Brace Yourselves

After nearly a year and a half of posting about the news of and my own anticipation of North Country Brewing Company, our of Slippery Rock, it finally looks as if the time has come. News has spread on Twitter within the Western Pa. beer community about the cans actually being filled and the actual palettes being trucked around wholesalers via forklifts.

.@ncbrewingco kegs are in the market now. Cans hit the market next week.
— Craft Pittsburgh Mag (@CraftPittsburgh) December 7, 2013

Look what we picked up from @ncbrewingco today! Available now IN CANS from @beersince1933. Be among the 1st! pic.twitter.com/cCodZj5F8B
— Michelle Reid (@Pourthing) December 12, 2013

May the excitement ensue. The Craft Pittsburgh tweet is from five days ago. So, that should mean that North Country cans should be in some distributors by this weekend or early next week at the latest, correct? Only time will tell, but I'm sure that's the likely case. This state seems to be having a craft can explosion of sorts. I've also seen and heard rumors of the Troegs Brewing Company cans hitting markets as well.

Growth and Odd Contraptions

Last year I returned from my annual Gettysburg excursion and posted about how I felt the eastern side of Pennsylvania knew how to eat and the western side knew how to drink. I based all of this on my disappointment in the Gettysburg beer selection. Alas, I stood corrected by many and my trip last week surely contradicted my claim this year.

I've already spent some time this week detailing how the craft beer community has grown in the Gettysburg area. This is probably my last post explaining the subject. I also visited the Blue and Gray Bar and Grill last year and did once again this year. The bar is in the famous square in the dead center of Gettysburg. The craft selection within the bar has improved in this establishment as well.

I had to pose the Dogfish 60 Minute in front of it.

Last year, I came across a bit from Troegs and Roy Pitz from nearby Chambersburg. I'm pleased to report a tad more this time around. Not only that, but Dogfish Head Craft Brewery had a few appearances on the draft list as well.

I'm not entirely sure whether or not there was a beer-to-go cooler at Blue and Gray last summer, but I definitely noticed it this time. The cooler was stuffed full of six packs from Troegs just north of Gettysburg and a brewery called Starr Hill which I discovered is out of Virginia. Maybe some North vs. South action? A few of the Starr Hill offering found a way on the draft system. One was a pumpkin porter. Despite my feelings on pumpkin beer in the summer, I found this exciting.

Still, the table I was seated at had an interesting gadget built into it. Something I've never seen or heard of before. I had noticed it upon walking past the place and assumed it was just part of the bar's draft system. I was only half right.

Apparently it's something called a table tap. I'm not certain as to how it would work at other places, but at Blue and Gray you would get a wristband that gets scanned by the machine. You would fill your own glass of beer and the machine keeps track of how much was dispensed. Very interesting. I haven't seen many of these elsewhere nor around the places I frequent here in Pittsburgh.

The Six Pack Project: Western Pennsylvania

About a month or two ago, I noticed Justin of his cleverly-named Brew Review Blog participating in a beer blog collaboration project called the Six Pack Project. The idea is the brainchild of Bryan of This is Why I'm Drunk. The objective is to get beer bloggers across America and maybe even the world to help spread word about some of the local beers that seem to best represent our unique beer cultures.

Here are the rules, according to Bryan.

1. Pick a six-pack of beers that best represents your state and/or state’s beer culture.
2. Beer must be made in your state, but “gypsy” brewers are acceptable, so long as that beer is brewed with an in-state brewery and sold in your state.
3. Any size bottle or can is acceptable to include.
4. Current seasonal offerings are fine, but try to keep selections to year-round brews as much as possible. No out-of-season brews preferred.

Now, four of the six I narrowed down are either pretty close to Pittsburgh or definitely on the western side of Pennsylvania. Of the two remaining, one hails from the central sector of the state while the other is much farther east. I felt it important to have the concentration of my selections favoring the Pittsburgh area since the aforementioned Justin has already done some of Pennsylvania for this project. Also, these beers are in no particular order or ranking.

White Lightning by Full Pint Brewing Company - North Versailles, Pa.

