Great Saturday Out

With daytime temperatures in the teens it was a good day to stay inside.  It was a Saturday full of good beer.  I visited the Bethlehem Brew Works where I sampled all 6 of their seasonals. (1) ACH-47 is a pretty nice Double American Pale Ale.  (2) Hop Monster Double IPA was not that great.  It was OK if all you really need is the alcohol which is 10% abv.  (3) Big Red is a good Doppelbock and that is not a style I usually go for.  (4) Elongator Doppelbock was very good.  It may be that these Doppelbocks were appealing to me because they go well with the French Dip sandwich I was having.  (5) Black Forest Dark Wheat Lager was an interesting beer.  There was kind of a smokey flavor I wasn't expecting.  (6) War Hammer Baltic Porter was a really good porter.  Nice coffee and chocolate tastes.

Next stop was Tap and Table  in Emmaus where I had a Cherry Stout from Bell's Brewery.  Did I mention it was from a firkin?  Wow.  This is a complex beer.  Luckily for me the cherry taste was subtle but the tartness was not.  This was a fantastic beer.  I really wanted to stay and have another couple of beers but my wife and kids were in the car and I was limited to one.

Last stop was Craft Ale House in Limerick.  I started with Hop 15 from Port Brewing Company.  I have already gone on and on about this beer in previous posts.  Fantastic.  Next up was Centennial IPA from Founders Brewing Company.  This is a really nice IPA.  Yeah, I should have had this one before the Hop 15 and I might have been able to taste it better.  I ended with a Dead Reckoning from Troegs Brewing Company.  This is a nice porter...no surprises.

Good Beer Means No Parking

TJ's looked like they had a pretty good lineup tonight so after work I made my way to Paoli.  Would I get Founder's Double Trouble...Terrapin Hopsecutioner...Ithaca Cascazilla...Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard...oh I couldn't wait to get there and decide.  But after a couple of trips around the parking lot I finally left in frustration.  Luckily the Flying Pig Saloon was right down the road in Malvern.  Unfortunately I had the same issue with parking.  Well it is after all Friday night.  I eventually found a spot to park and got inside the Flying Pig but had to stand while drinking my Dock Street Pale Ale.  It was a nice beer and luckily a spot opened at the bar so I could order a second beer.  This time it was an Imperial Stout from Thirsty Dog Brewing Company.  I was disappointed because it reminded me of the stouts I used to make as a homebrewer.  Although I always thought my stouts were pretty good for a homebrewer I expect more from a professional brewer.  Don't get me wrong.  This was not a bad beer...it brought back good memories.

Hey Tap #2...You Make Me Whole

Although I love my Victory Prima Pils on Tap #1 in my basement I kept staring at that empty Tap #2 and couldn't help but get that empty feeling in my heart.  It was time to visit Exton Beverage Company.  Actually it was time to visit their website to view the available kegs.  They do a great job keeping their on-line listing updated.  My only complaint is that they don't list their prices along with their selection.  They are however, very good at responding to my email requests for pricing.  After getting their email I decided on Ithaca Flower Power.  After dinner I ran down to pick up my keg.  Once I got there I couldn't resist looking at their available kegs one last time.  Not because I was going to change my mind but because it is so much fun.  You see, they have this big flat screen monitor which shows their available kegs and this time the prices are displayed as well.  They hand you a remote control so you can scroll through the pages of available kegs.  I'm telling you this is better than anything on TV.  So after viewing all the pages and pretending I was making my choice I confidently told them I had decided on the Ithaca Flower Power.  When the guy took my credit card (and saw my name) he said, "Hey didn't you email me earlier today about this beer"?  So much for my ruse. 

I tapped the Flower Power and as I have said before, this is a really good IPA.

Union Jack's Inn and Polish Beers

What a gorgeous day in southeastern Pennsylvania.  Temperature is in the mid 40 degrees with a bright sun.  It was a perfect day to visit Union Jack's Inn on the Manatawny.  I only had time for one beer because my wife was in the car with only 1 sleeper (the other 2 were awake and not happy about sitting in the parking lot of some bar).  I had never heard of Issaquah Frog Rye IPA so that is what I ordered.  Wow!  This is a fantastic beer.  I have always been partial to rye beers but this one was exceptional. 

After Union Jack's we went to my mother's house for a visit.  My sister stopped by with a couple of Polish beers (there is no punch line here).  They were Zywiec (Zywiec Breweries PLC), Lezajsk 1525 brewed by Zakłady Piwowarskie w Leżajsku S.A. and Lech Premium beer from Browary Wielkopolski.  There is no need to go out and find any of these in a hurry.   It is nice to try new and different beers like these but I wouldn't want anyone to think these are worth going out of your way for.  None the less they were appreciated.

