Microbrew Review of Troegs Sunshine Pils

Not being a huge fan of Pils style microbrews, I was a little hesitant in snagging a twelve ounce bottle of my own in-state Pennsylvania Troegs microbrewery's Sunshine Pils. The fact that Pils brews is not my personal preference was the first hurdle. Second was the visual image of the label (a somewhat grimacing Mr. Sun on the bottle) which wasn't doing a whole lot for me either. It was bright yellow, airy looking and a little bit too corny looking to lure me into curiosity based on packaging looks alone. But knowing this Troegs brewery's tracking record and their quality beers, I thought I'd give it a shot.

Pouring the brew into an unchilled mug, this little guy is clear, very very clear. It's almost too light, bright and clear to look anything like beer. I think it's lighter in color than Coors Light if that tells you anything. Very thin looking in appearance. Already, I was starting to get a little bit worried. How thin can this beer be I was thinking.

Well, I was wrong. It's not the prettiest beer to look at in a clear glass mug that's for sure. But the flavor folks, that's where it's at. This brew has flavor, and plenty of it. Nice level of bitterness cascaded over my tongue and it actually gave me a "full bodied" impression. This microbrew was crisp, refreshing and hoppy just as the label described this Pilsner to be.

Nothing was missing overall. Very flavorful, very satisfying, just enough hoppiness for me personally and yet, Troegs Sunshine Pils was very light (but again, not light in a bad sense). I could probably drink this one all day long on a hot summer's afternoon. Maybe I'm going to have to re-think my overall opinions of the pilsner microbrew style.

I'd have to be honest in saying that my predisposition to this microbrew (based on my lack of taste for pilsner beers and also due to the somewhat unappealing labelling on the bottle)probably led to me judging this beer a little higher than the, more experienced and grizzled pils beer veteran. I guess it just really surprised me more than anything. Someone who's sampled hundreds of the world's greatest pilsners may not have the same kind words to share for a microbrew review on Troegs Sunshine Pilsner, but I have to give this one a thumbs up.

Next time you're going to be spending a hot summer's afternoon mowing the lawn, pick up a few bottles of Troegs Sunshine Pils for your own six pack cooler and do your own Troegs beer review. This is just one in many fine microbrew offerings from one of Pennsylvania's excellent microbreweries. I'll get into more of those other Troegs brews later on. Until then, try Troegs Sunshine Pils and please review!

You can check out more reviews of new microbrews and fun microbrew and craft beer related info at Microbrew Review or My Squidoo Lens. Check out Summer Microbrew too!

Magic Hat Hocus Pocus Wheat Ale

I picked up a 12 ounce bottle of a curious microbrew today. Hocus Pocus Summer Wheat Ale, brought to me by Magic Hat Brewing Company of South Burlington, VT.

I've tried a few Magic Hat Offerings in my years. None of which I'd been all that much impressed with overall. Don't get me wrong, each Magic Hat beer I have tried has certainly proven itself much better than the macro swill I'd find in any bar, pub or street corner tavern in the Pittsburgh region. It's just not been a "memorable" track record with this brewery in particular.

I guess what attracted me to even picking out the bottle in the cooler is the cool label design. That's what's always snagged me with Magic Hat beers. I see the funky, cool and colorful label designs, my eye gets drawn, my interest is piqued. I've gotta at least try it right? One thing about Magic Hat is that, while their label are very interesting and fun, trying to tell what style of beer is inside the bottle is like throwing darts in the dark. There is very little anywhere on the bottle to even let you know what you're spending your hard-earned cash on on the inside. After very close inspection, I noticed this is a "seasonal" micro brew offering, a "summer wheat beer" to be exact. "What the heck?" I thought and grabbed a single.

Well, wheat beers, while not my favorites, have been enjoyable from time to time. It just depends what you're drinking I guess. This beer poured quite flat and dull. It just didn't give me a whole lot of signs of life at least visually. Several small streams of bubbles lazily sauntered upwards in my glass as if to say "yeah, we're here, but we're not real thrilled about it". Uninspiring.

Taste? Well, I'm used to the lemony wheat flavors in typical summer microbrews, but this one really made me pucker and not in the best of ways. It made me cringe a little with each sip and the slick coating it left in my mouth wouldn't let me forget it all that quickly either. In fact, after just one bottle, it was making me thirsty for something, anything other than a beer! Probably shouldn't be serving this in bars or everyone will be drinking iced teas and sprites before they know what hit them!

