Category Archives: Beer Tastings

Isaac Newton’s

Beer Bar, Beer Tastings, , , ,

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Isaac Newton’s
18 S State St. Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IsaacNewtonsBarandRestaurant
Twitter @isaacnewtons

It’s been at least 8 years since this Gal last visited Isaac Newton’s so figured it was time to check them out again. Isaac’s was one of the first places I know of that offered craft beers and an extensive selection of Belgium Ales long before the craft beer explosion took place. Happy report the tap and bottle lists are still impressive and very reasonably priced.

Isaac’s has always has a large food menu, as well, that offers something for everyone – vegetarians and meatatrians a like. Although, I have to say I’ve never been overly impressed with the food. Portions tend to be on the smaller size and range from OK to tasty. On this particular visit I decided to go for the Kale Caesar Salad. I love me some kale! However, it was underwhelming as it came out in a take-out box. Ummm, what?! Over all it was tasty but obviously loss points on presentation and it was a bit pricey for the quantity.

IMG_2162When visiting Isaac’s I’ve always preferred sitting at the bar or in the bar area which offers a cozy rustic feel to it  and a nice sun porch off to the one end. On this particular visit it was decorated beautifully for Christmas. The list of taps, also, celebrated the holiday season with several winter/holiday beer offerings including one of my favorites Delirium Noel.

Big Lushious – Founders Brewing Company 7.8%
Very good dessert beer that would compliment brie cheese nicely. Lots of dark chocolate and hints of tart raspberries. Glad I tried it but just not in the mood for a full pint on this visit.

Delirium Noël
Delirium Noël

Delirium Noel – Brouwerij Huyghe 10%
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to me! Full of the holiday spices one associates with the season without being overwhelming. Candied fruit with Belgium yeast and roasted malts add up to a mellow/smooth full body beer.

Velvet Merlin – Firestone Walker Brewing Company 5.5%
Oh so good – smooth with full body flavor and medium body texture. Chock full of chicory, cocoa and hints of hops.

Velvet Merlin
Velvet Merlin

Taste of Chouffe N’ice – Brasserie d’Achouffe 10%
Wish I could have had a full glass but needed to drive so kept it smart. Love this beer – liquid gingerbread cookie without being overly sweet.

With so many beers to choose from it nice that the bartenders are so accommodating with taste samples if you’re unsure about committing to a pint of something. I’ve always have found the bartenders at Isaac’s to provide excellent service and are very knowledgable about the beer they serve.

I’m very happy to have finally returned to Isaac’s Newtons and don’t plan on letting so much time lapse between visits again.

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The Challenge: A Night Out in Philly for $20

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005The Challenge Beer + Food + Tip all for $20 in Philly! Challenge Met and Accomplished at the Interstate Drafthouse.

Right away I knew the place to accomplish the $20 challenge would be the Interstate Drafthouse. (See previous review of Instate Drafthouse) Every Tuesday they offer a wide selection of $4 Craft Beer Draft Specials and it also just happens to be Taco Tuesday! Taco Tuesday has become a regular weekly deal around bars in the city of Brotherly Beer that features  Tacos and taco related specials. That fact that Interstate Drafthouse offers $4 beers the same day as $1 tacos made this a no brainer.

This Gal was able to enjoy 3 pints of beer, 2 seitan tacos & 2 veggie tacos plus leave a tip of 20%+ all for $20!  Interstate Drafthouse offers the choice of 4 different tacos that you can mix and match beef, chicken, veggie and seitan for $1 each. The $4 draft beer selections are indicated by a star next to the beer name and at least half of the draft list (which is all good) had stars next to it so there is a beer style for everyone’s liking.

The tacos were tasty and the beer delish.tacos

I started and finished with a pint of Sly Fox O’Reilly’s Stout and in the middle enjoyed a Shiner Bock with my tacos.

Sly Fox O'Reilly's Stout
Sly Fox O’Reilly’s Stout

O’Reilly’s Stout – Sly Fox 3.6%
A true Irish Stout in that it’s a light body stout with a creamy/frothy head that makes for easy drinking. The hops are accented  by the roasted barley that provides just the right amount of bitterness to the beer.

Shiner Bock  – Spotzi Brewery 4.41%
When I saw a Bock was on the tap list I knew at some point during the course of the evening I’d be enjoying a pint. This bock is very smooth with a good balance of malts, caramel & yeast that finishes clean.

Shiner Bock
Shiner Bock

A friend was enjoying the Duclaw Anti Venom Pale Ale which I had the pleasure of trying and enjoying – A very refreshing Pale Ale! The hops help to bring out the other flavors, such as mango and orange, instead of overpowering them.

