Dogfish Head Festina Pêche

I was looking for a light, refreshing brew to compete against the rising late-June heat and decided to open a bottle of Festina Pêche.  Dogfish Head took the core qualities of a traditional Berliner Weisse and added their own spin to concoct this brewery coined "neo-Berliner".  Festina Pêche is a nice summer beer but seems to be lacking something that could push it to the next level.  For being one of the most experimental breweries out there, Dogfish Head stayed too close to the middle of the road on this one.  After each sip, I was hoping for the initial taste of tart peach and citrus zest to be to more pronounced and amplified.  I would've also preferred a crisp, lingering sourness as opposed to the mild, abrupt finish.  While I didn't find this beer to be amazing, it was still relatively very good and an absolute steal at $9.99 per 4-pack.  I really can't think of any other brew representing this style that you'd be able to find for $2.50 a bottle.  Festina Pêche ranks much higher for me as a satisfying summertime option than a top Berliner-styled beer.  Not my favorite offering from Dogfish Head, but definitely a solid brew that I'd gladly drink again.       

From the Dogfish Head website: "In addition to fermentation with an ale yeast, Berliner Weisse is traditionally fermented with lactic cultures to produce its acidic (or green apple-like) character. Served as an apertif or summertime quencher, Festina is delicately hopped and has a pale straw color. To soften the intense sourness, Berliner Weisse is traditionally served with a dash of essence of woodruff or raspberry syrup.
In Festina Peche, since the natural peach sugars are eaten by the yeast, the fruit complexity is woven into both the aroma and the taste of the beer so there is no need to doctor it with woodruff or raspberry syrup. Just open and enjoy!"

Central City Red Betty IPA

Over the past few months I've been keeping a steady supply of this tasty, solid brew in our fridge.  Originally sold as Red Racer, it's now labelled as Red Betty in an effort to settle a dispute with California's Bear Republic Brewery.  Central City Brewing Comapny is based out of Canada (Surrey, BC) and up there this beer is still going under the original name, Red Racer.  Enough legal talk, time for beer talk! 

The main thing I like about Red Betty is the great balance that translates into easy drinkability. Golden amber in hue, this beer is not a hop bomb but a very evenly weighed out IPA.  Lots of piney hops up front that transition smoothly into a bready malt backing.  The borderline ripe grapefruit citrus notes leave behind a lingering aftertaste of pleasant hop bitterness.  Red Betty is a refreshing, medium-bodied brew that I find to be almost sessionable despite its 6.5% abv.

This award winning Canadian brewery has put out one of the best canned IPA's I've had in a long time.  Bring it to a BBQ to share with your hop-loving friends, take it camping, or keep it at home for a great year-round standby.  Red Betty is definitely worth seeking out!

http://www.centralcitybrewing.com/

Dark Horse Brewing Co. at Hawthorne's

I went to the Hawthorne's Dark Horse Brewing Company event with the goal of trying one specific beer.  Considering I only had time for one drink, this plan worked out pretty well.  Even better was that the beer I wanted to try, Bourbon-Barrel Aged Plead the 5th, was surprisingly still flowing when I arrived.  This barrel-aged Imperial Stout was a glass of pure deliciousness!  Waves of soothing bourbon heat were soon joined with a mouthful of chocolate, oak and warm vanilla. Almost tasting similar at times to the qualities of a whiskey-soaked brownie or a slice of dense, chocolate cake.  The heavy bourbon presence provided a strong base of flavor but never came off as too boozy or overwhelming.  From the first sip until the final drop, this was just an outstanding beer.  Bourbon-Barrel Aged Plead the 5th will definitely be added to my list as one of the top barrel-aged stouts around.     

http://hawthornecafe.com/

http://www.darkhorsebrewery.com/

Hill Farmstead/ Grassroots at The Boilermaker

Hill Farmstead and Grassroots at The Boilermaker?  YES!!  This was indeed my most anticipated event of Beer Week and it panned out to be everything I was hoping for.  What a perfect combination of excellent brews with an inviting atmosphere to enjoy them.  Great beer, great bar!

At this point, I consider Hill Farmstead to be one of the absolute best breweries around.  Compared with other Eastern states, their IPAs are basically unparalleled.  I've pretty much loved every beer I've had from them in the past and I was excited to try many more of their offerings during this event.

