Setting the Standard

 

Brewer-Odell Brewing Company

Beer- Mountain Standard

Style- Black IPA

ABV- 9.50%

Description – Odell’s Mountain Standard pours a pitch black color with a foamy dark tan head that remains long and leaves a hefty lacing on the glass.  The aroma is dominated by piney hops with roasted chocolate malts also on display, but making for an interesting aroma combination that is extremely inviting.  The taste follows the nose with bitter hops attacking the palate first before the roasted malts wash over the palate to sooth the hop bite and leave a pleasant caramel and chocolate taste behind .  This is an unbelievably smooth IPA and makes for easy comparisons to a perfect blend of a porter and an imperial IPA.  The creamy body and moderate carbonation makes this beer not only easy drinking, but a very enjoyable drinking experience.  Overall one of the best black IPA’s available on the market today.

Food pairing – The combination of creamy, roasted malts, and hoppy bitterness makes for a few interesting combinations with dishes.  The immediate thought when treating yourself to this wonderful beer is that this would be great with many desserts.  The creamy body and roasted malts make one immediately think of pairing it with ice cream, crème brule, or other cream based desserts.  However, this is a fantastic beer to pair with roasted red meats, try pairing Mountain Standard with a hearty T-bone steak and the roasted malts will grab on the meat and never let go while the hops will add a bite and cleanse the palate perfectly in 

between each bite.

The Final Word – Mountain Standard sets the bar extremely high for the black IPA style.  The popularity in this style has been slowly growing over the years with many breweries trying their hand at it with very mixed results.  The roasted malts combined with the aggressive hopping can make for a less than desiring combination when not done in the correct balance.  However, Odell has found the balance and has created a truly remarkable beer, which is not surprising when considering how skilled the brewery is with all of their IPA’s.  Fans of IPA’s will absolutely love this beer, but also fans of creamy porters and stouts may also find something very enjoyable in Mountain Standard.  Where ever you fall on the beer spectrum this beer has something for you and is certainly worth a try!

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Where can I get it? -  Mountain Standard is available yearly from September thru December.  Odell beer can be found in: AZ, CO, ID, KS, MN, MO, NE, NM, SD, and WY

Mercy Me!

Brewer-Odell Brewing Company

Beer- Myrcenary Double IPA

Style- American Double/ Imperial IPA

ABV- 9.30%

Description – Myrcenary pours a slightly hazy golden blond color with super frothy white head that dissipates and leaves a heavy lacing on the glass.  The aroma is a punch in the nose with a fruity hop bouquet.   The scents of kiwi, orange, apricot, and lemon dominate followed with a bit of piney hops and a sweet grain backbone.  The upfront taste if citrus hops with orange and lemon being the prevailing balanced by sweet caramel malts that wash over the taste buds and take the edge off of the hop bite before leaving a very long dry finish.  The medium body and carbonation give this beer a smooth and almost creamy like feel in the mouth.  Myrcenary is a fantastic example of the style and showcases what can be done with a very popular style in the hands of a true master.

Food pairing – Imperial IPA’s typically make for wonderful pairings with spicier dished, however Myrcenary makes for a perfect combination with a wider variety.  Try pairing Myrcenary with your favorite barbeque dishes; ribs, chicken, brisket, and sausage all make for an extremely enjoyable experience with this beer.  The sweet caramelized meat and sauce will highlight the malt profile in the beer while the hops will add another layer of sweetness to the BBQ sauce.  Also try pairing with oily fish such as salmon prepared in your favorite style with a squeeze of lemon.  The oily fish will meld into the beer and the hops will accentuate the citrus in the lemon.Whatever you choose this is one DIPA that can hold its own and add a lot to any dish.

The Final Word – Myrcenary is an absolutely stunning imperial IPA.  This style is dominated by aggressive hop forward beers that tend to lose their balance with the overpowering hops.  However, Myrcenary maintains its perfect balance despite the aggressive hopping.  This makes for an extremely easy drinking imperial IPA, not an easy feat by any stretch of the imagination.  If you are lucky enough to have Odell available in your market than you should already know the world class status they have achieved is very well deserved.  If you have not tried Myrcenary from Odell yet though, I cannot suggest strongly enough that you track this one down.  This beer is also rare in being an imperial IPA that is extremely approachable by all, even if you are new to the style.