If you paid any attention to last year's Great American Beer Festival you might have noticed that this beer earned a silver medal. It's tart and citrusy. It has a lovely aroma of coriander and spice, which both contribute to a spicy finish. Hops are easy, but provide a kiss of bitterness to compliment the tart and fruity aspects of the brew. It has a vivid straw color and creamy white head. The 5.5 percent ABV doesn't interfere at all. Tastes quite sessionable even though some might not consider it as such.This is quite an easy get when you get a chance to cruise through a couple bottle shops here in Pittsburgh. The brewers at Full Pint pretty much threw everything they had into starting this brewery. They sort of represent the hard-working people around Pittsburgh. This is arguably the brewery's best offering, in my opinion.

Monkey Boy Hefeweizen by East End Brewing Company - Pittsburgh, Pa.

Of the brews that hail from Pittsburgh, this is the one that's closest to my heart. This is quite lighter on the ABV scale at 4.8 percent. The remarkable thing about this beer is that it's a nice foggy hefeweizen that tastes like a banana, but there isn't any actual banana used in the brewing process. Some creativity with the yeast strain unlocks such a flavor in this beer. This beer also seems special in terms of how craft beer has grown over the years. Some time ago, beer tasting like this might have been considered spoiled and tossed out. Now it's considered great beer! East End can only be found on taps around town, from growlers at the brewery and in a growler shop downtown.

Sunshine Pils by Troegs Brewing Company - Hershey, Pa.

Moving away from Pittsburgh for a second we have a nice German Pilsner that's crisp and hoppy. If you've had this before you already know those two facets because it says it on the case and bottle! Not only does it have a nice dosing of tasty hop flavor that plays well with the rest of the beer, it features a few citrusy undertones you don't come across in many pilsners. It's light in ABV at 4.5 percent, always well-carbonated to add some nice texture and represents the many German/Dutch communities that dot the central part of the state. This is a seasonal offering, but is still available at certain locations. Especially bottle shops. The brewery in Hershey has some in the tasting room the last time I checked.

Wynona's Big Brown Ale by Voodoo Brewing Company - Meadville, Pa.

This is the booziest of the bunch that I selected with an ABV of 7.4 percent, but you can trust me in saying that it's not a bad thing at all. I was on a real brown ale kick a few weeks ago and found a bottle of this in a cooler at a nearby shop. I was pleased with my choice. There's a lot of cocoa in this to the point where you feel like you're eating spoonfuls of Nestle Quik mix like you did as a kid. Some darker flavors like toffee and roasted malt take over on the finish. This is one creative beer. Meadville is quite north of Pittsburgh and is a much more spacial place than the city is. Voodoo is known for concocting some adventurous beer. Just as adventurous as it is when driving the back roads of northwest Pennsylvania.

RT Lager by Rivertowne Brewing - Murrysville, Pa.

I sometimes thing that lager gets a bad wrap nowadays and are though of as being boring. This beer is far from boring. This is a beautiful red lager that comes in at 5.4 percent ABV. Not only do the Cascade hops used in the brewing process provide some bite, but so does the malt bill that's used. It's crisp and has a nice bubbly texture. That's if you like carbonation. I tend to enjoy it. Just as Pittsburgh is a classic town, this beer is also classic. It's not flashy, but tastes great. Just like the Super Bowl champion Steelers teams of the 1970's, this beer tastes gritty and still comes through. (If you don't get the reference, the 1970's Steelers ran the ball and grinded it out. Lager is considered boring, but this is a fantastic beer) Rivertowne just recently started canning it's beer. This is now becoming readily available. I purchased a case for myself not too long ago.

Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce by Yards Brewing - Philadelphia, Pa.

Weighing in at an even five percent ABV is one third of the infamous Ales of the Revolution series by Yards.  This beer is based on Benjamin Franklin's personal spruce ale recipe. After all, what better Pennsylvania historical figure to have a beer after than Franklin? He's one of only two non-presidents that are on American currency! This beer has an attractive beige head in contrast to the deep brown body. The sweet profile and tang of the molasses used in the brewing process play very well off of each other. The booze is slightly present in this beer, but only in a warming sensation that warms your throat as it goes down.

The other Six Packs for this month:

• Ed from Dogs of Beer for Delaware
• Jeremy from SubBeerbia for Illinois
• Heather from HeatherVandy.com and the Honest Pint did Massachusetts
• Mark via Bryan's blog did Michigan
• Chris from I Think About Beer did Belgium

You can also read other Six Pack's at the Six Pack Project Archives.

