 IBU). This is sort of a dry IPA but still flavorful with a nice hoppy flavor and mango taste (be it forward or background). The Vic Secret hops are a nice combination with the dryness and the mango flavor. It has some champagne characteristics (possibly champagne yeast?) that ties in with the dryness. Nothing is off flavored, and nothing is too strong or overpowering or cancels out anything else, there’s no cloying, or poor taste, and the mouthfeel feels right on, not too heavy, not too slick or light. No bad aftertaste and nothing off putting.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Average Untappd Rating: 3.94 (as of 5.4.21) (Originally: 3.96 as of 3.17.21).

Star Wars

How is everyone else planning on spending May the Fourth? Last year I posted an article (a listicle) of some of our various Star Wars themed beers and activities – which you can see here: “May the Fourth Be With You (2020)“.

Since then I’ve done quite a few more Star Wars themed beer reviews, and to see them, you can look at this list here:

• Beer Review: The Pandalorian (Tattered Flag)
• Beer Review: Wookie Monster (Fourscore Beer Co)
• Beer Review: Out of Order: Blue Milk (RAR Brewing)
• Revenge of the Fifth / Cinco de Mayo
• May the Fourth Be With You
• Beer Review: This is Nut the Fluff You’re Looking For (Fourscore Beer Co)
• Beer Review: This is the Way (Broken Goblet Brewing)
• Beer Review: This is the Whey (Bolero Snort Brewery)
• Beer Review: Java the Stout (Jackie O’s Brewery)
• Beer Review: Mangolorian (Brewery Fire)

I’m sure there will be plenty more in the future. If you know of any Star Wars themed beers that should be on my horizon and on my wish list, please make sure to leave me a comment, and if you can help me track them down, all the better! I guarantee I’ll review them here on the blog.

So how is everyone spending their Star Wars day? I’m currently working my way through Alexander Freed’s book 1 of the Alphabet Squadron trilogy “Alphabet Squadron” (aptly named huh?). I’ve been slow reading it, but it’s been pretty good.

Also today – Bad Batch airs on Disney+, so I’ll be checking that out after work, as well as hopefully posting up a Star Wars themed book review. So be on the lookout for that this evening. (Fingers crossed.)

To see the Bad Batch trailer, check that out here: Bad Batch Official Disney+ YouTube Trailer.

Hope everyone has a tremendous Star Wars day! May the Fourth Be With You! And cheers everyone, there is light at the end of this tunnel of COVID, and its looking like we’re getting through it. People are getting vaccinated, places are opening up, the dawn is breaking. Like Star Wars always espousing about hope, so we are hopeful here too at The Beer Thrillers. Enjoy a delicious Star Wars beer today, speak like Yoda all day, and Be Kind to everyone and have a great day!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

Thanks for reading everyone!

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The various pop culture / nerd culture beer reviews we’ve done here on The Beer Thrillers:

Star Wars:

• Beer Review: The Pandalorian (Tattered Flag)
• Beer Review: Wookie Monster (Fourscore Beer Co)
• Beer Review: Out of Order: Blue Milk (RAR Brewing)
• Revenge of the Fifth / Cinco de Mayo
• May the Fourth Be With You
• Beer Review: This is Nut the Fluff You’re Looking For (Fourscore Beer Co)
• Beer Review: This is the Way (Broken Goblet Brewing)
• Beer Review: This is the Whey (Bolero Snort Brewery)
• Beer Review: Java the Stout (Jackie O’s Brewery)

Space Balls:

• Beer Review: Moon of Vega (Equilibrium Brewery)

Game of Thrones:

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

The Simpsons:

• Beer Review: I Voted for Kodos (Second Sin Brewing Company)
• Beer Review: I Voted for Kang (Second Sin Brewing Company)

Back to the Future:

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

Scrooged:

• Beer Review: Scrooge IPA (Iron Hill Brewing)

A Christmas Story:

• Beer Review: The Soft Electric Glow of Sex (RAR Brewing)

Pro Wrestling:

• Beer Review: Broken Skull – Stone Cold Steve Austin’s IPA (El Segundo Brewing Company)
• Beer Review: Macho Man (Couch Brewery)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

• Beer Review: Terpenes in Time (BAREBottle Brewing Co)

Other:

• Beer Review: Super Villain (Urban Village Brewing Company)
• Beer Review: Pixels (Seminar Brewing)
• Beer Review: Villeinage (Elder Pine Brewing and Blending)

More Info:

• Catoctin Mountain (AllTrails)
• Brewery Fire (Untappd)
• Floodzone Brewery and Marketplace (Untappd)
• Bad Batch (Wookiepedia)
• Alphabet Squadron (Wookiepedia)

So tonight’s post won’t be your typical beer review. This will be a double beer review, and even though I’ve done a few of them in the past, this is a bit different than that. I’ve done a couple of multiple beer reviews in the past (typically flights at a brewery), and I’ve done two other articles that were dual (two) beer reviews. They were: Fresh Fest and Trail Day Pale Ale (by Troegs Brewing) and Pineapple Kolsch (Desperate Times) and Dry Irish Stout (Riverbend Hop Farm and Brewing). (Riverbend Hop Farm and Brewery just recently closed their doors which makes that review interesting in hindsight, you can read about their closing here – Riverbend Hop Farm and Brewery Announces Closing.)

Today’s double review comes from Maxie’s Brewhouse in Shippensburg. Its two different breweries / brewers that I’m reviewing (Ship Faced Brewing and Janky Brew Co). Maxie’s Brewhouse is kind of interesting. Its like an agglomeration of home brewers that rotate on their tap list and you can order. A friend of mine – Matt Kauffman – who ran the beer blog TBC (Tribeeratops Beer Club), which was a blog for him and a bunch of his friends, and he began homebrewing and turned it into TBC – Tribeeratops Brewing Company.

When we stopped in, they had a sheet of their draft specials. I’m not sure what their full menu was, or how many different beers or brewers were on tap, but on the sheet they had a 4$ beer from Olde Bedford, a 4$ hard cider, and then some 3$ draft specials from Ship Faced Brewing and Janky Beer Co. I had messaged Matt on my way in, and he told me he no longer brews for them. So I’m not sure what all else they had on tap, but these were the ones they did have on tap for certain. Their Facebook page showed a flight with different beers than I saw on their draft special sheet, so they must’ve had a pretty good variety of beers on draft but I just didn’t see a menu list of them anywhere. You can find Maxie’s on Facebook here: Maxie’s Brewhouse LLC.

Yesterday, I had hiked the Pine Grove Furnace State Park and did Pole Steeple with my dog Leela. Today me and my friend Ming hiked Sunset Rocks and some of the Appalachian Trail and did some of Camp Michaux and the walking tour of it; which is all in Gardners Pennsylvania. Shippensburg was about a fifteen – twenty minute drive from the hike, and I hadn’t been to Maxie’s yet to get to try some of these new brewers, so we hopped over there for our lunch / beers.

On the Sunset Rocks / Appalachian Trail hike my hiking beers for the day were – Green Machine by Boneshire Brew Works and Animal I’ve Become by Ever Grain. Both fridge pulls that were of IPAs that are starting to get up in age (canning for this Green Machine was a bit ago), but both still held up very well and were excellent trail beers.

It was a very nice hike, we did about 5 some miles of hiking counting the Camp Michaux walking tour and CCC / POW camp that we walked through, as well as the Appalachian Trail we walked through. The Sunset Rocks overlook view was very pretty, even with the cloudy weather. Temperature wise it was great, hot and sweating when we were hiking, but not too cold or too warm when we were standing still.

I’ll post some pictures of the overlook view, Appalachian Trail, and Camp Michaux at the end of the article if you want to see them. I also have some links for more information about Camp Michaux at the end as well (mainly, because I knew nothing about this camp before we hiked the area, so hopefully this will be informative for other people as well).

But in the meantime, let’s get to the two beers and review them.

First up….. Hazy Burd.

Beer: Hazy Burd
Brewery: Ship Faced Brewing
Style: IPA – New England
ABV: 6.3%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: (Blank)

Ship Faced Brewing is listed on Untappd as a nano brewery from Shippensburg, and has 13 unique beers, 199 total ratings and an average rating of 3.76.

This is a bright yellow to golden New England style hazy IPA. Thin white head to it but with nice bubbles and left nice lacing on the glass. Its hazy and opaque with some sediment and floaters. Its light looking and a bit watery looking.

Aroma is pretty hoppy, floral and citrus. No earthy or grassy or pine hop notes. Some creaminess or vanilla aroma but very mild. Mostly floral or citrus hop notes, some peach, mango, maybe faint grapefruit aroma.