To quickly summarize my experience with Magic Hat Hocus Pocus Summer Wheat, my one line impression is sour, dry and at the same time a watered down essence. I wouldn't tell you to avoid it at all costs (especially if the wheat beers are your thing). But if I'm going to be paying $2.00 to $4.00 a bottle for a "microbrew", I want something at least a little better, more fulfilling an memorable. My rating for this Magic Hat offering is 5.00 out of 10.00. There's not a whole lot of magic in this Magic Hat Hocus Pocus, at least not for me. Just being honest, not hating.

You can check out more reviews of new microbrews and fun microbrew and craft beer related info at Microbrew Review or My Squidoo Lens. Check out Summer Microbrew too!

Troegs Nugget Nectar: Nugget Nectar is Nectar of the Gods

What better place is there to stop by on a 70 degree Tuesday, March evening than at the local microbrew bottleshop? In the mood to pick up something good for embibing while watching the hockey game tonight, I picked up a few known good picks and then, out of the corner of my eye, spied a new addition in the cooler selection roster. Could it be?

Yes, it was, one of the microbrews I've been wanting to try but haven't had the $40.00 to cough up for a whole 24 bottle case (crazy Pennsylvania liquor laws). Troegs Nugget Nectar has been high on my wish list lately, and luckily my local bottle shop just got a supply in and decided to stock it in the general assembly section of the cooler row.

Troegs is an independent microbrewery located in Harrisburg, PA and has long been known, especially amongst us Pennsylvanians, to put out some very high quality and tasty microbrews over the years (one of my seasonal favorites being the Christmastime issued Mad Elf, but more on that one later).

Anyway, I picked up two 12 ounce bottles and, needless to say, by the second bottle I just had to post a few notes on this very impressive Imperial IPA offering (to be accurate, the label touts this as an Imperial Amber). Pouring my slightly chilled bottle into a standard 10 ounce beer mug I am greeting with pungent hop aromas wafting up, out and all around the mug, sink basin and nearly the entire kitchen area in which it was poured. This one really eminates an evident "have you been drinking?" clue even if you've only just poured one into a glass to sit and admire the sight of it.

The sight of it however is not its strongest pint...I mean point (Freudian slip there, sorry). It did boast a fairly respectable head of about two fingers that stuck around for maybe three or four minutes. But the thing that really struck me was the absolute clarity of this brew. A lighter amber color in my mug, it was essentially a crystal clear presentation, carbonated bubbles streaming everywhere. It reminded me much more of maybe a Yuengling lager than a finely produced craft beer.

When it came to actually finally tasting it, after all of the previously written thoughts swirling through my mind, it was heaven on earth. This is truly nectar of the gods. As I've sample many stronger IPA's in my time, and given the aroma, I was expecting a more standard run of the mill grapefruity type IPA. This one gave off the grapefruit flavors but not in a most astringent manner. There was a malty, almost creamy backbone there that very classily offset some of the commonality of the boasted high level IBU's (93ish IBU's as per the bottle label for those keeping track).

Lacing on my mug was highly prevalent and it transferred well to a somewhat slick feel on the palate but not in an annoyingly obtrusive way. A pleasant aftertaste of sip #1 quickly led to #2 and so on.

On the quick, I would say I could picture myself downing a six pack of these on a hot summers day while doing yard work. But upon closer inspection of the bottle, the 7.5% ABV rating would make me seriously consider otherwise. This one is extremely drinkable, almost to a sessionable point but it's due to it's incredible balance of all factors involved.

Despite my initial predispositions, and Nugget Nectar's predominant assault on the ol' olfactory, Troeg's Nugget Nectar doesn't evolve to obscene extremes in any one particular area except for it's highly overall enjoyable drinkability. My impression is one of a high expectation, leading to complete validation with some meandering surprises along the way, a microbrew with an amiable character and one that I will remember and look for in the months and years to come. I can honestly say that I will be seeking out an entire case (yes at the $40.00 price tag) on my next visit to one of my local area distributors and I will highly recommend that you do too if given the chance.

Troegs Nugget Nectar checks in as a 8.25 rated microbrew in my opinion. Go out and try it today!

