Christmas Tree Hunting

We spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon driving to upstate Pennsylvania in search of the perfect Christmas tree.  By early evening we were driving home and not far from Union Jack's Olde Congo Hotel in Barto.  I went in for a quick one.  I ordered a Dock Street Rye IPA.  This is a really good beer with a nice mouth feel and plenty of hops but just an all around great taste.  I am becoming a big fan of this brewer.  In fact, I don't remember having a Dock Street that I didn't care for.  I have had this beer before and I am sure I will have it again.

Running Errands Saturday

Running errands yesterday I ended up in Malvern so this necessitated a visit to the Flying Pig.  They had a great line up but I already had most so I decided to start with a Terrapin Pale Ale.  This was ok, but nothing great.  Then I ordered a Dock Street Hop Garden double IPA.  This is a great beer.  I am starting to become a big fan of this brewer.  It occurred to me that I was not far from TJ's Restaurant and Drinkery in Paoli.  I ordered an Avery Dugana double IPA so I might compare it to Dock Streets.  I would like to root for the home team but I have to give this one to Avery.  It was smoother with a great hop profile.  Next up was Wolaver's Organic Oatmeal Stout.  This was a nice clean beer but nothing extraordinary.

One thing I noticed today...The Flying Pig was jam packed and I was lucky to find a seat at the bar.  TJ's on the other hand was not busy at all.  I really don't have an explanation for this.  These two bars are reasonably close to each other and have similar lineups.  Both have really good food.  And yet one is busy and the other is not?

Dale's Disappointment

It's the night before Thanksgiving so I stopped into the Sly Fox in Phoenixville.  They had a new beer on that I wanted to try called Dale's 10K.  Anytime the brewer can't put a beer into a specific category you are in trouble.  Or, anytime they create a new "style" of beer you are in trouble.  This one is no exception.  Come on, make a Pils if that's what you want or make a Dubbel if that's what you want.  But don't make something and then taste it and then say it's an "amber Pils/Dubbel/Bier deGarde hybrid".  That's just a cop-out.  I had to order a Pikeland Pils just to get the taste out of my mouth.

Saturday at the Craft Ale House

I had the opportunity to visit the Craft Ale House in Limerick Saturday afternoon.  It was me and my 3-year-old daughter.  I started with an Oskar Blues Gordon IPA and she had a Sprite.  This is a pleasant IPA.  Next I tried a Stone Double Bastard.  This is big alcohol and big malt.  You could make a meal out of this one.  I ended with a Coronado Red Devil.  This was not as good as I remembered.  There was a flavor that I didn't care for.  It may have something to do with the beers that preceeded this one.  I'll give it another shot in the future. I'm told the Sprite was satisfactory.

Super IPA at the Drafting Room

I went to the Drafting Room in Exton last night after work because their on-line beer menu said they had the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2008 on draught.  As it turned out, they took it off tap to make room for a promotion they were doing last night.  It was lucky for me because I ordered a Bear Republic Super Rebellion instead.  They told me it was a pale ale but it sure tasted like an IPA to me.  In fact, it was an excellent beer.  I mean this one was totally fantastic.  I don't know anything about this beer other than the fact that I want more.  I followed this with a Ballast Point Sculpin.  This is also a great IPA.  Not as good as the Super Rebellion but there aren't a lot of beers that would be able to follow that one.  I am going to have to have a Sculpin as my first beer of the day one day to give it a more fair evaluation.

Out With Hop Wallop and In With Yakima Twilight

My Hop Wallop kicked last night so I stopped into Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown tonight to get another sixtel.  My wife wanted me to get another Hop Wallop but as usual I wanted to try something different.  They had a sixtel of Yakima Twilight and although I have had it before I couldn't remember what it was all about.  So the only thing to do was walk over to the bar and order one before taking a chance on a sixtel of something I may not like.  Of course, as is usually the case, there was not a seat available at the bar.  I hate standing while drinking a beer and it seems like these days that is the only way to have a beer at the Victory...standing.  I think they are a victim of their own success.  Back to the beer...Yakima Twilight is a dark ale that surprises you with a big hop nose.  Although I'm sure that the generous hops are responsible for the considerable bitterness it seemed to me that the dark malt was responsible as well.  It was as if I was tasting bitter chocolate underneath this beer.  Maybe I imagined that flavor and maybe not.  I brought home a sixtel of the Yakima Twilight so I'll have plenty of opportunity to either confirm or dismiss the idea.

Sick Day

I am home with a sick child today.  Well, not actually home because my house is getting a new roof today.  So, I am at my mother's house with my sick child today.  As it happens, my mother lives a couple of minutes away from the Craft Ale House in Limerick.  Not one to miss an opportunity like this I stopped in.  First I tried a Terrapin Depth Charge.  It is a milk stout.  It was OK.  It had more carbonation than I expected.  I then ordered an Ommegang Rare Vos.  It should be named Rare Find because although I have had this in bottles before I have never seen it on draught.  This is a fine beer.  Clean and spicy.  It would be easy to believe this was a real Belgian beer.

Fast Weekend

Well that weekend came and went pretty fast.  I did manage to get up to Union Jack's Inn on the Manatawny.  As usual, I had 20 minutes before my wife was coming to pick me up so I made the most of it.  I started with a Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Extra.  This is a really good double IPA.  Nice hop flavor and plenty of alcohol at 8.7% avb.  Next up was a Green Flash Barleywine.  I found it to be kind of harsh tasting, mabye a little green.  Put this keg in the cellar for about two years and I'll bet it will mellow into a really nice barleywine.