I still have room for a new keg in my kegerator.  Perhaps tomorrow we will go shopping.

Mistakes...some mine...some not

I took a quick detour after work and stopped in at the Drafting Room  in Exton this evening.  First up was a Brew Works Hopsolutely.  At least that is what I asked for.  I am not sure what I got.  What I got looked very pale almost like a domestic beer but it tasted like a Belgian IPA.  It was not a bad beer but I don't particularly care for Belgian IPAs.  The Belgians make the finest beer in the world but IPA's are really an English thing (historically) and now an American thing (because Americans aren't afraid to dump the hops into their brew kettle).  Again, I love Belgian beers but I run away from anything called a Belgian IPA.  OK, I really got off subject there.  I don't even know if it was a Belgian IPA but I do know that asked for a Brew Works Hopsolutely.  I have seen pictures of freshly poured Hopsolutely's and I have read descriptions as well.  Deep copper color...that is not what I had.

Next I asked for a Big Bear Stout from Bear Republic.  This is a nice stout...a regular stout...but this is no Breakfast Stout.  Founder's has me spoiled.  I use their Breakfast Stout as the standard against which all stouts shall be measured.

I spent the rest of the night overhauling my kegerator.  I installed all new beer lines and disassembled/reassembled and cleaned everything.  I was not happy with the Sierra Nevada Celebration that I just kicked and I wanted to make sure that it was not because of something I did.  I then tapped a Victory Prima Pils.  It tasted as fresh as one I might have gotten at the brewpub.  I noticed some beer stone in the lines that I removed from my kegerator so maybe the problem with the Celebration Ale was my fault.  We shall see.

Photos, Beers, Groceries and Various Errands

Well...we were in Exton anyway to have the kids pictures taken so if you are that close to Downingtown you might as well go to Victory Brewing Company for dinner and a beer.  I had (1) Hop Wallop cask conditioned, (2) Harvest Ale, (3) Harvest Pilsner, (4) Abbey 5, (5) Wild Devil and (6) Braumeister Pilsner.  All were excellent as you would expect from the Victory.  I also had a Dietrich sandwich apparently made from pastrami produced in-house.  It is essentially a Ruben but it is about the best Ruben I ever tasted, and that's not the beer talking.  Because I like to think I am efficient, I returned an empty keg of Yakima Twilight and picked up a fresh keg of Prima Pils since we were there anyway.

We needed milk and some other essentials so a visit to the Giant grocery store was in order.  We were about to go right past the Sly Fox in Phoenixville but I was pretty thirsty and I happened to have an empty Sly Fox keg in the trunk so I thought it would be a good time to return it.  It's great when you return a keg and not get a refill.  It feels like you are drinking for free.  In this case it was a tall Royal Weisse.  Yeah, this is a great summer beer but I ain't waiting until the summer to have one.

Flying Blind at the Flying Pig

I thought it would be a good idea to stop in at the Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern for a beer after work tonight.  This is always somewhat of a crap shoot because unlike everyone else, the Flying Pig does not care to list their current draught offerings on a website or blog or anything that I know of other than the chalkboards that hang at the bar.  The upside is that they usually have something interesting on so it's no great risk going there.  Of course as is always my luck there were no seats at the bar.  I managed to get the attention of the bartender and ordered a Terrapin Hopsecutioner.  This is a really nice IPA.  I enjoyed it thoroughly despite having to stand the whole time.  I was about to take my last swallow resigned to the fact that I would have to leave because of my "one-beer-while-standing-rule".  Just then a couple of people got up and left.  Noone could have left during the 15 minutes I was standing and now several people get up and left.  Isn't that always the case.  Now I had a real dilemma.  Do I stick with the plan and head for home or do I grab a seat at the bar and enjoy another beer.  I opted to stay and have another.  This time I chose Old Jubilation Winter Ale from Avery Brewing.  This followed the Hopsecutioner well.  These two beers were at opposite ends of the spectrum.  The Old Jubilation Winter Ale was as malty as the Hopsecutioner was hoppy.  I enjoyed the contrast. 

Great Beer and Customer Service

I knew that TJ's Restaurant and Drinkery in Paoli had Pliny the Elder from Russian River on tap as well as Hopslam from Bell's Brewery.  The temptation was too much so I stopped in after work for a quick one (and only one).  It would have been a tough decision but since I can't remember my last Hopslam I decided to go with a Hopslam this time even before I got there.  The parking lot was full as was the bar once I got in.  Before I could even squeeze my way to the bar I was greeted by Will who was tending to the folks seated in the bar area.  Will asked if I was here for the Hopslam or the Pliny.  Considering the numerous other good beers on tap I was impressed that he figured which two I would be interested in.  It's great when places like TJ's employ people who know beer and what beer lovers are looking for.  Will suggested a seat in the leather chair while he gets me a Hopslam.  Now that is customer service.  I lifted my glass towards my nose to take in the wonderful floral aroma and I didn't even have to get the glass close.  I took my first sip expecting the possibility that there may be a harsh hop bite but of course there was not.  This is a great beer.  Even the alcohol (10% abv) was well hidden.  Now maybe I can go back tomorrow for a Pliny.

