Dunkel Lager

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Dunkel Lager 

• Brewery: SlyFox Brewing Company (Pennsylvania)

• Style: Munich Dunkel Lager

• ABV: 5.3%

• IBU: 21

• Pour Color: A amber color that light traveled thru easily.

      The pour left a head that was slightly fluffy for a sip or two. Then the head was gone. The top of the beer had lacing. Only a slight sweet malt scent off the top. The color was a amber that looked rather thin and allowed light thru. The malts were a sweet sour dough. The hops really added little to no bitterness or flavor. A lager like beer, not much more. 
      I'm not a lager fan and it takes something special to impress me. This isn't one of those special beers. This is overly sweet and sour. The mix makes for a weird swallow while also tasting the bready finish of yeast and malt. I really don't see myself grabbing another one of these.

Rating: *

Odyssey

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Odyssey

• Brewery: SlyFox Brewing Company (Pennsylvania)

• Style: Imperial IPA

• ABV: 8.4%

• IBU: 90

• Pour Color: Slightly hazy and orange color

      The head came up and was fluffy. It lasted for a good while as I swam but soon was just lacing down the glass. It's a hazy orange color that light passed thru. The scent off the top was a lot less hops then I would expect. It was more earthy spicy tones to the bouquet then citrus or fruit. Slightly sweet malt scent. The mix of spicy hops, sweet malts, and yeast all have a slight liquorish taste to me or almost a root-beer. Not really my favorite to bathe in.
      This really is a strange double IPA. It's only a 8.4% alcohol beer and is fairly smooth at that level. The scent off of it was fairly boring. The taste profile too was strange and much more malt and yeast then hops. It does give you a nice bitter tone but it's more a biting a orange peel. Another thing that made this beer strange to me. Some will love this beer I guarentee but me... I'm not one of em.

Rating: **

SlyFox Octoberfest

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Oktoberfest

• Brewery: SlyFox Brewing Company (Pennsylvania)

• Style: Lager

• ABV: 5.8%

• IBU: 25

• Pour Color: Nice see through light orange color.

       First of the octoberfest beers and a great choice. It poured a nice orange color in the glass. The head was about two fingers high but disapeared quite quickly only leaving a film at the top of the glass. Smelling the top of the glass no hops are noticed. The malt and yeast both are easily smelt off the top of the glass. The flavor is a nice malty yeasty blend. Slightly sweet but not over the top. A real fresh bread or biscuit flavor hits you strong. The hops really only added a slight bitter to the mix. All and all a malt lovers delight that's very drinkable!
      So it's October and on top of the usual pumpkin ales we also got some Oktoberfest beers! Always expect malts on display when drinking a Oktoberfest beer. Every company this season seems to have it's own variety. This is one of the most easy drinking Oktoberfest I've had. Well worth the wait for fall. If you're lucky enough to find this one in your Face's hand, you know it's gonna be a nice malty bath!

Rating: ****

Perpetual IPA

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Perpetual IPA

• Brewery: Troegs Brewing Company (Pennsylvania)

• Style: Imperial Pale Ale

• ABV: 7.5%

• IBU: 85

• Pour Color: Golden colored in the glass and light passed through easy.

      A great golden color to this as the Face poured it. The head popped up and was about two fingers high. That head would go down but sit at the top for the rest of the glass. A strong scent of hops off the top of this one. A piney scent mixed with a slight citrus hint to it. On taste it's a spectrum of flavors. The malt is nice strong wheat or hay flavor. The hops though are all over the place. You notice splashes of pine, citrus and spice from the varying hops in this one. This one really delivers on being a pale ale with fireworks! This is another great beer from troegs and I would swim in it anytime!
      Troegs uses the same techniques in this brewing as they do in the Nugget Nectar. It shows! A lot of beers can't acheive the scent and taste that Troegs techniques acheive. Thank goodness they're willing to go the extra mile for us craft beer loving mustaches and Faces. If you see it on the shelf grab it... If it's next to a nugget nectar still on shelve grab that too!

Rating: *****

Summer Love

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Summer Love

• Brewery: Victory Brewing Company (Pennsylvania)

• Style: American Blonde Ale

• ABV: 5.2%

• IBU:

• Pour Color: A nice golden yellow color easily seen through.

      The pour made me curl just a little bit extra. A perfect, nearly clear golden color, with a nice head. The head was about two fingers high, this one would sit at the top of the glass for awhile. The scent off the top was a piney grassy scent with a malty hint. Slightly higher carbonation then most beers. This one has a thicker body then you would expect by color. The hops really come through in a verity of tones on the taste. Pine grassy tastes are there but you also get a nice citrus that compliments a lemon tone. You also have a nice biscuity taste to the malts that just give the hops a nice back ground. This is a great beer for summer.
      Being a hop head, this is the beer I love this summer. It just seems to have that perfect balance of hops and malts this season to make a blonde ale something interesting. With most seasonal I'm happy to see a rotation. Something new or different just as the seasons change. This one I'm going to miss. Luckily you got Hop Devil and Hop Wallop to get you though!

