New Hang Outs and New Beers (to me)

Since my last post on Friday I've managed to have several really good beers so here goes.

I went to the Craft Ale House in Limerick and had my first beer from St. Boniface Craft Brewing Company.  They are out of Ephrata, PA.  The beer I had was called Libation...a DIPA.  This was a pleasant surprise.  A very nice tasting beer but if they didn't tell me it was a DIPA I would not have guessed.  It was not that hoppy or bitter.  I don't know if I would even call it an IPA...maybe a Pale Ale.  Regardless, I liked it a lot.  I also had something called a Bitchin' Camaro from Voodoo Brewing Company.  It was described on the menu as a golden Saison but this was not golden.  It was more of a red-ish amber.  It was a nice beer but I've had much better Saisons recently. 

I went to Appalachian Brewing Company in Collegeville.  I enjoyed a Hinterland Hefe Weizen.  This is a very good, dry Hefe.  I then had a great Reuben sandwich and an ESB which I was told was a "one-off" beer (i.e. they only had 1 keg of it).  It was OK.  I don't know why they call these beers bitter though.  There was nothing bitter about it.

I went to Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown.  I had a Braumeister Pils (Saaz) which was very good.  In fact, I pick up a sixtel of it while I was there.  I followed that with a cask-conditioned Storm King which was awesome as usual.  While in Downingtown, I decided to make my first visit to the Station Taproom.  I was not happy about the metered parking and I suspect it would be hard to find a parking spot at a busy time of the day but it was late Saturday afternoon so I was OK.  It is a small place with a great line-up of beers.  I started with a Sierra Nevada Exportation.  This is a sour ale and it was fantastic.  Not unlike a Rodenbach Grand Cru.  The best part...it was served in a pint glass.  Not one of those sissy tulip glasses or anything.  I got the last pint of it and it was gone.  I next had a Hill Farmstead Double Citra IPA which is another DIPA.  It was pretty good but following that Exportation I'm not sure I gave it a chance.  I hope I can get another one of these to see how really good it is.  I never even heard of this brewer before stepping into the Station Taproom.  I can't wait to visit again.

I stopped in Ron's Original in Exton and had a Golden Cap Saison from New Holland.  I am not a big fan.  I stopped in the Epicurean in Phoenixville and had an HP Striker from Tommyknocker Brewery and Pub.  It was alright.
 

So Far So Good

Today I managed to get to TJ's in Paoli, The Drafting Room in Exton, and the Sly Fox in Phoenixville and the night is young.  At TJ's, I started with a 5th Anniversary DIPA from Port Brewing.  It was great.  I followed with another DIPA.  This time it was the Brewmaster's Series DIPA from Long Trail.  Again a very good DIPA.  Later at the Drafting Room, I had a cask-conditioned Racer 5 from Bear Republic.  You know this was a good one.  Then finally at the Sly Fox I had a Pikeland Pils which was as good as always.

Better Late Than Never

Well it's been a while since I've posted but I did have a couple of interesting beers last weekend and I thought I should post them before another weekend begins.  Last Friday I started off at TJ's Restaurant and Drinkery in Paoli.  I had the great Cajun Chicken sandwich and an Alpine Black IPA from Otter Creek.  This was a pretty tasty beer but I probably could have made a better choice to go along with my sandwich.  But it was a very good beer.  Later on Friday I went to the Drafting Room in Exton.  I started with a Mirror Pond Pale Ale from Deschutes Brewery.  This is a pleasant pale ale.  Then I had a Weyerbacher 16.  Apparently the "16" is for their 16th anniversary. This is a dark Braggot.  What is a dark Braggot?  I hadn't heard of it before either.  It turns out a Braggot is a mixture of beer and mead or something of that sort.  This was a weird beer but I mean that in a good way.  Hard to describe but it was darker and drier than I expected.  I ended the night with a Hop In The Dark Cascadian Dark Ale also from Deschutes.  You know Cascadian Dark Ale is really the same as a Black IPA.  Well, this one is really good.  I can't wait to get another one. 

On Saturday I went to the Craft Ale House in Limerick for a quick beer or two.  Up first was a Ryevalry from Bear Republic.  They call this a "American-Belgo-Style Double IPA.  I am always leary about the "Belgo" when it comes to IPA's but this beer was fantastic.  Bear Republic does it again.  Makes me want to move to California...OK, not really but they have great beer don't they?  Next up was Cellar Door Saison from Stillwater Artisanal Ales.  Yeah, I should have had this before that IPA but I could still taste it (sort of) and what I tasted was good.  I need to find it again and make it my first beer of the day.