Better Than That

I got an email yesterday morning from a reporter/blogger with the Lebanon Daily News in the central part of Pennsylvania who was taking a survey of the top beers brewed here in Pennsylvania. apparently Zymurgy magazine published the Brewers Association's top-50 beers and only one Pennsylvania beer found its way on to the list.

That lone Pennsylvania beer you ask? It was Troegs Nugget Nectar. Part of me isn't surprised that it was that beer, but what does surprise me is that only one Pennsylvania beer made it. I thought we did a lot better here in this state with our beer. Either that or I'm just biased since I live here.

The survey that's being taken of what it looks to be several beer writers and bloggers throughout the state of Pennsylvania and asks for our top ten beers brewed here in the state.

Speaking of geographical biases, there's no doubt that I'll throw in the local Monkey Boy from East End Brewing. The problem is that when a beer is pretty much only available here in the Pittsburgh area like Monkey Boy is, those closer to the other side of Pennsylvania most likely haven't had it.

Off the top of my head I think my list will even out in terms of West vs. East. I've always spoken highly of Yards brewing in Philadelphia. I'm pretty sure at least three of its beers will make my list. I've had my fair share of unhappiness when having one of the Victory Brewing Golden Monkey. Still, part of me feels this should make a Pennsylvania top-10 list. Now, to only find the time to get started with this next project.

Brewsylvania

Nothing stirs intense debate within the blogosphere like a top-whatever list. An article via CNN this week ranked the top eight beer cities in the United States. I must admit that I thought I'd see Pittsburgh on there. Unfortunately I didn't, but Philadelphia did make the list.

Almost a year ago I wrote something about how this side of Pennsylvania knew how to drink and the Philadelphia side knew how to eat. I remember a few people close to the Philly area not being too happy about that. Maybe things have changed on my end.

I certainly have my favorite beers and brewing companies here in Pittsburgh. East End Brewing always has an awesome selection. Full Pint Brewing Company in North Versailles has an interesting group of people at the brewery and has an awesome lineup as well. Is there a neater brewery in Pittsburgh to have a great beer and an awesome meal than Church Brew Works in Lawrenceville?

Despite my obvious bias, I've grown closer to a few beers/breweries from Philadelphia. One of my favorite breweries in all of Pennsylvania has been Troegs in Hershey. I must admit that Yards Brewing in Philadelphia has quickly climbed my charts. That has been evident in my musings on this blog on multiple occasions.

Even Mr. Penn would be proud.

The thought of Philadelphia Pale Ale makes my mouth water. Can I speak about the the Ales of the Revolution any more without people thinking I'm in love with them? The Love Stout is something I'm curious about trying. Still, I'm not yet sure my tongue is ready for a oyster stout (at least it's an oyster stout according to a friend that visited the brewery).

I honestly don't have a problem with the list. Maybe I'm just sparking some debate? I think both cities do an amazing job in terms of craft beer. Keep brewing and drinking, Pennsylvania. I still have one request. I want a beer with William Penn on the label.

Hey, Sunshine

Yesterday I decided to pop open a few bottles of the beer that's stocked under my kitchen table and around the washing machine. Yea, it's got to that point. The two lucky brews? Hofbrauhaus original Lager and Troegs Sunshine Pils.

The Original Lager is a Munich Helles Lager and was the official German response to the creation of Czech Pilsner. I guess the Germans felt that they needed to counter in some way? Sunshine Pils is a German-style pilsner. I'm guessing that this came much later than the first brewing of the Munich Helles. Just in case you ever need to tell German Pilsner from a German one, the latter is usually spelled just "pils."

I used to really enjoy the Czech style, but I've recently found myself enjoying more and more of the two styles that inspired this post. The Munich Helles is a lot maltier and the pils is a bit more hopped, but has a citrus-like zing to it.

Luckily, I had a case of Sunshine Pils drop into my possession late in the season last year. I'm still working on it. Thus, that's how I was able to open one up. If you follow the Troegs Twitter account, you might have noticed that it's a bit closer to being the time of the year for Sunshine Pils.

