Friday, January 29, 2010

SEPA

Had a great time in South East Pennslyvania, Philly, and surrounding boroughs.  Most noteably, the fine brew houses providing a rich, cultural backbone of the region.

New friends of the blog;
http://www.ironhillbrewery.com/
http://www.mckenziebrewhouse.com/
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/6457
http://www.kildarespub.com/

Be sure to check out the following highly recommended brews if you're in the area.  I will be exploring shipping of Growlers in the meantime.

McKenzie Black Lab Stout - sorry, no photo (had this the first night)
Tommyknocker Butthead Boch - extremely rich and sweet











Flying Dog Gonzo Porter - I had to try out my guys at Flying Dog Breweries while I had the chance, and this certainly didn't disappoint.












Iron Hill Nitrogenated Pig Iron Porter - by far, the BEST beer I had during my stay.  Extremely rich and tasty, with a strong hint of chocolate (with the roasted flavor gives it a smooth butterscotch-type aroma).













McKenzie Brooklyn Black Stout - Had this a day after the Pig Iron, so it was a tough act to follow.












McKenzie Unicorn Ale - I wish I would have tried this sooner as it may be one of the more tastier beers McKenzie offers.












Victory HopDevil (Kildare's) - What can I say? Kildare's was having a special on Victory pints ($3) that evening, so it was a no-brainer.  Extremely hoppy and bitter, but just right.  Made the mistake of trying the Wild(Hop)Devil a night later (not good).










Iron Hill Kryptonite (Double Hop) - a double IPA, I relished the bitterness by pairing it with the Keilbasa and sauerkraut.

Guinness - Ah, of course, why not? Well, unfortunately, I haven't enjoyed a Guinness since moving to the South in 2006.  As, I'll outline below, no matter where I get them down here, they always seem to be 'spoiled' and lack any true flavor.  Thankfully, this pint didn't disappoint and was everything I remember a Guinness should be.
A little perspective here, being in the South now, good, flavorful beer is extremely difficult to find.  I would imagine the distribution chain in the ArkLaTex doesn't really support micro brews or even proper storage/handling.  I am not sure if it is being surrounded by dry parishes here in the "baptist-belt" of Upper Louisiana, or that "Coors Light" and "Miller Lite" is about as refined as the palatte gets in these parts.  If anyone is interested in starting up micro-brew house in NW Louisiana, I can guarantee your first customer (signed, Otis).


3 comments:

Dubber said...

Brophy,

You have excellent taste in beer....dark.

Fox said...

You NEED to get out here to Portland if you like beer.

Dubber said...

The colonial states have an excellent history of brewing.

George Washington nearly came to blows with the Continential Congress over them wanting to take away the troops' daily ration of beer.

That makes G-Dub alright in my book.

I really like dark porters....and the ones Mr. Brophy posted have me hankering for a pint and a reuben.

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