Not an official type of review for these 2 beers, more of a brief note of appreciation for two beers that have seemingly no connection, unless we are to connect them in Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon style… ready, go! Troegs Scratch #32 is a California common style beer. Joel Bennett (Mainsail) lives in California. Joel sent me a package of good beer including Full Sail Brewing Company’s Session Black Lager. Ok, only 3 degrees… not too shabby.

Two drastically different beers with drastically different beer experiences, but both are fantastic. I’ll begin here in Pennsylvania.

As I have done at some point during 4 out of the 6 weeks I have worked in the Harrisburg area, I trekked on Friday to the Tasting Room for a fill of my growler. I tried two beers, as they were the two that I had not yet imbibed. One was their Tasting Room Anniversary Ale (which I may grab a growler of this week) and the other was Scratch #32, codenamed “Keystone Common”. I brought my growler up to the Poconos for the weekend and it barely made it through the first night. I did manage to save one pint-ish for my brother-in-law to try on Saturday, but that was all I could spare. Light, flavorful, with a nice little hop bite, it was a perfect Summer beer… even if it was under 60 degrees while I was drinking it. Would have been even better sitting on the dock on a warmer Summer day.

I came home from the Poconos to my half of a beer trade with the aforementioned indie rocker and surfer. I opened the box and decided that my first endeavor would be Session Black Lager. So, I chilled it while cleaning up the house a bit and playing with my son. After I put him to bed, I poured the Schwarzbier one of my recently acquired Newcastle glasses and enjoyed. On the opposite end of the spectrum from the common by Troegs, Session was malty, rich, and perfectly smooth. A great day to wrap up a weekend.

All in all, two great beers I’d recommend to anyone who likes similar styles. Cheers!

I purchased some The Flying Mouflan on a recent lunch break trek to Troegs. It was so good it revolutionized how I will review beer from this point forward!

I now present you 4 abilities of beer: Drinkability, Predictability, Affordability, and Overall Enjoyability. I’d define each for you, but I think it’s better to simply present these abilities of The Flying Mouflan to demonstrate how this works!

Drinkability

The Flying Mouflan pours a rich brown with a thin, but frothy head. It feels hearty and a little bit chewy in the drinker’s mouth. Full bodied, it is a malt-forward beer that doesn’t forget about the hops… in fact, some may argue that it’s actually more abotu the hops than the malt, but not for this malty beer lover. The alcoholic warmth is evident, but not overwhelming like a winter warmer or an old ale. As is true with most big flavored barleywines, this is not a session ale by any means… especially at 9.3% ABV.

Predictability

Not your average barleywine, but would you expect something dull from the Trogner brothers? Big flavor is key for any good barleywine and this delivers in that department. The strong hop aroma and flavor makes it more of an American style barleywine than the style the Brits prefer. I’m not certified beer judge (yet), but I think this beer would get serious serious consideration as a top choice in the American Barleywine category.

Affordability

In a bomber bottle, a single will run you $7.50 at the Troegs Tasting Room. That’s $7.50 for roughly 651 mL, or 22 oz for the metrically challenged. I think 34 cents per ounce is a fair price. Good beer ain’t cheap, that’s always important to note.

Overall Enjoyability

Beautifully up front hop aroma, bold flavors of malt and hops, a dry but not too dry finish, and an interesting twist of sweetness from the cane sugar used in the brewing process make this a yummy treat for the big beer drinker. This is by no means for the Mike Gourleys, Kevin Hendersons, or Scott Pasquales of the world (PBR, Miller, Lite, and Busch Light, respectively). Thoroughly enjoyable, but only one at a time… unless you need a little help falling asleep one night.

thepaintedman rates this:

Yesterday, while helping my wife at a great indie craft fair, I was privileged to meet Jodi Stoudt, who spends he very little bit of free time as a crafter herself. Of course, our entire discussion was about beer. I was impressed not only by the amount of love and knowledge about beer that came forth in our brief discussion, but also in how supportive the PA brewers are of each other. She was talking about how excited she was to try the LBC Shoo-Fly Porter and had very positive things to say about them, Troegs, and Weyerbacher when I brought them up.

