With A Rebel Yell

Brewer- Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Beer- Rebel IPA

Style- American IPA

ABV- 6.50%

Description – Rebel IPA pours a very clear gold color with a crisp white head that doesn’t linger too long and leaves only a moderate amount of lacing on the glass.  The aroma is extremely hop forward with pine being the dominant hop aroma with subtle hints of grapefruit and floral background hop notes with whiffs of sweet malt coming through.  The taste is also very hop forward with notes of pine, grapefruit, and resin hitting the palate aggressively followed by sweet toasted caramel malts before a long dry finish.  The medium light body and moderate carbonation make the perfect vessel to deliver this hop forward beer.  This a very nice take on the West coast IPA style and is certainly something many may not be expecting from Sam Adams, but this is a wonderful and highly drinkable IPA from a brewery that has been a craft beer pioneer.

Food pairing – The hop selection creates a beer that cries out to be paired with spicier food.  Try pairing Rebel IPA with a wide variety of Mexican dishes such as spicy fish tacos, a Carne asada burrito, or Huevos rancheros are all great pairings.  However, if you are more in the mood for a Tex-Mex dish try the beer with a nice Chimichanga.  Jamaican jerk chicken also makes a fantastic pairing with the spices highlighting the hops for a wonderful spice bite on the palate that is quickly quelled by the sweet malt backbone of the beer.  Some other great dishes to try with Rebel IPA are Indian vindaloos, Cajun blackened chicken, and of course a cheeseburger piled high with any topping of your desire.

The Final Word – Sam Adams has built itself a large and loyal fan base and while many other companies may rest on those laurels, Sam Adams continues to create new and tasty beers.  Rebel IPA is the latest in a long and growing line of enjoyable beers being produced by Sam Adams.  In the current craft beer market IPA’s are certainly all the rage, but the issue is that many IPA’s are quite unbalanced which makes for a less than enjoyable drinking experience.  Sam Adams has managed to create an IPA that is very hop forward but still maintains great balance and drink-ability.  When this hits shelves be sure to grab yourself some!

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Where can I get it? -  Rebel IPA is hitting the market in January 2014, so be on the lookout!

Witty and Wonderful

Brewer-Allagash Brewing Company

Beer- Allagash White

Style- Witbier

ABV- 5.00%

Description- Allagash White pours a hazy gold color with huge frothy white head that recedes but leaves behind a lattice of lacing on the glass.  The aroma explodes with fresh oranges, hints of apple and lemon along with a dash of spice.  The taste is wonderful and refreshing and is everything that you would want from a beer.  There is a crisp bitterness that hits up front but gives way to citrus fruits and wheat malt before leaving the palate completely invigorated and ready for more.  The moderate carbonation and medium light body give this beer its crisp qualities and also allows this beer to scrub the palate clean in between sips.  Allagash White is the go to example of the Witbier style.

Food pairing – Allagash White is a fairly versatile beer with significant cutting power despite its seemingly light beer qualities.  This is a great beer to have with lunch dishes and is a dream pairing with fried fish, so next time you order fish and chips rethink ordering a Guinness and try it with Allagash White instead.  This is also great with a wide variety of fish dishes whether they are fried, poached, and baked try this beer with your next salmon, orange roughy, or even a fresh catfish all make for perfect pairings with Allagash White.  The spices in the beer also make for great matchups with spicy Thai and Mexican food.

The Final Word – There is a reason that Allagash White has won and continues to win awards whether it be Gold at GABF or another Gold at the World Beer Cup, that reason is this is an absolutely world class beer and sets the bar for the Witbier style.  Allagash White has gained a stellar reputation over the years as a great beer and despite the changes in tastes that are ever evolving in the craft beer world; White still maintains that reputation as a great beer.  The crisp, light, and refreshing taste and mild ABV makes this a great go to beer to have around whether for brunch, lunch, or dinner.  Allagash White is a beer that is a must have in any beer lovers fridge.

