tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67264645153858220322024-03-13T09:35:29.092-07:00Beer Geek SteveSteve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-26310663099078595432012-10-17T16:47:00.002-07:002012-10-18T16:46:33.740-07:00Pumpkin Beer Taste off in the worksA few years back, I put together what I thought was a fairly comprehensive <a href="http://www.beergeeksteve.blogspot.com/2010/10/blind-pumpkin-beer-tasting.html" target="_blank">blind pumpkin beer tasting</a>. While we reflect for a moment on what a blind pumpkin is, this year I have gathered the ammunition to revisit this event, only this time the number of pumpkin beers available have reproduced exponentially. So here is the working list for what some friends and I will be comparing this year:<br />
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Smutty Nose Pumpkin Ale</div>
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Lakefront Pumpkin Lager</div>
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Harpoon Pumpkin UFO</div>
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Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale</div>
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Elysian Night Owl</div>
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Fegley's Devious (the clear winner of the least contest)</div>
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Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale</div>
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Post Road Pumpkin Ale</div>
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Sam Adam's Harvest Pumpkin</div>
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Shipyard Pumpkin Head</div>
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New Holland Ichabod</div>
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Wild Onion Pumpkin Ale</div>
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Dogfish Head Punkin</div>
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Southhampton Pumpkin Ale</div>
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Long Trail Pumpkin Ale</div>
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Uinta Punk'n</div>
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Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat</div>
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Avery Rumkin</div>
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RJ Rockers Gruntled Pumpkin Ale</div>
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Cisco Pundle Drumkin</div>
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Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale</div>
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River Horse Hipp-o-Lantern</div>
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Saranac Pumpkin Ale<br />
Flying Dog The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale</div>
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Southern Tier Pumking</div>
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Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin</div>
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Timmerman's Pumpkin Lambicus</div>
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Rock Art Pumpkin Imperial Spruce Stout</div>
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Elysian The Great Pumpkin</div>
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Elysian Dark of the Moon Pumpkin Stout</div>
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Sam Adam's Fat Jack</div>
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Heavy Seas the Greater Pumpkin Bourbon Aged Imperial Pumpkin Stout</div>
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<br /></div>
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I guess that will be enough, but I'll continue to be on the lookout for additional contestants. I also have a few aged Weyerbacher Imperials, despite having sworn off aging them after the last contest. I'm aiming for a mid to late November date for the event, but meanwhile there's a corner of my cellar packed to the gills with pumpkin.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06720685032029942469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-77851359923051430432011-08-02T17:30:00.000-07:002011-08-02T17:30:07.774-07:00Happy Anniversary, Drink PhillyIt's been a god year for Drink Philly founder, Adam Schmidt. Not only did he get married to his lovely bride, Amanda, but Drink Philly is celebrating one awesome year. See you all at First Friday this week for some Alex's Lemonade Moonshine and Khyber sliders.<br />