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Where can I get it? -  Odell beer can be found in: AZ, CO, ID, KS, MN, MO, NE, NM, SD, and WY

Best of the Fest

 

Brewer: Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG/Brauerei Aying

Beer: Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen

Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen

ABV: 5.80%

Description: Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen pours a clear copper orange color with a huge frothy off-white head that lingers long and leaves a heavy honeycomb-like lacing on the glass. The aroma has notes of fresh bread, grains, toasted malt, as well as inviting earthy tones. The taste backs up the nose with pleasing bready notes, fresh grains, toasted malts, and very subtle hints of noble hops. This is an extremely clean-tasting beer, as one would expect from a world-class lager such as this one. The body of this beer tends towards the medium-full side, but with a very creamy texture and moderate carbonation that leaves behind a wonderful malty coating on the palate for a moderately dry finish. This is one of the best examples of the Oktoberfest style that is available in the States; if you are a fan of the style, you owe it to yourself to get your hands on this one.

Food pairing: This fantastic German beer is an absolute must for pairing with German cuisine. In Germany at the Oktoberfest, huge piles of pork, whole chickens, and fish are brought in for the masses to enjoy, and Ayinger’s Oktober Fest pairs perfectly with all of them, as well as any sausages you can imagine. One dish that is certainly not an Oktoberfest staple that goes perfectly with this beer is pizza. The sweetness of the tomato sauce matches the malt sweetness, the bread of the crust matches well with the breadiness of the beer, and the carbonation and hops cut right through the cheese. Also try this fantastic Märzen with a burger, and do not be afraid to pile on the toppings.

The final word: There are a lot of fantastic Oktoberfest beers available today, but Ayinger’s Oktoberfest sets the standard for this style of beer. The rich malty character is perfectly balanced to make it a beer that can certainly be enjoyed in large quantities without the slightest bit of palate fatigue. I must make a personal confession in that this style of beer is not a huge favorite of mine, as I do not enjoy overly malty beers, but Ayinger has created a beer that has truly changed my viewpoint on this style. Do yourself a favor – whether you are a huge fan of this style already or have reservations on this style, try this world-class Oktoberfest and celebrate the season!

Rating: W W W W W

Where can I get it? Currently available in bottles at: Exit 190 Beer Deli, Dickson City; Wegmans, Dickson City; J & H Beer, Wilkes-Barre; Backyard Ale House, Scranton.

Also available on draft at Exit 190 Beer Deli, Dickson City.

The King of Pumpkin Ales

Brewer-Weyerbacher Brewing Company

Beer- Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Style- Pumpkin Ale

ABV- 8.00%

Description- Weyerbacher’s Imperial Pumpkin Ale pours a hazy brownish amber color with frothy beige head that has decent retention and leaves a pleasant lacing behind.  The aroma is very heavy on the spice and is dominated by cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg along with more subtle hints of vanilla and caramel, all of the wonderful smells you would want in a fall seasoned beer.  The taste is also dominated by spices, but the first perception your taste buds will receive is from the sweet caramel malts followed by the cinnamon and nutmeg with clove adding a smoother background note.  A hint of pumpkin follows adding a bit of bitterness.  A finish of vanilla, brown sugar, and sweet graham crackers gives way to a long dry finish.  The body is surprisingly on the thin side when considering that this is an imperial pumpkin ale, but this does not detract from the beer one bit.  This is a very complex and amazingly sessionable pumpkin beer that should be enjoyed as much as possible before the season ends.

Food pairing – The sweetness of Imperial Pumpkin Ale makes it a perfect dessert beer.  This beer is of course perfect with pumpkin pie and be sure to pile on the whipped cream.  Also try this with some rice pudding, preferably pumpkin rice pudding if you can find it, the cinnamon really adds some depth to the dish.  The richer the desserts the better it will pair with this beer, but think more towards sweet spices.  Carrot cake, spiced cake, pumpkin cheesecake, and pumpkin or cinnamon ice cream paired with Imperial Pumpkin Ale all make for a more enjoyable way to end any evening.

The Final Word – Weyerbacher is a brewery that produces consistently amazing beers and Imperial Pumpkin Ale is no exception.  The sweetness in this beer may be too much for some, but for those that enjoy pumpkin beers it is absolutely perfect.  The 8% ABV is also a nice addition in that it is very undetectable which can sneak up on you quickly.  This is the perfect beer to have around for a nice warm up on a chilly fall evening.

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Where can I get it? -  Available in bottles at Krugel’s Georgetown Deli- Wilkes Barre; Wegman’s- Dickson City and Wilkes Barre; J & H Beer- Wilkes Barre; Exit 190 Beer Deli- Dickson City; Armetta’s Pizza- Clarks Summit

Time to Get Dirty!

