Philly Beer Scene Magazine

Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier (2008 Sample A) - 4 1/2 of 5 Stars

Description: By using a mix of blackberries, orange and coriander, Sam Adams delivers a subtle sweetness that balances the traditional citrus flavors from the witbier. Along with the malt character and spiciness, the result is a finish that is sweet and tart. ABV%: 5.5

Johnny - 3- Sweet berry smell and a strong flavor, with a hint of
wheat—dry and bitter at the same time.
Dave - 4- Nose like blackberry sherbet, but the hops do a decent job of keeping it from being too sweet.
Mat - 3- A shockingly decent fruit beer with an intense blackberry aroma. Finished dryer than expected.
Scott - 3- Strong fruit smell, which is overpowering. Like a non-sweet wine cooler with a mild tartness.
John - 4- Really strong sweet blackberry smell, but not overpowering. The bitterness at the end is good.
Neil - 3-Smells of berries, with subtle wheat smell also. It has a very strong, dry finish.

Flying Fish Exit 11- 4 of 5 Stars

Description: Using a classic English ale yeast, and a trio of Pacific Northwest hops, Exit 11 is brewed with 50% Belgian pale malt and 50% white wheat. It combines Columbus, Palisade and dry hops with Amarillo for a citrus-like bouquet. ABV%: 6.2

Johnny- 5-Fabulous hop nose. This is what a summer beer should be.
Dave- 5- Fantastic hop summer wheat balance, clean all the way around.
Mat-5- Flying Fish is really on a roll. Fuck you New Jersey Turnpike for trying to shut this series down.
Scott- 5- Super hop nose with a sweet initial flavor, which is then washed away by the hops.
John- 2- A mix of flavors that I didn’t want to taste. I would love the hops in another beer, but not this.
Neil- 5- Great citrus, smells like an IPA, but finishes like wheat. Perfect summer beer.

Ithaca Ten - 4 1/2 of 5 Stars

Description: Ithaca’s anniversary beer, TEN, is brewed with too many malts to list and an excess of American hops, including several additions during fermentation. Enjoy the russet color, hoppy aroma and fl avor, rich body and fiery finish. ABV%: 10

Johnny- 5- Spicy nose, like a fine spiced layer cake.
Dave- 5- Has a head forever. Really nice bitter malt nose. It’s a malt and hop dance.
Mat- 4- My favorite Imperial American Extra Strong and Special Double Red Ale ever.
Scott- 5- There’s a scent of molasses and chocolate, with spices. The hops give it a balanced taste.
John- 5- Very sweet, but yeasty.
Neil- 4- Lots of head, aggressive bitterness, I’d be interested to see how it cellars for a few more years.

Stone 13- 3 1/2 of 5 Stars

Description: The hops are balanced with the malty, toffee-like flavors contributed from the blend of crystal and amber malts used in the brew house. The finish is deliciously bitter, with a touch of warmth provided by the alcohol. ABV%: 9.5

Johnny- 3- Bitter basil scent, and is extremely dry with an acidy basil quality.
Dave- 3- Hops come in too strong killing off a wonderful starting flavor.
Mat- 3- A let down for sure. The hops bite is just too much. Great aroma though.
Scott- 4- Tear-jerking hops in the nose. Hops meet molasses. The flavors are undermined by the hops.
John- 4- Aroma is piney. Balance of malty, toffee, and chocolaty fl avors.
Neil- 3- Very bittersweet aroma. Aggressive taste.

Rogue Somer Orange Honey Ale- 4 of 5 Stars

Description: This unfiltered beer is medium bodied with no harsh bitterness. It has flavors of honey and orange balanced with a nice medium-sweet malt character. ABV%: 5

Johnny- 4- Citrus focused nose. Includes a really nice flavor that is perfectly bitter with pepper.
Dave- 4- Great balance with light flavor. The honey keeps this beer tame.
Mat-3- Not what you’d except from Rogue, but for a summer it has a nice hop characteristic.
Scott-4- Very sweet orange nose. The honey mellows out the tartness. Solid beer.
John-4- Light and full of sweetness with a sort of a shifting taste from beginning to end.
Neil- 3- Clean finish with a great touch or orange, but the honey gets lost.

Dogfish Head Sahtea- 4 1/2 of 5 Stars

Description:Brewed with rye and caramelized the wort with white hot river rocks, then fermented with a German Weizen yeast. The spicing is subtle and balanced, making it a truly-unique brew with a full mouth feel. ABV%: 9

Johnny- 5- Wow! What a fantastic specimen of brewing. Sam has another winner! This one hides its heat.
Dave- 5- Chai and Rye. Insane.
Mat- 4- Perfect full beer. It’s like drinking a cup of chai fresh from the coffee shop.
Scott-5- F-you hippies who like Midas Touch (kidding!). This is a granola eatin’ hippie’s Tru Bru.
John-5- Very strong in the tea and spice fl avor. Warm and sweet, with loads of vanilla and cinnamon.
Neil-5- Chai is overwhelming, clean flavor. The smell alone makes me love it. The flavor blows my mind.