Enjoyable conversation, but you may beer asking, “Why is this post called ‘Beer Can Save Lives’ ?!?!?!?” Well, I’m getting to that. Jodi told me yesterday about an awesome venture that she and Stoudt’s took on to raise money for a great cause. A lemon beer produced in conjunction with some heavy hitters in the food world has debuted and 100% of the proceeds are benefiting Alex’s Lemonade Stand. The recipe is quite similar to the Karnival Kolsch, but a yummy lemon marmalade was added to give the German style easy-drinking pale lager.

Jodi did not know exactly when Stoudt’s would be tapping it, but it will be available at Philly Beer Week and Great Chefs Event 2010, featuring all the big names you know from the Food Network. If you, like me, can’t make it out to these events, stay glued to TPM and The (Pennsylvania) Beer Snobs for info on it’s availability at the brewpub in Adamstown.

All I wanna do is drink beer for breakfast
All I wanna eat is them BBQ chips
All I want is someone just to try to protect us
You can try but you’d never wanna try to defend us

Beer for breakfast, just like The Replacements taught us, and what would be the most appropriate beer for the first meal of a gorgeous new day? It seems quite obvious that a coffee stout would be the best choice.

Today, I present to you a few tasting notes on Troegs Java Head Stout (the first bottle of the six pack I bought while in Harrisburg last week). Not a review, nothing formal as of yet, just some notes…

-Pours a dark, deep brown… almost black
-The head is a creamy, frothy light brown… maintains this gorgeous half inch head throughout drinking
-Bittersweet chocolate aroma, coffee also evident
-Moderately carbonated
-Thick, creamy texture… sticks to glass a bit
-Complex flavor with coffee bitterness as the highlight
-Finishes dry, leaves a strong aftertaste in my mouth like I just downed a black espresso

The verdict: a great beer that makes the loss of Rugged Trail more than bearable.

A more official review to come soon, but for now, give me my beer for breakfast…

I just listened to the first 8 tracks of MC Frontalot’s Zero Day while doing the 30 Day Shred workout video. It’s an intense 20 minute workout (that my fat ass struggled with a lot, possibly due to 2 days of not doing it, possibly due to eating 3 slices of Sicilian pizza for dinner, or possibly due to drinking half a pint of Troeg’s Java Stout just prior to working out). Sick of Jillian Michaels’s annoying voice and the bad dance music on the DVD, lately I have been muting it and playing music from one of the 3 iTunes libraries on our home network… tonight it was working out with the Front.

As a brief synopsis, I must say I dig the album a lot. I listened to it once through yesterday and this is my second time through (well half of it this time). Here are some observations…

First, it was fun and upbeat, which made it a good alum to workout to. The songs were all highly danceable and very much Frontalot. I couldn’t help but think of him dancing and working out along side me as I powered through my tough workout.

Second, the album includes a few awesome guest, but for me the tops of this list is Mr. Beef Thompson. Beefy is one of my favorite nerdcore fixtures and I was very happy to hear him spitting on a track with Front and the rappist known as STD. Not to mention that the song they do together is entertaining, clever, and thoroughly enjoyable in every way.

Finally, there is very little about this album I can complain about. Perhaps I’ll have a gripe or two with more listens, but I doubt it. As per usual, MC Frontalot is awesome and surrounds himself with awesomeness. I’d guess that at least 2 to 3 tracks from this become heavy rotation on the iPod in no time.

Last week, I was blessed to spend 3 days away from work for training. These 3 days entitled me to 2 evenings at one of my favorite hotels, Holiday Inn East in Harrisburg, PA. The highlights of some time in the Burg always include the great beers of this fine Pennsylvania city, notably from Troegs and the Harrisburg location of Lancaster Brewing Company (ABC is a fine brewery, as well). Last week was no different…

On Wednesday, I did dinner at LBC Harrisburg, but not before stopping by Troegs to complain and sample. The complaining was because Troegs had recently decided to pull the beer that introduced me to their fine craft brews, Rugged Trail Nut Brown Ale. While the bartender in the tap room expressed understanding for the nostalgia experienced by me in reference to the ale, he assured me that the replacement, Java Head Stout would not leave me disappointed for long. After a small sample, I no longer had to take his word for it. I also was able to try Scratch Beer #28, a Roggenbeir, which was a style I’d never heard of… apparently, a Roggen is “an uncommon German ale brewed with a portion of rye malt and a weizenbier yeast strain.” Tasty, but not different enough from Dreamweaver Wheat to truly impress. Perhaps I’d have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t just indulged in that scrumptious Java Head… which of course became the beer choice for the six pack I had to buy while there.

