A Weird Mix of Beer Styles

On Saturday I stopped in Union Jack's Inn on the Manatawny for a beer or two.  First up was a Confluence Ale from Allagash Brewing Company.  This is a Wild American Ale.  The wild yeast gives an expected funky smell and taste that is not at all unpleasant.  It is slightly perfumey tasting but I got past that.  The best part is the dry finish.  This is a nice beer.  I followed this with a Wipeout IPA from Port Brewing Company.  Awesome as usual.

Today I went to the Flying Pig in Malvern.  I started with a cask-conditioned Amber Ale from Bell's Brewery.  It was a pretty good beer.  I'm not sure I would have liked it as well if it was not cask-conditioned.  Then I had an Oktoberfest from Blue Point Brewing Company.  Same thing...it was a pretty good beer.  Neither of these beers will knock you socks off but I guess they were true to their style, which is not necessarily my style.

In a Dark Mood

I left work and headed for TJ's Restaurant and Drinkery in Paoli for a cold one.  I knew they had Serpent's Stout from The Lost Abbey for $3 as their keg kicker tonight.  It was great.  An 11% abv Imperial Stout from a great brewer for $3?  But I painted myself into a corner.  What could I follow that with?  Since I was already in a dark mood I decided on a Satellite Espresso Stout from Dock Street.  I enjoyed the roasted coffee flavors but I didn't think this was their best effort considering I love this brewer.  Then it was back home to enjoy a couple of Braumeister Pilsners from Victory currently on tap in my basement.  I'll say it again...this is one fine pilsner.

A Victory for Victory but not Necessarily for Me

I headed out to the Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown after dinner tonight to return a keg and pick up another one.  I figured I would have a beer at the bar while I'm there.  When I got to the parking lot it was clear I was not going to have a beer at the bar.  The place was packed.  I had to park about as far away from the entrance as possible without leaving the parking lot.  It took about 5 minutes to walk from the car to the Victory.  I didn't see an empty table or booth in the place.  I never even bothered to go to the bar.  I am confident it was packed as well.  I went straight to the retail shop, return my keg and picked up a new one.  This time it was Braumeister Pils.  This is a fantastic pils.  Crisp and clean.  Life is good.

Some Good and Some Not So Good Beers

Over the course of the last week or so I've haven't had much opportunity to write about the beers I have had.  Traveling on business has consumed a good bit of my time.  I did visit the Sly Fox in Phoenixville and had a new (to me) beer.  It is called Citra Pale Ale.  I am not a big fan of this one.  Back on the road again I went back to the Horseshoe Pub in Hudson, MA.  I started with a cask-conditioned Sky High Rye from Arcadia.  It was a very nice beer indeed.  I followed that with a Wipeout IPA from Port Brewing.  Of course this was excellent.  This may be my favorite beer of the year.  The following night I went back to the Horseshoe and had a Wachusett Country Ale.  This was not very good at all.  In fact, since I knew I was only going to have one more this night I decided to have a Wipeout IPA just to play it safe. 

Back home in Pennsylvania I visited the Craft Ale House in Limerick.  First up was an IPA from Mission Brewery.  This is a pretty good IPA.  I had never heard of Mission.  Apparently they are out of San Diego, CA.  I'll look for more from them.  I followed this with a Lima Black IPA from Weyerbacher Brewing Company.  This was risky because I am not a big fan of this brewer or of this style.  I am here to say, this is an excellent beer.  That's why I keep going back and trying brewers and/or styles that I think I may not like.  Hats off to the folks at Weyerbacher for making this excellent beer.

Good Draught and a Bad 12 Pack?

I made a rare appearance at the Tap & Table in Emaus.  I first tried a My Antonia which apparently was brewed by Birra Del Borgo (Italy) and Dogfish Head (DE).  This is an Imperial Pilsner.  As is usually the case with Dogfish Head products I didn't care for this beer.  I followed this with a beer from another brewer that I normally don't care for.  At least I keep trying.  And this time it payed off.  The brewer is Brooklyn Brewery and the beer was an Imperial IPA called Detonation.  Hurray, I finally got a Brooklyn beer I can enjoy.  I ended with a Russian Imperial Stout from Rogue Brewery.  Yeah, this is a really good Stout.

