During our big move this past week I found time to stop for a moment and taste a bit of Baltimore or Royersford depending on how you look at it. A bottle of The Brewer's Art Resurrect
ion Ale that I received from the Baltimore Beer Guy has been residing in The Beer Fridge since the Super Bowl. My original plans were to use it to toast a Steelers victory but even though the Steelers were victorious the cork was never popped on this Belgian style ale. Now during the big move with all my beer in boxes and the cleaning out of the fridge I figured to lighten the load by one bottle.
e aroma with a mix of candi sugar and dark fruit. The malty beer had a medium mouthfeel, balanced carbonation, an upfront taste of apples, raisins and plums and was sweet without being cloying. Nothing shocking here, it was what you would expect from a easy drinking lighter Dubbel. There are certainly stronger more flavorful Dubbels but this one was perfect for a quick break in a full day of moving. The 7% abv thankfully provided a good kick without sending me into nap mode. I only wish that I could buy this in PA. It's funny to think that I now live only a short drive from Sly Fox Royersford where Resurrection is contract brewed, but unless I am heading to Maryland I'm not getting a bottle anytime soon. Again, a huge thanks to Brian for getting me this one.
Love was in the air this past weekend and so was the smell of cask beer pouring at the Grey Lodge Pub. This past Friday was the first of three, of this year's Friday the Firkinteenths. The cask ale event always brings in swarms of real ale fans to the northeast pub to drink some of the freshest beer available. Last year was my first FTF experience and I couldn't wait for my second go around. The only change I wanted to make this year was to arrive early enough to secure a seat at the bar. I know some of you like to work the crowd but I was looking for more of a lazy day of sampling versus swimming through the masses to get a beer. Arriving just after 11:00 I found my spot at the bar and flexed my drinking muscles for the first wave. 
Scoats tapped the first keg around noon to the cheers and clicking cameras of real beer fans. The masses had every reason to be happy on the supposed most unlucky day of the year. The beer line up was great from go. A few stand out for me were the California Dreamin' Double IPA from Manayunk Brewery. It was shocking if only for the way it looked in the glass. The overly cloudy orange color made it look more like juice than beer. The grapefruit hop quality came out quick alo
ng
with a nice sweetness that lead to a slightly bitter finish. For a DIPA it seemed almost too easy to drink. The tapping of Nugget Nectar caused the biggest frenzy. I don't know the actual time it took to finish the firkin but there may of been a point where no other beer was being poured. It seemed as if every arm was reaching out for the hop bomb. As quick as it arrived it was kicked. Even though I loved the Nectar my favorite beer of the day was The Bruery's Saison De Lente.
The Bruery is located in Placentia, CA just outside Anaheim and thanks to Bella Vista their beers are starting to pop up in the Philadelphia market. I haven't had a ton of saisons but Saison De Lente is a good one. The beer is citrusy with earthy character, grassiness, some light funk from the Brett and drinks dry and crisp. It was one of those beers I could lounge back with and drink all afternoon. I know at 6.5%abv it's no session beer however if you have been drinking heavy winter beers and tipping back Double IPAs like me Saison De Lente is a nice switch. I've already circled The Bruery events at Capone's and Devils Den during beer week.
As expected Scoats did another fantastic job with the event. Because I am always out the door before 5:00pm I never get to experience the after work crowd. I would love to hear what it's like at the Grey Lodge later in the day. Since the next Friday the Firkinteenth is during Philly Beer Week expect an even bigger turn out. Scoats has already posted the details and the event will start at an earlier time. Getting a seat at the bar maybe a bit more challenging. Good luck. 
t as overwhelming as I had expected. The citrusy aroma didn't grab my attention until after I took several whiffs from the pint glass. Part of this was due to the slightly cold serving temperature. I have to remember to turn down the beer fridge. Once it did warm the sweet floral aroma was nicely present. Where the hops didn't show immediately in the aroma it was the opposite when it came to taste. There was a strong upfront hop presence that hit the tongue and stayed. The bitterness showed early and didn't fade; lingering at the back of my mouth. Although the hops hang on it's not thick and super sticky so this 7.5 abv hop bomb remains very drinkable. Most hop fans will be pleased; I was. Being a fan of Troegs I will seek out another six and enjoy another pint or two. However with soooooo many high hop options arriving regularly in Philly I can't say that I will feel any shortcomings if I don't immediately get back to the Nectar.
a snifter at TJ's a co
uple weeks ago. My latest was at home, this past weekend, from a bottle purchased at Capone's. From the time the cap hit the table it was hops, hops, hops and more hops. The aroma wafted from the bottle and only intensified when poured into the glass. Take time to smell this one. Remember this came from the same too cold beer fridge as the Nugget Nectar. In the glass the beer is a hazy copper color with a thick white head that settled after a few sips. A tip of the glass delivered a grapefruit blast, with hints of orange, straight to the palate. It's citrusy hops and bitterness combined with a sweet background. The sweetness then steps forward and the alcohol shows in the end. The bottle states, "Ale brewed with honey", but I had a hard time picking out a true honey flavor. This is a beer to savor. I understand why it's often served in a snifter. The 10% abv, the overly sticky mouth feel and alcohol that doesn't hide may offend and for some take away drinkability. It's not my favorite DIPA or the most balanced but it still makes its way into my hop utopia. HopSlam almost lives up to the hype. If this were on draft I would have a hard time passing it up.
With all the fuss made over HopSlam and Nugget Nectar the release of Founders Double Trouble DIPA has been in the shadows. Check Capone's and TJ's, it may still be on draft. Now the hop head focus in Philly is shifting to the upcoming shipment of Pliny the Younger. I am sure that there are more than a few people who already have their growlers in the car waiting to hear who gets the first drop. Hang on Philadelphia with Beer Week less than a month away the ride only gets more fun.
"Dont drive angry".
Now that my heart is back in my chest and my breathing is back to normal I am loving the victory. I don't know how many times a person can watch the same ESPN highlights over and over before being considered insane but I am on my way to crazyville. The win gets a little bit sweeter with every replay. Last night's game was fantastic. The competition was good; the Steelers took an early lead and built on it just before the half with an improbable interception and 100 yard lumbering dash to the end zone by James Harrison. The Cardinals held it together, worked the middle of the field and although I like Larry Fitzgerald I dropped a few F-bombs when he trotted across the goal line for the go ahead TD. If I were going to script the ending of a big game this is the way I would of written it. Big Ben did what he had to do with under 3 minutes left in the game and Santonio Holmes made arguably the greatest catch in SB history. It all came to a close with the Steeler's D knocking the ball from Kurt Warner's hands and recovering it with seconds left to secure their 6th Super Bowl win. Whether you cheer for the black and gold or not you have to appreciate how they won.
