I just realized that Hawthorne's 3rd Annual IPA Block Party is the day before the Broad Street 10-mile run.  AGGHHH!!!  Oh well, I'm sure that being fueled by hops and Gatorade will eventually push me across the finish line.

http://hawthornecafe.com/

Tröegs Nugget Nectar....hmmm...

Nugget Nectar used to be one of my favorite PA beers.  I would look forward to its release each year and grab a case as soon as it hit the shelves.  I'm afraid that trend might've come to a halt.  Over the past couple of years I have felt the main elements that initially drew me to this beer have faded.  Nugget Nectar's once sharp citrus and sweet fruit notes seem to have been edged out and overpowered by pine and malt, thus taking it from extraordinary to ordinary.  I started thinking this with last year's release and my feelings were confirmed when I cracked into my first bottle of this season.  Unfortunately, this was a disappointing purchase considering the many other options that fall under the same price point.  Nugget Nectar is still a solid beer from a great PA brewery (http://www.troegs.com), but it just doesn't have the same taste and qualities that I originally fell in love with.  I'm not sure what has happened here, but one thing is certain for next year...I will purchase a single bottle or try it on draft before I commit to buying another case.  Here's hoping for the best, as the glass is always half full.    

Pliny the Younger...Finally!!

Yesterday I made it over to Eulogy Belgian Tavern for their tapping of Pliny the Younger, a triple IPA from Russian River Brewing Company.  I had tried Pliny the Elder (double IPA) a few times before, but I had yet to get my hands on it's elusive big brother.  After waiting in line for nearly an hour, I eagerly sat down at the bar and was finally able to order my first (and second) glass of Pliny the Younger.  From the overall citrus, pine punch in the face to the lingering hop presence, this brew was unbelievably tasty down to the last sip.  It was as if someone mashed together grapefruit, unripe mango, loads of incredibly fresh resinous hops, tropical fruits, and more hops!  The complex, layered taste resonated in my mouth long after the final sip.  Tastiest burps too!  My only minor complaint was that it seemed a bit boozy towards the bottom of the glass as it warmed up.  Considering Pliny the Younger comes in at a whopping 11%, the fact that the alcohol is masked so well during the majority of the glass is very impressive.  Overall, I found this brew to be perfectly balanced, representing the qualities of a basically flawless IPA.   

   

Currently, Pliny the Younger is rated as the #1 beer in the world on Beeradvocate.com (http://beeradvocate.com/lists/popular).  Is this actually the best beer in the world?  Probably not.  Is this the best beer I've ever tried?  Definitely one of the best, but not #1 on my list.  Is this the most memorable, delicious beer I've tried in recent years?  Absolutely!  Pliny the Younger was certainly worth the wait and I look forward to another glass of it sometime in the near future.  

Thanks to Eulogy for hosting this event!  http://eulogybar.server101.com/

[Proceeds from Eulogy Belgian Tavern's Pliny the Younger event were contributed to the Philadelphia Asian Arts Initiative.] 

BrewOneFive is here to represent the 215...Let's do it!!