You can check out more reviews of new microbrews and fun microbrew and craft beer related info at Microbrew Review or My Squidoo Lens. Check out Summer Microbrew too!

Post on Post Road Pumpkin Ale

Ok, ok, it's been a few weeks but I'm back and ready to share something new of hops and malts. Very little on the hops however when it comes to speaking about this next craft beer.

Yes, it's November. Yes, Halloween's already past (two weeks now). But, so what? It's still Fall and what's coming up next? That's right, Thanksgiving. And while Halloween is all about Tricks or Treats and carving pumpkins, Thanksgiving is all about eating pumpkins (typically in the form of pie but in this case, I'll be reviewing the liquid version).

So enough of the small talk. Let's get to this week's feature sampling. I've been able to find and sieze a reasonably $33.00 priced case of Post Road Pumpkin Ale. Post Road is essentially a spin-off of Garrett Oliver's Brooklyn Brewery. If you are somewhat familiar with Garrett and his Brooklyn beers, you know that high quality, flavorful and innovative microbrews are what you'll get in just about anything offered there. Here with Post Road is not all that much different.

I tasted this one first at about 55 degrees in a standard 16oz. pub glass, nothing fancy here. This brew ended up pouring out with a coppery/burnt orangy color with not a whole heck of a lot of head. I'd say about 3/4 finger and quickly extinct. Kinda disappointing right off the start there. Well, I'm here to drink it not to stare. Good thing for me.

Tasting it was just as pumpkiny (is that a word) as I thought and hoped it would be. Very, very good pumpkin flavor. I liked it, I liked it alot. Just a twinge of nutmeg/cinnamon poking out in the background but overall, I could very easily tell this was a traditional pumpkin ale and not some holiday spice wannabe.

I really liked the way this one smelled. Overall, I thought that it essentially smelled as close to pumpkin pie as just about anything I'd ever tried (other than actual pumpkin pie that is). Sure it had some spicieness to the aroma but predominantly, I smelled pumpkin. So often in many pumpkin beer offerings from microbreweries, everything seems overwhelmed in spices, spices, spices. Pumpkin sometimes seems an afterthought. Not so with Post Road. Pumpkin rules the day here.

The carbonation seemed right on to me for the style. Drinkability is fair to good but I think this description doesn't do it justice because in my opinion, pumpkin/spiced ales just don't have alot of high drinkability in many cases (meaning I'd probably try one and not want another, even if I liked it). Too much of a good thing to continue? Maybe, maybe just too rich for my taste.

Anyway, I really did like this beer and I think many looking for a good, true pumpkin flavored beer will enjoy this also. Again, you'll probably try it, like it, maybe have another and that's it. You'll be done. It's just not all that sessionable. But it's good and I'll have it again (I've got 23 more in my fridge now and only a week and a half til Thanksgiving to finish it!

One negative I will point out is that, for me, in the background, beneath the strong pumpkin sensation, I perceived this subtle taste that kept bugging me just a little. It reminded me of Yuengling lager. Yes, Yuengling lager. When I got that taste in my mouth, for whatever reason I got the idea imbedded in my brain that this was a beer, first and foremost, with pumpkin flavoring added. You know that whole "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts" thing? It just gave me a subtle impression that all in all, everything just didn't result in a seamless integration of everything put into this beer.

My overall summary is, this beer is good. Above average I would say for the style (pumpkin ales being a niche style of their own). I did enjoy it. Very, very much...I would say no. But again, who's going to sit down and drink pumpkin beer all day, even on Thanksgiving. Nobody me thinks. But it is a very good representation of the style, and very good for the price I paid. Whether the case is gone by Thanksgiving or not, I just don't know, but I will continue to enjoy it, one Post Road Pumpkin Ale at a time.

My humble opinion will give Post Road Pumpkin Ale 6.50 out of 10 points. At a little over 5.0 alcohol by volume, this is a respectable craft beer for the style and one I would recommend to someone who is into microbrews and wants to try something different (remembering pumpkin ales just aren't for everyone) so I'd expect a widely varying range of agreement/disagreement amongst the masses).

Cheers!

You can check out more reviews of new microbrews and fun microbrew and craft beer related info at Microbrew Review or My Squidoo Lens. Check out Summer Microbrew too!

Post Road Brewery
pumpkin ale
Brooklyn Brewery
craft beer
microbrew
pumpkin beer