So folks indeed one can go out and enjoy craft beers & a tasty dinner for just $20!

 

Lolita for Toasting

Beer Reviews, Beer Tastings, , , , ,

LolitaLolita – American Wild Ale – Goose Island Beer Company 9%

Belgium style ale aged in French Oak Cabernet Sauvignon barrels.

For New Year Eve’s, naturally, I wanted something special for toasting the end of 2014 and ringing in 2015. I perused my beer cellar stock and decided this was the perfect evening for the bottle of Lolita I had been saving.

As the first drop poured into the glass I knew this was the perfect ale for the Eve. It pours a beautiful hue of pink with an aroma of fruit and yeast/muskiness one associates with Belgium ales, as well as, the wonderful Belgium carbonation bubbles.

Overall it’s light in body but big in taste. The tart/sour berry flavor is fresh and  bold combining perfectly with the oakiness of the barrels that provide this ale with a  wine richness that finishes dry.

Wonderfully done and perfect for the Eve!

 

Spellbound Brewing

Beer Reviews, Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviews, , , ,

IMG_2045Spellbound Brewing, Mt. Holly, NJ
http://www.spellboundbrewing.com
https://www.facebook.co
/spellboundbrew
Twitter – @Spellboundbrew

 

Right away I knew I was going to like this place. The entrance, even though in a warehouse facility, is inviting and makes you feel like you are entering someplace special that has an ethereal/mystical feel to it. Once inside you notice all the fabulous wood including bottle shaped flight trays carved from wood, fairy lights and very cool  tap handles.IMG_2039

The tasting room is a nice size with a long bar, several high top tables and railings along the wall for gathering at. Only down side is the lack of seating. Two stools at the bar for the entire tasting room? If there had been seating I feel confident in saying people would stay longer.

 

IMG_2041Of course this Gal went for a Taster Round. Now I love porters but even I was a bit surprised that 4 out of the six beers on tap were porters. My companion and I were hoping to have a bit more variation in styles to try.

Session Porter 4.5%
Lighter body but still full of flavor. Makes for a nice easy drinking porter.

Porter 6.9%
Full body with just the right balance bitter chocolate with roasted coffee..

Palo Santo Wood Aged Porter 6.9%
Good mix of chocolate, vanilla and anise with hints of a few other herbs.

IMG_2044Coconut Palo Santo Porter  6.9%
Coconut + chocolate = liquid mounds bar without being overly sweet. Very well done and quite yummy.

Also, had a sip of my friends:
Peach 2X IPA 7.5%
Well, I have a thing about peach flavored beverages so this didn’t go over well with me. It’s all I tasted so that was that.

IPA 6.5%
Piney hops mixed with malts make for a pleasant drinking experience.

I look forward to revisiting Spellbound Brewing and watching them grow into their full potential. After all they are off to a great start.

Note they are located just 2 miles from Village Idiot Brewing which makes for a fun little beer tasting excursion.

 

Village Idiot Brewing

Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviews, , ,

IMG_2026Village Idiot Brewing, Mt. Holly, NJ
http://villageidiotbrewing.com
42 High Street, Mt. Holly, NJ 08060
https://www.facebook.com/VillageIdiotBrewing
Twitter – @_Village_Idiot_

Villiage Idiot Brewing is located in the heart of Mt. Holly which has a quaint small town amtosphere. Upon entering the brewery you feel as if you’re entering a cozy restaurant/bar with lots of dark wood, tables and and a nice little bar area. One can bring in food from outside so it’s easy to make an afternoon of it at Village Idiot. Great atmosphere for a relaxing afternoon of sipping their beer while enjoying a  kick butt game of scrabble.

There were four beers on a tap the day I  visited and, of course, I had to try each of them.

Bridgeton Blonde
Bridgeton Blonde

Bridgetown Blonde Ale 4.8%
Not what I come to expect form a blonde but than again I find this style can really vary. This particular blond tasted young to me with yeast and wheat notes. Not the smoothest rendition of the style.

Punk O'Lantern
Punk O’Lantern

Punk O’Lantern 6.5%
Very good pumpkin offering with just the right amount of spices without being overwhelming. The spices were accented by touches of caramel, malts and just a touch of earthiness.

Revolutionary Rye
Revolutionary Rye

Revolutionary Rye 6%
Nailed It! I’m not the biggest Rye fan but I can appreciate when the style is done right. It has the graininess one associates with a Rye with an underlying softness of spices and a mild bitter finish.