Good Beer and Lousy Football

So last night I stopped in to the Sly Fox in Phoenixville after ordering a couple of pizza's from Roccos's next door  As I was waiting at the Sly Fox I ordered a Pikeland Pils.  As luck would have it I had time for an Oatmeal Stout.  This is really a good stout.  Not to be confused with O'Reilly's Stout.

On Saturday I found my way to Union Jack's Inn on The Manatawny.  I had 3 beers all of which I have had before.  All were excellent.  They are Stone 13th Anniversary, Hop 15 from Port Brewing, and of course Founder's Breakfast Stout. 

After getting the kids to bed, I went out to TJ's in Paoli.  I enjoyed a Wake and Bake from Terrapin.  OK, this is no Breakfast Stout, but it is a great stout none the less.

As is usual, there were no seats at the bar when I came in.  Scott at the bar told me to go to the end of the bar where there were a couple of seats available.  To his credit, he came back later and suggested a couple of better seats as they became abailable. 

Next up was an Ithaca Flower Power IPA.  Yeah, this is a great IPA.  It has both a floral aroma and taste.   I can't wait to have another. 

Ok, I really couldn't care less about the NFL but since it is on the TV I feel compelled to comment.  The city of Philadelphia really believes the Eagles can win a Superbowl???  Seriously?  With Donovan McNabb?  It is very polite to say we can win with this guy but seriously?  Come on.  Does anyone really believe it is going to happen next year?  You are only kidding yourself.

Saturday Shopping

Saturday afternoon I went out to do a little shopping as my wife's birthday is this week.  Before leaving the house I did my due diligence regarding what beers I might like to have in case I get thirsty and I happen to be near the Drafting Room in Exton or Ron's Original Bar and Grill in Exton.  Based on the beer list at their respective websites, I would have the Big Hoppy Monster from Terrapin Beer Company if I end up in the Drafting Room and I would have the Dugana from Avery Brewing Company if I ended up at Ron's Original bar and grill.  Sure enough I did get thirsty and I was right near the Drafting Room so in I went.  They told me the Big Hoppy Monster just kicked.  I had to settle for a Racer 5 from Bear Republic Brewing Company.  It's kind of funny to say settle for a Racer 5 isn't it?  This is one of the finest IPAs I have ever had.  I left the Drafting Room and headed for home but then I remembered that Dugana waiting for me at Ron's.  So I stopped in for a quick one.  Guess what?  They told me the Dugana just kicked.  In a panic I chose a Organic Alta Gracia Coffee Porter from Wolaver's.  I say in a panic because I never heard of this beer before but nothing else on the menu attracted my attention.  This is a great porter.  The coffee comes through strongly and the vanilla adds a nice touch.  I'm no expert on beer so I don't know if that amount of carbonation was proper for a porter but I would have preferred a less carbonated beer.  Later in the afternoon I wound up at the Craft Ale House in Limerick.  I had an Outdoor Harvest Ale from Ithaca Beer Company.  This is a great tasting wet hopped pale ale.  I am curious about the name though.  What would an Indoor Harvest be?  Never mind.

PSU and LSU and a Couple of Good Beers

I continued my recovery from whatever my illness was by watching the Penn State vs. LSU game all by myself.  Penn State wins 19-17?  It should have never been that close.  Anyway, after the game I head over to the Craft Ale House in Limerick for some dinner.  I start with a Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing Company.  It is awesome as usual.  The problem now if finding something to follow it.  I taste a Prism Bitto Honey IPA but there is no way I can follow a Pliny with that.    So I order a Sublimely Self Righteous from Stone Brewing Company which is quite good and worthy of following a Pliny.  I also order a pork sandwich which is excellent as usual.  Now I need to find something that is worthy of following a Sublimely Self Righteous which was worthy of following a Pliny the Elder.  I took a chance on Black Biscuit from Founder's Brewing Company.  I have seen this beer on the menu's of the good beer bars for a while but since I didn't see anything written about it I assumed it was an average dark beer.  Was I wrong.  This is a great dark beer.  It had all the flavor of the Breakfast Stout in a completely different beer.  Awesome beer.  If noone else wants to drink it that's fine with me.  More for myself.  Please don't drink the Black Biscuit.