This is a pretty solid and standard New England IPA. There’s not a whole extreme lot to discuss, but it is a solid beer. Its a bit watery, a bit papery thin in mouthfeel, but it has good flavor. Its smooth and has either lactose, vanilla, or a lot of flaked oats to give it a smooth / silky taste and slickness to it. Its easy drinking and pretty crushable. No hop bite, no real IPA bitterness, just the juiciness that comes from a New England IPA. Hop flavors are peach, mango, light grapefruit, perhaps a bit of melon rind, no earthy, no zest or citrus, no grassy or pine or bitterness. I can’t say anything bad about this beer, its good, clean, juicy, tastes great, has a little bit of sediment, a little watery and thin, but nothing bad, no off flavors, no bad aftertaste, nothing you’re burping up hours later. This is a perfectly fine and delicious beer.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Untappd Rating: 3.77 (as of 11.21.20)

Next up is…. Pin-Up Girl Basic Witch.

Beer: Pin-Up Girl Basic Witch
Brewery: Janky Beer Co
Style: Blonde Ale
ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 30
Untappd Description: Brewed with local coffee and has a dash of pumpkin spice with Tahitian vanilla bean

Janky Beer Co on Untappd is listed as a Contract Brewer through Shippensburg Pennsylvania. With 45 unique beers, 895 ratings, and an average global rating of 3.92. Their Untappd description reads: A one off one of a kind brewery working in Maxie’s Brew Pub.

This was an interesting beer. It looks and doesn’t look like a blonde ale, and doesn’t taste much like one at all. (None of these things are negatives, just statements.) It more reminds me of a pumpkin beer or yam beer than a blonde ale, especially the tastes. The appearance is a hazy, darker blonde ale than normal, with more of a darker golden orange coloring than a lighter yellow to golden look.

Aroma is one hundred and ten percent spice beer, like any pumpkin beer, the spices are overwhelming and all you smell. I couldn’t even smell coffee on this or any distinguishable characteristic of a blonde ale, but got lots and lots of spices. Nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and probably some other spices I’m not really able to distinguish. I don’t think its ‘too much’ but it is a bit overpowering, and I would go as far as saying its definitely more than a ‘dash’ of the spices.

This is an interesting and tasty beer. I got very little coffee but the spices are very overpowering on this. There might be coffee that intermingles and makes the taste of the spices jump out more, but what you take notice upfront and right away is the spices. They really leap out and tackle your tastebuds. This has a stronger and heavier mouthfeel than the New England IPA earlier (Hazy Burd), but its still somewhat light being only a 4.5% blonde ale. Its smooth to drink and has a nice slick, smooth, creaminess most likely from the Tahitian Vanilla Beans, but you don’t really taste the vanilla. This isn’t boozy or heavy, but it also feels heavy, mostly I think because it has a good mouthfeel and the spices, so its more of a sipping beer than one to drink quickly, and I certainly wouldn’t drink a four pack or anything of this at one sitting due to the spices being a bit overbearing. This was an enjoyable beer, a bit overhanded on the spices, (I was burping the taste of this beer for a few hours afterwards), but still a good, well crafted beer that I’d get again.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Untappd Rating: 3.7 (as of 11.21.20)

Overall both beers were enjoyable. I wish I would have asked about what their full menu was and maybe did a flight or something, got to try more than just the two, but for 6$ the two drafts were not bad. Ming got cheesesteak egg rolls for 8$ and we shared fries for 3$, so not a bad bit of food and drink for relatively low price. (They might want to do a better job of saying what all beers they have than just that special list, maybe it was on a different part of the QR code, not sure.)

If again in Shippensburg, I’ll make sure to stop in. When we were there at 3:30-4, it was empty (we were the only ones in until a couple came in right before we left). They were doing live music in the evening though so I’m sure it would pick up.

The following will be the pictures and the links about Camp Michaux.

Pictures of Sunset Rocks overlook:

Pictures of Camp Michaux:

Links for further reading on Camp Michaux:

• Dave Smith’s History of Camp Michaux
• Hiking Upward – Camp Michaux
• Visiting Cumberland County – Camp Michaux Walking Tour

Tomorrow I will – hopefully – fingers crossed – toes crossed – hopefully – have the first article from the Indy trip done. (No matter what, I will have an article, as I’m still doing my November 30 for 30.) So be on the lookout for that.

Also, be sure to check out some of our other beer reviews in recent history:

• Beer Review: Dreams of Orgonon (Human Robot)
• Beer Review: Unicorns Stomping on Lanternflies (Saucony Creek Brewing Co)
• Beer Review: Griddle (Funk Brewing Company)
• Beer Review: Out of Order: Blue Milk (RAR Brewing)
• Beer Review: Up the Creek Extreme Ale (Thomas Creek Brewery)
• Beer Review: Hershey’s Chocolate Porter (Yuengling Brewery)
• Beer Review: Dropout (Rubber Soul Brewing)
• Beer Review: Pigtoberfest (Boneshire Brew Works)
• Beer Review: I Voted Today (Tired Hands)
• Beer Review: Super Villain (Urban Village Brewing Company)
• Beer Review: Wookie Monster (Fourscore Beer Co)
• Beer Review: Shallow Grave (Nitro) (Heretic Brewing)
• Beer Review: The Growfather (Stickman Brews)
• Beer Review: The Pandalorian (Tattered Flag)

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, 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!

Thanks for reading everyone, hope you enjoyed the ‘dual beer’ review, and enjoyed the pictures from the hike.

Cheers!

-B. Kline

So, this was meant to get written a few days ago, but everything kinda turned upside down on its head when Wednesday I got the call that I was going back to work, and officially Friday (July 3rd) was my first day back. I was also switched to swing shift, and our days went from being 8 Hour days to 10 Hour Days. So this post is a bit late in getting up and I apologize for that.

Also, this will be somewhat similar in some of my other travelogue and brewery hopping posts. So if you like reading about me and checking out breweries, I think you will dig this. This will probably not get posted until July 5th, but I’ve started it now on July 4th. I wanted to get it written before going back to work – yesterday – July 3rd, but it just didn’t happen. Friday didn’t quite go as planned, and I didn’t get nearly as much done as I wanted before having to get to work by 5PM for a meeting, and then starting my 10 hour actual work day. Today – July 4th – I start at 6PM, but I’m only going to be writing for about an hour before celebrating 4th of July with my daughters. I got home last night (technically I suppose this morning), ate a little bit, fell asleep, and woke back up at 8AM and then at 10AM, and got a little work done at home and now started on the blog, but hopefully it will – fingers crossed – it will then get finished tomorrow in my time between waking up and going back to work. (I feel like this will become a regular cycle on my new schedule…. work…. sleep…. write…. work…. sleep….) (Its looking like I’m lined up for six to eight days straight at 10HR days…. so, we’ll see how I survive all this.)

Ok, lets get right into this. This travelogue is pretty straight forward. Ming messaged me about any plans upcoming, and I told him I was going down to York for The York Emporium’s book sale. Ming offered to come on with, since he had some errands and chores to do in the York and Hanover areas, thus it was decided, we’d make a whole day trip and excursion out of it. Why not right? It was furlough and we had no plans, so why not? Grab some cheap books, some drinks, hit a state park, have a bit of adventure… why not?

Luckily it didn’t pan out like my trip with my daughters to Monocacy. So it wasn’t one of “those adventures” (sorry to disappoint). This was going to be a pretty straight forward trip. I drive to meet Ming at his place in Mount Joy, we drive down to York, stop at the York Emporium for the book sale, hit a brewery in York, Ming drops some stuff off for a friend in the York area, we go to Hanover to the state park there, hit a few breweries, then head back to Mount Joy and then I would drive home after calling it a day. Straight forward, simple, easy peasy.

Friday, June 26th, 2020, I drove up from Hummelstown to Mount Joy to meet Ming and the two of us headed down to York. First, of course, Ming had to show me the impressive assortment of animals on his property – quails, chickens, turtles, dogs, kittens, quail eggs…. and possibly a dragon, not sure. He gathered the stuff he needed to drop off (mum clippings that he potted and grew) and off we were to York Pennsylvania.

A quick drive down and we got to The York Emporium roughly around 2PM. I’ve been to The York Emporium once or twice before, I believe both prior times were when the store was doing their book sale – just like this time. This year, unfortunately due to the COVID-19, many libraries have announced they aren’t doing their book sales (the Hershey Public Library, one of the biggest in the area has announced their not, I believe Hummelstown’s – which is in October – is still yet undecided), so it was nice to get to a book sale of some sort.

We meandered through the halls and rows and shelves of books. Browsing this section, that section, etc. Philosophy, Civil War, sociology, US Presidents, science fiction, history, the classics, etc. All told, I ended up walking out with a fairly sizeable amount of books – 16 books for myself, and 1 for Ming – for only 52$. Can’t beat deals like that, when hardcover books released typically are 25.99-34.99$ nowadays. After getting back in the car, we jumped a few short blocks over and found us at brewery number one for the day….

We didn’t stay here long, Ming was worried about his parking meter and it running out, but we did enjoy the nice sun, sat out for a pint. I got a pint (in a plastic throwaway cup) of Cherry Lane Strong Ale. It’s a Belgian Strong Dark Ale; 9% ABV, 22 IBU, and its Untappd description reads: “Dark Belgian strong ale brewed with tart cherries, dark Belgian candy sugar and trappist style yeast.”