Mixing Beer and Business

I was at a company function and the beer was paid for so I was not complaining.  We were at a restaurant in West Chester, Pa called The Landmark Americana Tap and Grill.  First up was an Arrogant Bastard from Stone Brewing Company.  This is a great tasting American Strong Ale weighing in at 7.2% abv.  Next up was a George Washington's Tavern Porter from Yards Brewing Company.  This is an excellent porter with a rich malty flavor and although it has a 7.0% abv the alcohol was hidden well unlike the Arrogant Bastard I finished shortly before.  I wouldn't call the Landmark Americana a great beer bar but I did manage to find 2 really good beers on tap.  It's a good thing I was attending a company function because there really wasn't anything else on tap that I was craving (except maybe that Chimay).

Black Raspberry Reserve Revisited

I was racking up the leaves yesterday and developed quite a thirst.  I ran over to the Sly Fox in Phoenixville for a Pikeland Pils.  On the way in I noticed my sister and her family sitting there having dinner with friends.  They must have forgot that I live near Phoenixville when they were planning this outing.  Anyway, I had my Pikeland Pils and it was just what the doctor ordered.  Although I only intended on having one beer for some reason I changed my mind.  That Black Raspberry Reserve caught my eye.  I haven't had one in a long while.  You don't have to like beer to like this beer.  You do however, need to like raspberries.  They say there is malted barley, wheat and hops in this beer but I can only taste raspberries.  That is not a complaint.  I enjoyed this beer thoroughly.

Good Decisions, Bad Decisions???

Ok, so we have 3 daughters ages 1, 3 and 5.  We also have a large male Boxer.  My wife thinks it is a good idea to go out today and adopt a pit bull from the SPCA.  I can't disagree with her.  On the way to the SPCA I got really thirsty and thought it would be a good idea to stop in to TJ's Restaurant and Eatery in Paoli.  First up was a Coronado Red Devil American Strong Ale.  I enjoyed the heck out of this one.  I smelled hops but tasted only malted barley and alcohol.  I followed this with a Breckenridge Lucky U IPA.  This was a nice tasting beer but it didn't seem to have a lot of flavor.  I admit it may be my fault for having the Coronado Red Devil First.  I decided to try an Oskar Blues Gordon Double IPA next.  I enjoyed this one quite a bit.  Nice copper color, nice citrusy hop flavor.  I'll look for it in the future.  I expected my wife and kids to meet me on the parking lot shortly so I figure I better get going.  We have a dog to adopt for crying out loud.

God bless the folks who work at the SPCA.  They are either volunteers or those that are paid, probably don't get paid very much...however...it was quite a process.  I had already "met" the dog on Thursday at about noon.  Then me, my wife, the 3 kids and our other dog went down on Thursday evening to "meet" with the dog.  The SPCA thought a 3rd visit would be in order to make sure that we are a good fit for this dog (this dog that was a stray and found it's way to the SPCA).  Anyway, after leaving TJ's, we arrived at the SPCA at about 2:00 in the afternoon.  At about 3:45 I told my wife to take the kids and our other dog home.  I would wait behind to finalize the adoption.  It was about 5:30 before I finally walked out with the dog.

As you might expect, I built up quite a thirst, so on the way home I stopped back in at TJ's.  This would be a good test for the new dog.  How would she behave in a locked car on the parking lot of a bar???  This was kind of an important test.  I had a Troegs Dead Reckoning Porter on cask.  Nice beer.  What a joy.  Yeah, that hop flavor came right through all that dark malt.  I peeked out the blinds and the dog seemed to be doing OK.  I ordered a Peak Organic IPA.  I didn't like my first sip but I must admit, I liked this beer a lot by the time I got to the bottom of it.  It had kind of a homebrew taste but I find that appealing.

The dog passed the test.  We went home and she is settling in nicely.

Another Friday Night

I stopped in to the Drafting Room in Exton tonight after work.  I notice something unfamiliar on the chalkboard.  It is Cigar City Jai Alai IPA.  I never heard of this brewer so I gave it a try.  It is an OK beer but kind of malty for an IPA.  Where's the hops?  I would order this again if I see it.

Next up was a Dock Street  Hop Garden Double IPA.  This is a very nice beer.   Of course I have had Dock Street beers in the past but not this one.  The chalk board in the Drafting Room didn't mention "double" IPA.  As I enjoyed this beer I thought, "what a great tasting IPA", never suspecting the 9% ABV content contained within.  I can't wait to see this one again.  What a nice tasting beer...what a pleasant surprise.

Halloween Treats

The kids fell asleep in the car Saturday afternoon and I found my way over to the Craft Ale House in Limerick.  With the wife and kids on the parking lot I didn't waste any time.  I tried the Terrapin Pumpkinfest.  This was an average pumpkin beer.  Not great but nothing wrong with it either.  At least the pumpkin wasn't overdone.  I couldn't resist ordering a Port Brewing Company Hop 15.  This is an excellent IPA.  I didn't have time to savor it but I still enjoyed the 10 minutes I had with this beer.  On the way out I grabbed a bottle of Coronado Islander IPA.  This was a nice IPA.  I will look for it on draught in the future to see if it is better than just "nice".