I also had a chance to visit the Craft Ale House in Limerick.  I had a Dogtown Pale Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company.  This beer is always excellent. 

Speaking of excellent...one beer that is not excellent is Opa Opa IPA.  At least not the 12 pack that I brought home from Massachusetts.  It is undrinkable.  I suspect that the problem is with the 12 pack I got and not the brewer but I don't know.  I will have to find this on tap on my next visit and hopefully redeem this product.

When in Rome

I'm still on business in Massachusetts and staying near Marlborough.  I went to Longhorn Steakhouse for dinner and asked if they had any local beer on tap.  They did.  It is Archer's Ale from  Sherwood Forest Brewers in Marlborough.  This is a pretty good English style pale ale.  It was a dark copper color and malty.  I was pleasantly surprised especially considering it was at a Longhorn.

Best Beer Bar in Massachusetts

So I'm traveling on business to Massachusetts and I don't have high expectations on finding any great craft beers.  I do my usual internet search and find a couple of places that seem interesting but I expect to be disappointed as usual.  I have my heart set on a brewpub in Gardner, MA when a co-worker suggests a good beer bar in Hudson, MA.  It is called The Horshshoe Pub & Restaurant.  I get there at 7:00 on a Wednesday night and the parking lot is full.  Things are looking pretty good.  I walk inside and see 80 taps.  Things just got even better.  At first I go to the bar and then I realize that I would be much better at a table where I can peruse the menu at my leisure.  And so I perused.  I decided to get samples instead of pints.  Samples, it turns out are 3 oz beers at $2.55 each.  I start with 4 IPA's.  They are (1) Big Eye IPA from Ballast Point Brewing Company, (2) Racer 5 from Bear Republic Brewery, (3) Wipeout IPA from Port Brewing Company and (4) Wachusett Larry from Wachusett Brewing Company.  OK, the first 3 I've had before and I knew they were excellent but I enjoyed every one none the less.  The fourth one was taking a chance.  Let me tell you, this Wachusett Larry was a really good IPA.  Actually I think it was a double IPA.  It was right up there with the other three.  I was shocked...er...pleasantly surprised.

I had the seafood sampler for dinner which was a great choice.  Then I ordered four more beers.  They were (5) Black Fly Stout from Gritty McDuff's in Maine, a very nice Irish stout, (6) Extra Special Oak from Element Brewing Company in Massachusetts, good but not great, (7) Coffee Haus Porter from Berkshire Brewing Company in Massachusetts, excellent...taste like fresh coffee beans, and (8) Black Shack Porter from Wachusett Brewing Company in MA, pretty good, not great.

The real hero in this story is the Horshshoe Pub & Restaurant for having these 8 beers among their 80 on tap plus 2 cask conditioned beers.  I love this place.  And I didn't even have one of the many Belgian's they had on tap.  I might move to Massachusetts.

Tumbler...This Ain't No Bigfoot

On Sunday we went out to practice biking and roller blading.  On the way the kids fell asleep and as it happens we were near Union Jack's Congo Hotel in Bally.  I stopped in for a quick beer so the kids could get a little extra sleep.  There wasn't anything really interesting on so I asked for a Tumbler from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.  This is an American brown Ale.  It is like all Sierra Nevada products in my opinion...that is, they are well made but unremarkable (the lone exception being the great Bigfoot).  So the Tumbler is a nice brown ale and you could enjoy a couple of them in a row but you will not go out of your way to get one.

Pig and a Party

Friday after work I went to the Flying Pig in Malvern.  I started with a cask conditioned beer called Gumutlekite German Pale Ale and I think it was from Stoudt's but I'm not sure.  I'm also not sure of the spelling.  I figured I could Google it and learn more but a Google search came up dry. Anyway, it was an unremarkable beer.  Not bad but not great either.  Next I had a Big Daddy IPA from Speakeasy Ales and Lagers.  Same thing...unremarkable.

Saturday we had a birthday party for my 2 year-old.  We enjoyed the Gassy Jack from Victory and the Founder's Red's Rye that I have on tap in the basement.  I did get a chance to go to the Sly Fox in Phoenixville when my wife sent me out to pick up the pizza's.  I had a Saison Vos and it was great as usual.