Rating: *****

Saint Boisterous

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Saint Boisterous

• Brewery: Victory Brewing (Pennsylvania)
  

• Style: MaiBock

• ABV: 7.4%

• IBU:

• Pour Color: Golden color with a slight haze.

      The head on this one started quick and fluffy. A good competitor out the gate. The scents off this one were spicy and malty at the same time. You can tell from the scent the yeast is gonna have some nice flavor. Unfortunately the head was gone after the sniff. On first splash you get a nice malt explosion on the follicles. Spicy and just slightly sweet the malts and yeast head line this show. The hops come through nice and full giving it a earthy taste. The swallow leaves you with a nice crisp malty flavor that lasts a good while on the pallet. 
      Here's a early spring seasonal that really impressed me. I bought it about a month back with a best by date of march 11th. Drank it that night. A really full flavored beer even past the best by date. May have even been better had the Face bought it a few weeks before. I recommend, next Saint Patrick season, you find this one and give it a try. 

Rating: ****

Dead Reckoning

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Dead Reckoning

• Brewery: Troegs Brewing co. (Pennsylvania)
  

• Style: Porter

• ABV: 6.2%

• IBU: 53

• Pour Color: It poured black with no regard for the living!

      As the Face poured I watched a dark brew flow. Black through and through, and letting in little light, looked like a good porter. You got the roasted scent of the malts off the top of the glass and a strong hop presence. On taste you get a slightly more hoppy taste then most porters. Nearly a black ipa, this one has a nice earthy, spicy, piney notes. On top of that you get a nice roasted barley flavor to back the hopped up beer. Really a fun journey that the follicles loved. 
      This one said fall/winter seasonal. If it was a lighter beer the Face would have skipped it. Then again if it wasn't Troegs the Face might have skipped it. Luckily he didn't pass it by though. Full bodied and delicious, even after the best by date, it was great. I'd personally wait till next season, but make sure to try this one. It's another great example of what Troegs does!

Rating: ****

Phoenix

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Phoenix

• Brewery: SlyFox Brewing (Pennsylvania)
  

• Style: Pale Ale

• ABV: 5.1%

• IBU: 40

• Pour Color: Nearly a golden color that easily lets light through

      Another pale ale and another beautiful color. Not quite a gold but very bright and light passes through real easy. The head came up fluffy at first and disappeared quick.  You get nice citrus and pine tones in the scent of the beer. A nice balance between hops and malts in this one. Both add to the bitterness of this one. A nice pine taste to the hops, and a citrus kick of almost a grapefruit, make this a nice pale ale. I'll be soaked in this one again for sure!
      The Sly Fox cans are always full of color and catch the Face's attention. Like a moth to a light your sure if it's in a shiny can he's gonna try it. Lucky for me really. This one, like all of the cans I've tried, pour like there off tap. Some of the bottles over the last few months didn't. Sly Fox is quality served in a can, don't pass it by!

Rating: ****1/2

Yakima Glory Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Yakima Glory Ale

• Brewery: Victory brewing (Pennsylvania)

• Style: Dark IPA

• ABV: 8.7%

• IBU:?

• Pour Color: Pours a very dark red.

      This one poured a dark colored red that let through little light. The head was big and fluffy but disappeared quickly. The scent of this one is earthy. You get a slightly fruity scent off it too. Those scents also have a slight sweet smell of malts to it. On taste you get hit with tons of flavors. Sweet roasted flavored malts are there in that dark color. The hops though are spicy and grassy. There's a flowery hint to this one too. Wow the range and flavor of this one is great and not scene often!
      Not quite as hoppy as a IPA usually is but nothing to complain about. This beer has a nice scent and a nice taste. The malts are strong as the hops and this leads to a nice balance. The crisp flavors are met by roasted dark malts and neither are left to go it alone. This one makes me glad the face is going to a victory take over in his home city!

Rating: ****1/2

Nugget Nectar

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Nugget Nectar

• Brewery: Troegs brewery (Pennsylvania)

• Style: Imperial Amber Ale

• ABV: 7.5%

• IBU: 93

• Pour Color: A darker amber color

      On pour it's completely see through although a redish/orange color. The head was fairly fluffy although disappeared after a sip or two. Smelling this one is a hop fest with a slight scent of malts. The taste is a nice mix of pine, spice, and grass. The malts of this one are easy to taste. They come through as a nice earthy fresh taste. Almost a biscuit taste to it. Great spectrum of flavors in all the important parts of a beer.
      Troegs Imperial Amber is amazing. Nugget Nectar is a great name that explains everything you need to know about this one. The Nugget comes through and really mixes well with the malts. Almost a toasty flavor that rally make this one a treat. All you mustaches out there need to get the Face to buy a few of these. YOU'RE WELCOME!

Rating: *****

Hop Devil

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Hop Devil
  

• Brewery: Victory Brewery (Pennsylvania)

• Style:IPA

• ABV:6.7.%

• IBU: 50

• Pour Color: Nice golden color on the pour not very murky.

