Tree House Julius Review

So I finally got my hands on pretty much the hottest IPA out there. I turned a crowler of the BBA Sunny Side Up into some Tree House beers. I've been patiently waiting for the weekend to crack this baby open.

I've heard great things about this beer, almost too great... I'm really hoping it will live up to the hype.

I'm pouring this 16 oz can with no canning date into my glass and I'm amazed by the color of this beer. Its a deep orange color. I would definitely go as far as saying this is the best looking IPA I've ever seen.







Julius also smells very citrusy. The can states Julius is a beer filled with flavors and aromas of peach, mango, passionfruit, and a melange of citrus. I won't lie and say I can pick out each of those, but this beer still smells great.


After taking my first sip, I'm relieved that the taste follows through and hits you right up front with citrus as well, followed by some really nice floral hop flavors.

As I'm about halfway through my glass and the beer has warmed up a little all of the flavors seem to have amplified, along with the bitterness from the hops.

This beer is very drinkable! I could easily go through a few of these, if only I had more.

Now while this certainly was the most enjoyable IPA I've had recently, I can't say it's life changing. It looks beautiful in a glass, but it did fall short of expectations in the taste department. It's a great beer but I think I was over anticipating it. In the end beer is beer and there aren't too many, if any that are truly life changing. I'm ecstatic I had the change to try this one, but there are certainly other IPA's out there that can hold their weight to Julius, and I can't wait to try them.

www.treehousebrew.com 

Selin's Grove Saison de Peche Review

This is the third fruit beer I've had from Selin's Grove Brewing Co. So far, all of them have been excellent. I have a hunch this one will be too.

This beer is NOT a saison. The name translates to season of peach. Pouring this into a tulip from a 32oz growler, I can tell I'm in for a treat.


The beer is a beautiful hazy orange color.



This beer smells like straight up peach jam, and not much else. With the color and the smell, I can tell I'm in for a real peachy beer.

Taking the first sip, I'm greeted by tons of peach flavor. This is definitely a sweet beer. Drinking this beer is literally like drinking a liquid peach. After swallowing, I get a nice tart peach aftertaste that lingers for a while. This is a great beer for the summer. I can't say I could drink a ton of this, but finishing the 32 oz growler will be an easy task.

This is a pretty damn refreshing beer, and by now its pretty obvious Selin's Grove knows what they are doing with their fruit beers. This, their framboise, and kriek are all excellent and worth the trip.

Pizza Boy - Bourbon Barrel Sunny Side Up Review

So I finally had a chance to crack open my crowler of Bourbon Barrel Sunny Side Up, from Pizza Boy/Al's of Hampden. I managed to pick up a few of these crowlers. My brother and I raced up there after work and managed to get there right before they ran out of crowlers for the second day in a row.

I love Sunny Side Up so I have very high expectations for this as well.

Pouring the beer from the 32 oz crowler, it is a very dark black. The beer has a minimal head from being in the crowler for a little over a week, but it still is not too light on the carbonation.








BBA Sunnyside up greets your nose with a heavy wave of malt, coffee, and a light bourbon note. I do enjoy bourbon barrel aged beers, but I won't lie and say I would ever just drink bourbon straight for enjoyment, so I'm a little pleased the bourbon appears like it won't be overbearing.

Taking the first sip I'm greeted by tons of sweet maltiness, followed by the Little Amps Coffee, then followed by a nice pleasant bourbon flavor. I really dig the amount of bourbon in this beer. Its not overwhelming and instead of taking center stage, it really compliments the beer.The bourbon does start to show itself a little more as the beer warms.  Ovearall this is one of my favorite BBA stouts I've tried. I'd prefer it over KBS. I still haven't tried BCBCS, so I can't compare it to that.

The only thing that may improve this beer would be more coffee flavor. Regular Sunny Side Up is loaded with great coffee flavor. I understand a lot of the coffee probably faded away in the aging process though.

Overall this may be my favorite Pizza Boy offering, and was a pleasant surprise at $15 for a crowler. I imagine they will be making this again in the future, judging by the positive responses it has gotten.

www.alsofhampden.com

Pizza Boy - Funky Applesauce Review

I'm trying my first of two Pizza Boy Sours that I picked up earlier this week. I figured I would try the funky applesauce first, mainly just because I like the name. This is the first bottled sour from Pizza Boy I have had the chance to try, so I'm very excited to give them a shot.


I was greeted by a loud POP when I finally managed to get the cork off. Shortly after that I was greeted by an eruption of foam coming out the top all over my kitchen table. This lasted about 3 minutes...