It was tasty, and was a nice strong beer to start the day. I gave it **** on Untappd. It has a global average rating (as of 7.5.20) of 3.59.

Getting back to his car with just two minutes to spare on the meter, we then headed out for his first errand, which was to drop off some of the mum clippings at a friend’s house. I didn’t know this, but Ming explained to me if you cut a decent size branch (or piece) of a mum, diagonally of course, and root it in water and soil for a bit, it will grow to become a full mum in due time. It is amazing how some plants can do that, I know of some, like roses that can do that as well.

After dropping off the flowers, we were on our way to Hanover Pennsylvania, and back to back breweries. The first of which was….

Miscreation Brewing Company. Lovely little brewery on a busy square in the town. Me and Ming sat out for a pint, and were going to get food, but their kitchen wasn’t going to open until 5PM and we were there at 3:30PM. So I ordered a pint of Mediocre Security Blanket.

Mediocre Security Blanket is an Amber Lager by Miscreation Brewing Company, its 5% ABV and has 30IBU. Their Untappd description is simple and to the point: “Amber Lager brewed with Simcoe hops.” I gave it ***.50 on Untappd. As of 7.5.20 it has a global average rating of 3.89.

Before we left, I grabbed a four pack to go (for Cadorus State Park). For 15$, they even let me make it a mixed four pack, so I grabbed 2 stouts, a pale ale, and a pumpkin beer (they only had three options of canned beers). 15$ for a 4 pack is a great deal, especially when you can mix-match it (that comes out to 3.75$ per beer). Many craft breweries tend to be 16-24$ for a 4 pack, so while not as cheap as getting a case of something like Natty Ice for 8-12$, its cheap for the standards. And I much rather spend 15$ for a 4 pack from Miscreation than 10$ for a case of Natty Ice…. any day of the week. That’s for damn sure.

After Miscreation Brewing, we walked around the block and came to…

Something Wicked Brewing Company. Another lovely spot in Hanover Pennsylvania. This time we went inside (they had no outdoor seating as far as I could tell). And here Ming was able to get some food too. The entrance we took led us through a winding, twisting, route into the main tap room and dining area. The hallways we walked through had paintings from various movie franchises. Most notably (to me at least) being the twin girls from The Shining.

For beers at Something Wicked I got two pints while there, Ming as usual, just got water, but for food he ordered tacos which he said were delicious. Claimed they weren’t quite as good as his, but next best thing. So….. take that for what its worth…

The beers I had there were White Wookie and Incessant Debauchery – Curuba.

White Wookie is a white IPA, it is 8.1% ABV and has 109 IBUs. The Untappd description reads: “A Belgian style white IPA double dry hopped with Galaxy hops. Rich hop bouquet with bubble gum hop finish”. I rated it ***.75 on Untappd, and currently (as of 7.5.20) it has a global average rating of 3.62.

Incessant Debauchery – Curuba is a 5.3% ABV fruited sour by Something Wicked Brewing Company. It has 24 IBUs and its Untappd description reads: “The latest in our rotating fruited sour series. It features the puckering flavor of the Curuba (Banana Shaped Passion fruit from Latin America) with a touch of vanilla. This bold passion fruit is our sourest offering yet!” My Untappd rating for it was: ****. As of 7.5.20 on Untappd it has a global average rating of 4.05.

Before leaving I grabbed a crowler of Butt Monkey, which I later enjoyed, sharing it with D. Scott during one of our gaming sessions for his Knights of Nostalgia page. (You can click the link provided there to check it out. We somewhat regularly stream us playing old school NES, SNES, etc, video games. He streams regularly, and I am a guest on his ‘show’. Similar to the podcast him and Esteban [Estey] have that I also somewhat regularly appear on – So a Mexican and a Scott Walk Into a Bar….). I might do a full beer review of this in the future, to be determined (I have so many beers I want to write up reviews for.)

But, a quick summary of it – Butt Monkey is a 5.1% ABV American Pale Ale, it has 26 IBU, and the Untappd description for it reads: “This session Pale Ale is dedicated to all of the Butt Monkeys out there that like to send cease and desist letters to the small guys. Enjoy this crushable beer as you think about those whom you wish ceased and desisted.” I gave it ***.75, the global average rating (as of 7.5.20) is 3.58.

Now with the food eaten – which makes Ming a happy Ming; and beers were drank – which makes me a happy Ben; we were on our way to Codorus State Park in Hanover Pennsylvania. Technically, according to the Wikipedia page on Codorus State Park its located in Heidelberg, Manheim, Penn, and West Manheim Townships in southwestern York County, Pennsylvania in the United States. As the Wikipedia states: “Codorus State Park is a 3,500-acre (1,400 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Heidelberg, Manheim, Penn, and West Manheim Townships in southwestern York County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park was created around Lake Marburg, an artificial lake covering 1,275 acres (516 ha), and is named for Codorus Creek, which forms the lake. Codorus State Park is located on Pennsylvania Route 216, 3 miles (4.8 km) from the borough of Hanover.”

Either way, Ming and myself came to kayak, and so that is exactly what we did. Normally we hike trails and do all that kind of stuff, but this time instead of taking a hike like we did for Ricketts Glenn we went kayaking. I’m not much of a water guy; drinking it, swimming in it, boating in it, kayaking in it, etc – just not my cup of tea (or cup of water if you will…… pa-dum-dissss…..) but here we were, and so we were going to do it. I brought along my four-pack from Miscreation Brewing to enjoy while kayaking.

It was a beautiful view, and we had a great time. I learned how to kayak properly without just going in circles like we were on The Simpsons or the Three Stooges. Got to watch the sunset a bit which was gorgeous, and I got to drink a few beers. Plus got a bit of a workout in as well, so can’t complain about that I suppose.

The two beers I had while kayaking were – MBC IPA and Smashed PumpKing Porter.

MBC IPA is an American IPA (relatively a session IPA in this case) thats 5% ABV and 72 IBUs. The Untappd description reads: “West Coast style IPA. Brewed with Chinook and Cascade hops.” I gave it ***.75, and its global average rating (as of 7.5.20) is 3.87.

I think the face of the pumpkin on the can is how Ming looked quite a few times during our kayaking travels. (Needless to say, I was not the best person to do a tandem kayak with.) Anyway…. the porter is a 6.5% ABV and 30 IBU Pumpkin / Yam Beer porter. Its Untappd description reads: “Seasonal Porter brewed with Pumpkin and Pumpkin spices.” I gave it ***.75 on Untappd, and the global average rating for it is 3.53 as of 7.5.20.

After finishing the kayaking we got back in the car and headed back up through York to make a stop and then to get back to Ming’s house in Mount Joy where I originally met him at. Once on the road, I attempted to get a last shot of the sunset.

Its not the best piece of photography, and its not the best picture… but it was too gorgeous of a sunset not to at least attempt getting a picture of it. Plus I was a few beers in by this point, and taking the picture through the car. Either way, let it be known – there was a beautiful sunset that evening. And that I attempted to document it for all of you – my faithful readers.

Coming back up through York we made the last stop for Ming, and I decided (while he was running the mums up to the house) to take a gander at the old Untappd map and see if there were any breweries in the direct vicinity… and lo and behold, just up ahead on the highway was one. So, needless to say, we stopped at Stony Run Brew House. Stony Run was nice, the inside looked beautiful, almost like an Italian Villa style restaurant, reminded me of the old Italian Villa Rosa that used to be on Route 22 in Grantville (where the new Sheetz is at the corner of 743 and 22).

We went in to hit the bathroom and get a table outside. Ordered some nacho chips. I believe we tried to order fries or quesadilla or something else but they were out, so we ended up with the nacho chips. I ordered a flight. I think the only other place that offered a flight (of the breweries we visited on June 26th – Mudhook Brewing, Miscreation Brewing, Something Wicked Brewing, and Stony Run Brewing) was Mudhook Brewing. So two out of four, not bad. But, I didn’t get a flight at Mudhook due to time. Typically when trying out new breweries I like to get flights so I can sample more of their beers and try as much as I can, and then decide what to buy to take home, but given the current environment with COVID-19 and everything, its understandable that many places aren’t doing flights.

They had a few guest taps, one of which was a delicious sour from Weyerbacher. So my flight was three beers from Stony Run Brewing and one from Weyerbacher. My flight was: first from Stony Run Brewing – Blackstrap English Porter, Irish Eyes, Capt. Jack Block – Hell, and from Weyerbacher – the Rico Guave. All were very good.

A quick rundown of the flight:

• Bootstrap English Porter – 5.5% ABV, 31 IBU. “The key ingredient to this moderate strength brown beer is the addition of blackstrap molasses, contributing to its roasty character and bitterness. This Porter goes down smooth and easy.” My rating: ***.75 / global rating (7.5.20): 3.8
• Irish Eyes – an Irish Red Ale, thats 4.2% ABV and 22 IBU (no description). My rating: ***.25, global rating: 3.75.
• Capt. Jack Block – Hell – is a strong Lager thats 6.7% ABV and 20 IBU. Untappd Description: “Strong German Lager, lightly hop and malty.” My rating is ***.75, not enough ratings yet to give it a global rating.
• Rico Guave (Weyerbacher) – Rico Guave is a 9% ABV fruited sour with 25 IBU. The Untappd description reads: “Rico Guave is a 9% sour ale brewed with pineapple and guava. Rich with the tropical notes of pineapple and fruitiness of guava, this pink hued brew is clean and refreshing with a touch of tartness.” My rating was ****, global rating was 3.69 as of 7.5.20.

