Coming off the heels of the Lancaster Craft Beerfest I’m back and I think my liver has regenerated enough to begin some more beer reviews. (And slowly push and make a dent into the beer events, brewery activities, and hop harvests posts I need to do as well). This might be a bit of a long blog post, with some ‘non-beer’ related things, but stay with me, and it’ll all wrap up nicely, and tie in with the day as well (I think/hope). Also, lots of pictures in this one, so if you like pretty pictures, then here you go.

Firstly, let me just say that this is an absolutely fantastic beer. Makes me wish I had a lot more of these to power through the day. But, I think most of the activities I did today would have frowned on me drinking (even if it was a coffee beer, …and especially given that the largest activity today was work).

So, starting off the day, it was back to school day / first day of school. My oldest going into Middle School (dear god I’m getting old), and my youngest two entering 4th and 1st grade. So now that I’m officially old, I guess I need to start drinking coffee right?

Following getting all of the girls to their two different schools this morning, and following an extremely long day at work (some days, like roulette days, just makes you want to bash your head against very large solid objects – repeatedly) I stopped at the Hershey Public Library where the Central PA Blood bank was doing one of their blood drives. I cannot urge people enough to donate blood. It is beyond critical and in definite need for all kinds of patients. There is tons of different ways you can check into donating, the simplest is to find a blood drive at various places near you (libraries, churches, restaurants like Papa John’s often sponsor them, even some bars/breweries do). For the Central PA Blood Bank you can check out their website here: Central PA Blood Bank.

It is relatively easy, not too time consuming (~45 minutes), relatively painless (small prick, some soreness at the spot), but its more than worth it. One bag donated can help up to three patients. And certain blood types are in higher demand than others (though all are in high demand). So please look into donating if you are able to (there is some restrictions due to life style choices, tattoos, locations you’ve visited, medication, etc.).

Once home, I decided to treat Leela (my dog, who you may remember photo bombed my beer review: Beer Review: Boulangerie Imperial Churro (Tattered Flag) ) by taking her on a 2-mile walk around town. It is National Dog Day afterall, and she’s a very good trusty and faithful companion and dog, so why not.

Decided while walking through Hummelstown I would pass by what will soon(ish) become the new home for Rubber Soul Brewing Company, and took a picture, as it looks like their making even more headway on the endeavor.

They are still aiming for a November opening date. So fingers crossed everything goes smoothly and they get set up and running soon. But…. enough of all of this gibbering and jabbering and jibbering and gabbering, and get onto the actual brew review that you clicked on.

This was just fantastic, and a perfect beer for writing the blog (and probably explains why it got so wordy).

Beer: Rêve Coffee Stout
Brewery: Parish Brewing Co.
Style: Stout – Coffee
ABV: 7.2%
IBU: No IBU
Untappd Write-Up: Collaboration coffee stout between Parish Brewing Company & Rêve Coffee Roasters. Created with Columbia Java blend coffee & Madagascar vanilla beans. Beer: Rêve Coffee Stout
Brewery: Parish Brewing Co.
Style: Stout – Coffee
ABV: 7.2%
IBU: No IBU
Untappd Write-Up: Collaboration coffee stout between Parish Brewing Company & Rêve Coffee Roasters. Created with Columbia Java blend coffee & Madagascar vanilla beans.

From the moment you pop bottle and begin to pour it, you can smell the rich delicious notes of the coffee. Once its done pouring and you smell the beer and swirl it, you get the instant notes of coffee, vanilla, nutty earth notes. It just smells incredible.

Pouring it comes out very dark black, and has a lovely dark brown – golden halo of a head to it, with nice, large bubbles forming out of the top that pop and slowly fade away. There is the right amount of carbonation, and the head lasts just long enough before you dig into this bad boy.

And sipping this is even better. Very strong coffee notes, but with a very rich, smooth, heavy backbone, that actually makes you feel like the 7.2% is lighter than it should be. Not saying its boozy, but it just as a ‘heavyness’ to this that makes you feel and think it should be a higher ABV than it is. This is a strong, rich, decadent beer, but not too sweet, not too decadent, and not too strong. Its in the goldilocks range of being. There is a bitterness with the coffee, but the vanilla covers and masks most of that. There is a nuttyness to it, but it becomes more subdued and subtle as you drink. The coffee gives you a bit of a nice pep and creative boost to really push you to do some writing or doing whatever it is that your doing.

I must say, I am definitely glad I was given two of these in my beer mail trade, because I can’t wait to dive into the second one. Strangely enough, I am honestly considering to say that this might be better than the beer everyone “knows” Parish for – Ghost in the Machine; though this might be just due to my preferred style of beer being stouts and the like moreso than IPAs, but take this for whatever you think its worth, this is a damn good beer and rivals Ghost in the Machine as Parish’s best beer.

I could waver back and forth on the rating I gave it, from a 4.5 to a 4.25, but I ultimately went with a 4.25 primarily due to wanting it to linger a bit more in my mouth after drinking it, and not wanting to come off too much as ‘style bias’.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 4.27 (as of 8.26.19)

And since this is National Dog Day, I tried to get Leela (a “red” border collie) in the pics, but kind of failed, here’s one of her by my one hop arbor, don’t mind the uglyness of the picture, it was 10:30PM, had to use the flash which I hate, and I had just finished this beer, and she was panting from the 2 mile walk.