@troegsbeer #sunshinepils began shipping to our Central PA market today and cases, sixers & singles are now available in our General Store!
— Tröegs Brewing (@TroegsBeer) March 25, 2013

Monday Rant: Not Too Hop-Cited

Many seasonal beer posts around the blogosphere begin in this sort of fashion. I typically start by saying it's that time of the year again and it certainly is. If you check out the social media accounts of your favorite beer distributors and shops I'm sure you'll find their mentions and walls cluttered with questions pertaining to when they will have Bell's Hopslam and Troegs Nugget Nectar in stock.

I had both brews for the first time last year. Suffice to say, Hopslam tasted pretty close to pure hop oil. It didn't taste balanced to me at all, but Nugget Nectar was more on that side. I decided that I could definitely give Nugget Nectar a few more goes.

I know I call myself a "beer snob," but in the craft beer world I could really be classified as more of a beer geek. I only named this blog as such and took on the Twitter handle I have because that's what I've been referred to over the years during my summer job throughout college.

I've only ever deleted a comment once in the young history of this blog. This one time I came across what could be referred to as a "beer snob." This person didn't approve of my thoughts on Hopslam and even went as far to throw the word irresponsible when he saw that I gave Blue Moon's Summer Honey Ale a better rating than his beloved ale saturated with hops.

The beer isn't trash, but I had to dig in the trash to find this old photo.

Trying and experiencing different type's of beer is the beautiful thing about craft beer. I'm all for civilized conversation when discussing beers (I'm especially alright with it in my comments section), but I don't see the need to bring it to insults. That's where I believe the line is when it comes to being what we classify as either a "snob" or a "geek."

Apologies in advance, but I don't hold biases towards certain breweries and against others. If I think a beer tastes, looks and smells better than another (even if it has a huge following) I'm going to rate it higher and enjoy it more. I obviously didn't enjoy Hopslam, but the ironic thing is that I love most everything else made by Bell's. I just don't particularly enjoy beer's that have a ton of hops. That's not saying that you're wrong for liking them that way. We all have our own preferences, correct?

So, please have all of the Hopslam you want this year. I certainly won't be keeping any away from you. I also won't judge you if you really enjoy it.

Blue Dust to Have Big Pour Preview Tasting

For all of you out there that half to work and miss the Big Pour this weekend (myself included) Blue Dust is having two nights of preview tastings on Thursday and Friday evenings, according to the bar's Facebook page.

Beers from the following breweries will be present on Thursday: Great Lakes, Ommegang and Southern Tier. On Friday, you can expect to see Troegs, East End, Bell's and Dogfish Head.

From what I can read and what I've been told, some really good brews will be there to be sampled such as Southern Tier's Pumking and Creme Brulee, Dogfish's Punkin and Great Lakes Burning River.

I will try to be present for one of these tasting nights. More likely to be there on Friday rather than Thursday. I'll be in the fedora. Come and say hello.

Beer Review: Troegs DreamWeaver Wheat

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 4.8 percent

Appearance: Dreamweaver Wheat is a fluorescent gold with a thin white head. The head is fairly weak, but the carbonation is prevalent throughout this beer's body. Even though this is a wheat beer, it's still interesting to look at as it isn't as hazy as most of this style are. It's actually quite translucent. Really cool to gaze at.

Smell: There was a fascinating combination of aromas in this brew. Initially, I got plenty of wheat and grain. A decent amount of each banana, lemon, clove and spice came through clearly after that. Very appetizing.

Taste: The banana and lemon both combine nicely, in terms of fruit content. The wheat in this beer is the most dominating flavor of them all, but what sets this beer apart from some wheat beers is the spice. I think classifying it as something peppery does it more justice. The load of carbonation in this beer mixes perfectly with the peppery sensation in the taste.

Overall Rating: 

Not only does this beer come from one of my favorite breweries, but it's also one of my favorite wheat beers. It's look and flavor is very unique.

Post No. 150: A Case of Nostalgia

Compared to numerous other beer and food pairing blogs out there, this one is still in its infancy when I say that this is my 150th post. I figured that I should pick out a few of my favorite images I've gathered and posted on this blog to highlight some of my beer drinking and food eating adventures.

This one is from my Troegs Nugget Nectar review. From my recollection, this is one of the first beer reviews I did with my current digital camera. It was taken the night the beer was tapped at Blue Dust in Homestead, which means it was one of the first tappings of Nugget Nectar in all of Pittsburgh.

