Beer Tourism - Pennsylvania

I'll start by saying this is going to be the worst "tourism" post yet...

For those who do not know, Pennsylvania has some ass backwards beer laws. Beer can only be purchased from a limited supply of stores (usually restaurants) or beer distributors. If you buy from a distributor, you cannot buy fours, sixes, twelves; rather, you are limited to bulk...cases or kegs. In my case (in King of Prussia for one night), it would have made little sense...so I had to track down a "restaurant" that would sell a smaller quantity over the counter. While this sounds like an easy task, it really isn't. With the aid of Ba and a friendly girl at the front desk, I was able to find a "deli" nearby who claimed to have 500+ bottles - the best selection locally. I never thought a place with 500+ bottles could carry 500+ beers that I had no interest in buying :-\
I was really hoping for something from Troegs or maybe something obscure from upstate NY, but unfortunately, there was nothing out of the ordinary there...pretty much the micro/craft standards: DFH, Victory, Weyerbacher...all things you expect to see in a gas station in Delaware. Bummer. Bigger bummer: prices. 90 Minute IPA was 20-bucks for a four pack..Allagash bombers were also $20...you get the picture. Apparently the beer distributors have everybody's balls in a vice...oh well.

So, I took a chance. $20 for a four pack of River Horse's Hop-A-Lot-Amus. They are based out of Jersey, so this was a big chance in my book. According tot he label, this is an "unfiltered double IPA"...only part of this statement seems true. It is certainly unfiltered. I seriously think that this is grapefruit pulp, not brewer's yeast, floating around in here. Its kind of not good. Don't get me wrong, though, citrus/grapefruit notes in an IPA are my thing...this just doesn't seem like an IPA...especially not a double. Again, note that I may be spoiled. So I guess I'll just see what four at 8.5% does...I'm thinking the ABV is exaggerated...

ohtheguilt Ba score = 3.0* out of 5.0

* for the effort and the cute label. oh, and at least it isn't bud light lime...

Time to catch up...

So it has been almost two months since I have posted fresh reviews...I guess we'll just run through everything new that I have had in that time...briefly...VERY briefly...

These were both awesome...but in different ways. Try the Imperial Biscotti Break for dessert. Buy them both.

Save your money...this was a drain pour.

Another Stone collab...this time with DFH and Victory...I remember this being a pretty decent Saison...only sold in 12oz. singles at 4 bucks a pop, though...not worth the effort...

Ah, beers available in Wichita, KS that aren't available in Georgia...IIRC, both the Tallgrass beers (8-Bit and Velvet Rooster) were good and the Odell Black IPA was okay. Arcadia Loch Down was the highlight. Marshall and Free State were drain pours.

 













BA Boris is a big-boy beer...so good...so boozy...

 Made it to four of the five in the Mikkeller Yeast Series...I don't think it would have mattered, as these were pretty underwhelming. They are certainly finely crafted beers, but there wasn't anything outstanding going on here.

Well, I think that does it for all the important stuff that has happened in my life since the first week in May. I guess it was kind of a slow period for new beers...or maybe its just too easy to pick up some sessionables when the weather is warm...more soon...

-ohtheguilt