Grassroots Brewing is a subsidiary of Hill Farmstead that has previously collaborated with many other notable breweries (Mikkeller, Tired Hands, Cigar City, and more).  It appears that Grassroots is a gypsy project as I read they operate "as a client brewer at Fanø Bryghus" in Nordby, Denmark.

My friend, Troy, and I arrived before the place got packed and we grabbed two seats in the center of the upstairs bar.  My goal was to try everything on tap and that's exactly what we did (minus Citra which oddly was the first beer to kick).  One of the many things I like about The Boilermaker is that in addition to normal-sized servings, they also offer small glasses of everything that is pouring on draft.  This made it possible to try everything we wanted and not be a collective sloppy mess by the end of the night.  Thoughtful move by management that I wish more bars would pick up on. 

Sooooo, here's what we got into:

Hill Farmstead 
- Abner (Double IPA)
- Everett (caramel and chocolate malt Porter)
- Myth of Saison (Tired Hands collab, Saison brewed with 240 lbs. of VT and PA honey)
- Society and Solitude #2 (Imperial Black IPA)
- Society and Solitude #3 (experimental Double IPA)
- Florence (Belgian inspired Wheat)
- Edward (unfiltered American Pale Ale)
- What is Enlightenment? (Simcoe, Amarillo- hopped American Pale Ale)

Grassroots
- Tired Hands Wachu Saison (brewed w/ Thai red rice, peppercorns, and yuzu)
- Keep on Cruisin' Buddy (Berliner Weisse)
- Tired Hands Do Saisons Dream of Electric Yeast? (Dark Saison)
- Mikkeller Wheat is the New Hops (Wheat, Brett IPA)
- Kolding Bryglaug KolVal (Belgian Pale Ale w/ Orval Yeast)

WOW!!!  As expected everything was incredible, with the minor exception of KolVal which I thought was a bit muted especially with the addition of the Orval yeast.  Still a good beer, just not on par with the rest of night.  Abner is one the best DIPAs around but Society and Solitude #3 was right on its tail.  Two fantastic beers I'd love to see around here more often!  They were also the only brews that we ordered a second round of during our mammoth session.  Edward is an amazing Pale Ale that always tastes as fresh as can be. What is Enlightenment? blew me away with its balance of hops and intense citrus fruit juiciness. Wachu's complex array of flavors combined to make a deliciously balanced citrus, spicy saison.  I'm not a huge fan of black IPAs but Society and Solitude #2 was one of the best examples of this style that I've yet to try. Just an awesome mix of flavors highlighted by roasted malt, coffee, grapefruit and piney hops.  Wheat is the New Hops had a nice blend of funk, citrus and hoppiness that provided a solid balance without getting carried away.  The tart, fruity refreshing taste of Keep on Cruisin' Buddy was a great palate cleanser after downing a few of the stronger-bodied beers.  Some of these brews were clearly better than others but the overall margin ranged from great to excellent. 

Here's a huge thanks to Shaun Hill for bringing all of these superb beers down to Philly (please make these available on a regular basis). Another thanks to The Boilermaker for making this event possible. Last but certainly not least, thanks to Stefany and Alyssa for keeping things flowing and running smooth amongst a very crowded upstairs bar.  Cheers!   

http://www.hillfarmstead.com/

http://www.theboilermakerbar.com/

The Cambridge (Maine, FiftyFifty, Stillwater)

This new establishment on South Street, owned by the Hawthorne's crew, hosted a great event to open their doors to the public for the first time.  While The Cambridge isn't actually in full operation yet, this preview of what is to come was very impressive.  The event was based around Maine Brewing Company but also had drafts featuring FiftyFifty and Stillwater. We tried some awesome beers from each brewery but the hands-down highlight were the two types of FiftyFifty Eclipse on tap, Rittenhouse Rye and Brewmaster’s Grand Cru Blend.  Eclipse is a barrel-aged version of FiftyFifty's Totality Imperial Stout.  In 2011, there were seven variations of Eclipse (Elijah Craig^® 12 year Barrel, Four Roses^® Single Barrel, Rittenhouse^® Rye Barrel, Elijah Craig^® 20 year Barrel, Brandy Barrel Blend, Buffalo Trace^® Barrel Blend, and Brewmaster’s Grand Cru Blend).