When you blow the picture up, you can see the detail in both the body and the carbonation of the beer. Nugget Nectar appears to have a lovely color as well. To me, this looks like a perfect pour. The crown of the beer looks well bogged down in the top of the glass and I also love how the beer seems to poke out from the darkness like it's some holy entity.

I fell in love with this image as soon as I uploaded the set from the camera. I've grown to enjoy looking at it so much, that I've tried to incorporate it into many of the backgrounds I've experimented with over the last year or so that I've been writing this blog.

This next one is from my post about a visit to Fat Head's Pittsburgh. After trying a few great beers on tap, my stomach was craving one of my favorite aphrodisiacs, chicken wings. Upon checking out the sauces Fat Head's had available I saw the intriguing Jalapeno Cheddar flavor.

I had to try them. The sauce is pretty much spicy cheese sauce with jalapeno chunks spread about in it, but it was an adventurous meal.

Did you think I was really going to have only one photograph featuring a lovely-looking beer? This is a really dark one, but also extremely delicious. It's from my Mary's Maple Porter review a few months back.

It was just a limited-release by Brooklyn Brewery and I was lucky to sample it, once again at the craft beer capitol of Pittsburgh, at Blue Dust.

I sometimes find it fascinating to stare at the heads of darker beers and inspect the different shades of beige and off-white colors they exhibit.

This one had a head that was more than the thickness of two fingers and was so bubbly. It had such an interesting texture. Complimenting the head was one dark abyss of a body.

The taste of this beer was pretty awesome. If I could pour this over pancakes in the morning, I'm sure it would be an enhancement from syrup.

The next two are from a few very recent posts, both of which were on my trip to Gettysburg. This burger shot is from the town's newest bar and grill joint, the Blue and Gray Bar and Grill. If you read my post about it, you'll see a few examples of the exotic, Civil War themed burgers the place has on its menu.

This one was in a typical southern tradition and featured peanut butter and bacon. One of the best burgers I've ever eaten. There's plenty more where that came from.

This last one is from my recent review of Appalachian Brewing's Cream Ale. I've been known to have some sort of an attraction to beers with foaming heads in pint glasses, but this one was a different take.

The beer's head wasn't as active as some others are, but was just thick enough to appear as an appetizing layer of cream. The beer's body was hazy and opaque, but it just had an effervescence to it that was extremely appealing. The deep gold in the body and the white creminess of the head played off of each other well. The rustic atmosphere in the photograph's background doesn't hurt either.

 The sweetness on the front and the hop character and tanginess on the back also helped me love this beer.

Beer Review: Troegs Sunshine Pils

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 4.5 percent

Appearance: The body of Sunshine Pils is very complementary to its namesake. It pours a golden straw color and is crystal clear in its own, sleek way. This beer has a hefty portion of carbonation that rises up towards the crown of the glass, leading up to an extremely alive and fizzy head. If you don't put this beer in a pilsner glass, you're missing out on one hell of a visual experience.

Smell: This beer has an interesting smell. It features plenty of lemon zest and grassiness, which are frequently found in numerous summer brews. Some floral notes come along with the other flavors. Surprisingly, there wasn't much hop character present in the aroma.

Taste: The hop character lacked in the aroma of Sunshine Pils, but the beer does more than just make up for it the taste department. Sunshine Pils provides pilsner lovers with that trademarked biscuit taste, but takes you on a journey to the hillsides of Europe with the hop punch that tingles the back of your tongue. Keep in mind that this is  German Pilsner, which are generally a bit more hoppy than normal.

Overall Rating: 

Sunshine Pils is truly one of the best beers in existence, in my opinion. I think that the biscuit and hop mix in the beer's taste vaults this to the top of the pilsner style. Once again, Troegs Brewing hits the nail on the head. One could make a case that it's very different than most pilsners since it's more of a German take, but I still rank it among the best. Pilsners are pilsners.

In My Book, Troegs Is the Best.

Troegs has some awesome labels, too.

Before you start to hammer away at me, I'm going to say it now. This isn't a post to hate on other breweries. After all, isn't the beautiful thing about loving beer is that many of us have our own preferences?

