October 25, 2014 Show

This week we celebrate Halloween the best way we know how... with great beer!  We were joined in studio again by the wonderful Backyard Billy from Backyard Ale House after his week off.  There was plenty to talk about with these beers and the high ABV on them can certainly get to you over time but a great time was had by all!

This weeks beer lineup:

Starr Hill Brewery- Sabbath:  A wonderful Black IPA kicks off the show and a textbook example of the style to say the least!  Rich roasted malt notes of bitter chocolate and coffee are perfectly complemented by pine and citrus hops, a must try for fans of darker beers and IPA's alike!

Clown Shoes- Undead Party Crasher:  This 10% ABV American Imperial Stout packs a wallop of flavor and also has an extremely smooth mouthfeel that you will want to enjoy for a long time.  Notes of chocolate and coffee abound and this has to be one of the best American Imperial Stout's currently available, another homerun from Clown Shoes!

Left Hand Brewing Company- Wake Up Dead:  Slowly we are climbing the ABV ranks and this 10.2% ABV is a slight step above the previous in ABV, but shows no sign of it.  This Russian Imperial Stout has a tad bit drier of a finish when compared to the previous and is full of rich dark chocolate, coffee, licorice, and dark red fruits that all melt into one another.  A perfectly smooth sipping beer, also widely available in bottle in Nitro form... another must try!

Avery Brewing Company- Rumpkin:  The behemoth of the day clocking in at 16.73% ABV this is certainly an Imperial Pumpkin Ale!  Avery has been brewing this delicious seasonal for 4 years now and it seems to get better every year.  This years batch is a bit sweeter when compared to some of the previous, but it is highly drinkable and shows no sign of alcohol heat from the rum.  A must try pumpkin ale for try pumpkin beer fans!

We also had another fantastic giveaway this week that included even more than what is pictured here.

 

In addition to another wonderful coffin shaped wall mounted bottle opener from Grave Openers (visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/GraveOpeners to pick one up for yourself!), skull glassware, Avery stickers, and plastic spigot for  making your own pumpkin keg there also was a copy of the fantastic book from Beer Geek alum. Patrick Dawson, Vintage Beer a must read for all who are interested in learning the fine art of aging beer!

October 18, 2014 Show

This week we are returning to the pumpkin beer style because there are just too many with limited time to enjoy them to contain the topic to one show.  We are joined in studio this week by the wonderful Pat from Backyard Ale House in Scranton and Rich from the incredible NEPA Scene.


This weeks beer lineup:


Shipyard Brewing Company- Smashed Pumpkin: Shipyard is known for their Pumpkinhead ale, a light easy drinking pumpkin ale but this beefed up 9% ABV pumpkin ale takes their beer to a new area.  The rich notes of sweet malts and pumpkin spices are in balance with a touch of alcohol heat on the back end remind you that this is a beer to be respected!

Weyerbacher Brewing Company- Imperial Pumpkin Ale: If you live in PA you know and love this pumpkin ale.  This has long been the go to pumpkin ale for many in our immediate listening area.  If you are a fan of pumpkin beers, find this and drink it, you will LOVE it!

Southern Tier Brewing Company- Warlock: Fans of Pumking , you must try Warlock!  This imperial pumpkin stouts is a perfect blend of all that we love about Pumking but with delicious roasted malts characteristics of an imperial stout, easy description: pumpkin pie cheesecake drizzled with dark chocolate with a delicious Italian coffee.

Sam Adams- Fat Jack: Smooth, smooth, and smooth really sum up this beer.  It is an incredibly easy drinking beer with a rich balance of malt and spices but the incredibly smooth body of this beer is the absolute highlight, the 8.5% ABV is not apparent and makes for a beer that is am ust have during the fall season!

Elysian Brewing Company- The Great Pumpkin: Last week we enjoyed Night Owl from Elysian, this time around we take on the imperial pumpkin ale the Great Pumpkin!  This is actually the first pumpkin ale to have the tag of Imperial Pumpkin and it is a big that took the style first and still holds itself as one of the best.  The rich flavors of Night Owl are present in more abundance with a delicious balance of pumpkin pie, including the crust, a must try!

Cigar City Brewing- Good Gourd:  This in such an incredibly rich and delicious ale that truly has all the right flavors of fall in perfect balance with subtle touches of sweetness from the malt.  This might be one of the most difficult ones to find from today's show, but worth the effort.  It is an incredibly delicious offering from an incredible brewery!