After leaving Troegs, I made it up to LBC for dinner. The food was good, especially the crab dip (made with Amish Four Grain Ale, one of the best pale ales in the world as far as I’m concerned). I, however, did forgo my usual beer selection at LBC, the Celtic Rose, to try the Shoo-Fly Porter. I was pleased by all aspects of this American porter. Dark and hearty, sweet and chewy, smooth and clean… it’s all malt, the way I like my porters and stouts! Fantastic.

After a good first night of beer, I made plans with a friend from Harrisburg to head to McGrath’s Pub, his favorite local spot, for some burgers, some beers, and some good company. All three missions were accomplished, the company was great and my bacon cheddar burger was fantastic… the beer, also superb.

Before heading out, I scouted the tap list and found an interesting beer I’d never tried, Coronado Red Devil, an imperial red ale from a California brewery. Served in a large, deep wine glass, much like a brandy snifter in shape, the beer was very big. Strong malt flavor, powerful but not overpowering American hops (perhaps Cascade), and a little alcohol warmth, this is certainly a big, wonderfully full, beer. After this great selection, I wrapped up my night with a Pennsylvania classic… a Yuengling Lager.

All in all, two great nights of beer… heading back in two weeks. Wonder what’s next for me and the beer of the Burg (and beyond, Cali to be exact).

The region’s best homebrewing supplier, Keystone Homebrew, has their holiday newsletter up and also has a few limited time offerings not to be missed.

-The deadline to order the limited edition kits from Winexpert has been pushed. Time is not up, but it will be soon, so get on their site and order the most popular wine kits ever produced by Winexpert before it’s too late.

-If you’re a hard cider fan like myself, check this out:

DelVal has pressed a lot of fantastic apple and pear ciders for us this fall. The Holiday Blend will be our last offering of the season, and today is your last chance to pre-order! Don t miss out; this blend is sure to produce a complex, balanced and flavorful hard cider. If you’re a beginner, don t worry! We’ll provide you with instructions and all the guidance you’ll need.

Unfortunately, pre-orders ended already as this update was put out earlier this week, but keep your eye out for this blend once they have it in. I missed out on it myself, but here’s hoping there’s some extra.

In other beer news, Troegs has two special brews out now, just in time for the holidays… they are calling it the Splinter Series and if you read the writeups below you’ll understand why. Also, both are going for $22.95 and there is a two bottle limit per person for each style.

-Splinter Red sounds great. I’m not the biggest Mad Elf fan (also available now), but this mutation sounds exquisite.

Before filtering the final batch of 2008 Mad Elf we racked some beer into bourbon barrels for six weeks of tender loving care. After bottling, we aged the beer for approximately eight months. This allows the tart cherries to push to the front. Subtle vanilla, bourbon, charred wood, coconut and toasted nut endnotes emanate from Splinter Red.

-Splinter Gold sounds pretty solid, as well, though I am likely springing for the Red first.

The transformation of Scratch #3-2007 to Splinter Gold has been a slow rest in oak wine barrels dosed with brettanomyces. During a two-year aging period the horsey flavors of the brett combined with the Westmalle yeast used during primary fermentation to create a complex blend of flavors. Bone-dry and 12% abv, Splinter Gold is highly carbonated.

(NOTE: I still would recommend grabbing a case of Troegenator…. so good!)

Finally, two quick updates on two of my other favorite PA breweries:

-Update from Weyerbacher:

The latest in our Brewer’s Select Series is an Imperial Porter at 8.2% ABV. Bottles will be available for sale only at the brewery (we only have 60 cs) beginning Saturday December 12. Half Kegs are shipping out this week to PA markets as well as Ohio, MD, MA, and Florida. Brewers Chris and Nads have really outdone themselves on this one. Silky smooth and very nicely balanced, we’re sure a lot of you will be talking about this one for a while!

-Stoudt’s Winter Ale should be available in your local beer distributor. While I have not been able to confirm it, during this time of year they always have it on tap at the brewpub and usually even have it on cask.

