Today is Ben’s birthday; the owner, creator and editor of the blog. He’s the kind of guy that hates the spotlight on him.  Which is why only lately do you see pics of him since I’m taking them.  Odds are he might try to edit some of this out.  But he deserves to be celebrated and I wish I could give him the world.  You see, over 2 years ago my world came tumbling down all around me.  It was him and writing that felt like I was brought back. So tonight, on his birthday, I’m writing about an Ever Grain beer and pairing with a yummy cupcake.  It’s not technically a birthday cupcake but more delicious. Ever Grain’s Metal Tree and homemade apple cupcakes with salted caramel frosting are on tonight’s treat list.  I mean this is starting to feel like my birthday with such a special treat.  I mean mine was just 5 days ago but still, I’ll play glutton just this week. (We Can’t Always Be a Glutton Right? – Perfect Portions and Allusion Brewing Company.)

Metal Tree

Metal Tree is described as a Pale Ale -New England/Hazy.  On untapped it is described in detail as a “Straw or deep gold in color, this style has a varying degree of cloudiness.  Starch, yeast, hop, protein and/or other compounds contribute to a wide range of hazy appearances within this style.  There is a perceived silky or full mouthfeel that may contribute to the overall flavor profile.  Grist may include a small amount of oat, wheat or other adjuncts to promote haziness.  Descriptors such as “juicy” are often used to describe the taste and hop-derived aroma attributes present in these beers.”

Metal tree comes in with a 5.2% ABV but to me I definitely thought this one was a higher ABV.  I think it is the pale ale style combined with the yummy hazy taste.  It pairs perfectly with the forgotten other autumn time favorite, apple.  This apple cupcake with salted caramel icing pairs perfectly with the lightness of a pale ale but finishes with the hazy taste.  I think it’s that exact combo that makes Metal tree just taste and feel that damn smooth.

MT has an untapped overall rating of 3.95 but with overall good comments I’m surprised the rating is low.  One check in says “Not sure why this isn’t rated higher but it is delicious!  All the flavor or a full ipa and half the ABV.  One of my favorite pale ales.”  I think it is the depth of flavor in this pale ale that fools me into thinking I’m going to get hammered with a DIPA.

Metal Tree by Ever Grain Brewing Company

Beer: Metal Tree
Brewery: Ever Grain Brewing Co.
Style: Pale Ale – New England / Hazy
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: N / A
Untappd Description: A medium bodied hazy Pale Ale we brewed with Citra and Simcoe, which lends flavors and aromas of apricot, lychee, and orange blossom.
Global Untappd Rating: 3.95 (as of 8.27.23)

Apple Cupcake with Salted Caramel Frosting

These apple cupcakes were made by a coworker of Ben’s to celebrate their birthday.  I’d like to say I’d seek out the recipe but I despise baking.  I’m more an eyeball and never measure anything kind of cook.  I sure hope this coworker of his like cooking and baking often. 

 Happy Birthday Benjamin!  You inspired me to start writing again and supported me when I struggled after having Scarlet.  You are an amazing father and funny as hell, not like a clown though.  Let’s save one of these Metal Trees to drink on our next hike, another inspiration you passed on to me.  Love Amy

Drink more Beer!

• Amy

Our Ever Grain Articles

• Beer Review: Sorbetto 42 (Ever Grain Brewing Co.)
• Beer Review: Sorbetto 40 (Ever Grain Brewing Co.)
• Beer Review: Missile Toad (Ever Grain Brewing Co.)
• Beer Review: All Together (Ever Grain and Other Half Brewing)
• Beer Review: Peanut Budder One (Ever Grain Brewing Co)
• Multiple Beer Review: Barrel Aged Barleywine, You Think Darkness is Your Ally?, 3rd Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout, Cinn-A-Bun (Ever Grain Brewing Co.)
• Joose Juicy – New Look, New Can, Who Dis?

Amy’s Column Series

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

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

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

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Bit late on getting this review up, been meaning to get this written, alongside the Stone Cold Steve Austin IPA we had that night, and I also apologize that there hasn’t been a new post in a bit, been a rocky few days for myself (not speaking for the other writers; just for myself). But…. here it is, and its about time I get this up.

I feel like this is a beer that well encapsulates a lot of people’s thoughts about the disease. I was going back and forth on how to write up the beer name for the title and in the article. The can itself reads as “FVCK COVID” – and it also shows up as such on Untappd, but I was also tempted to do F*CK COVID; but felt that actually looked more vulgar. I think the misspelling of it (even with a letter replacement that is meant to be similar) actually detracts from the vulgarity of it. Either way though, the beer’s title is FVCK COVID, and it exactly what everyone thinks of this virus.