From the FiftyFifty website:

"What happens when you take an award winning Imperial Stout, put it in oak bourbon barrels, and then age it for six months? One of the most epic beer tasting experiences you will ever have: ECLIPSE.

Imperial Stouts are noted for being very rich substantial beers, and FiftyFifty's Totality Imperial Stout does not disappoint on this fact. Brewed in small 300 gallons batches, our brewers lovingly craft this masterpiece once a year. Made with the finest malts, hops, fresh mountain water and yeast, over 18 separate ingredients lend their unique character to this beer.

To become Eclipse, Totality is then aged for a minimum of 180 days in oak bourbon barrels. This time spent adds a plethora of flavors to the already rich Imperial Stout. At first taste there is a large presence of dark chocolate, espresso and warmth from the alcohol of the beer. Oak barrel character then comes into play with hints of vanilla and coconut, followed by mild bitterness from the hops, and then a nice long lingering finish with hints of tobacco, dark dried fruit and more chocolate. Eclipse is a wonderful companion with dessert. A beer meant for contemplation best enjoyed in a snifter and with a friend.

Because of the extensive brewing and aging process, Eclipse is only released once a year."

Both of the Eclipses were fantastic with the Grand Cru coming out as the favorite. This delicious bourbon maltshake was less carbonated and much heavier-bodied than the Rittenhouse Rye version.  Bourbon, bittersweet chocolate, oaky vanilla, dark caramel, roasted malt, dark fruit, and toffee rounded out this very complex, aged stout.  The incredibly smooth and creamy character made this 9.5% brew almost too easy to drink.

Cheers and best of luck to the gang from Hawthorne's on their newest effort.  I'll definitely be coming back as soon as The Cambridge is officially opened.

http://www.cambridgeonsouth.com/

 http://hawthornecafe.com/

http://www.fiftyfiftybrewing.com/

Goose Island at Kite & Key

After quite a few days of running around during Beer Week, this event was a nice change of pace.  My family and I grabbed a table out front on the sidewalk and enjoyed a nice dinner together.  The rain held off and it was just a great night for an outdoor tasting.

Here are the two beers I had (descriptions from Goose Island website):

Lolita - Lolita is a pink rose colored Belgian style pale ale fermented with wild yeast and aged on raspberries in wine barrels. Aromas of fresh raspberries, bright jammy fruit flavors and crisp, refreshing body make Lolita ideal for beer drinkers fond of Belgian Framboise.

Sofie - Fermented with wild yeasts and aged in wine barrels with orange peel, Sofie is a tart, dry, sparkling ale. A subtle, spicy white pepper note, a hint of citrus from the orange peel and a creamy vanilla finish make Sofie an intriguing choice for Champagne drinkers and beer drinkers who are fond of Belgian Saisons.

I've had Lolita before but never on tap.  I like this beer but there's something about it that keeps me from really getting into it.  In a beer of this style I'd rather it be a bit more dry and sharp from the wine-barrel aging.  I was also hoping for a more noticeable funky undertone due to the wild yeast.  The tartness from the raspberry also seemed to get a bit washed out by some sort of cherry-like sweetness.  I still think Lolita is a good beer, just not one of my favorites from Goose Island.

Next, I ordered a Sofie (pictured above) and it proved to be the perfect choice.  This complex saison is a beer that I think would appeal to a wide range of people.  Easy to drink and lots of different flavors combine to compliment this Belgian-style brew.  Light and crisp with orange peel/ pith bite, moderate Belgian yeast funk, spicy notes, and dry oak character from the white wine barrel-aging.  Sofie is such a refreshing, quaffable brew for this time of year! 

While it would've been nice to have some Bourbon County Stout, it was really enjoyable to attend a Beer Week event that didn't have a mad rush for rarities.  Definitely a nice break from the crazy events earlier in the week.  Last night was just a laid back, relaxing time at a familiar place that I love to support.  Kite & Key is one of my favorite neighborhood bars that always has a great draft list, consistently solid menu, and cool events throughout the year.  I'm sure that I'll be back soon!            