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And definitely check out Adam on <a href="http://www.drinkphilly.com/dpblog/read/682">CBS Talk Philly</a>Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-75133728262010155402011-07-14T19:34:00.000-07:002011-07-14T19:39:00.153-07:00Making new beer friends and staying dryI'm about a month and a half late on this, but here's what writing a Beer-off between Rude Elf and Mad Elf eventually led to. Randy LoBasso of Philadelphia Weekly wrote up a <a href="http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/phillynow/2011/06/03/how-i-learned-not-all-beer-snobs-are-jerks/">nice article about his visit </a>to Des and my place a few months ago, after using <a href="http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/phillynow/2011/04/04/pa-beer-wars-in-troegs-vs-fegley%E2%80%99s-who-gets-the-elf/">some hilarious quotes</a> from one of my DrinkPhilly articles last December. Hey Randy - don't bail on next month's <a href="http://www.drinkphilly.com/articles/read/633">DrinkPhilly First Friday</a>!<br />
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By the way, check out his article about how the <a href="http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/phillynow/2011/07/14/could-our-long-statewide-ethanol-nightmare-soon-be-over/">'Statewide Ethanol Nightmare' </a>may soon be coming to an end, and be sure to read how the <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/The-slow-painful-death-of-the-LCB.html">Statewide Ethyl Alcohol Nightmar</a>e may soon be coming to an end.<br />
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By the way, I've been beer-free for almost a week, for no really good reason, although this Insanity workout my wife is making me do (just kidding, baby, I'm having tons o fun) probably has something to do with it. But I see a really nice light at the end of the tunnel with <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/events/info/45541">TJs Scraps</a> party this Saturday. They'll be packed with beer geeks for this event (I'm looking at you, Slap-E!) They have a keg of Parabola that's not on the taplist, so I'll be keeping my eye on <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/TJsBeer">their Tweets</a> for that one!Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-69075535623950866012011-04-10T18:55:00.000-07:002011-04-10T18:55:55.490-07:00Rude Elf vs. Mad ElfTroegs recently filed action against Fegley's BrewWorks for trademark violation, contending that the use of the name 'Rude Elf's Reserve' infringes upon their 'Mad Elf.' Drink Philly provides some details <a href="http://drinkphilly.com/articles/read/433">here</a>.<br />
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Could this be the inevitable backlash for my December <a href="http://drinkphilly.com/articles/read/243">side-by-side review</a> of the two, in which Rude Elf's Reserve took the narrow advantage?<br />
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They might not say it explicitly, but Philadelphia Weekly <a href="http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/phillynow/2011/04/04/pa-beer-wars-in-troegs-vs-fegley%E2%80%99s-who-gets-the-elf/comment-page-1/#comment-31729">seems to think so</a>. As PW describes my article, "How could anyone be that into beer? We feel we know too much now."Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-9735474073182576822011-02-20T11:59:00.000-08:002011-02-20T12:00:45.395-08:00Beer tasting celebration<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">My mother-in-law, Penny, asked me to host a beer tasting to celebrate her husband's achievement of full teacher certification. It was a heck of a time, and I succeeded in my task of getting through the whole tasting and then beginning to slur immediately afterward. Here's what we had, with notes and apologies to the websites that I lifted some verbiage from:</span><br />
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<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">1.</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"> </span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Lindemans Gueuze Cuvee Rene<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Gueuze – 5% abv – Brussels, Belgium<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">A traditional Belgian blend of young and old Lambics (spontaneously fermented), which are then bottled after blending, then aged for 2-3 years to produce a dryer, fruitier and more intense style of Lambic. There is no hop character. It is a golden turbid wine-like beer that balances a malty fruit and a complex yeasty acidity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">2.</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"> </span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Kira Wit<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Witbier – 4.7% abv, Melle Belgium<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">A Belgian Style ale that's very pale and cloudy in appearance due to it being unfiltered and the high level of wheat used in the mash. Kira is brewed using barley malt and raw wheat and spiced with coriander and Curacao bitter orange peel. Sometimes served with a lemon, but if you truly want to enjoy the untainted subtleties of this style you'll ask for yours without one. Often referred to as "white beers" (witbieren) due to the cloudiness / yeast in suspension.