So needless to say, once I saw this on Breski’s Beverages Facebook page, I knew I needed to pick up a four pack of it and give it a try for the blog. As always, I cannot recommend Breski’s Beverage enough. One of the best beer distributors in the Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) area. One of the best bottle (and can) shops, with lots of hard to find breweries and some ‘whale’ status breweries as well. Occasionally having Triple Crossing, Aslin Brewing, Burley Oak Brewing, etc on their drafts for crowlers / growlers as well is also nice. One of the best selections for mix-a-six packs (definitely hop on their deals for mix-a-sixes, a fantastic way to try new beers and breweries). So when I stopped in, I picked up a four-pack of FVCK COVID as well as the Stone Cold Steve Austin IPA from El Segunda Brewery. My first from either of these breweries. Look for the Broken Skull IPA review soon. (I know, I know, I’m a bit backlogged on the beer reviews.)

(Yes, like I said above… I am quite back logged on the beer reviews. I have a long list of word.doc’s on my computer of tasting notes, and factoids and things about a whole host of beers that I’ve had in recent months; just need to write them up and post them.)

I had picked up the two four-packs for one of our many video game streaming sessions at D. Scott’s. He runs a Facebook page where he streams various video games, and (B. Kline) I’m a somewhat regular on it. We’ve been doing a lot of randomizers for The Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time, as well as Majora’s Mask, and other games. You can check out his Facebook page here: Knights of Nostalgia. Definitely check it out sometime while we’re on. (Right now D. Scott is doing a stream where he’s doing the side scrollers of Wizards and Warriors, and I’m having it play in the background as I type up this article.)

Enough with all the pre-beer review shenanigans and lets get on with the beer review – which is what I’m assuming 99.999999999% of those reading this are really here for anyway (not the drunken ramblings of a mad man; but the beer reviews of a drunken mad man who rambles….).

Onward!

Beer: FVCK COVID (Version 2.0)
Brewery: Ale Asylum
Style: Pale Ale – New England
ABV: 5%
IBU: None Listed
Untappd Description: The second installment of our FVCK COVID series. How about a shirt or neck gaiter to match the beer? Visit our Merchandise store at www.aleasylum and you can wear what we’re all thinking.

Ale Asylum is a brewery from Madison Wisconsin. They are listed as a Regional Brewery with 64 unique beers to their name and a global average rating of 3.72 on Untappd. Their Untappd description reads: “ALE ASYLUM is unfiltered and all natural. This is what we mean when we say our beer is FERMENTED IN SANITY. You know who makes it, you know what it’s made with.”

Starting off with appearance (as I usually do in my reviews) this looks like a typical New England style IPA or Pale Ale variant. In this case its a Pale Ale, and it is a bit lighter and not as full bodied looking as a New England IPA might. But it still has that same similar appearance; a hazy, orange, glowing, unfiltered drink. With a nice foamy white head with plenty of carbonation and good bubbles.

The nose to this isn’t all that particular or crazy exciting. Its a typical New England pale ale; and because of it being a pale ale versus an IPA, its not got that much of a hop aroma to it. Despite being New England, despite being unfiltered, the nose is minimal hop aroma, minimal fruit notes, more just blandish beer smell.

Taste, at least it gets a bit beyond bland. Its not a crazy ridiculous new taste, but its not bland. It is a pale ale and not an IPA so its a bit low on the flavor profile, especially as far as hops go. My notes from the night of on this is that its a nice beer, a bit light on flavor, light on hop flavor in particular, but it has a pleasant overall taste with no aftertaste or lingering bad taste. It is a bit strong on malt and has a noticeable malt sweetness to it. There is some floral-ness to it, but its a bit underwhelming. This is not a bad beer and I’m not taking anything away from it. Its malty, its sweet, its floral, its light hoppy, and its a good beer, and at 5% its easy to knock down the whole four pack in a sitting while playing video games with your buddy. This beer though is definitely sold on its name above all. I don’t want to take away from the beer, because its a good beer, just not great, but as far as marketing goes, the beer name kind of sells itself. Its a theme in craft beer; a cool name or a gimmick pop culture or cultural reference, or cool can art, sells the beer more than the quality of the beer itself does. Thats not completely and necessarily the case here, but it gets a boost because of its name in sales I imagine. I’m guilty of that, buying a beer based on can art, or like in the case of this – beer name. My guilty vices for this is any beer that is Star Wars or Futurama themed; their auto instant buys for me. This was still a very enjoyable beer, and I don’t mean to sound pessimistic or upset at it, its a good beer and enjoyable, and worth the drink.