I've slowly settled upon the opinion I'm about to bestow upon you very soon over the last month or so. I've mentioned how this brewer has one of the best variety packs that is on the market. I've also never seen people flock to some of its seasonal beers like they have over the past year and a half.

Yuengling might be the private brewer that brings in the most, but in my opinion Troegs Brewing Company is the best I've come across. I can't name another brewer with a beer lineup that's as popular as what Troegs puts out.

When people painstakingly awaited the release of Nugget Nectar this spring, it was eerily similar to what electronics geeks to when a new iPhone comes out. Mad Elf also keeps us beer geeks coming back every year around Christmas.

HopBack Amber Ale is one of the best beers out there. Sunshine Pils is an exciting and hoppy take on a European Pilsner. People also rant and rave about both Java Head Stout and Troegenator Double Bock.

I can't forget about the Scratch Series. I can't think of another brewer off of the top of my head that does something like this, or at least has a series that's so deep. I haven't had the chance to have many of them, but just by reading about some of the brews I think the variety found in the Scratch Series rivals the creativity of a certain brewer in Delaware.

If there is another brewer with such a popular variety of beers, I'd sure like to know. There's no doubt that Pennsylvania has some awesome beer running through its taps and casks. I'm not here to put down any other brewery. Everyone has a favorite or two. I'm also certainly open to hearing some of yours as well.

Monday Rant: Pennsylvania - West vs. East

I think that if I can conclude one thing after my trip to the eastern part of Pennsylvania it's that we know how to drink beer in the western part and they know how to eat in the eastern part of the state.

My post last Wednesday described how the town of Gettysburg, its roads and its location were all conducive to great beer and food being all over the town's establishments.

What I proposed is true. There's food ranging from seafood from Maryland, cheesesteaks from Philadelphia and recipes from the Pennsylvania Dutch. There are also numerous craft breweries that have their product around Gettysburg as well. Troegs is just to the north, Roy Pitz out of Chambersburg and Lancaster Brewing isn't too far off either.

The problem is that it looks as if that side of the state hasn't yet caught up with the craft beer revolution that we are currently experiencing here around Pittsburgh. Not to say that our friends out east have no idea what craft beer is, but in the rural areas outside of Philadelphia it looks as if they're not yet ready for it.

This was evident to me by the lack of taps in a few of the restaurants I dined in this past weekend. Yes, of course some of those companies have a presence there. It's just when I head to the Dobbin House Tavern I expect a bigger selection of Troegs other than just the Pale Ale. I honestly expected to find Sunshine Pils all over the place since it's an excellent summer beer and it usually gets hot as hell east of the Blue Ridge.

For the record, numerous beers from these companies are present in bottle. I'm just disappointed in the lack of tap presence.

Aside from that, another thing I've learned is that if they don't have a wide as selection of beer as we do here, they sure as hell know how to eat better than us. After having a cheesesteak made the right way out there, I'll be damned if I ever get one in Pittsburgh again. A cheesesteak with the cheese melted on the grill with the meat as it cooks will always overcome the overrated Primanti's Pittsburgher sandwich.

Where the hell else can you find Shepherd's Pie Potato Skins?

We can't forget about the Dutch cooking either. Where around here can you find anything that resembles the Game Pie or spoon bread at the Farnsworth House Inn? While eating breakfast at the local diner, I ordered pancakes with chocolate and peanut butter chips one morning and cheese danish the next. If you order a danish at Eat n' Park or another similar place around here, the odds are that you're getting an Entenmann's picked up at your local super market.

Recommended Summer Samplers

Sometimes a craft beer fan is searching for a good sampler pack that will last them a good while, and at the same time has quite a few options in terms of trying some different beers. The versatility of sampler and variety packs is a key factor that helps me hold them in high regard compared to just a case of the same beer. In my opinion, an entire case of the same beer sometimes can get old.

Since it's almost summer (mine has already begun) here are a few of my favorite summer seasonals you can pick up almost anywhere in the Pittsburgh area. If you're lucky you can even find these quite a ways from here.

1. Troegs Anthology No. 1- This is not only my favorite  summer sampler I try to pick up, it's my personal favorite sampler pack in existence. Two beers set this pack apart from any challengers: Hop Back Amber Ale and Sunshine Pils.