[My friend, Rich, went to a Goose Island event earlier in the week that had some pretty special brews on tap.  Check out his thoughts here: http://richonbeer.blogspot.com/2012/06/philadelphia-beer-week-day-4-goose.html]

http://www.gooseisland.com/

http://www.thekiteandkey.com/ 

Bell's Brewery at St. Stephen's Green

I've wanted to try this elusive brew for quite some time and yesterday proved to be my lucky night.  I was shocked to find out that keg hadn't kicked when I called St. Stephen's around 90 minutes after it had been tapped.  Black Note is an extremely rare beer to come across and even Bell's website states that it is "One of the most sought-after stouts in Bell's history."  This beer is a blend of Bell's Expedition Stout and their Double Cream Stout, then aged together in bourbon barrels.  The color is completely opaque and black as an 8-ball.  Upon the initial sip, I was instantly hit with the taste of warming bourbon, sweet dark chocolate, dark fruit and roasted malt. These flavors carried on throughout the glass and merged with notes of caramel and oaky vanilla from the barrel-aging process.  The two base beers came together to form such a smooth and creamy stout. The bourbon barrel added a great element to this brew along with a pleasant and mellow alcohol tingle.  At 11.5%, Black Note is a pretty big beer with intense, but definitely not overwhelming, flavors. It has a thick, chewy mouthfeel that leaves your mouth coated with a delicious roasted, sweet bourbon taste long after the glass is finished.  Black Note is arguably the best beer I've had from Bell's and was clearly worth the wait. 

http://www.bellsbeer.com/

http://saintstephensgreen.com/

Allagash/ Port Brewing at The Bishop's Collar

I decided to stop at The Bishop's Collar to meet up with some friends on my way home last night.  I knew I only had time for one beer so I went with the Allagash Curieux aged in Booker's bourbon barrels.  Curieux is a bourbon barrel-aged tripel aged in Jim Beam barrels. This version was aged in Booker's barrels, which is the highest grade whiskey made by the Beam family.  I was really intrigued to try this since I love both Booker's and Curieux.  Booker's is an extremely strong whiskey and the bottle of it I have at home weighs it at a whopping 129.1 proof (Jim Beam is 80 proof).  I was concerned that this beer would be a boozy fire bomb but it was actually much more tame and drinkable than I had imagined.  One of my friends had a glass of regular Curieux which was great for a side-by-side comparison.  The Booker's barrel provided a an extra warming oak, bourbon edge that blended really well with the sweet maltiness of this Belgian-style brew.  Overall, a pretty delicious tripel! 

Also had a few tastes of Allagash Yakuza (dry-hopped tripel) and Port Hot Rocks (dark lager).  Hot Rocks is good, solid beer that I've had before.  This was my first time trying Yakuza and I thought it was great.  Really wish I had time to drink a full glass of it but I'm sure I'll see it around soon enough. 

Funky Buddha at Prohibition Taproom

It's official, Funky Buddha is my new favorite brewery!  Everything they do reaches such a high degree of perfection.  Are these guys brewers, magicians or beer alchemists?  Turning raw ingredients into these spectacular brews is nothing short of a Wonka-esque feat. This was my third Funky Buddha event in the past three days and I got to try nine of their different offerings.  Not only were they all great, they were exceptionally delicious!

We arrived early to get a good seat at the bar while trying to beat the rush.  After waiting anxiously in anticipation the kegs were finally tapped.  Knowing these beers would fly, we ordered one of each to make sure we could try them all before it was too late.  The three beers on draft were Last Snow, No Crusts, and Bonita Applebaum.  Last Snow was the first to kick, and all three beers were gone in under an hour.  If you showed up late you truly missed out on this special event.

I started with No Crusts which is basically a PB&J brown ale.  Imagine opening a fresh loaf of bread, slathering on chunky peanut butter and grape jelly, then taking a big whiff of this inviting sandwich before enjoying your first bite. Notes of lightly toasted bread, waves of roasted peanuts and moderately sweet jelly kept swirling around in both aroma and taste.  This beer was extremely balanced with certain flavors popping up and down throughout the glass.

