Last Week in Untappd – 11/17 – 11/23

This was actually a busy beer weekend for me, but I stockpiled written beer reviews that will release over the next few weeks rather than check them in with a few brief comments. So, Untappd (drewsbrewsreviews) is a little light on check-ins. That will change with the impending Black Friday event at Capone’s unleashing the flood of fantastic beers that will surely culminate in the Untappening. I look forward to highlighting the best of my favorite yearly event, so that’ll be ready next week. In the meantime, here’s what I checked in the week past.

Narwhal - BBASierra Nevada– Narwhal (Bourbon Aged)
Location: Bulls Head Pub
Style: Imperial Stout (Bourbon Aged)
Score: 3.5/5
Original Comment: Buttery bourbon, vanillian, roast aroma, med mf, dark malt, chocolate/vanilla, raisin/plum finish, lingering heat. Decent, but too expensive.

Additional Comment: My “too expensive “comment is slightly disingenuous as I didn’t actually pay for it. A friend of mine did and was kind enough to share some with me. Plus, this was also purchased at a bar, which comes with a markup. That said, there are very few beers I will pay $30 for, and this is no where near one of them. A price around $12 – $15 seems about right based on what I had. Narwhal is on the lower end of imperial stouts I enjoy, I like mine on the heavier, near Russian Imperial levels, and Sierra Nevada’s imp stout is too thin and dark fruit heavy for my tastes. Obviously, if Narwhal is your jam, I can’t see you disliking a bourbon barreling of it. The difficulty in landing a bottle, at least around the Lancaster PA region, makes this a buy it when you see it beer. Mostly likely you aren’t going to see it again anytime soon.

Continue reading “Last Week in Untappd – 11/17 – 11/23”

Southern Tier – Pumking (Rum Barrel Aged) Review

RumkingAll You Need to Know

Brewery: Southern Tier
Style: Pumpkin Ale (Rum Barrel)
ABV: 10.7%
Cost: $18 (24oz)
Glassware: Snifter, Goblet
Temp: 45°F
Availability: Limited
Purchased@: The Fridge

Quick Take: Southern Tier took a very popular and minorly flawed pumpkin beer, one that I’m quite fond of I might add, and made it better. The use of rum is an intelligent and well-considered addition that doesn’t really turn the beer into something entirely new, but enhances the flavors that are already present. For fans of Pumking, it’s a no brainer and worth trying, even at $18 a bottle. If you never understood the hype or prefer a meatier pumpkin beer experience, this might not change your mind. My personal opinion is that the rum is so well-integrated, it seems like it was always there and exactly what Pumking should be. I don’t know if I’ll be able to go back to standard Pumking after trying this, but given how difficult it is to find, I might not have a choice.

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Against the Grains – Mac FannyBaw Review

Mac FannyBawAll You Need to Know

Brewery: Against the Grain
Style: Rauchbier (Bourbon Aged)
ABV: 8.5%
Cost: $19 (24oz)
Glassware: Snifter, Teku
Temp: 50°F
Availability: One Off
Purchased@: Pinocchio’s Beer Garden

Quick Take: Mac FannyBaw is brewed as a 750ml monument to smoke and tangy malts. Pushing the smoke cloud to the side, regular beer drinkers will find a fine, but unremarkable ale. Unfortunately, this is a niche beer that probably won’t satisfy that niche. I appreciated it for being different and find it to be an ok beer, but it can’t live up to the high cost of entry.

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Last Week in Untappd – 10/27 – 11/3

This is a highlight of beers I’ve Untappd (drewsbrewsreviews) over the past week at bars and friends houses where I wasn’t able to do a full write up. I had a lot to choose from this week as I got to try a whole bushel of good beers. A bushel I tell you!

GozuWestbrook – Gozu
Location: Friend’s Apartment
Style: Gose (with yuzu juice)
Score: 3.5/5
Original Comment: Mandarin, floral, coriander, wheat aroma, acidic, salty, tart-gasmicly intense, bright vinous citrus. Acid bath. Woo! My tongue is crying

Additional Thoughts: Some great flavors here, but an incredibly intense tart bomb the sucks the saliva from your mouth. I’m not a big fan of acidic, tart drinks, alcoholic or not, so this could bump up a full point if you enjoy that taste sensation. Much thanks to Elisha for the opportunity to try this.

Continue reading “Last Week in Untappd – 10/27 – 11/3”

Great Divide – Wolfgang Doppelbock Lager Review

WolfgangAll You Need to Know

Brewery: Great Divide
Style: Doppelbock Lager
ABV: 8%
Cost: $12 (24oz)
Glassware: Pint
Temp: 45°F
Availability: Summer
Purchased@: The Foodery

Quick Take: Great Divide created a smooth beer with a toffee body, backbone and full skeletal system, but without the over sweet. The phrase “over sweet” is important here as an earthy sweetness is still a key player, but in a drinkable, ESB kind of way. Whether that’s good or bad is up to you, but Wolfgang shares enough traits with malty Doppelbocks and English pub beers to potentially satisfy both crowds.

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