Dark...light...they're all good

Last Sunday I made my way to Union Jack's Inn on the Manatawny with the family.  We had 2 sleepers and 1 wide awake.  I went in with the 1 wide awake while my wife waited patiently in the car with the sleepers.  The day before Union Jack's was having their Back In Black event with a lot of very good dark beers.  I knew they would have leftovers and I was happy to help them finish them.  I have always considered Founder's Breakfast Stout the best Stout I have ever had.  I was told that they have a version that is also aged in Bourbon barrels called Kentucky Breakfast Stout.  That is what I ordered.  Clearly this beer is not the Breakfast Stout aged in Bourbon barrels.  It strikes me as thinner (mouthfeel) than the Breakfast Stout and even disregarding the barrel flavors you know this is not the Breakfast Stout.  That is not to say it isn't a great Stout.  It is.  But I still favor the Breakfast Stout.  For whatever reason, I went lighter on my next beer.  I ordered a Hop 15 from Port Brewing Company.  As always, this too was an excellent beer.  Altogether it was a fantastic trip to Union Jack's. 

Monday was a vacation day and my wife and I went shopping.  Somehow we ended up at the Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown for lunch.  I started with a Yakima Glory which is a very dark IPA although I wouldn't call it a Black IPA.  It is a very good beer.  I finished with a cask-conditioned Storm King Imperial Stout.  Storm King is always good but it is so much better from the hand pump.  It occurred to me that the lowest alcohol beer I had in the last 2 days is the Yakima Glory at a mere 8.7% abv.  I am looking forward to this winter season.  Bring it on.

On Wednesday I was back at the Victory in Downingtown to return a keg and pick up a fresh one.  That Yakima Glory I had the other day was pretty good so that is what I got.  While there, I went to the bar for a quick one.  I had a pint of the Pursuit Of Pale Ale (El Dorado).  It was OK.  I guess if this was some other brewer I would have said it was great but fairly or not, I hold Victory to higher standards.

Postscript - A quick search of my blog shows that I have already had the Pursuit Of Pale Ale and had the same opinion the first time.  Not very memorable.