After the bottle stopped erupting, I was able to pour  a cloudy light yellow beer from the 750ml bottle into my glass. The beer had a light head that settled fairly quickly.





This beer smells very sour and yeasty. Is that a valid adjective? Apple does come through in the scent as well. This sourness of this beer clears your nose as you smell it. I'm a little concerned by the smell that this is going to taste more like a hard cider than a beer, but we will see.

After taking the first sip I'm greeted by a decent amount of sourness. This beer has a moderately sour feel to it. It's certainly not puckering. The apple stands out well, but is subtle enough to allow you to enjoy the other aspects of this beer.

While this beer certainly does share some characteristics with a cider, it certainly has some qualities that makes it more complex. One major difference is the yeast and pale malt you can taste in the backbone of this beer. They compliment the sour funkiness nicely. As this beer warms up the woodiness starts to take center stage. The barrel adds a nice oaky flavor that is very welcome in this beer.


Overall, I'm impressed with this beer. It definitely leaves me excited to try Mango Sourer and any other future sours from Pizza Boy. I'm also glad Al seemed to listen to his consumer base and lower the price back to $25, even though he pretty much told his customers they were wrong, but that's another story.


www.alsofhampden.com

Tired Hands - Fripp Review

I took an adventure up to Pizza Boy/Al's of Hampden in Enola, PA on Monday for the sour bottle release. Al's is by far my favorite place to go for beer in PA. They have 100 taps and about 20 are their own. Another great reason to stop by is that they recently started carrying Tired Hands Beers.

I haven't had a chance to make it out to Tired Hands yet, which is really a shame, but I have had the opportunity to try a few of their beers at Al's. This time I picked up a growler of their English Bitter, Fripp.

Fripp poured a cloudy amber color from my 32 oz growler.





 One thing I've noticed about every Tired Hands beer I've tried is that they have a great hoppy aroma. Fripp smells very hoppy and sweet.

The first sip leaves me with a sweat malty taste, with the hops trying to break through. The aftertaste has a lingering bitterness that stays around for quite a while. The beer is not as hoppy as you would guess by the smells, but the hops are present enough to make it past the strong malt presence. I enjoy this beer but the bitterness in the aftertaste is not as pleasant. The floral hoppy taste doesn't stick around as long as the bitterness and you're left with the taste a little longer than I can enjoy.

Overall this is a good english bitter. I really like the hoppy nose of this beer but the lingering bitterness in the aftertaste doesn't leave me reaching for another sip right away. Can't wait to try more beers from Tired Hands.

www.tiredhands.com
www.alsofhampden.com

Old Forge - Hopsmith Pale Lager Review

This is another review of a beer from a tiny brewery in PA. Old Forge is located in Danville, PA. Unlike Selin's Grove, which is only about 20 minutes down the road, Old Forge does distribute. Nothing makes it out of PA but their pounder cans are pretty iconic around here. I've never tried the hopsmith pale lager, so I picked it up in a mix a six at the grocery store.

The beer pours out a nice golden color with lots of bubbles again.




The beer does offer a nice hoppy smell. I don't get the chance to try too many different IPL's, so I'm looking forward to this. This beer is sweet and hoppy, but mostly sweet. It feels a little thick on the top but has a very nice floral aftertaste.

 My overall impression of Old Forge remains the same, a good but not great local brewery, that's worth checking out if you're in the area.

www.oldforgebrewingcompany.com

Free Will - Mango Wheat Beer Review

It's another hot day in Central PA, so I searched my fridge for something that sounded refreshing. Dug past a lot of stouts that are making me anticipate the cooler fall weather. In the back I found this Free Will Mango Wheat. Sounds pretty refreshing to me.

I poured it out of a 12oz undated bottle to reveal a clear light yellow beer with a light head and lots of bubbles.





The beer does give off a nice natural mango smell. The first sip greets me with a lot of bubbles  and a nice mango flavor. Not too much else going on in this beer besides the mango. They did about as good of a job as any on this fruited wheat beer. The style typically seems to be middle of the road for me regardless of the fruit added.

 I can't say this isn't refreshing though. It's light enough at 4.8% ABV that it goes down smooth and tastes mostly of mango

This would be a great beer to introduce your non craft drinking friends to, and is a great beer for anyone to enjoy on a hot day.


Free Will Brewing Company is located in Perkasie, PA.