Bike Rail Pale Ale 5.3%
This was my favorite beer of the visit day and I’m not typically a Pale Ale Gal. The hops were definitely there but without being overpowering which allowed the grapefruit/citrus flavors to shine through.

Village Idiot is still young and I look forward to visiting again and seeing how their beers develop and mature.

Note they are located just 2 miles from Spellbound Brewing which makes for a fun little beer tasting excursion.

Kraftwork

Beer Bar, Beer Reviews, Beer Tastings, , , , , , , , , ,

IMG_2021When it came to choosing a place to celebrate Black Out Friday, my new favorite holiday, I chose Kraftwork as the go to place. Kraftwork rates up there as one of my top three beer bars in the city of Brotherly Beer a.k.a. Philadelphia.  The other two being The Belgian Café and Memphis Taproom. Also, it finally provided me with the opportunity to officially review this amazing establishment.

Kraftwork is located on Gerard Avenue in Fishtown and most times this Gal finds off street parking pretty easily. On this particular visit I snagged a spot right out front  – score! This was my third visit  and with each visit I like the place more and more. I’ve always found the staff to be pleasant and very knowledgeable about the beer – just one of few things I enjoy about this place. Some other reasons it ranks up there: inviting rustic atmosphere (think wood and metal), top notch food – many tiers up from your basic bar food and most importantly the beer list is always excellent. Both the beer and food menu change on a regular basis and the beer menu also notes what beers are coming up.

I was meeting up with an old friend that knew nothing about Black Out Friday but was rather excited to tell me upon my arrival about all the stouts on tap and to show me the new Star Wars Movie trailer – this Gal is a geek about many things. Yes, Black Out Friday is a play on Black Friday and means most of if not all the beers at the establishment are dark beers. A dream come true for this Gal.

Beings there were so many wonderful beers to choose from a flight was in order. Flight of any four for $12 including such rarities as the allusive Black Albert!

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In order Left to Right

The first round consisted of:

Beer Geek Breakfast – Mikkeller, Imperial Stout 7.5%
Smells sweet but has funk taste to it and I mean in a good way. There’s the roasted chocolate malts you would expect but counter balanced by herbs, dark fruit and finished with bitter notes of hops and black coffee.

Black Me Stout – Champion, Stout 6%
This was a middle of the road stout. Some malt flavors mixed with a tinge of pepper but not much else going on. Very drinkable but compared to the other black beauties on tap it paled in comparison.

Peche Mortel – Dieu du Ciel, Imperial Stout 10%
WOW! Smooth, creamy chocolate taste with a balance of sweet and bitter up front and strong coffee punch finish…simply divine.

Black Albert – De Struise Brouwers, Russian Imperial Stout 13%
That’s right folks – the allusive Black Albert ON TAP! There is a subtle power to this stout that consist of  raisins and other dark fruits soaked in whiskey with hints of caramel coated coffee beans…lovely.

Green Bean Casserole Quiche
Green Bean Casserole Quiche
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Egg In A Hole

By the end of the flight is was time for some food. Since it was the day after Thanksgiving  the food menu was based on Thanksgiving Leftovers; a fun way to mix things up. This Gal enjoyed the Green Bean Casserole Quiche – this had the potential of going either way on the scale of goodness but it landed on the right side. It was simply delish! My friend enjoyed the Thanksgiving theme entree of Egg In A Hole – tasty.

With so many black beauties on tap it was necessary to partake in a 2nd flight which consisted of:

Flight 2 Left to Right
Flight 2 Left to Right

The Dream – Dominion, Schwarzbier 8%
Holy Hops! A bit of hops overload for this Gal. Hiding behind the hops were some citrus and pine flavors but it was hard to get past the hops.

Muddy – Goose Island, Imperial Stout 8%
After The Dream it was a bit hard to note what was going there were hops, of course, as well as, some traces of licorice, anise, dark fruit and the ever present bitter chocolate.

Fade to Black – Lefthand, Baltic Porter 8.5%
A soft creamy body with fully body flavors of roasted chicory and cocao. This is a well balanced beer offering pine/hops with dark yeasty malts.

Midnight Monk – Terrapin, Belgian Black IPA 9.6%
Mild hops with a bit more malt then expected. This style is really growing on me. I found this beer to be very enjoyable without any one any one flavor knocking you over but instead melding together to compliment each other perfectly.

IMG_2016After Flight Two it was necessary for this Gal to head back to Jersery. However, I’m looking forward to visiting December 26th for their annual ‘The Brewery That Stole Christmas’ festivities. This year the featured Brewery is Russian River! Looks like I may be starting another new tradition.