After my sandwich I moved on to dessert. Bonita Applebaum is a brown ale that tastes like apple pie in a glass.  Every expected flavor was here...pie crust, apple filling, cinnamon, sugar, maybe a bit of nutmeg and spice.  There's no other way for me to describe this beer than wringing out a freshly baked apple pie and extracting the deliciousness into your glass.  Perfection!

I finished with Last Snow, which happened to be my favorite beer of the night.  This deep brownish-black porter was just fantastic!  While I was blown away by the other beers, this one topped the list for me.  Dark chocolate, heaping amounts of coconut, roasted malt and light vanilla came together to form this liquid Mounds bar.  I enjoyed this more than the Maple Bacon Coffee Porter and it's possibly my all around favorite beer of the week so far. 

The most outstanding and impressive aspects of these beers is that they are so completely drinkable.  Never coming off as too sweet or disproportionate, the flavors continuously maintain control from top to bottom.  Funky Buddha has mastered the art of brewing and taken things to a whole new level.   

Thank you to Funky Buddha for coming up from Florida and sharing their incredible beers with everyone in Philly.  Thanks also to Prohibition Taproom and Bella Vista Beer Distributor.  Another great event!

http://thefunkybuddha.com/

http://theprohibitiontaproom.com/home.asp

http://bellavistabeverage.com/

Funky Buddha @ Woody's Bar

Who knew Woody's had over 20 taps of craft beer?  Who knew Woody's was involved in Philly Beer Week?  Who knew that Woody's would have such a dynamite draft list including 2 rarities from Funky Buddha?  Woody's is a well known gay bar, not a well known beer bar. My friend Craig read earlier in the day on BA (beeradvocate.com) that Woody's was hosting a Funky Buddha event.  We had just left Monk's and were pining for some Funky Buddha after basically get shut down at the prior event.  At any other bar these beers would've kicked instantly.  Thanks to the close-minded folks who stayed away and made this available to us when we arrived later in the day.  We grabbed seats at the bar with the other BA guys who just arrived and got the Maple Bacon Coffee Porter and Piña Colada Wheat.  Both were amazing and the kegs kicked shortly after we ordered.  Perfect timing! 

Maple Bacon Coffee Porter - The maple scent from this beer was so prominent that you could smell it as soon as you entered the bar.  It really smelled more like IHOP than a beer event.  Dark espresso in color with an intense taste of maple syrup, fresh roasted coffee, a bit of chocolate and a tad of smokiness.  I didn't pick up any bacon except for the mild smoke.  This is a complex beer that is brewed perfectly.  Overall, a great example of an experimental beer done 100% right. Not too cloyingly sweet, not too overpowering, just right!  

Piña Colada Wheat -  We weren't sure what to expect from this one but like all the other Funky Buddha beers we tried, it was outstanding!  The name speaks for itself...a wheat beer brewed with fresh pineapple and real coconut.  Extremely refreshing, not overly sweet and retaining the absolute juicy properties of the involved fruit.  No taste of artificial fruit and sweeteners here.  Between the Berliners we had earlier in the day and now this, it's pretty apparent that Funky Buddha has nailed the art of brewing with fruit.  Amazing job!!

The Keystone State Showcase at The Boilermaker

I finally made it over to The Boilermaker!  This is a really cool bar with a great, candle-lit atmosphere...possibly darker than Farmer's Cabinet.  I like dark rustic bars, especially ones like this and FC that constantly have incredibly solid draft lists.  The Keystone event featured 40 PA brews on tap.   I only had a few beers here (Old Forge Eleven black IPA, Free Will Napoleon farmhouse sour) but one particularly stood out from the rest.  Round Guys Berlinerweister - Weisterberliner was really something else!  As soon as the glass was placed on our table I could immediately smell the funk.  The dominating aroma of room-temperature Swiss cheese instantly filled the air.  Hmmm!  The taste was sour, tart, citrusy and cheesy with notes of lemon, wheat and....more cheese.  This description might put some people off, but I actually loved this beer.  It was different than any other Berliner I've tried and definitely the most unique beer I tasted over the weekend.  The Boilermaker has some great events lined up for the rest of Philly Beer Week and I will definitely be back in a few days.