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">3. Bavarian Barbarian Square feet Wheat<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Dunkelweizen – 5.5% abv, Williamsport, Pennsylvania<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Similar to a Hefeweizen, these southern Germany wheat beers are brewed as darker versions (Dunkel means "dark") with deliciously complex malts and a low balancing bitterness. Fermented with a weizen yeast strain from the Andechs Brewery in Germany, Square Feet Wheat Dunkelweizen bears a taste of clove along with some fruity esters that include apples and pears. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">4. Sierra Nevada Glissade<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Bock – 6.4% abv, Chico, California<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">The Maibock style (or helles bock) of beer tends to be lighter in color than other Bock beers and often has a significant hop character with a noticeable alcohol around the same as a traditional Bock (German strong lager). Maibocks are customarily served in the spring and are oftentimes interrelated with spring festivals and celebrations more often in the month of May.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">5. New Holland Imperial Hatter<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">DIPA – 9.40% abv, Holland, Michican<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Take an India Pale Ale and feed it steroids, ergo the term Double IPA. Robust, malty, alcoholic and with a hop profile that might rip your tongue out, look for spots of citrus, pine resin, grass, and maybe even a little bit of onion, all of which come from the different varieties of hops added during the boil and fermentation. This Hatter came from a firkin – a non-force carbonated quarter-keg. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">6. Left Hand Fade to Black<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Export Stout – 8.5% abv, Colorado</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
A special style of stout that is brewed bigger than normal for a long journey, the more traditional Foreign / Export Stouts will be found in the tropical regions of the world. Higher in alcohol with a very pronounced roasted character. Fade to Black shows some very aggressive coffee, chocolate, roasty, and even nutty notes. But not as nutty as Phil Mest.</span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">7. De Struise Pannepot Reserva 2008<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Quadrupel – 10.0%, Oostvleteren, Belgium<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Inspired by the Trappist brewers of Belgium, a Quadrupel is a Belgian style ale of great strength with bolder flavor compared to its Dubbel and Tripel sister styles. De Struise Brouwers take on the style is every bit as complex and deep as the true Trappists. Look for overtones of dark ripe fruits and some vanilla from aging in oak barrels. </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-60293030899037946722011-01-26T18:44:00.000-08:002011-01-26T18:44:28.841-08:00Winter BluesShort days, crappy weather, minimal exercise...all that adds up to the winter blues. On top of that, I've been seriously busy lately between house hunting (settlement is February 25) and organizing 1400 volunteers for MLK Days of Service. So I'm a little beat...lucky for me, I have a wife who knows exactly how to treat this ailment.<br />
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This was waiting for me when I got home one night last week. A few of my favorite winter seasonals, pretty much concentrated hop juice. And suddenly, it's the most wonderful time of the year.<br />
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Other awesome things going on right now:<br />
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<a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20110120/ENT07/101200390/1046/ENT07/-Batman-flick-s-Catwoman-cast">Anne Hathaway cast as Catwoman in next Batman movie</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://drinkphilly.com/articles/read/290">Drink Philly's Adam Schmitt on Preston and Steve</a><br />
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Cheers!Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-72718995435080997392010-12-20T18:04:00.000-08:002010-12-20T18:04:38.520-08:00Happy BirthdayToday is a day for celebration in the BeerGeek household, and one of our most important holidays of the year. My wife, Desiree, turns another year more lovely today.<br />
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We're marking the occasion by opening up two bottles from the Belgian beergrimmage we took back in August - which I lazily never wrote about, so I'll rectify that now.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxD1t7GGP9SqkNe1CM9sLMg4Mnz8oUbkXTlyTw3e838OwAVTiqi_SUoN6GoIGLsnQbdsb3NAFbSRIJC1Zqs8MgZj9Rycahu_k0y-EAaGRvfQdPBd0jug6bDdkaV-uHJn3DFa_MOAEVYs/s1600/STA71535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxD1t7GGP9SqkNe1CM9sLMg4Mnz8oUbkXTlyTw3e838OwAVTiqi_SUoN6GoIGLsnQbdsb3NAFbSRIJC1Zqs8MgZj9Rycahu_k0y-EAaGRvfQdPBd0jug6bDdkaV-uHJn3DFa_MOAEVYs/s320/STA71535.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