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Where can I get it? -  Allagash White is another year round brew from Allagash and is available in 12oz bottles or on draft.  It is currently available at: Perkiomen Café- Oaks, PA; Salt-Stanhope, NJ; Jenny Jump Roadhouse- Hackettstown, NJ; Nortons Cork ‘N Spirit- Phillipsburg, NJ; and Mike Short- Kempton, PA

What A Trip

Brewer-Allagash Brewing Company

Beer- Allagash Tripel Ale

Style- Tripel

ABV- 9.00%

Description- Allagash Tripel pours a hazy deep straw yellow color with vibrant white head that lingers long and leaves a very pleasant lacing on the glass.  The aroma is just what you would want and expect from a Tripel, notes of banana, clove, citrus, Belgian yeast, some spicing present with notes of malt dancing in the background.  Upon the first sip this beer makes itself known as being extremely well balanced.  The fruit tastes are up front with hints of banana, tangerine, passion fruit, and tart apple being the most pervasive which are quickly followed by sweet honey malts before the spicy herbal notes wash over the palate before a wonderful long dry finish.  The alcohol is extremely well hidden and one would not know the 9% ABV that is in this beer.  The carbonation is moderate and the mouthfeel is in the medium range which creates a wonderfully smooth drinkable beer.  Allagash Tripel Ale is an absolutely world class example of the style.

Food pairing – The complexities within Tripel make this beer a very interesting beer to pair with a wide variety of dishes.  This beer in particular makes a great match with richer meats and seafood.  Try pairing Tripel with a succulent roast pork dinner, the spicing and malt profile will add an extra layer to this hearty dish.  If you are more of a seafood fan, there is no better beer to pair with lobster than Allagash Tripel.  The lobster can be prepared any way that you like it; the beer will hold its own even against the creamiest of sauces.  The sweet malt bill also makes this a great beer for desserts, especially of the creamy persuasion, try pairing Tripel with a nice robust piece of cheesecake or crème brûlée.

The Final Word- Allagash consistently produced world class examples of any beer style and Tripel is no exception.  The Belgian Tripel style is extremely approachable style for those who are new to craft beer, or even beer for that matter.  The style itself is very easy drinking, smooth, and enjoyable and Allagash’s take on the style is all of that and more.  If you are lucky enough to live in an area where Allagash Tripel is distributed than you owe it to yourself to try this world class beer.  This is a beer that you bring out for company during the holidays to truly impress them with your taste in beer.  Just remember it is weighing in with 9% ABV so take your time to enjoy this one. 

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Where can I get it? -  Allagash Tripel is a year round brew from Allagash so you should be able to find it regardless of the season.  It is available in both 12 oz. bottles and 750mL bottles.  It is currently available at: La Bella via Brick- Phillipsburg, NJ; Trinity Lounge- Newton, NJ; California Pizza Kitchen- King of Prussia, PA; Bottle King- Hackettstown, NJ; and Shoprite Liquors- Stanhope, NJ

On the Dark Side

If you have ever asked a craft beer fanatic what his or her favorite beer is, chances are you received an answer like this: “It depends on a lot of things.”

They will then go on to list a litany of things such as food, mood, and, of course, the season. Summer is typically viewed as the time of year when we partake in lighter beers and winter is just the opposite, when many transition into darker and heavier beers such as stouts and porters.

Winter is now fully underway and the long and cold nights have taken hold, meaning it’s time to switch to heavier beers to warm us by the fireside. For some the transition is instant, while for others a slower transition is needed, maybe starting off by drinking brown ales before moving on to porters and finally ending with stouts before the weather swings back to the lighter, warmer side of things.

Brown Ales are the perfect jumping-off point to darker beers with their toasty, nutty and slightly caramel flavors up front before giving way to a crisp clean finish. Some Brown Ales, typically Americanized versions, are a bit more hop forward, but are still just as fantastic. Standout examples of this style are Indian Brown Ale by Dogfish Head, Brooklyn Brown Ale by Brooklyn Brewery, Nut Brown Ale by Samuel Smith, Reunion Ale by Terrapin, and Turbodog by Abita.

The next step closer to the dark side is moving into the Porter category. This style has been in existence for a very long time; unfortunately we don’t know how long, but we do know it has been brewed since at least the early 1700s. The Porter style is richer than the Brown Ale with its roasted malts, creamy mouthfeel, and, like Brown Ale, some versions are hoppier than others. Standout examples of the Porter style are Taddy Porter by Samuel Smith, Black Butte Porter by Deschutes, Edmund Fitzgerld Porter by Great Lakes, Anchor Porter by Anchor Brewing Company, and Stone Smoked Porter by Stone Brewing Co., which is also available with fresh vanilla bean added.