Three New (to me) Beers That Are Really Good

So I had a couple of interesting beers this past weekend.  I started off at TJ's in Paoli with a Rye of the Tiger from Great Lakes Brewing Company.  This is a very good beer.  Then I had an Engine 20, another Great Lakes beer.  It was a smokey pale ale.  It was an interesting beer.  It doesn't fit any classification, just an unusual smokey pale ale.  Nice.

I also made it up to Union Jack's Inn on the Manatawny for a quick one.  It was a 215 Pale Ale from Southern Tier.  I don't know if it is true but I hear it was brewed for Philly Beer Week and thus the 215.  Well, it's hard for me to get excited about a pale ale but this one is excellent.  It's about the color of Budweiser but don't let that discourage you.  Now I have 2 pale ales that I think are excellent.  Southern Tier 215 and Lagunitas Dogtown Pale Ale.  I only hope that Southern Tier decides to make this one a year-round offering.

Iron Abbey Finally and a Victory

On Tuesday I found myself out on the Turnpike near Horsham so I thought it would be a good time to finally try going to the Iron Abbey.  As it turns out, it is right on North Easton Road and there is plenty of parking out back.  I would say it is only about 5 minutes from the Turnpike exit.

Once inside I liked the place already.  It has a nice comfortable feeling to it.  Not too dark, not too light.  Friendly and helpful bartender.  I started with a Snake Dog IPA from Flying Dog Brewery.  It was a tastey IPA.  Not extraordinary but I'd get it again.  I was only going to have one but Boris the bartender gave me a sample of Green Gold IPA from Mikkeller.  This is an American-style IPA from Denmark.  I thought it was pretty good and asked for a pint.  This was a great first visit to a pub I hope to return to every chance I get.

On Wednesday I had two of my daughters with me for a visit to the doctors out in the Exton area.  After the doctors everyone was ready for dinner so we went to Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown.  Along with the kiddie hamburger (which wasn't "kiddie" at all from the looks of it) we had an order of their wonderful smokey chipotle wings.  I started with a Sunrise Weissbier which was perfect for this 98 degree day.  Then I couldn't resist a cask-conditioned Storm King Imperial Stout.  Once you've had the Storm King you know it's time to go home...and that's exactly what we did.

Need More Time for Beer

This past Memorial Day weekend I worked like a dog out in the yard so there wasn't much time for beer.  However, I did manage to stop into TJ's in Paoli on Friday after work.  I had a Saison from Nogne O - Det Kompromisslose Bryggeri A/S.  This is a very nice, dry saison from Norway.  Then I had a White Ale from Williamsburg AleWerks.  This is a very nice witbier.  I then had a Commodore Perry IPA from Great Lakes Brewing Company.  I remember having this out of a bottle and not caring for it much but this one on draught was very good. 

On Saturday I did manage to get a break and have a quick dinner at the new Appalachian Brewpub in Collegeville.  I had the Mile High meatloaf which is served just as shown in the picture on the menu.  It tasted great too.  If I have to complain it may have been a little overcooked (dry) but not much.  I'll get it again.  I got the beer sampler which is a pretty good way to have a taste of all of their beers for $10.  And it's not just a sip but a nice size taste of each.  I had Water Gap Wheat (not great), Mountain Lager (not great), Purist Pale Ale (very good), Jolly Scot Scottish Ale (OK, not remarkable), Trail Blaze Organic Brown Ale (nice), Hoppy Trails IPA (very good), Susquehanna Stout (good) and their May specialty beer Maibock (OK, just not my style).

On Sunday I didn't stop working in the yard until it got dark.  I had just enough time to shower and get to the Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown for a couple of beers before bed.  I had the Summer Love which gets a lot of good press but I'm not that impressed.  Then I had the Sunrise Weissbier which was excellent.  I was about to order a cask-conditioned Storm King when the bartender came over and said "Last Call".  I was shocked for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, it was 10:00pm and I thought they would have been open later (although admittedly the holiday had thrown my days off), and secondly because I never shut down the Victory before.  I'm usually the guy there in the afternoons, not late night.  Anyway, I was not willing to rush downing a cask-conditioned Storm King so I decided to call it a night.  Wow, how I've grown.