While at Stony Run it began to drizzle on us a bit, and we could hear lightening and thunder in the distance. After finishing up we headed back to Mount Joy. Where once there, we went over and visited a friend of his who is turning his barn into a bar / rec area for himself and friends and is going to be setting up pinball machines and other kinds of games. I also got to play with a Pug puppy, so just that right there made my day.

Finally it was time to call it a day (well now night) at 2-3AM after Don came home from work. He had started back up at the casino before the rest of us. I myself now started back up at work on the 3rd, while Ming still hasn’t gotten his return call yet. But soon, shortly, he will.

And that was our trip around York and Hanover Pennsylvania. We visited Mudhook Brewing, Miscreation Brewing, Something Wicked Brewing, and Stony Run Brewing. I hope you all enjoyed this brewery touring. Before I got the call back to work me and Ming made a plan to visit the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon and Wellsboro PA and visit a few breweries in that neck of the woods (probably New Trail Brewing while up there too). But with me going back to work, that is currently on hold. But rest assured, you will read about it on here when we go.

Ok everyone, cheers, and stay safe, especially as places are reopening. Don’t get lax, still wash, cover your face, and take care of each other. Cheers!

-B. Kline

August (2019) Road Trip Series:

• Going on the Road
• The Trip: Day 1 Recap
• The Trip: Day 2 Recap
• The Trip: Day 3 Recap

Rickett’s Glen (2020) Road Trip Series:

• A Road Trip to Rickett’s Glen
• The Trip to Rickett’s Glen

Monocacy Battlefield Road Trip:

• Impromptu Two-Day Trip to Frederick Maryland
• Road Trip to Monocacy Battlefield (June 19th – June 20th, 2020)

Other Brewery Hopping Articles:

• Brewery Touring York and Hanover PA
• Brewery Hopping – 12.27.19
• Breweries Around the Outskirts of Harrisburg – 9.6.19

My Article for Breweries in PA:

• Touring Breweries Around Harrisburg

My Podcast About Breweries in Central PA:

• Beers with Strangers – A Beer Thriller in Hershey

Some other brewery tour and road trip articles:

• A Sneak Peak at the New Rubber Soul Brewery in Hummelstown
• A Brewery Tour of Mellow Mink
• Brewery Review: Battlefield Brew Works
• Brewery Review: Cushwa Brewing
• A Trip to Gettysburg and Beer Review: This is Nut the Fluff You’re Looking For (Fourscore Beer Co)
• Beer Review: Road Trip Snacks (Panther Island Brewing)

Codorus Links:

• Codorus State Park (Wikipedia)
• Codorus Park (DCNR Gov)

Breweries Link:

• Six Amazing Breweries to Visit in York PA (Uncovering PA)

Sunday me and my friend Ming traveled to Rickett’s Glen to hike the waterfall trails there. Planned, as I mentioned in the previous article here on the blog – A Road Trip to Ricketts Glen. We had planned this out a few weeks before, but left things kind of open ended. It was basically just a simple plan: Sunday – drive to Rickett’s Glen, walk waterfalls, drive home. With of course, a brewery on the way up, and one on the way home, possibly more if time allowed.

So, as I’ve done in the past with road trips and brewery visits, I’ll give a recap of our day here. This post was meant to go up Monday, but didn’t quite work out that way. Though, Monday did see the beer review of Boneshire Brew Works‘ Pandemic Pils go live on LetUsDrinkBeer’s blog (a site I contribute and write for occasionally) as well as on our blog here. (To see the review on their blog – click here: LetUsDrinkBeer Pandemic Pils, and to see it here on my blog – Beer Review: Pandemic Pils by Boneshire Brew Works.) I definitely knew it wasn’t going up Sunday night when we got home, just no chance of that happening.

Thus this was started on Tuesday, but unfortunately I had to pause and finish today (Wednesday) due to chores around the house, mowing, walking the dog, (yadda yadda yadda, boring crap, boring crap, boring crap), but mostly because I had to head over to D. Scott’s to do a podcast (as well as our first YouTube video) with D. Scott, Esty, and Skott. This was our time travel podcast where we discussed time travel in movies, books, and TV shows. Namely Back to the Future, Terminator, Looper, and a host of others (shout outs to Rick and Morty, Futurama, Austin Powers, and Avengers: End Game). That will be going up soon – both for the podcast and the YouTube video. I will make sure to edit this and include the links to those when they are uploaded. You can check out the Podcast channel itself here: So a Mexican and a Scott Walk Into a Bar…. (Be forewarned – language is a bit in the R category, and most of the episodes are titled “WTF Did I Just Watch”, so you can figure out and parse out what the W… T… F… stand for.) This was our first podcast / YouTube video and our first podcast with Skott on as well, so we’ll see how it goes. I enjoyed Abomz World (Ever Grain and Abomination Brewing collaboration), Wookie Monster (Fourscore Beer Co), and Buddy Shots (Cycle Brewing) while on the video. Finishing up the night with County Line IPA by Neshaminy Brewing. (But enough about that and those beers, lets get to the road trip.)

So, like I said before I interrupted myself, me and Ming planned to take this road trip from Hummelstown (he picked me up) to Rickett’s Glen which is in Benton, Pennsylvania. (See map below). It’s a roughly 2 hour and some minutes drive (depending on speed, traffic, etc.). According to Google Maps its a 2HR-8Min drive.

As I noted in my previous article here – A Road Trip to Ricketts Glen – we planned on hitting a brewery on the way up, and then one (or more) for dinner on the way home. Some of the breweries I had google mapped and looked up (in the vicinity of Ricketts Glen or at least along RT15 and RT11 – which are the main roads we would be on) were:

• Selinsgrove Brewing
• Isle of Que Brewing Co.
• Jackass Brewery
• Eclipse Craft Brewing
• Turkey Hill Brewing
• Old Forge Brewing Co.

Ming gets to my house around 11AM. We load up the backpacks, I add a four-pack in for the actual hike (New Trail’s Hammock, Troegs’ Scratch 415 and 417, Pizza Boy’s The Pen is Mightier). We head out. Stopping at the Sheetz by those strip clubs once you get near Little Buffalo and then we are fully out on the road.

Looking at the breweries on my phone, we decide to stop at Isle of Que Brewing Co. first.

Its just a little over noon when we get there. We are the first to enter for the day, and as soon as walk in, the bartender / owner / brewer Mike immediately recognizes me from the blog here. Which was a bit surreal as it was definitely a first to be recognized for the blog, and especially remotely (not a local [to my area of living] bar or brewery). Was definitely a very cool moment. Ordered a flight, while Ming had a water (since he was driver and basic DD for the day).

Mike was a super cool and chill dude. We talked about podcasts, YouTube, breweries, the COVID-19, quarantine and lockdown, how its affected his business, how the local area of Selinsgrove is / was during the pandemic, etc.

My flight consisted of: Peanut Butter Ale, Coal Wrecker Region Raspberry Ale, Black IPA, and Sexual Chocolate Stout. Mike gave Ming a sample of the Queban Joe (a coffee porter) which I stole a sip of.

My ratings for the beers on Untappd (and their global average ratings):

• Peanut Butter Pale Ale – ****.25 / 3.91 (as of 6.16.20)
• Coal Region Wrecker Raspberry Ale – **** / 3.93 (as of 6.16.20)
• Black IPA – ***.75 / 3.58 (as of 6.16.20)
• Sexual Chocolate Stout – **** / 3.47 (as of 6.16.20)

I would have ordered another flight or perhaps a pint, but Ming wanted to get to the trail, so I paid and we headed out. Selinsgrove Brewing was closed, so we were on the road to Ricketts Glen. Which we arrived at around 2-2:15PM.

For those who’ve never been to Ricketts Glen, it is absolutely gorgeous. We had a beautiful day, sunny, bright skied, no clouds, gorgeous day. Not too hot, just a beautiful early June day (June 14th, 2020). Just an absolutely beautiful gorgeous day. We had a fantastic hike with no problems. It was possibly the most ‘populous’ hike I’ve ever been on (most of the places I’ve hiked, I don’t see anyone on the trails, or if I do its a one time passing), here, its like caravans, and occasional slow-downs at different waterfalls. This is a map of our hike:

I will say there is parts of the hike that are ‘difficult’ for those who might have walking issues or leg problems. Overall, most of the hike is easy to moderate, but there is a few places at some of the various waterfall areas where the steps are tough and can also be a bit slick. Plus, if you actually get close to some waterfalls, its also tough and hard, and I wouldn’t fully recommend doing that.

