Friday Night is Pizza Night After All

After getting into a rut and going to the Sly Fox in Phoenixville most Friday nights I decided to make a change.  I stopped in the Drafting Room in Exton after work.  I enjoyed a Port Brewing Company Wipe Out IPA.  This is such a nice IPA I can't stand it.  Then I picked up my pizza and went home.  Sure enough, my wife asked me to go out and get groceries.  On the way I got thirsty and stopped at the Sly Fox in Phoenixville.  Some habits die hard.  I enjoyed a cask conditioned Chester County Bitter while listening to a nice version of Major Tom by some young guy with an acoutic guitar.

Still Not a Fan of Dogfish Head

We were on our way to the pumpkin patch this fine Sunday afternoon when I noticed my 5 and 3-year-olds were asleep in the back of the van.  As it happens we were just passing by  Brother Paul's Pub and Restaurant in Eagleville, PA.  My wonderful wife let me go in while she drove around keeping the kids asleep.  I had a Troegs Brewing Company Troegenator.  It is a nice Double Bock, malty with a clear alcohol presence.  Against my better judgement I followed this with a Dogfish Head beer.  Against my better judgement because I am not a big fan of Dogfish Head.  I love the brewpub in Rehoboth Beach, DE but the beers are usually mediocre at best.  On tap today at Brother Paul's was the 120 Minute IPA.  A whopping 20% abv!  That was the best part.  The taste was another story.  They call this an IPA?  To me, it was sweet...not hoppy at all.  Once I got beyond the alcohol taste the rest was like a chemical...like drinking hairspray.  I want to like Dogfish Head beers, I really do.  I just can't learn to like them.  I'll try again in a couple of months to see if my taste has changed, or even better if their taste has changed.

Belgian or Not Here I Come

Saturday afternoon I was able to stop into Union Jack's Inn on the Manatawny.  My wonderful wife dropped me off for a 20 minute break while she kept the kids asleep by driving though the countryside.  With only 20 minutes I had to work fast.  Up first was a Dock Street Rye IPA. I am partial to Rye beers and this one is up there with the best of them.  It is nicely balanced, not overdone with hops the way some IPA's can get.

My next beer was something I never heard of.  The tap said "Butuese Brassin".  The bartender said it was a Tripel.  I was in a Tripel kind of mood so I got one.  It was a very nice Tripel at that.  But was it a Belgian Tripel or a Belgian-style Tripel?  Honestly, I wouldn't know until I got home to my computer.  Union Jack's website called this beer "LE TROU DU DIABLE BUTUESE BRASSIN SPECIAL".  A Google search took a little more effort than usual to find this beer.  As it turns out, it was a Belgian-style Tripel (not a real Belgian Tripel) but worse...it was from Canada.  I have to give them credit though.  I couldn't tell that it was not a true Belgian beer.  Would I order another one.  You bet.