Both are among my favorite beers. They contrast each other in color and in taste, but have similar hop characters. Very tasty beers. Troegs also includes DreamWeaver Wheat and its Pale Ale. Dreamweaver is a wheat beer that gives you strong hints of clove and banana, while Pale Ale is a bitter compliment to all of the other beers.

2. Leinenkugel Summer Sampler- The pride of Chippewa Falls brings us my second favorite Summer sampler pack. This variety pack features two of the Leinenkugel's flagship brews in Amber Ale and Sunset Wheat. Remember, Sunset Wheat is the beer that's apparently internationally known as the "Fruity Pebbles beer."

The second half of the sampler includes the ever-so-sweet Honey Weiss and the very underrated Summer Shandy.

3. Great Lakes Sampler- As far as I can tell, this sampler is sold year-round, but I feel that it can be included on this small list due to the fact most of the beer that comprise it fall into the summer category. This sampler is also one of my personal favorites.

You also get four with this purchase, but the lone beer that's not exactly known as a good summer drink is the infamous Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. Dortmunder Gold is a crisp, golden lager. Burning River is a decent pale ale with plenty of refreshing citrus. Holy Moses White Ale is a spicy, Belgian White.

Seasonal Look-Ahead: Summer Beers

Perfect for after a long day at work.

Last week, the Pittsburgh area was one of the hottest regions east of the Mississippi Rover with temperatures hanging around the upper 70's and even reaching 80 degrees at certain points. Pittsburgh even set a record for the month of March, with 11-straight days of high temperatures over 70 degrees. Coinciding with that is the early release of some of the craft beer industry's summer seasonal brews.

I'm not sure about everyone else, but I definitely could have used a few of them towards the end of some of the hotter days.

Today I want to highlight some of the summer seasonal brews I've been looking forward to along with some of my all-time favorites to consume after a long and hot day.

• Bell's Oberon Ale (MI) 5.8 percent ABV: This American Pale Wheat is arguably the the most-demanded summer beer in this region among craft beer drinkers, in my opinion. It's very fruity, but some zest balances everything out. This beer should be easy to find this week as Bell's Brewery just released it on Monday.

• Troeg's Sunshine Pils (Pa.) 4.5 percent ABV: Not for the faint of heart. Although it's one of my favorite beers to have during the hotter months, it's strength seems to deter some beer drinkers. Sunshine Pils is strong, bitter on the finish and very hoppy. My personal favorite summer seasonal.

• Sierra Nevada Summerfest (CA) 5.0 percent ABV: Summerfest is a pilsner-style lager that is hoppier than your traditional pilsner. That biscuity taste I look for in pilsners is a lot livelier in this brew.

• Harpoon Summer Beer (MA) 5.0 percent ABV: Summer Beer is a Kolsch. It's sharp in taste and is extremely lively on the head. Very spicy and tastes like citrus. A perfect beer to have while sitting out back in your personal garden.

• Southern Tier Hop Sun (NY) 5.1 percent ABV: Another Pale Wheat Ale, but Hop Sun makes a name for itself by imploring sweeter undertones. Hop Sun also features the usual citrus and zest taste you'd expect.

• Great Lakes Holy Moses White Ale (Ohio) 5.4 percent ABV: Holy Moses is a very spicy Belgian White. It's brewed with coriander and orange peel. Those ingredients might sound familiar to fans of Blue Moon Belgian White except you don't need the fruit garnish to fully enjoy this beer.

Just a few I've been lucky enough to sample over the past few summers. I'm hoping to try each of them at some point this summer and be able to share some thoughts on each that are quite a bit more in-depth. As always, I'm open for suggestions on other beers to keep an eye out for.

Beer Review: Troegs Scratch Beer 57 (Weizenbock)

Serving Type: Draft

ABV: 7.9 percent

Appearance: Scratch Beer 57 is a very dark shade of red. Can also be a very light shade of brown, depending on your mood. It's very foggy and hazy. The head is surprisingly white as a sheet of paper, given the beer's body.

Smell: A lot of cocoa enters the nose upon wafting this beer. With that comes a great bit of fruits, mostly berries from what I could tell.

Taste: Not much different from the smell. The berries taste very tart and are quite strong on the tongue. The chocolate makes its way in on the back. My tongue was a bit confused.