My Untappd Rating: ***.75
Global Untappd Rating: 3.46 (as of 8.4.20)

Sorry this took so long to be posted. I’ve been working on several articles all at once (including several Black is Beautiful beer reviews), as well as working on other side stuff too. But, my August hasn’t gone quite to plan. I haven’t gotten as much accomplished as I’ve wanted. A lot of things going on, an increase in hours at work (50-55 hour weeks), amongst a lot of other things going on in my life (personal and otherwise). It is interesting, a year ago this past few days is when I took my daughters on our trip – on August 1st, 2nd, and 3rd – and went up Elk Country to Kinzua Bridge to Pittsburgh to Bushy Run and back to Central PA.

You can read about those here:

August (2019) Road Trip Series:

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

Stay tuned for some stuff coming out soon, like the huge backlog of beer reviews like I’ve mentioned earlier, as well as any day now a new interview with a beer scientist from Cape May Brewing with A. Parys. As well as an interview I’ve done with Scott Smith of East End Brewing. I’m also excited to do beer reviews for several of the Black is Beautiful beers, including the Ever Grain / Harris Family / Wolf Brewing collab, the Spring House Brewing one, and hopefully if I can snag a can (or more) Thursday at Troegs Brewery the Harris Family / Troegs Brewing collaboration.

Lots of stuff to see and do here at The Beer Thrillers, so be sure to subscribe, like, and follow us here, as well as on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Thank you everyone for reading, and please be sure to leave a comment!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

Every so often I manage to get a game-plan to work out. And this was one of those rare occasions! The game-plan going in was to pick up my oldest daughter from her volleyball practice, quickly get to Troegs Brewery and surprise her with getting to see her favorite (local) band, Vinegar Creek Constituency.

We were here for a previous Second Friday at the beer garden at Troegs, I believe it was when they released the cans of Golden Thing and another beer, perhaps Lollihop or one of the other scratches turned main roster, and they had their food truck going and the band playing, and my oldest daughter just fell in love with the band(‘s music).

So, I got her at 6:30 from her volleyball practice, quickly got to Troegs, drove around their entire lot a good 3-4 times and found not a single spot, so I parked in the back corner by the warehouse and the gazebo, in a “not exactly a parking spot – parking spot”. (Which later on, a SUV would totally block off a whole section of the parking lot by parking at a spot where it was a parking spot for him, but he didn’t back into his spot fully, and it basically made a pincer area out of two parked cars so an entire row of parking spaces couldn’t get out…plus my “illegal/legal” spot.)

This was a special Second Friday though at Troegs, not only was it a Second Friday, not only was it a full moon, and not only was it “Friday the 13th”, it was also a can release! (Oh yea, the importance of those might be in the wrong order, I don’t know). They released cans of “Trail Day Pale Ale”, a recent scratch that they perfected. Also, to my shock, when I saw the menu, they had Fresh Fest on the taplist (inside) – which wasn’t there Sunday when I was last there.

After parking, and getting into the beer garden, which amazingly isn’t packed, we found a table three away from the band, with a couple sitting at it but with room for us, I plop the kiddo down and her gatorade from practice, order us two chicken tacos, and head inside for my beers (since they didn’t have Trail Day outside, which I was a bit surprised by since it was the release of the day). The inside was jam packed. Upstairs, downstairs, packed, tour going on as well that looked full. Every booth was full, even the patio tables were full, the bar was full, and without going upstairs but looking up at the loft, it looked full too. Wait in line at the bar, and see that they have Fresh Fest. I decide on just a taster for that (8.50$ for a half pint or 3.50$ for a 4oz, plus I was getting a full pint of Trail Day, and with the kid and driving, figured it’d be the safer route). Take the beers back to our table right as the band finishes their set-up and starts up at just a bit before 7 and the tacos are done and its time to dive in.

Craft breweries do some amazing tacos. They are “high end” tacos, like the ones at Newfangled, and at other food truck type things, or even the specialty day tacos at certain breweries, but they are always fantastic. Not exactly the most filling usually, and obviously you’re dropping a few more dollar bills on this than the 5-pack at Taco Bell, but for taste, its so worth it.

I was surprised to see Fresh Fest on the menu and having not had it, I figured why not, and grabbed myself a taster of that. (Was originally just planning on drinking a few Trail Days while listening and hanging out with the kid, but its always nice to get to try a couple new beers, so of course I’m gonna jump on that chance.)