Swamp Head Big Nose IPA Review

I did a beer trade recently for some Jai Alai and received some beers from Swamp Head Brewery in Gainsville, Florida. Extras are one of the best parts of beer trades, along with meeting new people that share a love for beer. I guess this is as good of a time as ever to state that I'm into beer trading, and if you ever see something you would like to try let me know and we can set something up. I can be found on beeradvocate, instagram, and untappd.

Anyway on to Big Nose IPA. This beer was poured from a 12 oz can with no canning date to be found. It pours an opaque almost amber color with a nice thick head that dissipates rather slowly.



The beer gives of a  light fruity hop aroma that doesn't really live up to the name big nose. Maybe I just need a bigger nose to smell it? That fruity hop character is more brought out in the first sip. Up front you get the fruity hops followed by some bitterness and then a fairly heavy malt backbone. I really love the initial fruity taste of this beer, however the bitterness and heavy malt don't quite balance out with it.

Overall, its a better than average IPA that won't disappoint if you ever decide to pick it up.

www.swamphead.com

Susquehanna Brewing Company Shady Spot Shandy Review

Shandies are not one of my favorite styles, but I do not discriminate. I figured I might as well try a local one. The only shandy I have ever been impressed by (and I use that term lightly) was Jack O' Traveler shandy.

SBC's Shady Spot pours an almost clear yellow with a decent head. The beer does smell more like lemon peel and less like lemonade mix, which is a good sign.




Unfortunately at first sip this Summer Shandy blends in with the rest. I imagine pouring lemonade in with a decent beer must make a much better shandy than any of these readily available ones. Sounds like I'll be trying that before this Summer is over


Overall this beer is somewhat bland and nothing worth seeking out. I've never had anything awful by SBC but have still never had anything great either. I've pretty much given up expectations of the latter. If you're a fan of shandies stick to a cheaper option as this is not worth the premium paid.

www.sbcbeer.com

Lancaster Double Chocolate Milk Stout Beer Review

Double Chocolate Milk Stout. Chocolate Milk Stout. Chocolate Milk. See what I did there?

Lancaster Brewing Company in Lancaster, PA makes a mighty fine milk stout. This variant is even better, with the addition of cacao nibs. This version is is a slight step up in ABV at 6.8%, and a major step up in the flavor department, adding lots of chocolate.

This beer pours dark brown with a frothy head composed of big brown chocolatey bubbles. 

Man, does this beer smell great! It smells of sweet roasted malt and chocolate. The smell is very reminiscent of Samuel Smith's organic chocolate stout. Take the first sip of this beer and you will be welcomed by a blast of creamy chocolate, followed by roasted malt and more creamy lactose in the aftertaste. This is one of those beers that you're glad came in a bomber so you get to top off your glass when  it's half empty (or full?). 

This beer is a great and at $7 for a bomber, it can't be beat. The only thing I'm left wondering is, how great would this be on Nitro? 

www.lancasterbrewingcompany.com

Victory Kirsch Gose Beer Review

If you've never had a gose before, I recommend you go out and buy one right now. They are probably my favorite style of beer to enjoy in the Summer. Gose, pronounced goes uh, is a german style unfiltered wheat beer with a special ingredient... Salt! That may sound weird at first but give it a shot and I'm confident you will enjoy it.

Victory released Kirsch Gose for the first time this Spring. The bottle tells me that this is a sour cherry bier, and as soon as you poor it and see the ruby red color you know that you're in for a treat.




Victory did a great job of creating this beer. I enjoy it a lot because of the three layers I can taste. Upon entering the mouth I immediately taste the cherry. As I swallow the the sour hits my tongue. The final layer is the malty saltiness after swallowing, that leaves you just wanting to take another sip. (Think how the saltiness of a Pringle leaves you reaching for another)


This was one of the first goses I have tried, but I have enjoyed everyone of them so far. If you can't find Victory's Kirsch Gose anymore I also thoroughly enjoyed Anderson Valley's Blood Orange Gose. Also seek Sour Monkey by Victory for their take on a sour triple. I'll be cracking that one open soon enough.

Flying Dog - Dead Rise Beer Review (Old Bay Beer)

Now I'm not from Maryland, but I do have an appreciation for Old Bay. I may not worship it, but I do like it a lot. It goes great with crabs, chicken wings, fries and beer? My first time having this beer was at an orioles game served from a firkin. It really amuses me how into Old Bay Baltimore is, from selling Old Bay shirts to having a whole store dedicated to it in the Inner Harbor. I ran across Dead Rise again at Wegman's and had to pick up a six pack.