Overall Rating:  

This beer wasn't bad, just different. The mix of tart berries and cocoa just had my taste buds confused. I'm very interested in trying as many of the Troegs Scratch series as possible in the future.

Beer Review: Troegs Nugget Nectar

Serving Type: Draft

ABV: 7.5 percent

Appearance: Nugget Nectar is quite an attractive beer. It reminds me of some of the great pumpkin ales I was fortunate enough to try this past fall. It has a very dark amber tone, but it has such great clarity that you can still see right through it. The head is very white and fizzy. The carbonation is very potent.

Smell: I haven't come across a scent like Nugget Nectar's before. I expected plenty of strong hops, but instead received a helping of floral honey. Such a sweet and pleasant aroma.

Taste: At first this beer is bitter due to the hops overload, but a tad of citrus flavor balances it out before you get a case of bad beer face. It has a very crisp taste. It's also one of those beers that gives you more flavor as it gets closer to room temperature.

Overall Rating:    

This beer came with a lot of hype. It was the same way with Bell's Hopslam, but I have rarely been disappointed with anything by Troegs in the past. This beer was an adventure since I'm not the biggest of hop heads, but I can see why some enjoy it so much.

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Beer Review: Troegenator Doublebock

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 8.2 percent

Appearance: Troegenator is a slightly dark amber.In my opinion, it's a bit lighter considering other bocks I've come across. The head is tan colored and has a slight fizzy feel to it. Doesn't stick around for long, though.

Smell: I caught a little bit of vanilla along with some sugary sweetness. This beer also smells a bit floral. Very pleasant.You can also smell some of the alcohol present, but it's not as overpowering as you might think. Reminds me of an oak-aged liquor.

Taste: I was told that Troegenator is fairly strong and takes some getting used to. Far from the truth once I had my first experience with it. The beer is fairly sweet and sugary in the taste. The malts and alcohol presence balance the sweetness perfectly. One of the better and more interesting tastes I've come across in some time.

Overall Rating:    

This beer was a fantastic experience. Troegs is a brand you can trust you're not going to have too many disappointments with. The brewery strikes gold once again with this beer.

Seasonal Look-Ahead: Troegs Nugget Nectar

This is my first attempt at a new idea I've had recently. I've given some thought to writing a few look-ahead posts once in a while concerning seasonal craft brews that I'm either in love with or haven't tried yet, but have heard some great things.

Tomorrow is the first day of February. For the craft beer folk in Pennsylvania this means one thing: the release of Troegs Nugget Nectar, according to the brewery's website. When Bell's Hopslam Ale hit the market a few weeks ago, it seemed to me that two of the hoppiest beers some look forward two are these two.

I was fortunate to be able to try Hopslam and am now looking forward to sampling Nugget Nectar. The beer sounds delightful, per the beer's description on the site:

"Squeeze those hops for all they're worth and prepare to pucker up: Nugget Nectar Ale, will take hopheads to nirvana with a heady collection of Nugget, Warrior and Tomahawk hops. Starting with the same base ingredients of our flagship Hopback Amber Ale, Nugget Nectar intensifies the malt and hop flavors to create an explosive hop experience."

I was also able to try the intermediately-hopped Hopback Amber Ale a while back and really enjoyed that. If that's a hint as to what Nugget Nectar will be like then I can't wait to get some of it on my taste buds.

Beer Review: Troegs Hopback Amber Ale

Serving Type: Draft

ABV: Six percent

Appearance: Hopback is an amber ale, which is why it first appears as a dark brown, but once some light hits the beer you see the ruby glow it has to offer. The head is decently white and thick and didn't want to go away.

Smell: Hopback's smell fills your nostrils with plenty of citrus and raspberry. Given the namesake, you also smell plenty of hops behind the fruity scents.

Taste: The hops take over this beer once it hits your tongue. I think the fruit flavors provide a very good balance to this beer's flavor. The hops are dominant on both the front and back of your tongue, but the raspberry and the citrus tame them.

Overall Rating:    

Troegs has a great reputation when it comes to the flavor of their brews, in my opinion. Its beers are strong, but never overpowering. This sort of thinking has also allowed me to hold beers from Troegs to a higher standard than most. The Harrisburg brewery scores big-time with Hopback