My favorite beer of the trip came with dinner on our first night in Brugges, at the Erasmus Hotel where we stayed. Desiree ordered a Drie Fountainen Oude Gueuze, and I ordered a 2006 Destruise Pannepot from the vintage list. Pannepot is the excellent upstart brewery Destruise's take on the Trappist quadrupel style, and though brewed secularly, has as much of a holy aura as the originals. The cellared version was complex, slightly boozy yet smooth, and alive with notes of dried fruits, licorice, and heavy malts.<br />
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We later visited Destruise Brouwers in Oostvleteren, during a bike ride that took us to the St. Sixtus Abbey at Westvleteren, Trappist home of one of the most sought after quads on the planet. Though we knew that Destruise was not open for business on Tuesdays, we knocked on the door anyway, and were greeted quite hospitably by Urbain and his staff.<br />
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We scored a great haul, including Black Albert Batch Zero and Cuvee Delphine, some of the greatest Imperial Stouts I've had the pleasure of tasting, as well a few different variations of Pannepot. Over the years, Urbain had tried a few different versions of the quad, and even changed the name from Pannepeut (Old Monk's Ale) to the current name (Fisherman's Ale) as the recipe changed, and we were lucky enough to grab a few of each.<br />
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Tonight, we're drinking the oak aged variation, Pannepot Reserva, from 2008, and Destruise's 10% abv Christmas beer, Tsjeeses. I knew as I hauled a backpack full of bottles from Oostvleteren back to Popperinge by bike that my score would be destined for a special occasion. Couldn't be anymore special than this.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Happy birthday, Des!</div>Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-33723989264218808312010-10-03T09:42:00.000-07:002010-10-03T10:07:03.093-07:00Blind Pumpkin Beer Tasting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87iS1dhhJtTOLdZFkt4zDw7ISroUbz4oxkvx2HFVpeohcPreNgEfCvZG6Z2IvrVGtQ0AFbKPT7Mz7BnzAnYaM0fzKpqDe-MIgnh2kD4nGKb0N4-wYk3ys6BRt6MdMmiyyU3bKpEhKNhA/s1600/STA71953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87iS1dhhJtTOLdZFkt4zDw7ISroUbz4oxkvx2HFVpeohcPreNgEfCvZG6Z2IvrVGtQ0AFbKPT7Mz7BnzAnYaM0fzKpqDe-MIgnh2kD4nGKb0N4-wYk3ys6BRt6MdMmiyyU3bKpEhKNhA/s400/STA71953.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Last night, I held a blind pumpkin beer tasting event for my wife's family featuring 11 locally available pumpkin beers. I used the <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/101/">Beer Advocate</a> weighting for rating the beers, based on appearance, smell, taste, mouthfeel, and drinkability (though I kept in average percentages rather than a 5.0 scale, simply because I didn't feel like doing any more math.)<br />
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Here are the aggregated results for the five tasters, as well as my own ratings, and some general thoughts for each selection.<br />
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Beer<br />
Average / Steve's score / Notes<br />
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<b>Wolavers Will Steven's Pumpkin Ale</b><br />
86.6% / 78% / More pumpkin than spice, though lots of cloves in the finish. The overall favorite, and organic too.<br />
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<b>Arcadia Jaw Jacker</b><br />
85.6% / 82% / Not actually a pumpkin beer, just pumpkin spices, but had a full body with great drinkability.<br />
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<b>BrewWorks Devious</b><br />
81.8% / 88% / My personal favorite, though not exactly 'blind' since it was in a bigger bottle than the rest. Dark, thick, strong, and full.<br />
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<b>Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale 2010</b><br />
76.6% / 80% / One of the best balanced, a little bit boozy.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Dogfish Head Punkin</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">74.2% / 75% / Very clear appearance, lots of pumpkin, less spice.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Saranac Pumpkin Ale</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">73.2% / 82% / A bit sweet in spots, but otherwise nicely balanced and more 'beery' than some of the others.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Post Road Pumpkin Ale</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">72.6% / 83% / Very spicy aroma, one of the best all-around balanced flavor and body.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">69% / 70% / A good spicy aroma, but lacked any kind of substance or body in the flavor department.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale 2009</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">67% / 64% / Really developed a lot of ammonia-like phenols over a year, I won't be aging this beer anymore.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Southhampton Pumpkin</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">58% / 66% / Flavor comes primarily from spices but little else going on in this beer.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Shipyard Pumpkin Head</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">54.6% / 59% / Another one that used pumpkin spices, but no actual pumpkin, but this really came off as a spiced adjunct lager - like Miller Lite with some cinnamon added.<br />
