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Beer of the Week: Stable 12 Super Mash Brothers

11/28/2020

Pete
Only had 1 new beer this week among many other repeats. Fortunately, the new one was awesome: Stable 12 Super Mash Brothers
Description: Halfway between hefe and NEIPA. It's crisp and lemony, and it's hazy and juicy. Flavorful easy-drinker.
What you should know: This is only the 2nd beer I've had from this Philly-area brewery, and they've both been great. I found this at a local Wegmans. Once COVID is over, I plan to visit this place and sample the rest of their stuff.
Recommendations: If you're in the Chester/Montgomery County area in PA, see if you can find some of this brewery's stuff (or just go there).

Beer of the Week: Tired Hands Milkshake IPA: Strawberry

11/19/2020

Pete
Didn't actually have any new beers this week as I've been avoiding stores and had plenty of leftovers. Don't worry though, I haven't gone dry. That means we're going to get a back to back Tired Hands entry here: Tired Hands Milkshake IPA: Strawberry
Description: I don't have much to say about this that the name doesn't convey. It tastes like a strawberry milkshake.
What you should know: This was the beer that made Tired Hands really hammer the Milkshake IPA style, and I can see why. It's delicious.
Recommendations: Expand your horizons. There aren't that many different styles out there; you should try them all so you know what you like.

Beer of the Week: Tired Hands Milkstave IPA: Açai Bowl

11/13/2020

Pete
Took a trip down to PA last week, so I obviously had to grab some beer to go at Tired Hands. It's no surprise that they cashed in on BOTW, but this beer is the best one I've had in a really long time, and only the 53rd 7 shyoh rating that I've given out (roughly 1.5% of beers): Tired Hands Milkstave IPA: Açai Bowl
Description: I've had many of the milkshake IPA's from Tired Hands at this point, so I know generally what to expect, but this was my first 'Milkstave', which is actually soured and aged on oak. It's fruity, mild-medium sour, and a tiny bit funky and oak-y. I wouldn't really call it an IPA, more of a sour, but I also wouldn't call any of the 'Milkshake' ones an IPA either, and here we are.
What you should know: I was pretty drunk when I had this, as it was my 5th Tired Hands pint of the evening, but it came after a couple other great ones and was clearly better (for me). It was actually the lowest rated beer I had on the evening, so I guess this is just my style.
Recommendations: Anytime you're down on the Main Line in PA, take a stop at Tired Hands. They even have a location in downtown Philly now too, so take advantage of that if you're there. If you're really sensitive to lactose, you should probably not follow that advice, since pretty much all their beers use lactose.

Beer of the Week: Hermit Thrush Green SIPA

11/2/2020

Pete
Had a couple new ones this week, including a disappointing imperial stout that I pre-ordered for its release. Fortunately, the others made up for it, especially Hermit Thrush Green SIPA
Description: I didn't know what to expect with the color - it could just be a malty IPA. It turns out, there isn't much IPA flavor in here, just a super tart dry beer with a lot of carbonation. There are some earthy flavors which I assume are the hops, but this is much more sour than IPA.
What you should know: At 6.8% ABV, this is one of the stronger (non-barrel aged) sours you'll see. Typically strong sours can be too sweet/boozy, but this is tart enough and the extra carbonation makes the sweetness disappear quickly if you even notice it at all.
Recommendations: Alternate this with something else. You can definitely handle a whole pint at once (and it will go fast), but more than 1 might get a little abrasive due to the sourness.

Beer of the Week: Burlington Vaulted Blue

10/30/2020

Pete
Had a lot of leftover beers this week, so I only had 2 new ones. Fortunately, they were both amazing; one stout and one IPA. The winner: the IPA: Burlington Vaulted Blue
Description: This has something for all IPA lovers. It smells dank and tropical at the same time, and the flavors match. The tropical citrus gives NEIPA lovers what they're looking for, and the dank/slight bitterness gives the more classic IPA lovers some of that as well.
What you should know: This is only 5.5% alcohol, but the flavor is more like you'd expect from something in the 8-9% range. I wouldn't say this is super crushable due to the strong flavors, so this is a great option if you're just looking to chill and enjoy a beer without getting crazy.
Recommendations: If you live in New England and can get your hands on this stuff, grab yourself a 4 pack of this and have one with dinner every night for a week.