      The scent comes out the bottle. A nice full range of hop scent. Pine and citrus tones are easy to catch before the foam goes down in the glass. The head didn't stick around to long. The taste is a nice earthy deep hop flavor. It mixes well with the malts that only gives a slight sweet flavor. It must be the whole hops that they use that reminds me of a Torpedo. Not quite as bitter but a really great IPA. One of the best I have reviewed and a constant favorite of me and the Faces. 
      Another Victory brew and another one in the W column. This one doesn't kick your butt like a  Hop Wallop but is much easier drinking. Like I said this one is the old standby when it comes to my favorite beers. Hop heavy and drinkable for most occasions, the Hop Devil is always a good choice. 

  

Rating: *****

Hop Wallop

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Hop Wallop

• Brewery: Victory Brewerys (Pennsylvania)

• Style: Imperial IPA

• ABV:8.5%

• IBU:

• Pour Color: A nice goldern slightly cloudy color

      Hop Wallop.... Wow..... The pour was that golden color you expect from a lager or a pilsner. The scent though is not that of a lager. I got a heavy scent of hops, off the glass, as the Face lifted it. Then came the splash of hop flavor. Citrus tones and floral tones take over this beer quick and echo long. This one tastes like the hops forever after. As a hop lovin mustache this was paradise really. 
      This is one of my new favorites. The hop combination, with just a slight malt flavor, really works. This one is much easier to drink then the Hop Stoopid or the DogFish 120, but, still has the character of an Imperial IPA. With Prima Pills and Hop Devil also made by victory expect the Face and I to drink and review more Victory!  

  

Rating: ****1/2

Merry Monks'

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Merry Monks'

• Brewery:Weyerbacher brewing co. (Pennsylvania)

• Style: Belgian Tripel

• ABV: 9.3%

• IBU:

• Pour Color: A golden color very murky

       The Face poured this one and it was a cute golden color. The head was nice and light but quite foamy. I expected this to be a easy going beer as I was soaked. Quickly you realize this ones a heavy hitter. Not really a strong hop or malt flavor to this one. Merry Monks' though has a very complex series of flavors. The easy tastes to descripe are clove and am almost a banana. This one really hits like a strong ale or a barley wine as it drenches the follicles. Really delicious for being such a big ABV. This one could send a amateur for a loop for sure.
      Blithering idiot was my first experience with Weyerbacher. That is another good brew that will probably be reviewed here eventually. Merry Monks' though is a mustache bruising beer. It makes me glad, again, I've been heavily waxed to keep standing. Ohhh and remember to give this one a spin with a little beer in the bottom. If you get a older bottle, it does have a settling of sediment. If you don't swirl it then you lose some taste.

 Rating: ****

Sly Fox 113

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Route 113

• Brewery: Sly Fox (Pennsylvania)

• Style: I.P.A.

• ABV: 7%

• IBU: 113

• Pour Color: A Golden transparent color.

 


       Another can... Of craft goodness! Look this sly fox 113 is an another amazing IPA. The head disappeared quick. Splashing on to me I realize this one is a much bitterer beer then most. The hops send you on a interesting ride. In your mouth you taste one combination and on the swallow it's very different. In the mouth the hop is the star and as you swallow the malt tries to take position. It really fails miserably as you notice the hoppy goodness lingering much longer. This one makes me realize I'm a lucky mustache to get to drink such great craft beer.
      The first Sly Fox I had was their raspberry reserve. The wife wanted a fruit beer, and I saw that huge cork, and got excited to buy a couple of expensive specialties. That reserve was delicious and very raspberry. This however this is not a fruit beer. 113 is a higher bitterness then Hop Stoopid with nearly the strength. This one however is not a task to drink. It's a privilege. If you have this in your local gas station then you are a lucky son of a gun. Go grab this one that's what I would do!

Rating: *****

DreamWeaver

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: DreamWeaver

• Brewery: Troegs Brewery (Pennsylvania)

• Style: Unfilltered Wheat/Hefeweizen

• ABV: 4.8%

• IBU: 15

• Pour Color:A real hazy golden color

      The Face started to pour this one and I knew... With the golden color it pours you just get excited that all that flavor floating in it is gonna be great. Pours with a nice, not to thick head, and disappears quickly. First dip in and every hair knows it's in a world of flavor. The clove and the banana are really what are on show in this one at first taste. Once you swallow though the malts come forward and mixed with the echos of the spices makes this a excellent beer. If you don't think this ones a Hefe then this is what a hefe should be.
      You might notice some big business "microbrews" this season are moving to unfiltered verities. Tasting a few of those has left me longing for a good unfiltered beer. That inspired me and Face to get some dreamweaver on tap. Unlike those other beers, this one stands up well all year long, and doesn't need a limited release to fuel sales. You want to be a star with everybody at the party dreamweaver will deliver. Get a growler or two and look out. Light yet full of flavor it's way better then any of those big name micro seasonals!

Rating: ****1/2