Beer: Fresh Fest
Brewery: Troegs Independent Brewing Company
Collaboration: Apis Meadery
Style: Honey Beer
ABV: 6%
IBU: No IBU
Untappd Write-Up: We believe that good beer brings out the good in people. To celebrate the return of Fresh Fest -the nation’s first black beer festival- The drinking Partners, Apis Meadery and Troegs Independent Brewing gathered around a brew kettle to combine two quintessential summer flavors: peach cobbler and a bright refreshing honey ale. Pilsner, Vienna and honey malt stand in for the flaky crust, Pennsylvania honey and kveik yeast provide a sweet glaze, and peaches, apricots and a late dose of El Dorado and Lemondrop hops fill in the middle with balance of slight tartness and sweet fruit. Ready for seconds yet?

This is kind of a mix between a mead, and a tart/sour beer. Its a wonderful and interesting combination and does make me wish I got a full pint of it. Though, this is definitely no pounder, and not one you will be drinking more of one in a sitting most likely, not due to ABV or anything like that, but its just a heavy, full beer, that will sit on you for a bit. (Not a bad thing.)

Appearance is a bright orange glow. A meadish bright orange hue that (perhaps my picture doesn’t do justice to it) is clear, translucent, and has a shine to it. Honey colored through and through.

Aroma is very heavy peach. Kind of a funky peach, kind of ripe peach, but a tart, funky peach. A nice smell that tickled the nose and was just overall appealing.

Flavor is very heavy peach as well. The honey makes it smooth and provides that heavyness. It finishes with the tartness, but before that you get the heavy peach, the heavy sweet honey, and some breadyness, almost like a sweet peach pie (if I ate those kind of things) before it transitions into a tart peach pie (again, if I ate those kind of things). Its not overly dry but the tartness gives a bit of a sensation of that at the end, but this isn’t anything unpleasant and compliments the sweetness at the beginning of the beer very nicely.

My Untappd Rating: ****
Global Untappd Rating: 3.63 (as of 9.13.19)

The Fresh Fest went perfect with the taco, complimenting it very nicely. Debated even getting a second taco, or maybe trying one of the other two styles they had available (Corinitas or Black Bean), but opted out of that idea. (Not sure what corinitas is, but their website listed a “savory pork” taco, so perhaps thats that? I don’t know.) But we did see a few soft pretzels and my daughter decided we needed one… …and she was right, we did. So at the break in the band’s set, I braved myself up, and ventured back inside for the pretzel and a drink for her.

After about a 15-20 minute wait in line, and another 2-3 minutes for it to get done, got back outside as the band was starting up their second act. So at least timing worked out perfectly on that one.

The soft pretzel was absolutely phenomenal (and for 11$ for a soft pretzel, it better damn well be). Passed on getting my regular hop fries, hoping the pretzel would be filling, and it was. We were also (at this point anyway) planning on picking up a smores kit to do by the firepit later on (we ended up not doing it, I guess smores aren’t as cool when you’re 12 years old, I dunno).

Time to drink down this delicious looking pint of Troegs new Trail Day Pale Ale. It was a great beer to wash down the Oktoberfest soft pretzel and to continue our night listening to her favorite band.

Beer: Trail Day
Brewery: Troegs Independent Brewing Company
Style: Pale Ale – American
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: None Listed
Untappd Write-Up: This is the beer you want in hand when your compass lands you at trail’s end. The scene is set with a malt bill full of soft oats. Unmalted wheat from Pennsylvania adds haze and props up the oils of a bright hop combination. Citra dominates with notes of passionfruit and lychee, Lotus adds hints of orange rind and vanilla, and El Dorado works with a fruit-forward yeast to pull in flavors of candied peach. and beneath all that is a foundation of good. When you buy a Trail Day, you’re helping protect the Kittatinny Ridge, a 185-mile Appalahchian superhighway that provides clean water, rich forests, recreational trails and safe passage for migratory wildlife. We taste: peach, passionfruit, lychee.

I really enjoyed this beer as it was a nice typical Troegs beer, which means it had the characteristic Troegs taste for a pale ale/IPA/etc. I legit think I could be given five or six different pale ales/IPAs/wheats/hefeweizens and other similar style beers, blind-folded, and only one of the five or six being a Troegs beer, and I’d be able to pick it out. Its probably the yeast strains they do, or their technique brewing, but they just have a characteristic taste, (perhaps the water?), or maybe I’m over thinking it, or maybe its just because I’ve had over 200+ different, unique beers from them, so I’ve built up a bit of an ‘idea’ on them. I don’t know, but this beer fit that mold, and it tasted great.