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Just for fun, afterward we opened a few other goodies. Two bottles of Mest-up DIPA (<a href="http://twitter.com/HomebrewerFlip">HomebrewerFlip</a>'s Pliny the Elder clone), a 2007 De Struise Pannepot, and a Cantillon Iris, both fresh from our Belgian Beergrimage.</div>Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-26432123797265531102010-09-12T17:44:00.000-07:002010-09-12T17:44:23.982-07:00Beergrimmage Booty Part Deux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNyCwZlA2QeF5WHRv74ZYoTtwqVFI8Dx1SckJ-5tx003uimaAliRrTY1R7j1PS_VPEk1ixhyphenhyphencLkiJgI1m-gvjDUhFiz9__ZF3a-uVd5fjgBGCc62ED1WyaY5IiIsIjJsbsQV0kqgw6S0/s1600/STA71915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNyCwZlA2QeF5WHRv74ZYoTtwqVFI8Dx1SckJ-5tx003uimaAliRrTY1R7j1PS_VPEk1ixhyphenhyphencLkiJgI1m-gvjDUhFiz9__ZF3a-uVd5fjgBGCc62ED1WyaY5IiIsIjJsbsQV0kqgw6S0/s400/STA71915.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally got around to picking up my Beer Planet shipment from our friends, Scotty and Angela, in DC. A decent haul, with a yellow cap thrown in for good measure. </div><br />
<span id="goog_377608507"></span><span id="goog_377608508"></span>Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-17212226533210402322010-08-13T18:02:00.000-07:002010-08-13T18:04:46.096-07:00Beergrimmage Booty Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFHOC3xV-7ZHPQDXWjgFui3ECTdbKpmFwGGsBfqO4pDPeNBkbdTFiWL8nRkk1Ip-WxSaDLKBfH3kEL39HwJms5vR03GsYcWQnuShnIDn3odCBnqQF0RYiyYvjz0O_zmIty_uCzsmI528/s1600/STA71870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFHOC3xV-7ZHPQDXWjgFui3ECTdbKpmFwGGsBfqO4pDPeNBkbdTFiWL8nRkk1Ip-WxSaDLKBfH3kEL39HwJms5vR03GsYcWQnuShnIDn3odCBnqQF0RYiyYvjz0O_zmIty_uCzsmI528/s400/STA71870.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Here's what we brought home from Belgium, purchased at the Beir Tempel in Brussels and smuggled using bubble wrap in our luggage. 24/24 intact! Recognize anything?<br />
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We also purchased another case at Beer Planet, also in Brussels. We had this shipped and should be getting it soon. Should have had it all shipped...this would have been more cost effective, but we wanted to diversify our risk a little bit.Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-80589202625170067922010-07-11T18:53:00.000-07:002010-07-11T18:53:23.773-07:00The BeergrimageAfter my wife, Desiree, completes the PA and NJ bar exam, we'll be celebrating by taking a trip to the old world - specifically, Germany and Belgium. The goal - visit as many breweries as possible (well, that's just my goal, as a couple we have a few others.)<br />
<div>After a few relaxing days in the German countryside of Oberwesel, we'll migrate west to Belgium, one of the most celebrated beer regions in the world. We'll spend a few days in the beautiful and historic Bruges, and visit Brouwerij Halve de Maan, brewers of the Bruges Zot Belgian Pale Ale. </div><div>Next on the itinerary is the village Poperinge, where Brouwerij Van Eecke and St. Bernardus await us in nearby Watou. Poperinge also serves as the launching pad for our beergrimage within the beergrimage - a trip to one of the most celebrated breweries on the planet: The Abbey of St. Sixtus in Westvleteren. I've blogged about beer hype a few times before, and the Westvleteren 12 quadrupel is the perfect storm of rarity and (alleged - I'll let you know) deliciousness to be oft named the best beer in the world. The Trappist monks at Westvleteren are not as interested in building a commercial empire as some of their brethren in monasteries like Chimay and Orval (not that there's anything wrong with that) and consequently, the demand for their beer far outstrips the supply.</div><div>After this glorious visit, we'll move onto Brussels, aka Lambic land, where the highly acclaimed Cantillon brews lambics and geuezes. A brief trip south of the city will land us in Beersel, where Drie Fountainen blends some of geuezes of tremendous repute.</div><div>Our last beer-related stop will be to Beer Mania, a Belgian beer retailer, where I'll be able to send a case or two of some of the best Belgian beers home to some of my friends outside of the Commonwealth.</div><div>Our 10 day journey begins on August 2, and I'll be posting photos and anecdotes shortly afterward.</div>Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-71678292327727423782010-06-28T16:36:00.000-07:002010-06-28T17:07:08.362-07:00RegistrationI told the story behind Registration Ale a few weeks back on <a href="http://www.drinkphilly.com/index.php/drinks/artprofile/103">DrinkPhilly.com</a>. This weekend, I benefitted from the prudent patience of Jeff from <a href="http://www.tjseveryday.com/whats_on_tap.asp">TJ's Restaurant and Drinkery</a> in Paoli, who had the foresight to save his keg of Registration for an event a week after Philly Beer Week. Not only did I get to have this lovely hop bomb of an IPA again, I actually ended up with a growler to take home (as did most of the other Beer Advocate types who showed up for the event.)<br />