Beer of the Week: Trillium Twice the Daily Serving: Raspberry

10/23/2020

Pete
Had a heck of a weekend of drinking, with trips to Remnant, Trillium Greenway, Lord Hobo's new beer garden, and a delivery from Other Half thanks to a visit from Josh. Needless to say, I had a lot of great options to choose from, and most of them were New England IPA's. I had 7 new beers this week that were 6 shyoh offerings, so this was a difficult decision. The best of the bunch was not an IPA: Trillium Twice the Daily Serving: Raspberry
Description: This is so thick, you'd really think it was a blended smoothie. If you told me it was just a raspberry smoothie with no alcohol, I'd totally believe you. As it is, it is sweet and tart and has 7% alcohol.
What you should know: The Twice the Daily Serving series is brand new (the Daily Serving series was new last year), and I definitely support it. Alcoholic fruit smoothies. I don't know if it was just the raspberry, but I highly preferred this to the lower alcohol version because it wasn't quite as sweet.
Recommendations: Take a trip to the Trillium Greenway beer garden if you're in the Boston area. It's getting cold out, and this will be your last chance this year. Hopefully things will be back to normal by the time it opens again next year, but I am not optimistic about that.

Beer of the Week: Provincetown Golden Hook Ale

10/15/2020

Pete
Had some good stuff this week, including a trip to an actual brewery! Although it wasn't my favorite beer, I have to highlight a particular option because it's just better than anything else of the style: Provincetown Golden Hook Ale
Description: Golden's are typically pretty plain, and meant to just crush and/or be a relatively flavorless option for people who don't like beer. This one had all the good parts of that - drinkability. OK - that's only one part, but you get it. This also actually has flavor. A little floral going down, and a decent amount of citrus in the finish.
What you should know: The brewery had a bunch of solid options, and is definitely worth a trip if you head out towards the end of Cape Cod.
Recommendations: If you're in the Boston area in the summer, take a day trip to Provincetown. It's a short ferry ride from Boston, and you can see a cool quirky little town and have a few good beers in the process.

Beer of the Week: Common Roots Super Ultra Modern American

10/8/2020

Pete
Not a ton of new ones this week, but I did have a standout: Common Roots Super Ultra Modern American
Description: Just a damn good IPA with one small twist. Normally great IPA's start super citrusy and finish with a hint of spicy or earthy. This one is the opposite. Spicy going down and a blast of citrus in the finish. Same general flavors but a unique drinking experience.
What you should know: Although this beer was incredible, I am fairly certain I enjoyed my bacon cheddar burger a tiny bit more.
Recommendations: Some of the flavors in this beer are pretty subtle, so although you may enjoy the experience more with food, you'll appreciate the beer more if you drink it on its own, or at least with some mild food like pretzels or chips.

Beer of the Week: Old Nation M-43 Tart Strawberry

10/2/2020

Pete
Still had some beers from building my own mix packs 2 weeks ago, and I also got some new stuff. The winner: Old Nation M-43 Tart Strawberry
Description: Smells and tastes like a strawberry milkshake, and has a tiny bit of bitterness in the finish. It's also quite drinkable and not too strong, so you can have a few of these in a row.
What you should know: This was my first beer from this brewery, and I'm impressed. I didn't love the 2nd beer I had, but given their extremely high ratings on Untappd, I'll be looking for these in the future.
Recommendations: Settle down with a 4 pack of these and mix in a chocolate stout in between them to keep your tongue guessing. Nobody would complain about strawberries and chocolate.

Beer of the Week: Une Année Le Seul XXVII - Pear and Pomegranate

9/25/2020

Pete
Went and made my own mix pack this past weekend, so I had a great selection to choose from. The best: Une Année Le Seul XXVII
Description: Smells aggressively of pear, which is not something I expected to love. The flavor is medium tartness with a decent amount of pear and a tiny hint of pomegranate. The tartness level is just perfect.
What you should know: This isn't the first beer of this series to be featured on here, and I can nearly guarantee it won't be the last (I have another one in the fridge right now). They aren't cheap (I think this can was $7), but they're worth it.
Recommendations: If you see any of these 'Le Seul' beers, get them immediately at whatever price is being charged.