The Bruery - Mischief Belgian-Style Ale Review

Brewery: The Bruery

Type: Belgian Ale

ABV: 8.5%

IBU: 35

Sight: Beautiful golden body with a tint of orange to it. The head comes out of the bottle very fast and fluffy white, but finishes the pour smoother and creamy...An inch plus thick. After dissipating, the surface is covered  with a beaten egg-white-esque film.

Aroma: Yeast, hops and fruit of pear are taking the lead in the first inhale. On the second deeper inhale I get a little more yeast, but also some more fruit essence and spice of alcohol.

Taste: Tingles of spicey pepper and alcohol(not overpowering) are the first noticeable marks, along with some yeasty essence. On second swig I get lemony citrus popping along with the drying hops making the first appearance. I am trying to figure out the other fruity character I'm getting, but not commiting to a specific one(thinking a melon(sweeter)).

Overall: Overlapping flavors and belgian character are what make this beer live up to it's name. It plays with you mischievously,  first is spice, then hop, then fruit, then back to hop and some more fruit...It doesn't make up it's mind on what it wants to push forward. That could be by design and is actually a very good approach. The flavors, even though abundant are still balanced well. The mouthfeel is medium and tingley with a finish nice and slightly sour.

Score: 8.6/10 

Schlafly Brewery - Pumpkin Ale Review

Schlafly Beers

Type: Special Release Pumpkin Ale

ABV: 8%

Sight: Very deep amber red with a lighter orange hue at the base. It is a very beautiful shade of brown. The head pours roughly an inch thick with an off-white color. It dissloves to a thin film on the surface.

Aroma: Nutmeg and a little of the namesake Pumpkin pop at first then I get a light tingle from alcohol along with a deep malt base.

Taste: The top flavors are of clove, nutmeg and alcohol...The pumpkin comes in mellow at first then finishes strong with a nice malty backbone to bring things full-circle. The cinnamon is lax to me I really get more nutmeg and clove spice.

Overall: Someone on Twitter asked today if it was too early to be having Pumkin brews...because of the heat of summer still in full swing. I said it is never too early for pumpkin anything. I love pumpkin and could have it all year round...It  has a medium mouthfeel that leaves a little tingle of spice and alcohol at it's finish. Schlafly, being the first pumpkin beer for me of the season, has brought me back to fond memories of decorating the yard to scare the neighborhood kids, going to the local pumkin patches to do hay rides and such with my boys, and my favorite...horror movies. Thanks for refreshing my memories.

Score: 8.0/10

Dogfish Head - Ryehobeth(Brewpub Exclusive) Review

Type: Rye Brewpub rarity

ABV: 5.5%

Sight: Subdued, but still a flashy golden yellow with nice orange flashes in the light. The head pours thin and bright white with very light glass lacing.

Aroma: Very light nose with subtle hints of citrus and light rye essence. All in all very mild smells from within.

Taste: Biscuit and light orange are upfront with a mild spice from the rye. There is very little hop presence, which usually would be a bad thing to me, but not in the brew. It helps the flavors flow to a finish that is very easy with a little more citrus and maybe a hint of clove or corriander.

Overall: Very easy and enjoyable on the palate. Light but still enough character balance between the rye and citrus to give it a complex feel. The ingredients mix well with each other and balance nicely. Mouthfeel is ultra light with no significant aftertaste at all.

Score: 8.0/10

Dominion Brewing - Octoberfest Lager Review

Type: Octoberfest specialty lager

ABV: 5.6%

Sight: They say copper, but I would say it is more of a dark copper to dark-amber with lighter hues towards the base of the glass. It pours with a thin slightly off-white head that vanishes quickly to leave the surface wide open.

Aroma: Toasted malts, a hint of caramel, along with some spice of alcohol are the main tingles to the nose. On a deeper inhale you get a subtle but still noticable hop presence.

                                                                                           Old Dominion Brewery

Taste: First impression is of a deep roasted malt that plays well with a pleasant dryness. Those flavors meld into a cool tingle from that alcohol presence. The close gives a light hop bitterness that fades nicely to end.
                                                



Overall: My first Octoberfest of the season, and I was not disappointed at all. Dominion has done a great job of keeping the balance between the flavors of traditional Marzen/Octoberfest brews...Roasted malts, medium mouthfeel, light hops, and dryness that is clean and refreshing. A tad deeper in the copper tone than I might expect, but close there also. I Keep trying Dominion brews and continue to be impressed. Keep up the good work.

Score: 9.0/10

Dogfish Head Brewery Tour(Milton, De.) August 7th, 2010

Alright everybody, I started my vacation on Friday the 6th, and my first endeavour was to experience the brewery tour at one of the most respected Micro Breweries in the country, Dogfish Head on the eastern coast of Delaware in the small town of Milton.

The facility is modern and fairly large(they are adding more room for even more tanks), in the middle of a residential neighborhood that seems, was built around it.  I was there by myself(wife and family changed minds at the last minute), and was meeting a fellow beer lover...@brew_thusiast for the tour.

So without further ado I will let Mark(The Guide) take us through the journey of what is Dogfish Head Brewery. I enjoyed it completely and had a very good time shooting the poop with Brew_thusiast before and afterwards.

Dogfish Head Brewery Tour(Milton,De.) August 7th, 2010 from Jason Fellon on Vimeo.