DirtWolf

I am already a fan of Victory Brewing, however I had not heard of this particular beer.  DirtWolf was recommended to me by fellow beer blogger Vin of Bier Battered [.] com. He was so insistent, I was anxious to try it. So, I ran out to my favorite beer store and grabbed a bottle. It was, I must say, a most excellent recommendation.

DirtWolf (8.70% ABV) is a double IPA. It pours a pale cloudy amber with a bright full head that leaves behind decent lacing.

The aroma is all hops; resinous, somewhat dank, and earthy. Droolworthy, to be sure.

The taste is very much reflective of the aroma. It is rather nutty and piney and earthy. It is not as malt forward as some imperial IPA's but the sweetness comes from juicy fruit flavors that I would attribute to the hops. The alcohol can be felt as a gentle tingling sensation. The finish is dry and bitter.

The mouth feel, mediumish with lots a bubbly carbonation.

As the name would seem to suggest, DirtWolf is bold and - I hate to say it again but - earthy and it has a bite. A rockin' good beer!

Overall: very good.

Victory Headwaters

Headwaters - a 15th anniversary brew by Victory - is aptly named for the Headwaters Grant.  The Grant was  created by Victory to provide funding to the environmental groups that protect the Brandywine Watershed; which is the source of water for Victory beers.  A portion of the sales of Headwaters beer goes directly to this charity.

Interesting to me, but probably not you, is that I lived in the town where Victory Brewing is located when I was a baby.   








When I was 3 months old or so my family was moving from a trailer park in Downingtown to a new home.  While my mom and dad were packing up the moving truck they kept me safe and secure in a bassinet inside the trailer - which is exactly where they left me as they drove off to to wherever it was we were moving to.  Well, where they were moving to, I guess.  

Suddenly, Mom says, "Honey, I feel like we're forgetting something."  

"Nah, I grabbed all the boxes and stuff." said Dad.  

They drove on for a while longer when mom said, "No, dear, really.  I know we forgot something back at the trailer." 

"Well, what then?", Dad replied.  

"Oh, I don't know.  I just have a niggling  fee. . . THE BABY!!!"

A hasty U-turn was maneuvered.  The baby - me - was retrieved.  Victory attained.




I digress . . . 

Headwaters is a pale ale that is a very sessionable 5.1% ABV.  It pours a clear reddish-gold with a very big bubbly head that quickly dissipates.  The aroma is of piney hops, citrus and malt.

The first taste is a gentle bite of hops - pine and citrus - but it's not overly bitter.  This is anchored by the sweetness of caramel malt that creates a nice balance of flavors.  It finishes nice and clean with a lingering hoppiness.

The mouthfeel is light and bubbly.  Very go-down-easy drinkable.

I liked Headwaters.  It's a nice middle-of-the-road pale ale - just the right balance of malt vs. hops and enough complexity to be interesting.  Yummy!


Overall - very good.

Visit Victory Brewing's website for more info on their other beers or check them out on Facebook.

I got a plan . . . Plan B!

Connecticut has a small . . . but growing . . . chain of restaurants called Plan B.  The "B" stands for beef, burgers, bourbon and beer.  All of which they have in abundance . . . they have creative burgers, a diversity of bourbons and along with everyday run of the mill beers they have rotating taps of amazing micro-brews.

Hubby and I make the pilgrimage to this mecca of awesomeness every month or so.

On a recent visit we had a short wait for a table in which to ponder the beer menu.  There were so many choices . . . so many good choices . . . what to choose??

By the time our table was ready we had completed sufficient research  . . . gotta love free Wi-Fi access . . . to make our decisions on which beers to enjoy with our burgers.  We both chose a different selection; ones that we each preferred but also so that we could both taste as many different beers as possible.

We both chose three and these were our choices:

Prima Pils by Victory Brewing Company 

This beer as won many awards and, after tasting it, I can understand why.  This pilsner style beer was smooth and delicious.  However I was impressed . . . and a little surprised . . . with the unexpected bite of hops.   The hoppy bitterness and mellow maltiness balance out to create a very enjoyable beer.   The glass was left with an impressive amount of lacing.   (5.3% ABV)

312 Urban Wheat Ale by Goose Island

It's a very sessionable beer (4.2% ABV) that screams summer . . . or better yet . . . drink me its summer!  312 has a slightly sweet fruitiness that compliments  the wheat and hops; creating a flavor that is surprisingly well balanced.  It has a creamy mouth feel that goes down oh so easy.  This is an excellent go-to beer if you're looking for something light but are craving more flavor than your average mass produced light beer.










Tramp Stamp Belgian IPA by Clown Shoes Beer 

The name alone was enough to get me to try this beer . . . that and the lure of hoppy goodness.  The description of this beer is thus: "Like a stamp on a tramp, this brew is about not so subtle seduction."  Yeah, that about sums it up.

This was an amazing beer . . . seriously you MUST try this one.  I've never had a beer with such a complexity of flavors.  With all that this beer has going on it surprising how well it all pulled together to make . . . well, lets just say . . . it's like a party in your mouth . . . with clowns! 

How to describe the plethora of tastes . . . it was a little sweet and a little bitter. Just as the hoppiness is rolling off your tongue wheatiness washes in and then it finishes clean . . . ready for more.  There is nothing subtle about this beer including the alcohol content (7% ABV).  I was truly impressed and highly recommend this beer.

Mary’s Maple Porter by Brooklyn Brewery


Hubby ordered this one . . . I like porters and stouts, but I don't love them like he does and I'm not a huge Brooklyn Brewery fan so it wouldn't have been on my list in any case.

It was . . . to be perfectly blunt . . . meh.  All the Brooklyn beers I've tasted have a weird flavor to them that I've yet to nail down and this one has it, too.    It's a deep dark porter and you can definitely taste the maple syrup.  But again, it was just okay but I wouldn't jump at the opportunity for another one.  And even my stout/porter loving hubby agrees with that assessment, so take that for what it's worth.  (6.9%)

He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. on Rye by Shmaltz Brewing Company

A strong (10% ABV) IPA brewed with rye malt and named for Lenny Bruce . . . okay, gotta try it.  Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of rye beers.  This beer was definitely strong, definitely hoppy and definitely yummy.  Bitter and sweet . . . coffee and caramel are pronounced but somehow balanced out with citrussy grapefruit and pine notes.  The rye in this beer wasn't an issue for me at all . . . it all just kind of worked out very nicely to make a very good and tasty beer.  Also, despite the high alcohol content, there was no overt boozy taste to throw off the enjoyment.  It's a big beer and a pretty intense flavor experience . . . and it's kosher . . . I say go for it!



Vermonster by Rock Art Brewery

An American barley wine  . . . a great BIG one and without a doubt falls into the category of an extreme beer.   It's strong, both in alcohol (10% ABV) and flavor.  Vermonster pretty much slaps your taste buds around with bitterness . . . clearly not for faint of heart nor for the novice beer drinker.  But it's not all bitter . . . a sip of this brew comes with essences of fruit, caramel, malt and pine.  Despite the huge flavor and richness it finishes surprisingly clean.  Very nice.  This is a sipper not a pounder . . . sit back and relax and enjoy as it warms in your glass and the flavors change subtly as it does so . . . making for an interesting drinking experience.  Yes, I said experience and I mean it.  This is a good one . . . 

Cheers!

Oh . . . we had more than just beer.  We had wings and burgers too . . . om nom nom nom.  If you haven't been to Plan B, I would say GO!