Brewer-Victory Brewing Company

Beer- DirtWolf Double IPA

Style- American Double/ Imperial IPA

ABV- 8.70%

Description- DirtWolf pours a slightly hazy gold color with a creamy white head that dissipates to leave a nice collar on the beer with a hefty lacing on the glass.  The aroma is an intense punch of hops leaning more towards the herbal and floral notes of the hop bouquet with some citrus on the back end.  Sweet bready malts also make an arrival blending in with the hops perfectly.  The taste also packs a huge hop punch and is decidedly bitterer than the aroma may have led on.  Up front pine and grapefruit hops bring about slightly tropical perceptions before a more earthy hops washes over the palate and is quickly chased by the sweet malts before a long dry finish leaves a bit of floral hops and some pineapple on the palate.  DirtWolf is definitely an imperial IPA, but make no mistake this is decidedly well balanced, which is not a surprise when it comes to a beer from Victory.  The medium body and moderate carbonation gives DirtWolf an almost juicy character with the hop bouquet.  DirtWolf is another world class beer from a world class brewery.

Food pairing – DirtWolf practically begs for Thai food, the hop notes are a perfect match for chilies.  This is also a perfect to match with bold Mexican dishes such as fajitas or try it with quesadillas or cheese enchiladas if you are trying to blunt the aggressive hops.  If you are looking to enjoy DirtWolf while watching an afternoon game on Sunday, than order yourself some pepperoni pizza, the spices from the meat will enhance the hop taste while the cheese will quell the hop bite and the bread with bring forth the malt presence in the beer.

The Final Word – DirtWolf is new to the market, but it certainly strikes hard, fast, and leaves its mark in an overcrowded IPA market.  Victory has left its mark on the IPA and craft beer market with its groundbreaking HopDevil and it has now stepped up its game even further with DirtWolf.  While many West coast breweries are gaining recognition for aggressively hopped imperial IPA’s, Victory has shown that East coast breweries can create one that is just as aggressive, but also still focus on being well balanced.  This is an outright world class beer that deserves a try from all who enjoy IPA’s.

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Where can I get it? -  Victory beers are currently distributed in: AL, AK, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI

To find specific retailers check of Victory’s distributor list: www.victorybeer.com/victory-wholesalers-and-distributors/

Gettin' Wild and Delicious!

Brewer-Lagunitas Brewing Company

Beer- A Little Sumpin' Wild

Style- Belgian IPA

ABV- 8.80%

Description- A Little Sumpin' Wild by Lagunitas pours a slightly hazy orange yellow with a rocky off white head that lingers long and leaves a hefty lacing on the glass.  The aroma bursts with fruity aromas from the hops and yeast, notes of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, and mango are balanced against wheat and sweet bready malt.  The taste matches the nose with citrus fruits hitting the taste buds first dominated by sweet grapefruit and hints of tangerine being followed with earthy hop bitterness before the Belgian yeast cuts through leaving notes of banana and fresh baked bread before a lingering dry finish.  This beer also has a very assertive bitterness but the Belgian yeast balances against it flawlessly and enhances the sweet fruity character of the hops instead of the aggressive bitterness.  The moderate carbonation and medium body create the perfect base to deliver this breathtaking beer.  A Little Sumpin' Wild is another amazing beer from an amazing brewery.

Food pairing – A Little Sumpin' Wild is perfect beer to have on hand if you are planning a beer and cheese pairing.  This beer goes well with a wide variety of choices and the “wilder” the better, cheese like Gorgonzola and Limburger are two great pairings with this beer.  This also makes a great companion with duck, whether its braised duck legs or duck confit, the Belgian yeast blends seamlessly into the fatty duck.  Sausages are also made even better when paired with A Little Sumpin' Wild, try those made from venison, wild boar, or lamb for an even better tasting experience.

The Final Word – A Little Sumpin' Wild is an absolutely stunning world class beer.  The Belgian IPA style is one that can be very difficult to pull off as the Belgian yeast can create some off flavors when combined with the IPA style, but Lagunitas has managed to not only pull this style off, but create a beer that sets the standard for the style.  The yeast used in this beer is pivetal to creating the wonderful flavors that abound with in; the yeast is from the Westmalle Trappist brewery whose beers are highly sought after.  The choices made in malts, hops, and yeast truly shows the dedication Lagunitas has to making world class beers.  Get your hands on A Little Sumpin' Wild now!

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Where can I get it? -  Available on draft at Mohawk House- Sparta, NJ;  PJ Whelihan's- Blue Bell, PA; House of Brews (51st St.)- New York, NY

Available in bottles at The Wardell Pub- Phillipsburg, NJ; Porch- Myerstown, PA; Cable Beverages- Bardonia, NY