Troegs is very big into conservation and helping with wildlife protection, environmentalism, and other great things like this. Like donating and paying for the mural in Harrisburg with proceeds going to the conservancy, just like this beer does. Some money from each pint/can sold (not sure on percentages, you might have to check with Troegs directly for that information), goes to help Kittatinny Ridge conservancy.

As per Wikipedia:
“Kittatinny Mountain (Lenape: Kitahtëne^[1]) is a long ridge traversing across northwestern New Jersey running in a northeast-southwest axis, a continuation across the Delaware Water Gap of Pennsylvania’s Blue Mountain Ridge (also known as Kittatinny Ridge). It is the first major ridge in the far northeastern extension of the Ridge and Valley province of the Appalachian Mountains, and reaches its highest elevation (the state’s highest), 1,803 feet, at High Point in Montague Township. Kittatinny Mountain forms the eastern side of Wallpack Valley; the western side comprises the Wallpack Ridge (highest elevation: 928 feet (283 m) above sea level.”( Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kittatinny_Mountain.)

So its always great to see this, and great that Troegs is helping them out, just makes buying that pint or can of this that extra bit special and nice, and gives you warm glowy butterfly feelings in your tummy.

This is a very hazy pale ale. Its pretty much just one step up from Scratch 380 – Trail Day Dry Hopped Pale Ale. Might even be the same recipe but just given a full name as a regular/seasonal rotation, I don’t know, but its listed as a Pale Ale – New England on the scratch, and a Pale Ale – American on the new fully named version. (I gave the scratch version a **** on Untappd). Either way, this new version of it could easily be labeled a New England Pale Ale as well, as it is very hazy, especially so for a Troegs beer, that typically shies away from the haze.

Appearance is orange, unfiltered, hazy. Its not fully unfiltered but it definitely looks somewhat unfiltered and there is a bit of sediment and floaters (but nothing appalling or unappealing about it). The haze makes it not exactly un-see-through-but-not-super-dense either. (Thats the best way I could explain it.)

Aroma is soft, pale ale qualities, but with a good dose of hops. You can deeply smell the hops and the dry hopping. You get some fruity qualities, mostly stone fruit, like apricot and such, but you get the dry hopping mostly.

Taste is soft as well, pillowy, like the little bit of head that came with the beer. Soft, mellow, but also bursting with taste. Not mellow bland, but mellow soft. There is no hop bitterness from this, and it tastes like a typical NE-IPA or NE-PA. There is a smoothness t it from vanilla that helps with that New England vibe and taste to it. I also pick up notes of orange, passionfruit, and peach, kind of like candied peaches. Almost reminiscent of those peach ring gummies (like the ones Tattered Flag used in a few of their beers, which I reviewed one of). There is a definitely malty backbone to this that isn’t super typical for New England Pale Ales but its pretty subdued, just there, and you know its there. The Citra hops gives it a nice citrus punch that combines with the peach and passionfruit flavors very nicely. And it has a great finish that leaves a very nice and pleasant aftertaste on your tongue.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 3.87 (as of 9.13.19)

The beer garden is a wonderful experience and venue at Troegs whenever they do music here, its always a nice, relaxing atmosphere, with good, low-key vibe music playing. You could hear the band up on the patio, but with the beer garden’s setup you would not have been able to see them. Back beyond the band, they have a firepit that was open all night and lots of families were roasting s’mores on it. My daughter I suppose was “too cool” or “too old” (or just too tired after the band got done) and didn’t want to do it. So once the band packed up, I tried to get her to talk to them or at least get a picture with them, but she got too shy, and refused, so we made our way back to the car. Where… I had to wait and struggle to get out our area due to the SUV.

Afterwards, I dropped my daughter off with her mother, and being in the area I couldn’t help but stop in at Mount Gretna Brewery. So look for a review of the flight I had there probably after work tomorrow (Saturday, the 14th).

All in all, it was one of those rare nights when the game-plan went according to plan, and it was the rare daddy-daughter date night that actually worked out and everyone was happy. So I’m marking it down as a win. She got to see her favorite band that she’s been crushing on, I got to eat tacos and soft pretzels and hang out with my daughter, and she got to eat tacos and soft pretzels and hang out with her old man, and I got to try two new Troegs beers that were delicious. All in all a total win.

Look for my review of the flight from Mount Gretna sometime after 8PM or so when I get home from work, until then, keep “doing what you do”.

-B. Kline