Here's why this matters: The geekiest of us beer folk are always on the look out for those special one-off beers that I referred to in my last post. In fact, Russian River's Pliny the Younger is almost synonymous for "I ain't gettin' any younger while I'm waiting in this line outside the bar for the Pliny event." By the time you get through all of the barriers to entry to getting PtY, it psychologically results in you thinking it was the best beer you ever had, even if they served you a Bud Light Lime. I should know, I waited an hour outside Tria on a very nasty day for it.<br />
But with the confluence of events that led up to the TJ's event, the lines just didn't show up for Registration the way they do for PtY, even though Registration is rarer and possibly just as vaunted. Maybe its name isn't as big, maybe the Philly area beer geeks were tapped out from Beer Week, maybe all of the Main Line snobs were on vacation. Whatever it was, I genuinely lost sleep when I heard through Twitter that the Registration got tapped a night early, thinking that I would lose my chance to have it one more time, only to find the keg still running strong the next morning (hey, it was 5 o'clock somewhere).<br />
Incidentally, this one was made specifically for Philly, so even the beer folk who live right next to the Russian River brewery in Santa Clara, California, were out of luck for this one. That's a limited release, my friends.<br />
The point is that the score was so profound that some of my lucky fellow beer geeks are now using their Registration growlers as barter for some serious whales from around the world.<br />
Personally, I don't like the hassle, so I'm just going to enjoy Registration for the next week, a little at a time.Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-90547610201663494652010-06-22T19:13:00.000-07:002010-06-22T19:13:23.739-07:00Beer and Hype<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSuyitfXWIBe-mHnhTfSAiRoiNx-vsyslfUcMw-q08zc5ZkOB1e1KinE72Z5ea-ncAEhz8EYR5KuxyAsVDOA5SOwDxL_XC3UEVzbW30bKb8osYrEELnkB6P26scMGQUrhtfxBFyJ_lZ0/s1600/SteveKBS.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSuyitfXWIBe-mHnhTfSAiRoiNx-vsyslfUcMw-q08zc5ZkOB1e1KinE72Z5ea-ncAEhz8EYR5KuxyAsVDOA5SOwDxL_XC3UEVzbW30bKb8osYrEELnkB6P26scMGQUrhtfxBFyJ_lZ0/s320/SteveKBS.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>There are some beers out there that have such a following that it's almost unfair to judge the beer itself against the hype it generates. These are usually rarities of one stripe or another: brewery only releases, limited or single batches, local distribution only, or at the very least, the seasonal. Seasonal favorites generate some serious anticipation. Midwinter brings such celebrated ales as Troegs Nugget Nectar and Bell's HopSlam, but these are generally not hard to find as long as you're looking at the right time. On the other hand, Russian River's Pliny the Younger (available only in kegs on a very limited basis in the Philly area) creates such a mad rush that taverns build events around its tapping, resulting in lines at the door and one-per-customer limits. Beer fans drive or fly from all over the country to Three Floyds Brewery in Indiana to pick up the wax covered bottles of their one-day release, Dark Lord.<br />
While a bit more ubiquitous than PtY or Dark Lord, perhaps no beer's seasonal release is as anticipated as Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS as it reads on the bottle). This bourbon barrel aged Imperial stout is one of the most coveted and praised beer in the craft community, and when a tweet or a Facebook post goes up informing the masses of a new batch hitting shelves in one bottle shop or another, it's often gone in a matter of hours.<br />
I finally got my hands on a few bottles the other night at Capone's in East Norriton at $9 a pop for a 12 oz, and I was pretty excited about the score, to say the least. I still restrained or a couple evenings before cracking the first bottle with a few friends. This was a seriously complex elixir, with notes of smoke, bourbon, oak, licorice, coffee, chocolate, cream, and anise, a damn good stout. By the intimidating measuring stick created by all of the hype (and price point) for this beer, it fared rather well. This was something of a pleasant surprise to me, after being a bit disappointed by the coffee overkill of Founder's Breakfast Stout (not the Kentucky variety).<br />