 

IMG_2014Kraftwork 541 East Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125
http://kraftworkbar.com   Twitter – @KraftworkBar
https://www.facebook.com/kraftworkbar

 

 

Long Valley Pub & Brewery

Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviews, Brewpub Reviews, , ,

IMG_1842Long Valley Pub & Brewery – Long Valley, New Jersey

Long Valley Pub& Brewery has been on my list of beer places to visit for a few years. Finally the day arrived for a beautiful fall drive to the brewery. The drive is beautiful and builds the excitement for the final destination. The setting for Long Valley Pub & Brewery is perfect for kicking back with a fine beer and taking in the fall foliage show.

The brewery is very picturesque with outdoor seating/bar area and a rustic ski lodge setting inside. On this particular day the fire place was roaring adding to the overall fall feel. The brewery is 2 stories high with lots of stone and natural wood adding to the overall coziness of the place even though it is actually very large with 2 bars inside and plenty of seating.

IMG_1845My companion and I were seated upstairs and fortunately he had a view of what ever sporting event was on the TV and I had a perfect view of the roaring fire. Win win seating.

Immediately upon being seat I started to peruse the beer menu and, of course, settled on ordering the sample round. With six beers on tap there was no other way to go.

Pan-Seared Scallops
Pan-Seared Scallops

To accompany my beer I ordered the Pan-seared Scallops which were fresh and seared perfectly. I really can’t emphasis enough how good the scallops were. My companion had the French Onion Soup and the Blackened Chicken Alfredo. I’m told the soup had a rich flavor and the Alfredo was delish. High props go out to Miguel G. for excellent service.

Beers Reviewed Left to Right
Beers Reviewed Left to Right

Hookerman’s Light
Delicate  light body beer with fruit accents; a true light beer.

American Pale Ale
Well done, very enjoyable without the knock you off your stool hops.

German Valley Amber
This Gal loves German style beers.  Good balance of malts & hops with a tinge of bitterness and a finishes strong.

Lazy Jake Porter
Winner of the round! Good hearty blend of roasted barley and malts with accents of hops make this a hearty full body porter.

Grist Mill Golden Ale
Very light body with some hints of citrus and hops but overall not whole lot going on. Perfect for someone looking for a real light beer or a good intro to craft beer.

Oktoberfest Style
True German lager – clean and tasty with malts and just a tinge of hops.

Would love to have tried the award winning Nut Brown Ale but sadly it wasn’t on tap. Oh  well, I guess I’ll just have to go back.

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Porter
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Apple Crisp

My companion and I, well really me, decided to wrap up the visit with a splurge and treat ourselves to a sweet ending of Fresh Apple Crisp which paired wonderfully with a full pint of the porter. A perfect ending to beautiful Fall outing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kane Brewing Tap Takeover

Beer Tastings, Uncategorized, , , ,

Kane Brewing Tap Takeover

IMG_1797[2]Tough decision to make between a standing commitment and a Kane Brewing Tap Takeover just around the corner from work. Well never one to back out of a commitment this Gal found a way to fit them both in!

Kane had my favorite beer at the Garden State Brewers Festival (Morning Bell) back in June and since than I’ve tried their beer when ever given the chance – never being disappointed. It’s high on my list of breweries to visit but just haven’t made it yet…soon.

Left to Right
Left to Right

Civil Twilight Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 3.7% – Everything I wanted it to be and more. Same robust roasted malt flavors but in a lighter body stout.

Nom de Plom Saison 7.8% – More full body than expected, good sour quality, as well as the spices and fruits one associates with a saison. Ranks up their with Saisons the folks from Belgium brew.

Single Fin Belgian Ale 5% – Very good intro beer – easy drinking, underlying Belgium quality no one ingredient overpowers but rather blends and compliments one another.  Great for warmer weather and would pair nicely with fish and/or grilled veggies.

Overhead Imperial IPA 8% – The hops over powered the rest of the flavors, pretty much what I was anticipating from an Imperial IPA. For sure hop head heaven.

Ripple Session Ale 4.6%– Taken back at first, dissipates quickly as if melting in in your mouth but leaves strong after taste of hops – a weird strong watery constancy but with a full body flavorful taste. I found this beer strangely fascinating.

Head High IPA 6.5% – Strong hop nose, combo of  West Coast Hops with accented by grapefruit make for a very crisp, clean IPA. I have to say I really liked it and, as most know by now, I’m not a big hops fan.

Overall it was one hit after another. Kane Brewing is surely making it’s way up my list of favorite breweries. They are definitely in my top 10 and working towards the top 5. This Gal hopes to visit the brewery soon.