The final stage in the transition into the dark side is Stouts. This is another style that has been in existence for a long time and has become popularized by Guinness. The style features very roasty malts with slight hints of caramel as well, with other variations that can occur depending on the brewer’s choice. Standout examples of the stout style are Love Stout by Yards Brewing Company, Chocolate Stout by Rogue, Kalamazoo Stout by Bell’s, Old King Coal Stout by Breaker Brewing Company, and Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout by Anderson Valley.

If this final stage is still not enough for you and you want to go deeper, darker, and richer, then the imperial variants of both Porters and Stouts are just what you need. The differences between Imperial Porters and Stouts are very subtle and often debated on, but for this we can agree that these are all fantastic and enjoyable beers. Victory at Sea by Ballast Point is a must-have, along with Speedway Stout by AleSmith, Imperial Stout by Samuel Smith, Old Rasputin by North Coast Brewing Co., and Turbo Diesel by the local Nimble Hill Brewing Company.

The lack of daylight can cause some feelings of gloom and doom for some, but if we can learn to embrace the dark side then we can learn to enjoy this time of year. Drinking stouts and porters is just another way to enjoy the ever-changing seasons that we have here in Northeast Pennsylvania.

Dark, Delicious Depths

Beer: Narwhal Imperial Stout

Brewer: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Style: Russian Imperial Stout

ABV: 10.20%

Description: Narwhal pours pitch black with no light escaping from within, and is topped with a heavy brown head that lingers throughout the drinking experience and leaves a wonderful heavy lacing on the glass. The aroma radiates with notes of roasted malts varying from coffee to dark chocolate to slight hints of caramel, as well as backing notes of vanilla. The taste backs the nose dead-on with the bitter chocolate malts hitting the palate first, followed by notes of coffee and vanilla before a lighter caramel character washes over and leaves a lingering coffee-like bitterness on the tongue. This is a full-bodied beer with moderate carbonation that lends itself to a smooth drinking experience. The high alcohol in Narwhal makes itself known only slightly, with a very tiny amount of alcohol heat coming through. Narwhal is an absolutely stellar example of the Russian Imperial Stout style.

Food pairing: The rich roasted malts, along with chocolate and coffee overtones, make Narwhal a prime candidate to have with dessert; however, there is much more that this beer can add to the dinner table. Try pairing Narwhal with your next barbecue dinner, whether it’s short ribs, brisket, or a juicy hamburger. If you top any of these with a sweet barbecue sauce, Narwhal will latch onto that sweetness and never let go, while enhancing the caramelization in the meat for an unforgettable meal. And yet Narwhal is right at home with desserts, whether they be of the lighter variety (such as chocolate mousse or carrot cake) or a heavier dessert, such as cheesecake, Narwhal is a dream pairing, preferably with cheesecakes that have fruit topping or chocolate drizzle. There’s always the tasty beer float if you feel like a fun treat; put two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream into your glass of Narwhal and just enjoy the evening!

The final word: Sierra Nevada has built itself a fantastic reputation that many breweries would give anything to achieve, and it has done this by brewing world class beers. Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale and Big Foot are top tier examples of this. Sierra Nevada consistently produces beers that are both highly complex and extremely approachable, which makes it a great brewery for craft beer newbies and fanatics alike. Another great thing about Narwhal is that it will age for many years in the bottle and become even more complex; it has the year of production prominently displayed on the front of the bottle. This is a great beer to buy a case of and save for a quite some time, tasting every year and taking notes to see how it evolves as time goes on. Whether you are looking to consume this beer right away or save it for future experimentation, Narwhal is a fantastic brew and great go-to for the winter season.

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Where can I get it? Currently available in 12 oz. bottles at Goldstein’s Deli- Kingston, PA; Joe’s Six Packs to Go- Dunmore, PA; J & H Beer- Wilkes Barre, PA; and Exit 190 Beer Deli- Dickson City, PA