Ok so last night I got a chance to try Victory Brewing Co.'s newest brew, the Wild Devil (in a 1pint 6oz corked bottle). This 6.7% abv brew was very tasty! It was slightly more carbonated than I had anticipated and it had a little sour taste to it. Complex malt flavor. Had a little citrus taste, yet slightly hoppy. From the information I have gathered they basically took their infamous HopDevil and subjected it to a wild yeast strain during fermentation...and this does not taste anything like HopDevil. Kinda similar to a belgian style ale I would assume. For this interesting brew I proudly give this a 5 out of 5 beer chips!

Last but not least was the drink of choice to my burger/chicken sandwhich was Steve and I split. The one comes from East End Brewing. It is their Big Hop IPA. An honest 5.8% abv, this IPA had a nice hop bite to it. Complex hop flavor to it...not too malty though. Definitely had some bitterness to it. Strong on taste this one gets a 4 out of 5 beer chips!

Next up was the Marzoni's Hoppy Saison. This 7.1% abv Saison definitely has some serious citrus taste in it...and the finish is dry and hoppy. Not sure what spices are used in this but it is a great brew! 4 out of 5 beer chips!

First was a sample of the Victory Prima Pils! This pilsner style sits @ 5.3% abv. This one has a dry finish with a nice hop taste/aroma. Pilsners generally are not my style of choice but, this one is clearly the best pilsner I have had. For the style this one gets 5 out of 5 beer chips!

Taps on hand....

The menu...

Outside patio...

more seating...

Inside seating area

Ok so we took a trip to Bedford to find out what all of the fuss is about the Jean Bonnet Tavern which is located on 6048 Lincoln Highway - Bedford, PA 15522 - Phone: 814.623.2250

OK so Sunday (3/29/2009) Steve and I made plans to check out the Jean Bonnet Tavern. First, we decided on having a brew first! Steve still had some Sam Adams Old Fezziwig Ale from Christmas. This 5.9% abv brew is one of Sam Adams' winter brews. It is brown/red in color and has a medium body to it. Caramel/chocolatey notes...cinnamon taste as well. Decent beer to have right before the weather breaks for spring! 3 out of 5 beer chips!

Ok so tonight I came upon the coveted Troeg's Flying Mouflan! They say it's like "pushing nugget nectar off of a cliff". Well this one is truly an experience. I am lucky enough to say that this beer even though it's 9.3% abv, this brew has the hoppiness one would expect from such a powerful brew. Dark brown color, you can taste the sweet dark maltiness of this brew. The hoppiness and bitterness that the Nugget Nectar has is very similar, taste and smell to it. Though the alcohol in this one kicks my ass! The maltiness in this one is extreme...definitely there, grassy notes and alcohol taste are there. I give this extreme brew a 5 out of 5 beer chips. I'm not into extreme beers like this one but damn this brew has what it takes to make me think twice about it! This one is definitely worth it if you are into extreme/double/imperial/ ipa's. Kudos to Troeg's! Maybe extreme beers has a place in my palate?

Ok so I decided to go out and have a nightcap with Steve. We decided on Uno's since I live within walking distance and I decided to go for the Budweiser American Ale. This one I have had before, yet I have not rated it yet so here goes. This one is truly a big surprise! I expected this to be another run of the mill type beer that would not turn out well because it is Anheuser-Busch. Well low and behold if you are not snobby enough to try one, this 5.3% brew is amber in color and has a decent malty taste. Though it is a little thin in the mouth, it has a good finish. Not quite as hoppy as it claims ( distinctive hoppy finish) yet, it finishes up dry. Definitely kudos to them for this one. I would actually buy a case of this believe it or not. This one gets 3 out of 5 beer chips!
OK so tonight I decided on getting a 1/6 keg of Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA...boy was that a good decision! At 6.0% abv, this Dogfish flagship beer proves it's worthiness! This is a true IPA session beer! Aroma is hoppy yet fruity, body is medium with a copper color. This beer has a strong hop flavor that is well balanced with the malts. Not too spicy yet a little on the citrus side. Doesn't have that piney flavor some IPA's have. This one definitely gets a 5 out of 5 beer chips!

Front row tickets to the Pens/Kings Game.....$253.00

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale....$7.75

Watching the Pens crush the Kings 4-1 with my son....priceless!

Kris Letang......

The Flower says No!

Evgeni Malkin

My son and I entering the Igloo

The soon to be "new Igloo"

The Igloo 3/20/2009

Tried the Leinenkugel's Classic Amber tonight (3/16/09) and was quite impressed. Definitely session beer for sure. At 4.9% abv, this malty beer was very easy to drink. Not much of a hop taste to it but definitely somewhat spicy. This amber was a little more clear than I had expected but definitely something to try if you are into a Yuengling type beer. Try one! 3 out of 5 beer chips!

face off

contemplating....on which move to bust out next!

yea what? oh they didn't know? ha they should recognize the Ums

school is in session

they didn't know about me

yea...