Here is a gallery (of a LOT of pictures) of our hike:

The hike lasted about four hours roughly, and was a good, fun, nice, beautiful hike and trip. As you can see from the pictures, I did enjoy the four pack I brought with me; which consisted of:

• Troegs Independent Craft Brewing: Scratch 415 – Witbier
  * My Rating: ***.75 / Global Rating: 3.77 (as of 6.16.20)
• Troegs Independent Craft Brewing: Scratch 417 – Orange-Lemon Peel IPA
  * My Rating: **** / Global Rating: 3.89 (as of 6.16.20)
• New Trail Brewing: Hammock
  * My Rating: ****.25 / Global Rating: 4.37 (as of 6.16.20)
• Pizza Boy Brewing: The Pen is Mightier
  * My Rating: ***.75 / Global Rating: 3.89 (as of 6.16.20)

After our hike, we hit the bathroom one final time, loaded back up, and checked out the breweries map to see what is available and where we would have dinner.

There were several that we looked up – Eclipse Craft Brewing, Pine Knotter Brewing, Old Forge Brewing, and Turkey Hill Brewing. According to the Google Maps and their Facebook (I made sure to check both), Turkey Hill was going to be open til 7PM, and Old Forge was to be open until 9PM. Turkey Hill was closer to Ricketts Glen / Benton than Old Forge, so we decided we’d go to Turkey Hill Brewing, and then from there go to Old Forge Brewing since they were opened later.

We arrived at Turkey Hill Brewing Co. at roughly 6:20-6:30PM, and find out their actually open until 9PM. As we got back there, our reception returned to our phone, and we started getting inundated with texts. Our co-workers were getting called back into work (with Friday, June 19th, Dauphin County Pennsylvania goes green, our work was reopening). So everyone was seeing who got called, how they got called, what information they had, etc. Everyone had different ideas, theories, and stories of their call-backs.

While Ming went and talked to Don about his department that got called back, and their evening plans, I ordered a flight. We sat outside under a beautiful tree, and had a small little table in front of us, it all felt like sitting and eating at a family picnic at someone’s house for say Memorial Day or Fourth of July or Labor Day. Very informal, very interesting, and there were couples all around on various other benches eating in a similar fashion. Due to the current circumstances they do a generic flight of six, so that’s what I got. Once Ming came back from his call, we ordered small things of food (Don was making him dinner, so we weren’t going to get a big meal – just appetizers). I got fries and Ming got Asian Tuna.

The fries were very good, and Ming said he loved the tuna (no way was I having any as I’m allergic to seafood). The beers were also very good.

The beers (not in the particular order I had them in above):

• Donny’s Irish Dry Stout
  * My rating: ***.75 / Global Rating: 3.73 (as of 6.16.20)
• Inflategate NE IPA
  * My Rating: **** / Global Rating: 3.74 (as of 6.16.20)
• St. Abban’s Irish Red Ale
  * My Rating: ***.75 / Global Rating: 3.56 (as of 6.16.20)
• Oliver’s Twisted Belgian Pale Ale
  * My Rating: ***.50 / Global Rating: 3.3 (as of 6.16.20)
• Urban Abbey Apricot Pale Ale
  * My Rating: ***.50 / Global Rating: 3.69 (as of 6.16.20)
• Barn Dance Blonde Ale
  * My Rating: ***.50 / Global Rating: 3.44 (as of 6.16.20)

The atmosphere there was very beautiful, laid back, and wonderful. The staff was also really nice, wore their masks, handled the food and drinks and everything very nice. Wonderful all around. The beers were good as well. Overall the venue was beautiful, and I’d love to come visit it – outside of a pandemic – and get to really experience the place, as it looked wonderful.

After the dinner and flight, we looked up Old Forge Brewing, checked to make sure it was due to close at 9PM and headed off. We arrived there at a roughly 7:30-7:45PM, possibly going on 8PM. And it was closed up and locked. So either they closed early or their Facebook (as well as Google Maps) was using old – pre-COVID-19 – hours of operation. So sadly, we missed out on that. We climbed back into the car and headed for home with Ming dropping me off around 9:45PM or so; maybe 10PM. (I was probably not the best judge of time by this point.)

All in all, it was an absolute blast, and a wonderful road trip. I highly recommend both breweries – Isle of Que Brewing Co and Turkey Hill Brewing. Going to have to try this trip again on a weekday where we can hit a few more of the breweries, and do the hike, with hopefully less people, and later hours of operation for the breweries, so we can do more of them.

The venue for Turkey Hill was beautiful. The building for Isle of Que was nice and small and quaint, reminded me of the Warwick Hotel in Hummelstown. I enjoyed both places, both staffs, and both drinks. (Probably give the nod to Isle of Que’s beers over Turkey Hill; but there was nothing wrong with Turkey Hill’s beers, they were average / adequate and were very good. I’ve heard from several people online since that they have phenomenal full food, so maybe next time I’ll stop there and have a full meal.)

Of the beers I brought with, I enjoyed all four as well, though I had three of the four before (the Witbier was the only one I hadn’t had before). I did a review for Troeg’s Scratch 417 before. The Hammock is a great NE-IPA; the Scratch 417 was a delicious IPA, the scratch 415 was a very tasty Witbier, and The Pen is Mightier is an interesting and tasty Sour IPA.

I also highly recommend Ricketts Glen. If you love hiking, love the outdoors, love beautiful scenery, love waterfalls, it was all amazing, and just gorgeous. You definitely won’t be disappointed by the beauty of it all, it does get crowded on weekends, but I don’t think once you get out on the actual trail it is that bad. Right now it was a bit awkward with some close proximity to people given the nature of the pandemic and concerns over it, but overall, I don’t think it was too busy, and never felt threatened by their closeness, nor worried. Doing the full hike path that we took though (as shown above) will take you roughly three to four hours, especially if you stop and take in each waterfall, viewing them, and taking pictures. (Also, of course, depending on your speed, gait, etc.). Ming and I are in our thirties, so use that as a barometer I suppose.

I know this wasn’t a typical road trip, and we really only hit two breweries, but felt like making it into a fun little write-up and blog post. Perhaps next time I take the trip I’ll be able to hit more breweries and make it into a bigger brewery related blog post. Also apologize for the massive photo dump in the middle of this post, at least you could skip them (and the horrible pictures of myself, I apologize for anyone who I scared with my appearance).

But, as always, thank you very much for reading. I appreciate any comments, questions, feedback, etc. If you have any recommendations for trails, hike paths, or breweries, I’d love to hear them! Let me know in the comments! Also, be sure to hit the follow, subscribe, and like buttons. Share with friends, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and thank you all so very much for reading! I love writing for you guys, so its always great to hear from you!

Cheers and happy trails!

-B. Kline

August (2019) Road Trip Series:

• Going on the Road
• The Trip: Day 1 Recap
• The Trip: Day 2 Recap
• The Trip: Day 3 Recap

Rickett’s Glen (2020) Road Trip Series:

• A Road Trip to Rickett’s Glen
• The Trip to Rickett’s Glen

Other Brewery Hopping Articles:

• Brewery Hopping – 12.27.19
• Breweries Around the Outskirts of Harrisburg – 9.6.19

My Article for Breweries in PA:

• Touring Breweries Around Harrisburg

My Podcast About Breweries in Central PA:

• Beers with Strangers – A Beer Thriller in Hershey

Some other brewery tour and road trip articles:

• A Sneak Peak at the New Rubber Soul Brewery in Hummelstown
• A Brewery Tour of Mellow Mink
• Brewery Review: Battlefield Brew Works
• Brewery Review: Cushwa Brewing
• A Trip to Gettysburg and Beer Review: This is Nut the Fluff You’re Looking For (Fourscore Beer Co)
• Beer Review: Road Trip Snacks (Panther Island Brewing)

As I did last summer when I took my daughter’s on a road trip across Pennsylvania (from Hummelstown up to Elk Country, to Kinzua Bridge, down to Pittsburgh, to Bushy Run, and then back home), which I covered (slightly) here on the blog, I will be doing the same tomorrow – when I take a road trip with my friend Ming up to Rickett’s Glen State Park to hike and check out the waterfalls.

We will be making a few stops along the way, and seeing a few different breweries, but not a whole lot, and due to the coronavirus / COVID-19, practices and things will be a lot different. There won’t be any brewery tours, and there won’t be as much to do, just outdoor seating. So it will certainly be interesting.

We’re also not sure yet what all breweries we are going to be visiting. (So if you have any suggestions, be sure to list them here in the comments section).

Some breweries we are looking to stop at are:

• Selinsgrove Brewing (if open)
• Jackass Brewery
• Isle of Que Brewing
• Eclipse Craft Brewing
• Old Forge Brewing
• Turkey Hill Brewing

And if we stray the area a bit, and go into Williamsport area we might check out New Trail Brewing. But we’ll see; the main reason for the trip is the park and the hike, so the breweries are secondary, and with it being a Sunday (and due to the current ongoing crisis) most places will have limited hours (many closing by 6PM), so we’ll see.