Flying Dog's Description of Dead Rise is as follows: "Dead Rise was brewed to highlight the indelible, bold character of OLD BAY with citrus hop notes and a crisp, tart finish. Pair it with tables piled high with shrimp, corn, and Maryland Blue Crab."



Pouring this beer from a 12 oz bottle and it's a nice cloudy pale gold. It gives off a nice froathy head. The first thing you will notice with this beer is that you can really smell the Old Bay. I'm a fan of salty beers like goses and even ShockTop twisted pretzel. This beer is also salty and has a place in my heart. If you dive in face first right away while this is still ice cold you will miss out on much of the Old Bay. Once you allow it to warm up a little bit the Old Bay and saltiness starts to shine through and believe it or not compliments the beer nicely. This is by no means the best Summer Ale, but it holds it own with a neat novelty idea (don't kill me for that one Maryland). It is awesome to see a brewery including an ingredient their locals are crazy about.

Selin's Grove Brewing - Sustainable IPA (SIPA) Review

Well here goes my second post. For this post I'm reviewing another local favorite of mine. Selin's Grove Brewing Company in Selinsgrove PA. This brewery is within 10 miles of my house and sometimes I forget how lucky I am. They are known for their IPA, Kriek, Framboise, and Pumpkin Ale, however all of their beers are great representations of the style.

I planned on getting a growler of the Phoenix Kriek, but it kicked mid fill, so I went with Sustainable IPA, since I haven't had it in a while. The brewery's description is as follows: "A pale IPA made using 92% micro-malted 'transitional organic' (organic practices used in fields waiting to be certified) pale malt  and  4% certified organic micro-malted crystal 15 malt & 4% conventional micro-malted 'crystal mystery'. All of it grown just 3 hours due north in NY & lovingly malted by Valley Malt in western MA." 


 

Upon pouring the beer from a three day old 32oz growler, I see a golden clear beer with a light head. The aroma is again straight up hops, but some o the NY malts do make it through as well. Taking the first sip, I notice how balanced this beer is. It has a great hop profile almost perfectly balanced by the various organic malts. Another great IPA from Selin's Grove although it can't quite complete with their signature IPA. This is probably a great beer for people who find their regular IPA just a little too hoppy.  

If you are local or traveling thorugh I reccomend making it a priority to stop while they still have the kriek on tap. They also have a wild peche beer on currently which is also a great time, and soon enough it will be pumpkin season and their pumpkin beer will be back on nitro. 


http://www.selinsgrovebrewing.com/

Bullfrog Brewery - Edgar IPA Review

I've spent a decent amount of time (and money) at Bullfrog Brewery in Williamsport PA. Its a local gem that offers great food and an ever changing list of beers. I found it fitting to post my first review on a Bullfrog Beer and figured I might as well do their flagship beer Edgar IPA.

Bullfrog Brewery's description of Edgar IPA is as follows: "Our signature IPA, named after the master of the macabre, Edgar Allen Poe, as a tribute to his aptly named short story "Hop Frog." We hope Edgar amuses you as much as he has us, but stay on his good side... because much like the story, this Hop frog bites back!" Now I've never read the story but this beer does have a pleasant hop bite. 

Expect the format of these reviews and the site in itself to change overtime as I get the hang of things, but to start things off I'm going to do these reviews by giving a personal story to each brewery. If I don't have one I'll substitute with another story somehow involving beer. Sound Good?

Anyway to start things off here we go!

I'm enjoying this beer poured from a 32 oz growler filled last night straight from the tap at Bullfrog Brewery. It pours a hazy gold color and the first thing you notice is the dank aroma of hops. I won't use the work dank all the time I promise, but when you smell a beer and its like Snoop Dogg walked by its the best description I have. The second thing I noticed about this beer is that it has low carb and not much head. Having this in the past I can attest that this is due to the waitress filling the growler "her best." When she brought it back to the table ten minutes after ordering with about two inches of empty space on the top covered and overflowed beer and told me "sorry for the wait, Edgar is being a bitch." Thankfully its not completely flat and still has enough carb to be enjoyable. The aroma definitely is true to the taste. You are hit up front with the sticky hop tastes and left standing on a malt stool that is not quite enough to balance this beer out. Upon swallowing I got a taste of some citrus from the hops followed by the sticky hops again in the aftertaste.

Overall this is a very solid IPA from Bullfrog Brewery, but they do put out better ones (Sunny Disposition for example). If you are ever around central PA stop by Bullfrog Brewery and enjoy their beers and food. They don't put out anything bad.