*Kane Brewing just one a medal at the 2014 GABF for A Night to End All Dawns Stout.

 

 

 

Tuckahoe Brewing Company

Beer Reviews, Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviews

019Tuckahoe Brewing Co.

Every September this Gal heads down to beautiful Cape May, New Jersey for a fun filled weekend with the family. In recent years this annual trip has come to include a stop at Cape May Brewing and this year was no exception. However, also included was a stop at Tuckahoe Brewing Company.

Tuchahoe is set back a ways in a rural warehouse area – very easy to miss but no worries it can be found. The outside is a non-descriptive warehouse and the inside is tiny. As soon as you walk in you’re front and center in the tasting room. There’s a small bar that seats maybe 6 people to the left, a high top table for 4 and picnic bench area to the right.

022On this particular day the beer offerings were slim – only 3 beers on tap. I believe there are usually more offerings but think there may have been some sort of problem with the lines this particular day. Not real sure what was going on but went for the $5 taster round of the 3 beers on tap.

Wit
Wit

Marshallville Wit 4.8% – This Gal does enjoy Wits so I was looking forward to this offering. It had the yeasty cloudy appearance I associate with a wit along with the lemon/citrus flavors hints of cloves but there was also a strange soapy taste to it as well.

Holly Beach Pumpkin Ale 7.4%
Right away there was a good hit of spices but not much pumpkin flavor. I consider this beer more a fall ale rather than a pumpkin ale. Unfortunately, there was a strange after taste on this beer as well.

Porter
Porter

Steelmartown Porter 6.5%
The woman who handed us the taster of these said, “it’s smells good but that’s all”. This beer does have a good robust roasty nose but follows it up with a pleasant coffee, cocoa & vanilla taste. The flavor matched aroma. It was the most pleasing of the three beers.

The place was hopping and people were filling growlers yet I did hear a fair amount of grumblings too. In all fairness I feel something was off on the production end and will go back to try it again another day.

The Claremont Tavern

Beer Bar, Beer Reviews, Beer Tastings, , , ,
A special someone surprised me with a afternoon drive and a pit stop at The Claremont Tavern in Bernardsville, NJ. It was pretty drive and the little town the Tavern is located in is down right cute. It’s plopped in the middle of a residential area and has the old tavern coziness to it with smaller rooms and lots of dark wood. To be able to walk across the street for a beer on snowy evening would make for a wonderful winter night.
The Claremont Tavern isn’t a beer destination but if you’re up that way it’s worth stopping in for a bite and a beer. It offers a nice tap list although a bit small with only seven craft beers on tap. I could see it expanding over time and there is talk about them hosting some beer dinners in the future.I decided to go for a 4 pour taster round. I was a little disappointed to find that out of the seven craft beers offered all but one was either an IPA or Pale Ale. A bit more diversity in styles would have been welcomed. (there are 5 other beers on tap as well but not crafts) That being said there were definitely going to be some hops in the taster round along with one of my favorite porters – Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. The waiter tried to discourage me from ordering the porter – stating it was a dessert beer since it had a coffee taste to it. I assured him I was fine with it accompanying my meal.

To go with the beer I ordered the Veggie and Hummus Club Sandwich which consisted of fresh summer veggies paired with roasted pepper hummus – delish and enjoyable. My companion went with the personal pizza. The menu is diverse, reasonably priced and the portions large enough that we got both had lunch and dinner out of our selections.

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L to R: Kona, Great Lakes, Evil, Terrapin

Taster Round:

Castaway IPA – Kona Brewing Company, HW 6%
Pretty hoppy so much so really couldn’t taste anything else going on with the beer except the hops. Not doing it for this Gal.

Edmund Fitzgerald Porter – Great Lakes Brewing, OH 5.8%
A rich black body with a tan head. Wonderful aromas rise up from this porter and the taste doesn’t disappoint. Roasted malt with a very slight burnt/smokiness to it that compliments the roasted coffee and nuttiness that leads to a bittersweet finish. Went back for seconds and ordered a full pint of this gem.

Evil Eye IPA – Evil Genius Beer Company, PA 6%
I found this IPA enjoyable and not overly hoppy with a mix of grapefruit, pine and undertones of malts that finished very smooth. I wouldn’t hesitate to order a pint of this IPA.

Terrapin Hopsecutioner – Terrapin Beer Company, Georgia 7.3%
Fruit, malt and hops contribute to this being a well done medium body, easy drinking beer.  Terrapin is working it’s way of my list of favorite breweries – they really just do it right.

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Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter