December 6th - Flying Dog K-9

Welcome to the first of 3 installments of Winter Warmer Wednesday! This idea was spawned in year 2 of the blog because I needed a theme and a reason to better appreciate a style I wasn't overly familiar with, and what I had prior I wasn't fond of.  

Over the off-season I've thought of different themed ideas, but nothing has stuck yet.  "Taster Thursday" or "Sampler Saturday/Sunday" would be too many muddled flavors for the palate and wouldn't give anything a fair review. "Back of the Fridge Friday" may still happen with that Hamm's and Coors Extra Gold, however.  Thanks Dad!

In the meantime, tonight from Flying Dog Brewery in Maryland., is their winter warmer, K-9.  The dog theme makes sense.  Aside from tasting the beer, the label art of Ralph Steadman is always enjoyable to look at.

I like this one too!

Like last night's review of Sierra Nevada, this is another brewing company, for my taste, that produces a solid product through and through. Looking back through my Untappd check-ins, all except 1 of what I've logged gets a 3.5 and above. Their Lucky SOB Irish Red was a 3.  

Two Mental Notes...

As I'm looking back, I need to get another taste of Double Dog DIPA again.  I'm not ready for summer, but Dead Rise Summer Ale is a staple for me in the summer months.

...or to enjoy during a rain delay at Camden Yards!

I gave this sucker a vigorous pour right down the center to conjure up some good aromas in my nonic pint glass.  Unless I held this up to a light, it was pretty dark and nearly black.  With that pour there was a significant amount of a khaki colored head at the top that stuck around throughout the pint.  Immediately I was greeted with cocoa and vanilla notes in the aroma.  Unfortunately on subsequent whiffs I only got a nutty smell along with some spices.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied and sweet caramel flavor was noticed first, but not too far behind that was the spiciness that comes with this style.  I'm assuming that's the cardamom I taste, since the label mentions it.  Otherwise, I wouldn't have had a clue.  If I had to describe the spice profile, it resembles a piney hop flavor to me. The bitterness lingers a bit and there is a slight alcohol bite to this one at 7.4%.  As the beer warmed up a bit there were some plum and raisin notes to add to the flavor profile.

As for the recommendation, if winter warmer brews are your style, give this a shot.  I'll stick with status quo for this brewer and throw out a 3.75 out of 5.  There is some sweet.  There is some malt.  There is little hop.  There is a wallop of spice.  There is an empty glass.

December 5th - Sierra Nevada Narwhal 2017

I got nothing tonight with respect to a backstory or witty commentary.  However, it is Repeal Day, the day prohibition ended back in 1933.  So that's something.

Tonight's selection comes from Sierra Nevada in California.  In the few years I've imbibed in their stuff, Sierra Nevada doesn't make anything sub-par in my opinion.  Everything I've had from them is quality stuff.  I guess I'll fill some space with my thoughts on them, overall.

Their Pale Ale is great.

Their IPA selection is awesome, especially Celebration this time of year.

Otra Vez got me started on the Gose style, which was brewed with cactus.

Bigfoot barleywine style ale is always sought after when it's released.

Hoptimum Triple IPA is a hop bomb, in a good way.

Beer Camp Across the World, albeit overpriced in my opinion in a 12 pack, always has some funky and amazing collaboration brews that are unfortunately a 1 and done run.

Enter the Narwhal...

Disclaimer, this is NOT the Sierra Nevada label...but maybe it should be...?

Narwhal (2017) is a seasonal brew that I've never run across, and if I have I honestly didn't pay attention to it.  I found this beer, and 3 of its friends, in a mix-a-six section at the local Weis store.  From time to time someone who manages that section make a mistake and puts a higher priced 4 or 6 pack in this section.  If I'm lucky, I'll be there when it happens.  

Two years ago I scored 5 Founder's Breakfast Stout's and something else for $11.99, which is a steal.  This time around, I know I can't get a 4 pack of this for $11.99, so I grabbed what was put out and 2 other scrubs to round out my squad.  

Pouring into my stout glass was a nearly opaque black beer that had a thin ring of tan colored head on the top.  Roasted chocolate malts are abundant here with some slight chocolate notes also.  A velvety, rich abundance of flavors welcome the lucky recipient of this 10.2% Imperial Stout with the first sip.  There is a hint of smokiness at the beginning, immediately followed by notes of chocolate and roasted malts, slight hints of sweet honey, followed by slightly bitter baker's chocolate.  Finishing up each sip was a slight alcohol warmth to round things out.  The bottle didn't last too long.

This was the perfect thing to round on a rainy day in central PA.  After being out in the rain and soaking wet after just a few short moments, a bold, robust beer was needed instead of a lighter bodied brew this evening.  Easily rating this a 4.5 out of 5 tonight and the best brew in the past 5 days!

Did you know that a narwhal horn can be up to 9 feet long?  #FunFact

Be sure to check in tomorrow for the first installment of Winter Warmer Wednesday!

December 4th - Starr Hill Brewery Last Leaf Maple Brown Ale

Want to know what really grinds MY gears?  Leaves.  Once fall rolls around they fall one by one, not all at the same time.  Then, after I've mulched them for what seems like the 10th time in 2 weeks, a day in November rolls around that is windy and it drops those suckers quick.

...it can't be "drop it like it's hot" because it's too windy to be hot...but I dig the gif and it's the only "drop it like..." simile I could think of

For those who know me, I live with the Susquehanna Valley Country Club in my backyard and it would seem that when we bought our house about 10 years ago, we also purchased a lease to borrow any and all of their leaves along with my neighbors leaves too.  There's this one oak tree in the backyard that never, regardless of weather, wind, or season loses all of its leaves.  I get those suckers all year long, especially in the gutters.  Then those things need cleaned out otherwise there's a whole other set of problems to deal with.

I'm at the point this year anyway where I quit mulching them.  They're still there.  My neighbor did mow his yard and a small chunk of mine this afternoon.  Good enough for me.  I'll let the snow punish them into submission later this season.

End rant.

Tonight, from Starr Hill Brewing, I grabbed their Last Leaf Maple Brown Ale last weekend at W & S in the singles section.  Brown ale beers aren't really my go to, but if I see something I've not had before, I'll definitely give it a try.  There are such a range of flavors that could be in each individual brown ale that you never know truly what to expect.

Screenshot from Beer Judge Certification Program website for Brown Ale judging

Screenshot from Starr Hill website

I've grabbed some stuff from Starr Hill before and it's pretty much hit or miss for me.  I did a review of their Doppelbock 2 years ago though and was pleasantly surprised.  Honestly, when I saw the description above that included maple syrup and vanilla notes, I did get excited!

The pour was a pretty impressive transparent light mahogany color with a tiny, thin bead of tan head at the top.  At first, the aroma of this beer was primarily sweet caramel, brown sugar with a slight raisin/plum note.  As the brew warmed up slightly, the raisin and brown sugar notes kept coming.  This beer was very smooth to drink with a slight bitterness.  Toffee and sweet caramel, along with some toasty malts round out the flavor.  There is some slight vanilla at the end of each sip along with what feels like a thin coating of sweet maple syrup that lingers on the tongue.  With the medium/light body of this brew, it was surprising to have that lingering feeling that gave me just the slightest warming in the throat.

This ends up being a pretty solid beer, not quite a 4, but pretty close.  Flavorful, sweet, and perfect on a cooler fall (or winter, if it lasts you that long)  evening, like tonight.  This is one leaf that I'm OK with dropping all year long.  Too bad it's only a seasonal brown ale.  I'd definitely give this one a go!

Let's call it a 3.75 - the left leaf is slightly smaller, right?

December 3rd - Appalachian Brewing Company Jolly Scot

Happy Sunday readers!  Tonight's selection comes from a local craft beer company in the Harrisburg area, Appalachian Brewing Company.  Looking through my Untappd check-in list for ABC, I've actually only had 8 of their beers from their list of 322 possibilities they (or other users) have added onto this app.  Make that 9 if you count their 717 Collaboration Ale, which, if I remember correctly, was pretty good!  Let's see how this one goes before seeking out some other stuff though.

Admittedly, this is a company that I usually sleep on, most times passing on their stuff, not because of poor quality but because of abundance locally.  I guess my assumption is that I can get it whenever I'd like since they're so close and the local distributors, as well as grocery stores, always have their stuff in stock.  My brother and sister-in-law rave about the taproom and food selection in the Harrisburg location.  Sadly, I've never been, but there's plenty of time coming up over the holidays!

Jolly Scot Scottish Style Ale is a 5.94% ABV year-round offering from ABC that I guess (again according to Uptappd) I've actually had before.  The first time was back in 2013 along with another check-in last Christmas Eve at a family Christmas party.  Both times, I've given it a 3.5 out of 5 in the past.  Let's see if that holds up this go around.

The scottish style beer is something I enjoy from time to time, mainly in the fall months.  Roasted malts along with sweet caramel flavors are pronounced in this style.  Smoked and/or roasted malts always appeal to me and make me feel like I'm sitting near a campfire outside on a nice crisp fall evening.  Old Chub from Oskar Blues is probably one of the best from this style that I've had, at least for something offered year round.  Backwoods Bastard from Founder's Brewing is probably at the top of the Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy category for me, personally.  However, I do hear that the folks downtown at Selinsgrove Brewing make a tasty Wee Heavy called St. Fillian's. 

St. Fillian's Wee Heavy from Selinsgrove Brewing Company
(Photo Credit: T. Raymond via Untappd)

As for today's selection (a scottish ale, not scotch or wee heavy), the beer poured an amber red color with a thin head at the top.  Aroma had what I expected in the sweet, roasted and caramel malts along with some notes of raisin as well.  The beer also gave the taste of the roasted malty sweetness with a slight bitterness.  This scottish ale was fairly light in body however, which I didn't really expect.  Thanks to reader Matt V. for educating me after the fact, that is just what I should have anticipated.  This is something lighter, all around compared to a Scotch Ale or Wee Heavy. Comparatively, Old Chub is much more robust, but that's by style. Finishing up, this beer leaves that sweet and malty flavor to make you want to come back for another sip.

Then the day is mine! I just needed to use Sean Connery here somewhere...no rhyme, no reason...but there is a kilt and that fits the theme.

If it weren't for the light body, I'd definitely put this way above the others mentioned here already, but it's not something I'll put on a pedestal unfortunately.  However, if you'd rather something from the Scottish category that is lighter in body and lower in ABV, I'd give this one a try.  I'm sticking with my original 3.5/5 rating. 

December 2nd - Fulton Beer Hopstar

I swung by one of my newer local distributors in W & S Distributors in Northumberland a weekend ago to see what they had to offer up for the blog this time around.  Well, I guess it's not a new place, but at a newer location with more of a selection than at the old location.  Anyway, after a few minutes of shopping their storefront, I walked away with about 7 new beers that range from this IPA to a Winter Warmer and back to a few brown ales.  

If you're local, I highly recommend stopping by W & S because their selection is great and it's always changing.  Their price points are pretty reasonable too!  Check them out at the Facebook link above or via Instagram.

When I walked in last Saturday, the guy who runs the place always recognizes me, greets me when I arrive, knows what I shop for, and showed me a few of the new IPAs they got in recently.  He recommended this brew from Fulton Beer out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.  It's nice to have the folks who sell the stuff be able to recommend something they think you'll like.  They care about their customers and care about what they're offering, and I have to give props to that!

He didn't have to do much arm twisting here.  Let's be honest, it is an IPA after all, and I'm a huge fan of those if you've not read the blog in the last 4 years.  A session IPA that is just under 5% ABV (4.9% to be exact, in this case) is something that should be safe to drink while I'm bottling my homebrew.  On a side note, I decided to drink some heavier stuff while brewing once and...well, let's just say I forgot to do some things that the recipe called for.  The beer turned out fine, but probably could have been better.

...it's Bryan, but ok...good talk...

In any event, I'll be reviewing that one here in a 25 Beers of Christmas first later on this month.  You'll be able to read about my newest Mohr Brewing Company creation, a Gingerbread Stout in just a few short weeks.  I'll even share the recipe if you're a homebrewer so you can try it or tweak it to fit your needs.  It still needs a name, but we have some time for that yet.  If you're submitting a name if needs to have "Mohr" in the title and if I like it and decide to use it, I'll throw a few freebies your way!  In the previous 4 years of the blog's existence, I've yet to give my own homebrew a review.  That time shall come in 3 weeks or so.

Enough playing around, let's get to the review.

I decided to use my DFH IPA glass to pour this 16 ounce can and this brew had a beautiful creamy and thick head to it which released a wonderful aroma of floral grapefruit with some hints of spiciness and earthiness.

The taste was bitter throughout as my taste buds were immediately flooded with with grapefruit bitter taking the stage as the main hop flavor I tasted here.  There was also some slight pepper towards the end to give it a slight kick.  

...just right...

The maltiness and bitterness were very well proportioned and make this session IPA one to give a whirl.  If you're not a fan of bitter, this may not be up your alley at all, but if you're looking for an IPA that is sessionable, and you can find it, I would highly recommend picking up a few of these bad boys!

December 1st - Pizza Boy Legendairy Pumpkin Milk Sugar IPA

I know what you're thinking already.  "Seriously?! We're way past pumpkin beer season at this point!  It's December 1st for crying out loud and you're starting your Christmas beer blog with a pumpkin beer?!"

Last weekend while shopping on Black Friday in Harrisburg (not my idea...) my only request was to stop at Pizza Boy Brewing in Enola so I can do my shopping.  I've written about these guys before and how you get to order beer from 42" plasma screens by number instead of by name.

Since I wrote about them last, they've changed some things, mainly the beers that they now have on tap are all PA beers and they've eliminated the bottle shop part of their storefront.  You can still carry out their stuff, and boy do they have a ton of their own canned beer available!  Also, for the record, the 6 - 16 ounce cans you get come at a pretty fair price point.  I paid only $10 for 6 of these beers.  Long story short, we're reviewing this because I got a deal.

I need to confess something to you all.  I didn't drink this beer for the first time on December 1st.  I drank it last night because I was too excited for this blog to get kicked off!  Don't worry, I'll play fair and have another on the 1st too!

*Edit - Having one while I edit this and get ready to post it*

If you're reading this, I'm sure you've indulged with a milk stout before.  That style is known for being very smooth and silky tasting, even with some of the bitterness of the coffee notes that may be present in that particular offering.  The milk sugar IPA is something new-ish to me.  I've a had a few different varieties from Pizza Boy this past summer (LegenDairy Peaches was pretty good), and from what I gather (and assume), they make an IPA and add some lactose sugars to the beer.  Some of the more recently sought after beers from New England breweries, and even Tired Hands in SE PA (which Pizza Boy usually carries on draft), are known for making what they refer to as "Milkshake IPAs."  I'm not entirely sure, but I have to imagine these two styles are synonymous with each other.

The lactose addition makes the beer stay sweet after fermentation is completed since that type of sugar won't be eaten by the yeast and converted to alcohol.  

So, onto the Legendairy Pumpkin from Pizza Boy!  This 6% Milk Sugar IPA poured a hazy golden one and the entire 16 ounces fit into my trusty Dogfish Head glass with a very decent head at the top.  There wasn't much to the aroma other than a faint pumpkin along with some of those traditional pumpkin spices.  The flavor is not what I expected at all, even knowing that it was going to be a sweeter IPA with some pumpkin added in.  There's a nice creamy and almost frothy mouth feel to it along with some sweet berry-fruit flavor to it, maybe even hints of banana some of the clove spices.  Vanilla flavors are in there as well and linger on the tongue.  The pumpkin is definitely there competing with the other spiced and fruity flavors.  

A solid 4 out of 5 pumpkins to round out the season!

The whole thing almost reminds me of a nitro beer in a can with the utter smoothness of this beer.  I don't like to use the word balanced all of the time, but this thing isn't too sweet and, for an IPA anything, there's very little bitterness here.  If you fear the hoppy and bitter IPA, try this style.  You'll be greatly surprised and pleased at the same time!