Fingers crossed for beautiful weather and a lovely day, and to check out some nice places and drink some good cold beer. Today, I am meeting my sister and her son at Colonel Denning (taking my daughters with). Not a whole lot brewery wise in the area, but maybe we’ll stop somewhere on the way home, who knows. Trying to get some things in, as it looks like June 19th I might be going back to work (Dauphin county goes ‘green’ on June 19th). So looks like my furlough will soon be up; meaning its time to get everything done quickly!

Cheers everyone, and stay tuned after tomorrow to see what’s up and what we got done! Make sure to check in and see!

-B. Kline

(Brewery travels):

August (2019) Road Trip Series:

• Going on the Road
• The Trip: Day 1 Recap
• The Trip: Day 2 Recap
• The Trip: Day 3 Recap

Rickett’s Glen (2020) Road Trip Series:

• A Road Trip to Rickett’s Glen
• The Trip to Rickett’s Glen

Its nice to take a break amidst everything going on to get take your mind off the world, off the news cycle, off of the coronavirus, COVID-19, and everything else thats just going on in this insane and crazy world. Being in quarantine and lockdown can be a bit like staring into the abyss, and as Nietzsche would say about that: “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” (Its not often you get to use a Frederich Nietzsche quote in a beer review, so when the opportunity presents itself, you just have to do it.)

This is certainly an interesting time we are finding ourselves in; as is often quoted and said (and the phrase I like to use) its an “unprecedented time”. Nobody knows what’s going on, theres uncertainty everywhere, but what I do know, is that craft breweries are still out there with amazing beers – and will either do delivery, to-go, or curbside pickup. From places like Fourscore Beer Co in Gettysburg, to Boneshire Brew Works in Rutherford / Harrisburg, to Troegs Brewing in Hershey, to Roundguys in Lansdale, Two Rivers Brewing in Extol, and so many more to even list. (I do have an article where I have some listed, and keep working on it when I have the time: Supporting Local Breweries and Businesses).

This isn’t exactly how I planned this beer review to start up, but I’ve kind of had it half-envisioned as I went to write it but the beginning is always in flux when I start these, and is usually dependent on what’s going on. I build up a mental outline (I don’t physically outline anything, even when working on my novel) and I just get into the flow and let it go (once again, same goes for the novel, let the characters dictate how everything flows and where the story takes it). So thats mostly how my beer reviews and blog posts go as well. General upbeats and thoughts and things I want to mention before getting to the actual beer review, where once I get to that, I break down the actual beer as per how the beer tasted. So you – as well as I – never know what I’m getting when I write these reviews. So there’s a look into the weird and crazy window into how I write these blog posts. (Sorry this whole paragraph was pretty skippable, but it does kind of lead to the beer…. I promise….). So before I go too far off the rails on how things are bleak right now due to coronavirus / COVID-19 or how I have a crazy writing style, let me get into what led to picking up this beer, and then eventually get into the actual beer review.

Firstly, let’s move back to Sunday (3.22.20). I had wanted to go to Gettysburg on Saturday (3.21.20) but time slipped by on the day to make it really feasible and ended up not making it. Two co-workers who I had been with just hours before the imposed quarantining (due to work at the casino) – Ming and Don – met with me for the trip to Gettysburg. Have no fears, we practiced safe measures – social distancing, scrubbing everything and anything we touched (or saw others touch), and used copious amounts of hand sanitizer; coughed into elbows, etc, etc, etc. So have no fear, there was no contamination or spreading because of our visit.

I had been really eager to check out Fourscore Beer Co since they opened. Last time I was in Gettysburg was last summer with my daughter, and I checked out the Battlefield Brew Works (first time visiting there). But, Fourscore Beer Co looked to be much better, as well as knowing Wade Leedy from the Central Whalerz group, and having talked to so many people from the group about the brewery, I was super psyched about getting to check the brewery out. Unfortunately, flash to the coronavirus, and my first visit is just getting to-go food and beer. But alas, we made the best of it, and promised to visit again, under better circumstances, and when we can fully check out the brewery (hopefully my usually yearly trip to Gettysburg come July / August).

So, Don, Ming, and I ordered as we were about twenty minutes out from the brewery. We were going to get the Eric Aumen Patty Melt, but unfortunately they ran through supplies the day before, but we all settled on the Fourscore Burger (they got coleslaw, I got fries), and all three of us agreed, it was absolutely phenomenal. Top ten burger in my experience with breweries. Just fantastic fries as well, so all around it was a great meal. Ordered the ‘This is Nut the Fluff You’re Looking For’ to drink later (as you’ll find out for the review here), and got a four pack of Timekeeper DIPA. (I might do a review for Timekeeper DIPA, as its a great 8.3% Double IPA of pure juicy goodness.)

We took our food and beverages (Don got the coffee brown ale; Ming doesn’t drink) and went and parked at the parking lot adjacent to the Gettysburg Cemetery. (Which is also only two or so blocks down from the brewery.)

After eating we then began walking towards the Pennsylvania Monument and checking out the monuments, signs, and what-not along the way. This was Ming’s first time visiting the battlefield, and Don’s since he was in elementary school. I try to go every year (with a few misses) at least once to walk the battlefields. Gettysburg is a beautiful area, a gorgeous town, and despite the tragic history and circumstances, a peaceful, quiet, meditative place.

Don’t worry, we practiced our social distancing, even in tough places, like the Pennsylvania (PA) Monument, where getting to the top, and getting to the bottom, required a bit of waiting since its basically a one-person stairway.

Ok, I’m sure you’re all sick of hearing about my escapades with Gettysburg, and just want to get right to the actual beer review; the sole purpose of this right? The reason you’re here, isn’t to hear about my trip to Gettysburg, or about how I write, or about the coronavirus or COVID-19. The reason you are here, is because you want to read about how amazing this beer is, am I right?! And don’t worry, it is one hell of a beer!

Beer: This is Nut the Fluff You’re Looking For
Brewery: Fourscore Beer Co.
Style: Stout – Imperial / Double
ABV: 15%
IBU: None
Untappd Description: Brewed with a British Maris Otter base, loads of malted oats and a variety of roasted and crystal malts with a touch of lactose. Heaps of peanut flour were used in the whirlpool and the wort was racked onto a ton of marshmallow fluff prior to fermentation. More marshmallow is added at the end of fermentation along with peanut butter powder. Huge aromas and flavors of fresh peanut butter and marshmallows straight from the bag. A rich malty base of caramel and chocolate tones carry the flavors to the finish. Brewed with Founders Club member Eric Aumen. (The patty melt was also named after Eric Aumen as well.)

Firstly; let me just say this is an amazing beer. This was only my second beer from Fourscore (my first being the Timekeeper DIPA mentioned earlier), but this absolutely blew me away. Its 13$ per bottle, and they have quite a bit left at their brewery (so if you’re in the area, make sure to stop by and grab one, you won’t regret it!)

Appearance is just how you want your stout, dark, tall, and handsome.I think thats how it goes right? As soon as you open the cap and crack her open, you see the release that shows the great carbonation for this beautiful brew. It pours dark and heavy, thick, and gives off a delicious looking brown creamy foamy head. Interspersed bubbles, varying sizes. The beer itself is a Razor Ramon jet-black hair dark, and the head is a rich creamy brown. As you drink, it leaves a pretty lacing down the glass.

Aroma is just mouth-watering. Its hard to even want to take the time to smell this because you just want to get to drinking it. Heavy peanut, light marshmellow, heavy malt – mostly caramel and roast malts, just gives this a genuine, delicious, heavenly smell. You get a slight chocolate smell but its subdued behind the powerful peanut butter. There is also a light vanilla smell that could be the lactose in combination with the marshmellow or could just be the marshmellow itself, hard to fully distinguish. There is definitely a lot here with the aroma between the peanut butter, the marshmellow, and all of the various malts and oats of caramel, chocolate, roasted, and crystal.

Finally… getting to take a sip of this gorgeous beer…. and …. holy… wow…. just explosive flavor right out of the gate. Like a rambunctious puppy as soon as you get home from a long day of work (or after unlocking it out of the bedroom while you were in the other room trying to work from home due to quarantine), this explodes right out of the gate with mucho mucho mucho flavor. Firstly, let me straight up tell you, you are not going to be tasting the 15%; the high ABV on this is so well hidden, you can finish that entire bottle without realizing it at all. Its super smooth, but with a very heavy thick mouthfeel, but its so drinkable, so tasty, and so well rounded, that the high ABV never even becomes a factor or noticeable. Describing taste for this is simple – while its not something I enjoy as food; as a beer this totally worked – if you’ve ever had a fluffernutter sandwhich. Thats what this is. (With a lot more going on though.) The peanutbutter is definitely the most overwhelming flavor – and I’m a huge sucker for peanutbutter beers too (Molly Pitcher’s is one of my absolute all time favorites, and back at the Kegs and Eggs on the 14th, the Robin Hood Banana and Peanutbutter beer was amazing as well), but regardless of it being one of my favorite ingredients, this beer would still be a home run (or better yet, a grand slam). The marshmellow and lactose lend it a creamy and smooth texture and taste and really helps hide the 15% ABV. The various malts and oats has a very delicious backbone to this beer, and provides a wonderful secondary layer of flavors to this. This has the perfect balance of a thick, smooth, textured, rich, full bodied, aromatic, delicious beer. It has pretty much everything you want in a beer, in spades. This has been one of the most well-rounded stouts I’ve had in a long time. I cannot recommend again if you are in the Gettysburg area, stopping in at Fourscore and picking this up.