From L to R: Round Guys Berlinerweister, Old Forge Eleven, Free Will Napoleon

http://roundguysbrewery.com/

http://www.theboilermakerbar.com/

Funky Buddha at Monk's

This picture sums up the Funky Buddha event...crowded, hot, annoying and every other synonym of crowded, hot and annoying.  The "line" was coming out of the back room when we arrived and at no point did it even seem possible to get anywhere near the bar.  By "line" I mean, EVERY person spread across the room was trying to get served.  Oh well, Monk's is a small place and the demand for these beers is clearly very high.  Nobody's fault, just the way these things tend to go at times. 

While I didn't have my own full glass, GIANT thanks to Eric, Craig and the others from BA for sharing their beers with me.  In the end, I got to try the Key Lime Berliner Weisse, Passion Fruit Berliner Weisse, Peach Berliner Weisse and Nib Smuggler (chocolate porter). These beers were excellent, especially the Key Lime and Passion Fruit Berliners...the fruit flavors smelled and tasted so naturally fresh, tart and delicious.  While I wish the scene would've been more bearable, I'm just happy that I got to try this assortment of great brews from Funky Buddha!   

Cirque Du Saison at Tapestry

The weather was beautiful this past weekend and going to Tapestry for Cirque Du Saison was the perfect place to be.  An outdoor family-friendly event with a live band, face painting (my son got a cool robot), juggling, balloon animals, BBQ and approximately 30 amazing saisons!  I had such a great time on Saturday that I went back on Sunday with a different group of friends.  Good times had by all!

It was hard to decide what to drink, but here's what I went with:
- St. Somewhere/ Funky Buddha Citron Partie
- Stillwater/ Hof Ten Bronze Age
- Bridge Road/ Nogne O India Saison
- Evil Twin Ron And The Beast Ryan
- Stillwater As Follows
- Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse

Shared with friends (thanks guys):
- Stillwater Bri-Witter
- Piccolo Birrificio Seson
- Del Ducato Nuovo Mattina

All of these beers were really good with some being more enjoyable than others.  My favorites were Evil Twin RATBR and Bridge Road/ Nogne O India Saison. 

Thanks again to Tapestry for making this happen!  I hope Cirque Du Saison becomes an annual event associated with Philly Beer Week. 

http://www.tapestryphilly.com/

Fourth Annual Bella Vista Beer Bash

Philly Beer Week has officially begun! As expected, the selection of brews last night at Devil's Den was incredible.  It was a mix of rare beers that will probably never be seen again together at one location.  Here is what I drank last night (descriptions taken from Draft List):

Williamsburg AleWerks Chaka Latte (limited firkin) - Coffeehouse Stout aged in Virginia Gentleman reserve bourbon barrels with Dutch chocolate and vanilla beans added to the firkin. 8% 10.5 oz

Cigar City Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout (aged in apple brandy barrel) - limited - Rich roasted malt body notes of espresso, chocolate, toffee, molasses, with notes of apples, boozy, vanilla & oak. 11% 10.5 oz

Fifty Fifty B.A.R.T. - limited - (Barrel Aged Really Tasty) A one-off beer that was made on the brewer's whim, this is a blend of Old Conundrum Barleywine & Eclipse Imperial Stout. 7% 10.5 oz

Central Waters Exodus - only keg in Eastern USA - Belgian blonde ale, aged in oak with Door County cherries & brett. Sour wild funky fruit ale. 5% 10.5 oz

Myth of Saison - limited collab between Hill Farmstead & Tired Hands - saison brewed with Citra & Amarillo hops, 120 lbs. of Vermont wildflower honey & 120 lbs. of Basswood Pennsylvania honey. 7% 10.5 oz

I started off with a flight of stouts because I thought they would be the first kegs to kick.  Next I ordered the Myth of Saison and ended with Exodus.  Great, refreshing way to top off this awesome event.  Everything I had last night was excellent but the true highlight for me was the Chaka Latte.  The initial taste of bourbon and dark chocolate was met with notes of vanilla and oak...just absolutely delicious!  This beer was creamy, smooth and perfectly balanced without any one flavor dominating throughout the glass.  

The Fourth Annual Bella Vista Beer Bash at Devil's Den was a truly special event. If you missed out last night it's time to start planning for next year NOW.

From L to R: Chaka Latte, Marshal Zhukov, B.A.R.T.