Ma team So we went to Mount Pleasant this weekend to play in a roller hockey tournament. We played well but yet we didn't win it all...next time!

This used to be my favorite IPA til I came across the Nugget Nirvana ha ha. This one from Victory clocks in at 6.7% abv and it is packed with hops. The wonderful floral aroma just tickles the nose and the spicy/citrus/earthy taste engulfs the taste buds. Definitely a full bodied IPA, this lightly carbonated IPA delivers! 5 out of 5 beer chips!

Ahh...Weyerbacher Hops Infusion. What can I say? This 6.2% abv IPA definitely has a lot of malt characteristics among it's flowery hop aroma/taste. Not so much on the citrus side as some others I have had, but definitely a good brew! It is definitely on the spicy side as it is packed with 7 different kinds of hops. Great body! 4 out of 5 beer chips!

Next up in the Samuel Adams Imperial Stout. Whoa! @ 9.2% abv, this deep brown stout caught me off guard. I was expecting something a little different because all I really smelled was the alcohol and something like coffee. Definitely roasted malts here, this one was a little on the medium bodied side as I expect some more from it. Mouthfeel is dry, yet not as bitter as one would expect. This one receives a 3 out of 5 beer chips.

Ok so tonight I got the chance to try a few new beers as well as some i've had in the past. First off is the all new Samuel Adams Imperial Series Double Bock. This clocks in at 9.5% abv. This one definitely has a chocolate and coffee aroma to it. The presence of alcohol is definitely there in the taste and in the smell. Overall not too bad for an imperial! Deep amber in color, this malty brew was decent for the style. Nothing to brag about, but definitely worth giving a shot if you are into imperial double bocks. 3 beer chips out of 5!

Ok so tonight the Pens won in a shootout tonight (3-10-2009) so I decided to have a victory beer! Tonight's choice was the Atwater Brewing Winter Bock. This 7.5% abv bock was surprisingly smooth despite the high alcohol content. It was really on the sweet side with a nice malt taste. Little hop taste to it as it goes down the throat. Funny thing is, it has such a sweet candy taste to it, it doesn't taste like your traditional chocolately malted bock! Hmm...I will be looking forward to this next year! 3 beer chips out of 5! gotta try one!

OK so this one here I had awhile ago and forgot I had taken the picture so i'm posting this one now. This is the Voodoo Black Magick from Voodoo Brewing Co. out of Meadville, PA. This one dials in @ 15% abv. Minimal head/lacing. The taste of alcohol is definitely there, yet it has such a chocolatey/vanilla taste to it. It also has a bourbon taste to it due to the fact that it has been aged up to a year in bourbon barrels. Slight roasted malt taste..not much hoppiness to it but happiness it brings! It was rather a little on the thin side as far as the body but the complexity of the taste definitely made up for it. As far as imperial stouts goes...this one receives a 4 out of 5.

Sid the Kid wins another one in an amazing shootout!

Ahhh...of course one for the victory! This time it is the Samuel Smith Imperial Stout! Rich and flavorful! This dark colored beer has a roasted barley aroma, with it's complex malt/hoppy taste, this is truly an awesome imperial stout. 7.0% abv. 5 beer chips out of 5!

My dog Troy (Polamalu) watching the Pens game with us. He gives high fives when you yell touchdown during football games! Good boy!

AugustinerBrau Maximator. At 7.5% abv, this german doppelbock was excellent. Dark and robust with a coffee/roasted grain taste. Nice and malty. Definitely a must try if you enjoy doppelbocks! 4 out of 5 beer chips.

Ok so here is the Godfather of Brew pouring our next brew as we attempt to finish watching the 3rd period of the Pens game outside.

Ahh...Pens...Dogfish.....can't go wrong
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron. 12% abv...got a smooth taste....malty yet almost like Teriyaki taste...different tasting for sure. Caramel type taste as well. Definitely worth trying! 3 beer chips out of 5

Steve enjoying some Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

Ok so today Steve and I are watching the Pens vs. Caps...So I came across a few beers to try. First off was the Sam Adams Imperial White. At 10.3% abv...this imperial white was quite different than what I had expected. It is definitely a lot darker than what I thought it would be. I almost looks like an IPA or something. The alcohol is definitely there...you can taste it like it was JACK...not too much of a "white" taste to it. Not cloudy at all. hmm...2 out of 5 beer chips. Disappointed. :(

My son, wife, and I watching the Yankees in Baltimore last year (Yankees scored 10 runs in 1 inning that game! It was truly awesome)

Luke, I am your father...ha ha...Me passing on wisdom of the game to the young grasshoppa that will rule the game.

Ok so here is my retirement fund...oh I mean here is my son playing baseball.....he was only 6 at the time.....