My Untappd Rating: ****.50
Global Untappd Rating: 4.58 (as of 3.24.20)

I want to say congratulations to Wade Leedy and Eric Aumen on a wonderful and fantastic beer. I also want to say here, I am a total sucker for the name and label for this beer as well. Great Star Wars reference, and awesome Star Wars beer label. This will be one of the bottles I keep for the wall, just based on label alone.

Make sure you support your local breweries everyone, like Fourscore Beer Co, many breweries are doing curbside, to-go, and delivery. Also, help out with Tattered Flag and donate (check the article) so they can keep making hand sanitizer that helps everyone. You can see the following articles for ways on how you can help your local craft breweries:

* Support Local Breweries and Businesses
* Tattered Flag Uses Distillery to Make Hand Sanitizer
* A Message from Brooks Hemauer of Hemauer Brewing Co
* A Word from Brad Moyer of Liquid Noise Brewing
* An Update on Rubber Soul Brewing in Hummelstown (and the original article: A Sneak Peak at the New Rubber Soul Brewery)

Cheers everyone, and please keep supporting small busniesses, especially in these dark, uncertain times. If we don’t support them now, they won’t be there for us when we need them. We’re all a community, so help out where you can. Stay strong, stay healthy, and enjoy good beer at home!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

Being a big fan of Game of Thrones (a big nerd of it actually; even more so of the book series – A Song of Ice and Fire) and being a big fan of Omnegang Brewery, I’m glad to finally get to review one of their beers; let alone one of their Game of Thrones series beers.

This is another fantastic addition to the Omnegang series of Game of Thrones beers. I believe this is going to be their final one, and its the only one they’ve released since the show ended. Its an interesting title in that its “MY” Watch Has Ended, instead of “Your” or “Our” Watch Has Ended. So I’m curious if thats a nod to it being the last of the series. Typically in the show when a watchman died, they’d say “Your” Watch Has Ended or “His” Watch Has Ended. Either way, its a good title (as all of their others are as well – Blackwater Stout, Hand of the Queen, Hand of the King, Mother of Dragons, etc.), and all of their beers (as all of Omnegang’s in general) have been fantastic, so if this is the last of the series, I will be disappointed to see it end. Just like I was with the final two seasons…. *bum-da-dish*.

Some of the other beers in their Game of Thrones series:

• Game of Thrones: Take the Black – Stout – Foreign / Export
• Game of Thrones: Three Eyed Raven – Farmhouse Ale – Saison
• Game of Thrones: Valar Morghulis – Belgian Dubbel
• Game of Thrones: Fire and Blood – Red Ale – American Amber Ale / Red Ale
• Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms – IPA – Belgian
• Game of Thrones: Iron Throne – Belgian Blonde
• Game of Thrones: Valar Dohaeris – Belgian Trippel
• Game of Thrones: King in the North – Stout – Russian Imperial
• Game of Thrones: Mother of Dragons – Smoked Beer
• Game of Thrones: Bend the Knee – Belgian Strong Golden Ale
• Game of Thrones: Hand of the Queen – Barleywine – English
• Game of Thrones: Queen of the Seven Kingdoms – Sour – Other
• Game of Thrones: Winter is Here – Witbier
• Game of Thrones: For the Throne – Belgian Strong Golden Ale
• Game of Thrones: My Watch Has Ended – Brown Ale – Imperial / Double

I believe thats not quite a full list, but thats the list given on Untappd. I thought there was a Blackwater Stout, and a few others, unless they changed the names of some of them in later releases of them. Out of that list above the only one I haven’t had is the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms (Sour). We – my friends and I, D. Scott, R. Dibeler, D. Arndt, Youngblood, and several others – typically would pair up the latest Game of Thrones beer with an episode, which they usually released one for the premier and one for the finale each season.

Background on Omnegang:

Brewery Omnegang is located just outside of Cooperstown, New York (famously known for the Baseball Hall of Fame). Their Untappd page bio says: Brewery Ommegang is a craft brewery dedicated to brewing American interpretations of classic Belgian-style ales. Located on a 136 acre former hop farm – the brewery grounds offer a truly heavenly backdrop in which to enjoy delicious Belgian-style brews.

Brewery Ommegang is listed as a Subsidiary of Duvel Moortgat . They have 222 unique beers on Untappd, with a global average rating of 3.77. They are considered a regional brewery.

I’ve honestly not had a bad beer yet from them, and their Game of Thrones series has been especially top notch. Its also obviously their biggest money-maker, as the show became such a huge cult phenomenon and pop culture highlight. Parties were held each week for the episodes, with people pairing up the latest release from Ommegang with that of the show. I know my friends and I were not alone in buying 2-3 upwards of 6-8 of the big corked bombers for the premiers and finales (where we had huge gatherings of 10-20 people). Occasionally we got multiples of each and sampled them as the episodes progressed. Comparing Hand of the Queen to Hand of the King, or Mother of Dragons to King in the North. Valar Morghulis to Valar Dohaeris.

So I was genuinely surprised when I showed up at Drew’s Thursday night before his podcast about Christmas movies he was doing with Esteban, Desiree, and a few others; that he had a new Game of Thrones beer. The show had been over for a bit now, the discussions on how bad the finale was all over, debates on how bad the final two seasons were, all forgotten. Much like life, the internet has moved on to discuss ad nauseum the latest pop cultural phenomenon – The Mandalorian now; rather than rehashing how bad the finale was of Game of Thrones (and dear god it was bad!).

So, as I was saying, I was quite surprised to see it. He said it just released and he found it at Giant on his way home from work the other night. I hadn’t heard a thing about a new Game of Thrones beer coming out, here I thought “I was in the know” (apparently not!). So, ahead of their podcast, while waiting for the others to come, and before I had to go to Ming and Don’s Christmas party, me and Drew cracked it open while watching the 1986 classic “Hands of Steel”. (Which that is an amazing classic movie…. if you ever get the chance, look it up on Amazon Prime and behold the glory!)

But enough about bad movies, and TV shows that were once good and then went to crap, lets discuss the beer!

Beer: Game of Thrones: My Watch Has Ended
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Style: Brown Ale – Imperial / Double
ABV: 8%
IBU: None
Untappd Write-Up: Imperial Brown Ale brewed with maple syrup and fenugreek.

Needless to say, I certainly had to look up fenugreek as I had no worldly idea what that was! So typing it into Google search, the first thing it brought up was on WebMD and on the Google Search page it said:

Fenugreek is an herb similar to clover that is native to the Mediterranean region, southern Europe, and western Asia. The seeds are used in cooking, to make medicine, or to hide the taste of other medicine. Fenugreek seeds smell and taste somewhat like maple syrup. Fenugreek leaves are eaten in India as a vegetable.

So there you have it, you most likely learned something new now today. Glad I could help.

Coloring on this is brown, obviously since its a brown ale. Its dark brown, not quite black, with a very beautiful foamy head. Its almost black in coloring, but I’d still label it brown. The head is heavy, thick, with white going to brown. Alternating bubble sizes, and the beer has great carbonation.

Aroma is heavy maple with a mixture of spices – probably that fenugreek, but I can’t exactly put my finger on that because I’ve never knowingly smelled just fenugreek before. There is a definitive herbal note to this, something similar to clover which is where I’d put my money on the fenugreek being. The maple is very strong though, so the spices kind of just work with it rather than act on their own.

Taste is fantastic and wonderful. Just like other Brewery Ommegang and their Game of Thrones beers, this is an exceptional, fantastically well made beer. You can tell they put true work and craftmanship into brewing. This is very thick and mouthfeel is very heavy, in a wonderful way, you are getting your 8% ABV worth on this bad boy. It feels like a heavy beer, it tastes like a heavy beer, and it gives you a great warming sensation with the herbs and spices. The maple is very strong providing a wonderful flavor to work great deep dark malts and roasted grains you get a real dark and heavy beer from the combination of these, that the spices then play over and lend it a wonderful fall / winter beer. The ABV gives you a bigger wallop then just 8% would lend you to think, probably also because it comes in the big champagne size bottles, so theres a lot more to drink than your typical 12oz or 16oz can or bottle. I could really rave on and on about this beer, but its just fantastic.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 3.85 (as of 12.14.19)

(Must admit, I’m surprised by the global rating on this one. Figured it’d be a bit higher. Usually I think I’m pretty close to the global rating, and sometimes, like this, it just surprises me when I’m off, especially when I think I might have even rated this 4.5 instead of 4.25.)

Ok, everyone, thanks for reading, and I managed to keep this pretty non-nerdy given the topic matter! I’m impressed with myself. Didn’t go crazy overhanded like I did with the Moon of Vega Space Balls one.