So while this kind of hype is easy to criticize as an overblown emotional reaction to viral and word-of-mouth marketing, I think it can add an element of fun to craft beer conoiseurship. There's something satisfying about hunting and killing the white whales of the craft beer ocean...even if the meat isn't always as tasty as one hoped. Dark Lord, Canadian Breakfast Stout, and Midnight Sun TREAT, I'm coming for you.Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-567718615673143012010-06-20T19:46:00.000-07:002010-06-21T18:20:16.286-07:00International Great Beer ExpoI crashed the International Great Beer Expo with <a href="http://www.DrinkPhilly.com">DrinkPhilly.com</a><br />
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<object width="400" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mOzr5Tr3bc8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mOzr5Tr3bc8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="250"></embed></object><br />
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Check out :56 for an appearance by my lovely wife, Desiree.<br />
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See the full <a href="http://drinkphilly.com/index.php/drinks/artprofile/99">article here</a>.Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-41092092124653595932010-06-20T16:38:00.001-07:002010-06-21T09:42:40.144-07:00First Trip to Capone's<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4J37ykMtnlO7aNonMIxogxzRDERmjO2BPlSZgX-b6pI3NJ-g75ChP-0wPAQC7RG8UWiHUTIgXgpfNLJkVofTXGNJTaU0fx_-iupk3B1yAIutCwmubsLJlh6l0iScxQHOcbtfT6pxwxw/s1600/6-19beerrun.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4J37ykMtnlO7aNonMIxogxzRDERmjO2BPlSZgX-b6pI3NJ-g75ChP-0wPAQC7RG8UWiHUTIgXgpfNLJkVofTXGNJTaU0fx_-iupk3B1yAIutCwmubsLJlh6l0iScxQHOcbtfT6pxwxw/s400/6-19beerrun.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485004621970873378" /></a><br />
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A nice haul from my first trip to Capone's in East Norriton, the gems being the two bottles of KBS, the Mephistopheles, and a nice gueze for Desiree. The selection is excellent there, but without a doubt you pay for it.Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-83324376706269366482010-06-16T18:49:00.000-07:002010-06-16T19:02:28.926-07:00McShea's Restaurant and Bar<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZk4eflxg_NYndicM_Vh4h78ln8d7adUHK2k1fQXZtKYHUyqZTNT2SJqg30CyWplzMvHAO3UB0lm3jX9fl_nPV-IzcI6X6ruMeqWKFdhLO49Np-FFwwBscgDgsEALX9YYnbmRQNMdZAVA/s1600/photo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZk4eflxg_NYndicM_Vh4h78ln8d7adUHK2k1fQXZtKYHUyqZTNT2SJqg30CyWplzMvHAO3UB0lm3jX9fl_nPV-IzcI6X6ruMeqWKFdhLO49Np-FFwwBscgDgsEALX9YYnbmRQNMdZAVA/s400/photo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483557127671178690" /></a><br />We mistakenly stumbled upon McShea’s (242 Haverford Avenue, Narberth, PA) a few years ago. We were trying to get to the Greeks, and before we made it to that side of the road from the Narberth train station (R5), decided to try out the little nondescript bar with an Irish flag flapping above the door.<br />Since that accidental discovery a few years ago, McShea’s has become a favorite – a weekly destination. We go (and so should you!) for a few reasons: <br />First, THE BEER! 12 beers on tap, over 60 bottles. Sure, some of them are BMC macro shit, but most of them are beers you won’t find at your usual bar – at least in this number. And sure, there are a few better places for beer on the Main Line (Guillifty’s in Rosemont, but their food sucks), but McShea’s has a great selection, location, and atmosphere. And not too expensive - $4.50 - $5 for something like Golden Monkey, Bass, Stella, or Philadelphia Brewing Co beers; up to about $7 for something like Ommegang’s Three Philosophers, Chimay Blue, or Dogfish head 90 Minute IPA. The beers don’t rotate as much as I’d like, but at least the standards are good. Plus, if you are coming with someone who’s not a beer drinker, there are gateway crafts. (OK, I haven’t actually had anything except beer while at McShea’s, but they do have my wife's absolute favorite gin, which most bars don’t have – Hendricks, and the wines seem decent. Plus, there is such a variety of beer that you could probably find something for your non-beer loving friend.) <br />Second, the Beer Box Challenge. Drink the 50 beers listed, and you get (get excited!!) your name on a brass plaque on the wall and your own mug to drink from while at the bar. Again, some of the beers in the Box suck (e.g. three different Michelob beers, c’mon! Michelob, Michelob Light, Michelob Ultra – ugh!), but they’re pretty good at letting you substitute a seasonal or other beer not on the Challenge for one of those I’d-rather-just-drink-water beers. <br />Third, the food is pretty good. You still go here for the beer, not the food, but the food is better than your usual bar food – pub food like fish and chips and seafood stew, but also some surprises like sushi, a hummus plate, mushroom quesadillas, etc. <br />And finally, the atmosphere – it’s a cozy, small bar area, but crowded or not, it feels warm. The bartenders are always accommodating, and you get the feeling that if they weren’t on shift they’d be right next to you with a nice pint. Also, this