General Lafayette Chocolate Thunder Porter- 3 1/2 of 5 Stars

Description: Dark, sweet, full bodied and chewy, this is one robust Porter. Imported English malt, as well as plenty of black, chocolate, and crystal malts make for a great
dessert beer. Chocolate and coffee flavors dominate this tasty brew. ABV%: 6.7

Johnny- 3- Decent chocolate nose, but fails on the mouth feel. Nice crystal malt and chocolate profi le.
Dave- 3- Wonderful cocoa on the nose. Burnt flavor and weak body.
Mat-3- Nice burnt cocoa taste. Lacking on body, otherwise a great beer.
Scott- 3- Malty coffee and toffee nose, along with molasses and burnt cocoa. Thin sour acid finish.
John- 3- Slightly astringent towards the end, but not bad.
Neil- 4- Great chocolate aroma, delicious dark malts, great slightly burnt flavor—needs a heavier weight.

Anchor Summer Beer- 3 of 5 Stars

Description: This all malt beer is fermented with a Triticum aestivum that produces clean fl avors and a light crisp style of American wheat beer. Ideal for beer lovers who appreciate tradition, but also seek a lighter style, perfect for warm weather. ABV%: 4.6

Johnny- 3- Lemony nose, with a crisp, sharp flavor that dissolves at the right time. Nice mouth feel.
Dave- 3- Great head. The malted wheat stands out. It’s slightly sour but not dramatically so.
Mat- 3- More flvor than most summer beers.
Scott- 2- It has a very carbonated mouth feel, with wheat, earthly flavor. I’d order this at a ballpark.
John-2- I want bitter, but am getting sour.
Neil- 3- Good head retention, subtle sour taste. It’s refreshing and sticks with you.

VooDoo Love Child- 4 1/2 of 5 Stars

Description: This Gran Met is aged for three months on passion fruit, cherries and raspberries. This ale is inspired by fun, flavor, and a passion for brewing. ABV%: 9.5

Johnny- 4-Decent Lambic quality, nice passion fruit flavor. Nice entry to Lambic.
Dave- 4- Careful, the 9.5% ABV is too well hidden. Great flavor for a fruit beer.
Mat- 4- Really nice beer quality, for a fruit beer.
Scott- 5- Mild fruit salad nose. BIG fruit flavor, like a passion fruit. The alcohol is masked very well.
John- 3- Cherries tie the strong raspberry taste to it. Sour, but tastes like fruit in a glass.
Neil-4- Fruity accent, subtle alcohol heat. Great separation of fruit flavors.

Sly Fox Black Raspberry Reserve- 2 1/2 of 5 Stars

Description:An unforgettable wheat ale brewed with German Pils, wheat malts, traditional hops, and includes 1 lb. of red and black raspberries per gallon of beer. This beer features a tart fi nish and a sugary sorbet aroma. ABV%: 8

Johnny-2- The nose is all raspberries. This is a girl beer!
Dave- 2- Tastes like watery, carbonated raspberries. No malty flavor, and the wheat gets overpowered.
Mat- 4- Tastes like pure raspberry. Awesome raspberry aroma.
Scott- 2- A TON of raspberries hit the tongue and it expands to foam. There is no alcohol flavor.
John- 2- Not overly sweet—needs something at the end because it trails off to a seltzer-like taste.
Neil- 2- Beautiful pink head, but the beer gets lost because of the tart raspberry watery finish.

De Proef Cuvee Mystique- 4 1/2 of 5

Description: This traditional Belgian style dark ale is full bodied; yet, well balanced with notes of candied fruits, chocolate, and roasted malts. This beer comes highly carbonated leaving great lacing on the glass and a smooth fi nish. ABV%: 8.5

Johnny- 5- Superbly balanced beer; sweet in the beginning and bitter chocolate at the end.
Dave- 5- Smooth until the cows come home. Magnifi cent malt characteristic and very balanced.
Mat- 5- Not a big Belgian fan, but this really impressed me. Nice dry finish that with malty sweetness.
Scott- 5- Smokey up front, with a mild sweetness, but nutty throughout. Finishes dry, hoppy at the end.
John- 5- Smells like barley wine right away. Very nutty from beginning to end.
Neil- 4- Fine nuttiness, chocolaty sweet toastiness.

Weyerbacher Unfiltered Double Simcoe IPA- 4 of 5 Stars

Description: Consisting of a more pronounced hoppy flavor and aroma due to being unfi ltered than the popular Double Simcoe. Also, carbonation will be a bit higher as is usual in the cork and cage series. ABV%: 9.5

Johnny- 4- Flowery hop nose with an extremely resin mouth feel.
Dave- 4- First time I’ve had sweet hops. This is a massive hops bomb, with a great, smooth body.
Mat- 3- Spoiled by a firkin at the launch party.
Scott- 4- I would drink this if I’m having a hop craving. Balanced with a mild sweetness, just right.
John- 5- Sticky, delicious and hoppy, but not bitter. The difference between the unfiltered isn’t much.
Neil- 3- Pour carefully and beware of head. It’s like a hops juice.