Cheers everyone! Happy Friday the 13th (when I started writing this) and Happier Saturday the 14th (when I finished writing this)!

-B. Kline

Dipping back into the old beer reviews that didn’t get posted category (like last night’s Athena review) I bring you a yummy beer I had at Ted’s Bar and Grill a few weeks back with Ming after a very late work meeting.

The joy of having a 9-11PM meeting at your work on your day off can only be offset by one thing – beer. Simple as that. That’s thee only thing… ok, not the only thing, but its a very good thing. So after the meeting got over, I convinced Ming to stop at a local bar and restaurant, one thats been featured recently on here (with the Salted Caramel Moo-Hoo review), Ted’s Bar and Grill, located on route 22 (or old Allentown Road) in the no mans land of Skyview in between Grantville and Harrisburg PA.

While he ordered some food, and we discussed work, life, and watched a little of the thursday night Patriots – Giants football game, I grabbed a pint of this to sip and enjoy, and this was pretty tasty.

Beer: Sour Me Peach Sherbert
Brewery: DuClaw Brewing Company
Style: Sour – Other
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 10
Untappd Write-Up: Light tart notes, big peach flavor upfront, and a soft finish from the addition of lactose.

Aroma is perfectly peach, but not like peach the fruit. Like the ‘created peach’ rather than the ultimate realistic peach. This has the aroma of a peach milkshake or a peach smoothie or peach ice cream. Probably because of the lactose or the over-sweetness of the peach smell.

Appearance is a thick unfiltered orange. Not crazily hazy like some NEIPAs, but it is unfiltered, its orange, and its not fully transparent. There’s floaters and sediment and a lot of action going on in this glass.

Taste is similar to some milkshake IPAs but with a tart finish rather than just pure lactose hop juice. There is definitely an overwhelming peach flavor upfront, but like the aroma, its kind of a non-peach peach. Like a created peach, the factory peach rather than the fruit peach. This isn’t to say its unpleasant, just pointing out the differences between the two. The lactose does make this very smooth, it also softens the tartness a bit, which I think I might have enjoyed a bit more tartness and maybe a tad bit less soft / lactose / smoothness / milkshake like quality.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.94 (as of 10.23.19)

We got a lot of reviews and things coming at you these next few days. From both me and J. Doncevic. He’s got some write-ups on events going on, and some beer reviews, and I got quite a few reviews, beer events, recaps, as as well as a pre-write-up on the upcoming 3rd Anniversary for Boneshire Brew Works. So please click the like, follow, and subscribe buttons, and bookmark us and keep coming back. Lots of great content on the way!

-B. Kline

Thursday night I took the time to travel up 283 for 20 or so minutes to get to Mt. Joy to visit my friend Ming to help him with some post-interview writing he had to do for a potential future job, and of course I can’t help myself but stop in at a brewery that is fifteen from his house.

So upon arrival, me, Ming, and Don head over and I grab myself a flight, and over the course of a good forty minutes we drank, they ate (and drank), and we chatted. What’s better than that?

I’ve been to Twisted Bine once before, soon after they had opened (again when visiting Ming) and this was my second time. I’ve only had their beers from visits (don’t know if they’ve done any brewfests, I know their not canning/bottling and distributing). Both times I’ve come away enjoying the beers I’ve had and the brewery itself is a lovely bar room and a fun inviting place.

As the name implies…. this was sweet. Very much so sweet. Like milk stout sweet (which coincidentally is the next beer, Mr. Radar).

Beer: Sweet Tooth (Barrel Aged)
Brewery: Twisted Bine Beer Co.
Style: Stout – Double/Imperial
ABV: 9.5%
IBU: N/A
Untappd Write-Up: Imperial Stout – Just as the name suggests, we sweetened up this bold full bodied imperial stout and then stashed it in a whiskey barrel. We should have called this one Smooth Tooth!

It certainly is smooth and a great sipper or easy gulper, whatever your preference. The look is pure jet engine oil black and you could take a UV light or a regular light or a five thousand power watt lightbulb to it and probably not see through it. Aroma is very malty, with a bit of the whiskey peeking out.

The taste is very sweet, smooth, but with very little whiskey bite or flavor. Its not cloying and the mouthfeel is very heavy and thick, pretty much everything you’d want in an Imperial Stout. Was hoping for some more of the whiskey flavor though which sadly goes too unnoticed.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 4.21 (as of 8.10.19)

I had to do a double-check on these, Sweet Tooth tasted more of the milk stout than this did, and this actually has a bit of the bite to it. But its not a whiskey bite, and its a bit thinner, just odd that the “Milk Stout” is less smooth, less sugary, and less sweet than the Imperial Stout aged in whiskey, but after drinking it more you can definitely tell the difference between the two.

Thats not really to take anything away from this. Its still a fine beer, just the lesser of the two in most aspects.

Beer: Mr Radar
Brewery: Twisted Bine Beer Co
Style: Stout – Milk / Sweet
ABV: 5%
IBU: 22
Untappd Write-Up: Velvety smooth with a touch of sweetness, this milk stout brewed with lactose sugar gives nutty hugs and chocolatey kisses.

I don’t think this is nearly as velvety smooth as the Sweet Tooth, nor is this as sweet either. Also a bit surprised to find an IBU listing for this, would be curious which hops they used.

Again, none of this is to say its bad. Just expected a bit more sweetness, smoothness, but its still a good beer.

Appearance, its dark, but not quite as dark as the Sweet Tooth. Aroma has notes of chocolate but subtle behind a malted grain bill.

Taste is roasted malt, biscuity even, with some chocolate notes, and a bit smoother and sweeter the more you drink it. I think a full draft would showcase the sweetness and smoothness better than a taster can do. As this definitely seems made for sipping and enjoying rather than ‘breezing through’.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.75 (as of 8.10.19)

I’m a sucker for bocks, of all types, if I see one on a tap list, you best be betting that I’m trying it. And this certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Beer: Mai Concerto
Brewery: Twisted Bine Beer Co.
Style: Bock – Hell / Maibock / Lentebock
ABV: 6.8%
IBU: N/A
Untappd Write-Up: Maibock- Pale, medium to full bodied lager whose bready, sweet malty palate and subtle hop character comes in around 6.8%.

This was a nice change-up from the previous two stouts. Lighter but with great flavor and a whole different vibe than that of the stouts.

This has a nice bready, biscuity, light earthy aroma to it. As if opening the door to a bakery that might not have made a brand new fresh loaf but has made one recently (within the past hour) and the air still has the smell of it on it.

The coloring is a nice light brown clear hue that looks like most well made lagers (glares menacingly at Bud Light, Budweiser, and Coors).

Taste is on point. Bready, malty, with a sweetness, and then kicks off with a bit of a bittering from the hops. Its not so much blended but the tastes kind of come in waves, first bready and with some malt, then a sweetness, and then a slight bitterness. A nice pleasant aftertaste that sits on your tongue as well.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Untappd Rating: 3.52 (as of 8.10.19)

As you could see in the previous picture, this came with an orange slice, which, on the whole is ‘meh’ to me, but I can see the appeal to the “Blue Moon” crowd, and the likes. Plus if you want to eat an orange slice, there ya go….

Belgian Wits and Witbiers in general are once again another style that I will seek out when seen on the draft board (over say an IPA or Pale Ale), so over the two IPAs on their taplist that I haven’t had yet I chose this to close my night here.

Beer: Song About Rainbows
Brewery: Twisted Bine Beer Co.
Style: Witbier
ABV: 5.3%
IBU: N/A
Untappd Write-Up: This traditional Belgian style beer has a mild spice and a hint of sweetness from the clementine peels used in the boil. Sunshine and rainbows in a glass, great on a hot summer day!

This was a well done, crisp, clear, dry, Witbier, done in the Belgian style, so typically a bit dryer than some Witbiers, which I tend to prefer.

The coloring is light, clear, and has a nice ring of head to the top, just appropriate.

The aroma is very heavy orange/clementine. And thats even after pulling the orange slice out, it still resonates. Which is a bit of a reason why I wish the orange slice wasn’t given, as it kind of clouds this, but its nothing to really agitate me over or anything.

Taste hits all the style points and markers. Its dry, its crisp, its smooth, it has that Belgian spice medley that plays on your tongue and leaves a wonderful aftertaste, and it has the notes of clementine and orange. You pick up the coriander that is the staple spice and it all plays well together. Mouthfeel isn’t thick or cloying, and its not too thin of a beer either, so all is done well there as well.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Untappd Rating: 3.65 (as of 8.10.19)

And that wraps up another brewery visit and stop. I would definitely recommend Twisted Bine if you are in the area. Great location, nice spot, my friends rave about the food (the fries are good, from what I’ve had), and the beer is all done very well. Always a must stop for me whenever visiting Ming.

In blog news, expect to see the Moo-Funk Home Brew event blog post either tonight or early tomorrow (I know, I know, finally! Its only nearly 1 month after the event…. )


Until then, see you next time and keep drinking people. Don’t want to put your liver out of a job!

-B. Kline