isn’t a place that you have to worry about looking up from your conversation or MegaTouch game to find that the place has been swarmed with undergrads. The age range is probably late twenties up to fifties. The exception to that is dinner time – a good number of kids, but they’re mostly confined to the restaurant area. No matter the time, just make sure to find a seat in the bar area, even if you have to stand around and wait – the atmosphere of the restaurant area is unimpressive, and even though this is no dive, I get the impression of sitting in a diner with wood floors covered in sawdust and picnic tables (to be clear, there isn’t actually any sawdust or picnic tables). <br />If you are in the Main Line area – go here! Also look for Quizzo on Tuesdays and Guest Bartender night on Wednesdays. A few drawbacks, but overall it’s a Main Line gem for beer.Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-67891898522076071052010-06-16T18:21:00.000-07:002010-06-18T10:29:42.686-07:00The Iron Brewer Competition<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnIi7-1Esq51dFqInoqTlib7wPi39fax8s6mzharJ5sY2vAjygps9X92FBcGxAfbj-WmVm1C_FIDot7Q6bbl63VBVqZg77sfTJuQpKTf6e2LFFiHZAN_1CcPUw_GocP9cN5FchDs0Zzo/s1600/IronBrewer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnIi7-1Esq51dFqInoqTlib7wPi39fax8s6mzharJ5sY2vAjygps9X92FBcGxAfbj-WmVm1C_FIDot7Q6bbl63VBVqZg77sfTJuQpKTf6e2LFFiHZAN_1CcPUw_GocP9cN5FchDs0Zzo/s400/IronBrewer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483552465145669042" /></a><br />June 11, 2010<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"></span><br />Philly Beer Week isn’t just for metropolitan venues and professional brewers; with the thousand-plus events occurring in the ten-day span, it's no surprise to find beer week festivities overflowing into the suburbs. And at Iron Hill of West Chester, the Iron Brewer event highlighted the local talents of the home brewers extraordinaire of West Chester’s BUZZ club. If you’ve ever watched the Food Network, you know the basic idea: the ‘Commissioner,’ in this case Iron Hill’s Larry Horwitz, provided each competitor a ‘secret ingredient’ in March to serve as a base from which to craft their masterpiece. Twenty participants pitted their zymurgical prowess against one another to come up with the best beer from an identical pilsner malt wort with up to five pounds of additional fermentables.<br />By all accounts, each of the entrants put up a fierce battle, but a clear winner emerged in David Houseman’s Groundhog Baltic Porter. Fermented with an ale yeast under lagering conditions, Groundhog is a thick, black abyss with hints of raisins, prunes, and a trace of butternut squash. <br />On the night that Dave was awarded the coveted Iron Brewer trophy, Iron Hill West Chester offered the porter both on draft and firkin, which Dave and Larry brewed after the competition. The firkin version was even tastier than the draft, but even Larry agreed the best iteration was Dave's original. We were lucky to taste the bona fide home brew version, which brought a slightly hot alcohol character to the flavor and more intense nut and fruit notes. <br />Dave named the winning beer, along with all his other homebrews, after the groundhog that lives in his backyard. One of his favorites was Groundhog IPA. <br />It was interesting to taste the unusual pairing of a pilsner malt with an ale yeast, but original Baltic porters did use ale yeast at cooler lagering temperatures. When asked what type of beer he was expecting to win the competition, Larry approvingly replied “something just like this,” as he hoisted a pint of the hearty porter.<br />Congratulations, David, and thanks for a great beer!Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-43395377021706567492010-04-09T13:41:00.000-07:002010-04-09T13:43:32.816-07:00Birthday Beer Run<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8xsXyRfRAkyfZ1hvTvsRtTNWI4CITI0G8yED6gQL5xodPb6VHO-_lpoGmBlv3UF8T6Gu0ecypBQwwVqHL59JNLJuMJwLoYuE_q1tkGkCOD9tbWeszM_JW0IePYZRruDdZPIjDWMDbzg/s1600/STA71276.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8xsXyRfRAkyfZ1hvTvsRtTNWI4CITI0G8yED6gQL5xodPb6VHO-_lpoGmBlv3UF8T6Gu0ecypBQwwVqHL59JNLJuMJwLoYuE_q1tkGkCOD9tbWeszM_JW0IePYZRruDdZPIjDWMDbzg/s400/STA71276.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458241085461788738" /></a><br /><br />Thanks, Des!Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726464515385822032.post-85747010335920057112010-03-25T16:22:00.001-07:002010-03-25T16:22:57.517-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_BeAhii0yjgPvHf6-fv-dwJfGEHCpezEKkG45T3d7GWLAqUpxRxavMs3qiHq7iocWP-Z3Q_UUFrTzocdQCM2bE5yIwPpBkpcEYRQxr6Swk9nh3dhQC-iNEGzAguB6oTeNIfAo1SgD_s/s1600/STA71264.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_BeAhii0yjgPvHf6-fv-dwJfGEHCpezEKkG45T3d7GWLAqUpxRxavMs3qiHq7iocWP-Z3Q_UUFrTzocdQCM2bE5yIwPpBkpcEYRQxr6Swk9nh3dhQC-iNEGzAguB6oTeNIfAo1SgD_s/s400/STA71264.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452715977192411298" /></a>Steve Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07085793791118257924noreply@blogger.com0