For those of you wondering, she is named after Turonga Leela from Futurama. I have several cats in the house, that have been named after other Futurama characters as well (Zoidberg, Hermes, Fry, Hattie, and Kiff) —- (and yes… thats 5 cats….).

Also, for those wondering, the books in the background are:
* Foxtrot: The Best of Foxtrot vol. 1
* The Joker: Endgame
* Best. Movie. Year. Ever. : How 1999 Blew Up The Big Screen
* Brief Answers to the Big Questions
(Yes, that means I finally finished Master & Apprentice).

If you want, you can always check out my GoodReads and what I have been reading here: GoodReads – Profile – B. Kline.

Alright everyone, I think I’m gonna have another beer, and get to sleep. Oldest will have to be up soon for school anyway and besides, in 18 minutes it’ll be my birthday. I work tomorrow, but who knows, maybe afterwards I’ll have a ‘birthday beer review’. I also have the tons and tons of other event blog posts to do yet, don’t worry, I haven’t forgot! I’m making a mad dash push to get them all done by the end of August, so fingers crossed I do it!

Take care all, peace, love, and donate some blood! You’re not using it all anyway damnit!

-B. Kline

Finally, my turn to get to review this wonderful gem of a beer. J. Doncevic got to review it first, and his review can be found here: J. Doncevic’s Ghost in the Machine Beer Review. It is an excellent read and if you are reading this I highly recommend taking the minute or two to jump over and read his perspective on the beer as well.

Whereas Josh got his Ghost in the Machine from Tavour, I was lucky and got mine in a beer trade (having traded some Boneshire Brew Works, Tattered Flag, Troegs, and Pizza Boy) to get locals from a wonderful lady in Mississippi (thanks Brooke!).

I’ve been dying to try this as its been a highly regarded beer by many people I know, in the industry, in trade and beer groups (like Central PA Whalers), even some of my co-workers who use Tavour and stuff have been gushing about it. It is just one of those “must try” sough after beers, and I am glad to have finally gotten to check it off my beer wish (bucket) list.

And thankfully, compared to some of my bucket list beers, this didn’t disappoint at all!

Beer: Ghost in the Machine
Brewery: Parish Brewing Co.
Style: IPA – Imperial / Double
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: 100
Untappd Write-Up: Welcome to the future. Our collective human consciousness, or Ghost in the Machine, has gained a tolerance for hops beyond what mankind has ever known before. This Double India Pale Ale is the necessary outcome.
Year: 2019

Firstly, this was way too easy of a drink on a super hot 95 degree mid-day when I’m supposed to be mowing. I drank it waaaaaaaaaaay too fast, it was completely crushable and I probably drank it in about 10 minutes while reading. Way too fast, and definitely makes me wish I had a whole six pack to fully enjoy just how good it is, because it is just that, way too good!

It poured wonderfully from the bottle, leaving a beautiful fluffy head with great retention. The look is just beautiful, straw color, golden hue, and just a gorgeous looking beer. The carbonation is perfect and the head is great with good bubbles.

Aroma is spot on Double IPA. Hoppy, very hoppy, just nothing but hops. And this is the non-DDH version. I can only imagine the hop aroma from the DDH version. (After drinking this, I instantly added the DDH version to my wish list / bucket list. Wink wink if anyone …you know…. wink wink….).

But taste is where this baby really shines. Its wonderful, so smooth, so fresh, so refreshing, so wonderfully delicious that I had this glass drained in ~10 minutes. Perfect on a hot day. Didn’t even feel the 8.5%…. for …. about fifteen minutes later, until the heat and booze kicked in and I just sat there reading thinking… do I really want to mow? (Sadly, the answer is, not “yes” but “need to”, and so I am, while writing this blog, interleaving the two to give my body and fingers a rest alternately.)

It has a fantastic hop profile that has no bitterness and just a wonderful pine and citrus at the same time that comingles and works perfectly and tastes absolutely delicious. Just a joyful drink that will make you wanting to go back for more and more!

My Untappd Rating: ****.5
Global Untappd Rating: 4.28 (as of 8.22.19)
2019 Variant Rating: 4.41 (as of 8.22.19)
And for comparison’s sake, J. Doncevic’s rating: ****.5

Definitely go and check out his review here: https://thebeerthrillers.home.blog/2019/08/04/beer-review-ghost-in-the-machine-parish-brewing-co/ to compare our two thoughts and reviews on the beer.

Amazingly, without even checking his beer review out (since the first time I read it when he published it) I ended up scoring this the same as he did, exact same rating. Do we have identical tastes and thoughts? Who knows, we’ll have to try and co-review some more beers in the future and see!

(And once again, for those curious, the books featured behind the beer this time are:
* Foxtrot : The Best of Foxtrot Vol. 1
* Master & Apprentice [still!]
* Brief Answers to the Big Questions
All from the Hershey Public Library.)

Keep on sippin on folks!

-B. Kline