I have a desk calendar at work called “365 Bottles of Beer for the Year”. I usually read the page each day and then rip it off and put it in a pile in my desk. Today, however, I was inspired to write about the beer on the page, as it’s one of my favorites: Troegs Troegenator Double Bock.

Troegs is one of my favorite breweries and happens to be a mere hour or so from my home (which is quite convenient). It also happens that Troegenator is my favorite of their standards (though Rugged Trail gives the Bock a run for it’s money). Here’s some of what my calendar has to say:

This is a voluptuous reddish-chocolate lager in the doppelbock style. It’s an explosion of malt, toffee, chocolate, and toasty sugars. Burnt sugar notes from a decadently long time in the kettle keep the caramel sweetness of the malt at bay. Hops are almost an afterthought…

Let’s break down what a doppelbock is a bit more before moving forward. German Beer Institute defines doppelbock:

Doppelbock (literally “double bock”) is a stronger and usually darker version of the Bavarian Bockbier. It is exceptionally malty, with very little bitterness. Standard Doppelbocks may have as much as 7% alcohol by volume. In the strongest versions (around 10 to 13%), you can actually taste the alcohol.

German purity laws dictate exactly what can and can’t be done in all beer styles, but American versions can take some liberty with ingredients, etc. That said, I am not a real brewer… I’m barely even a homebrewer… so I don’t know if Troegs sticks to the German standards; frankly, I don’t care. My calendar states that the recipe is “modeled after the classic Andechs doppelbock” and I’ll take the calendar’s word for it. Troegenator holds up against any of the German doppelbocks, such as the equally decadent Ayinger Celebrator, Paulaner Salvator, and Spaten Optimator. And, at 8.2% alcohol, Troegenator is a nice winter warmer, so now’s the time to get out and grab a case.

Here in Pennsylvania, it’s relatively easy to find. I can’t speak for Troegs’ availability anywhere else, though I expect the East Coast, especially the Northeast should have it at most distributors. Here are a few of the locations that I’d recommend picking up a case if you live in Southeastern PA (great selections of other stuff, too)

Radnor (Philly Burbs, near Villanova area)

The Beer Yard

King of Prussia (Philly Burbs, near the Mall)

Kunda Beverage

Pottstown (Halfway from Philly to Reading)

Frank A. Smith Beverages
(They have an awesome event called the Craft Beer Swap on Saturday, December 12th that features Troegs, as well as other faves of mine, Stoudt’s, Victory, and Lancaster – side note: PA have such great beer!)

Wernersville (15 miles West of Reading on 422)

South Mountain Beer

A few weeks ago, I was in Harrisburg on business (running a training session) and decided that I had to stop by Troegs and have a small taste, likely grabbing a six pack of something while I was at it. Upon arriving, the only thing on tap that I hadn’t had at all yet was their most recent in the Scratch Beer series, Apollo Imperial Ale. While not a hophead, I have tried to branch out into the world of hoppiness, which is a specialty of Troegs (Nugget Nectar is a favorite of hopheads nationwide, maybe worldwide). Apollo Imperial Ale certainly falls into that category, delivering 115 IBU’s in each flavor packed sip.

Appearance:
thepaintedman rates this:

This big beer has a deep amber color and a haziness, making it unable to see through at all. There is a creamy head that sticks to the sides of the glass. The head maintains throughout the entire drinking experience.

Aroma:
thepaintedman rates this:

Beautiful floral aroma, a bouquet of hops. The strong aroma is very American, though I couldn’t identify the varieties of hops without some help from the Troegs website (Apollo, Columbus, Warrior, Amarillo, and Palisades are all present here).

Flavor:
thepaintedman rates this:

While I’d expect a bit more maltiness by the appearance of the beer, there is enough malt to make the 115 IBU’s more than tolerable to a non-hophead. While not an IPA, it basically tasted like an IPA. It reminded me a bit of Nugget Nectar, likely due to the large quantities of American hops. It was slightly more bitter than my preference, but still thoroughly enjoyable.

Palate:
thepaintedman rates this:

Apollo Imperial Ale has a smooth mouthfeel with a dry finish and a very hoppy aftertaste. Overall, not too bad, but nothing to gush over, either.

Overall Rating:
thepaintedman rates this:

If I were a hophead, it’d likely be a bit higher, but I tried to be as objective as possible. Damn good beer.