This weeks giveaway featured another great coffin shaped wall mounted bottle opener from Grave Openers (email GraveOpeners@gmail.com for more info) along with some great Sam Adams schwag featuring glassware, coasters, and a keychain bottle opener!

October 11, 2014 Show

This week we are examining a style that some find very divisive amongst beer drinkers, the pumpkin beer style!  While the pumpkin beer "style" ranges greatly, the idea of the pumpkin beer has made many turn their nose up to the style.  However, there is a wide range of great ones available now and we are drinking and discussing just a few this week, but they just may make you give pumpkin beers a second chance!

We are of course joined as always by the wonderful Billy from Backyard Ale House and this week also in studio with David from the Little Theater in Wilkes Barre who is putting on the Rocky Horror Picture Show, a feature that our own Fast Freddie will be making a special appearance in soon!

This weeks beer lineup:


New Belgium- Pumpkick:  The traditional pumpkin beer style is kicked up a notch with the additions of cranberries imparting a slight tart quality to the beer.  A great take on the style!

Two Roads Brewing- Roadsmary's Baby:  This pumpkin beer is aged in rum barrels which imparts a hint of rum to the beer, but does not overpower and the beer also remains at 6.8% ABV, so still a highly drinkable beer.  A must have for those who have it available at your local, absolutely textbook example of a great pumpkin beer!

Elysian Brewing- Night Owl Pumpkin Beer:  Elysian is undoubtedly the brewery that owns the pumpkin beer style with an almost uncountable amount of pumpkin beers brewed over the years.  However, they have completely nailed down the style with Night Owl and it is regarded as the quintessential pumpkin beer for a reason, its delicious!

Coronado Brewing- Punk'in Drublic:  The first imperial pumpkin ale of the day brings a bit more of a spice punch to the party, but that is expected a bit from an imperial, a must try for fans of pumpkin beers.  Plus the label and name is awesome!!

Harpoon Brewery- Imperial Pumpkin Stout:  Fans of imperial stouts will enjoy this 10.5% ABV monster.  Strong stout notes up front with hints of spicing dancing in the background.

Almanac Beer- Heirloom Pumpkin Barleywine:  Hands down the favorite of the day.  The 12% ABV is not apparent at all with no heat detected.  The rye and brandy barrels impart deep layers of flavor and the sweetness of the barleywine is perfected completed by the pumpkin spices.  If you are lucky enough to have Almanac available in your area go buy as much of their beers as you possibly can they are all incredible!

This weeks giveaway featured a fantastic wall mounted bottle opener from Grave Openers, a brand new company and friend of the show, if you are interested in their products drop them a line at GraveOpeners@gmail.com  Also included was some beautiful glassware from Coronado Brewing and Duvel coasters for use in the man-cave!

October 4, 2014 Show

This week since October has rolled around, it is time to examine some of the many great fall seasonal beers that are now available.  The styles vary greatly, but all are very drinkable and perfect for the fall season.

This weeks beer lineup:

Brewery Ommegang- Scythe & Sickle:  A unique fall bear with a combination of rye, oats, wheat, and delicious Belgian yeast.  The 5.6% ABV make this a great beer to sit and enjoy during Sunday football games, but the complexities also make for a great beer to sit and sip.  Belgian beer fans now have a great fall seasonal beer to enjoy!

New Belgium- Tour De Fall:  An extremely juicy and fruit pale ale.  The hops impart delicate and decadent citrus fruit flavors that make the mouth water and the sweet malt bill makes for perfect balance.  This is an easy drinking pale ale any time of year, but the color and aroma is perfect for fall.

Sierra Nevada- Flipside Red IPA:  The sweet malt is balanced perfectly against the citrus whole cone hops.  A perfect IPA, but what else would you expect from Sierra Nevada?

Odell Brewing Company- Mountain Standard: Easily one of the best Black IPA's available on the market today,  The 9.5% ABV is completely hidden and the smooth creamy body is speckled with delicious hop notes that makes this a great beer for dark beer fans and IPA fans alike, a must try!

Clown Shoes Beer- Pecan Pie Porter:  A beer whose name perfectly summarizes the beer.  Rich creamy pecan pie flavors and aroma mix with the roasted malt and the smooth body makes this an extremely easy drinking beer that will be perfect to pair with a wide variety of foods, especially those often enjoyed during Thanksgiving!


This weeks giveaway features a fantastic cookbook, Brewery Ommegang coasters, New Belgium glassware, and 2 tickets to see Alter Bridge perform live, one luck winner gets all of this!