And we're back

After a post-BJCP hiatus, it's time to get back to the matter at hand - beer. There's been a lot of good stuff coming my way lately, like Founder's Devil Dancer. It's a big amber colored 13% abv beer that the brewery has dubbed a "triple IPA." While I wouldn't say it's got three times the bitterness, it's still notable for it's massive size and tasty hop flavors.

I also had the pleasure of trying a couple beers from the one-man operation, East End Brewing of Pittsburgh, while I was in the area last week. I found their Bitter End and Blackstrap Stout on-tap at Bocktown Beer and Grill (possibly the best strip mall bar in the world). Both beers, while not the best I've ever had, proved to be interesting and well worth trying out.

One truly notable recent beer experience happened this last Friday. Around 10:30 in the morning I set off with seven other local cycists for the annual Emmaus-Easton-Emmaus ride. It's a yearly 52-mile ride that honors the dirty and muddy spring classics of the professional cycling calendar. Accordingly, the ride takes every off-road trail between Emmaus and Easton, making for a long and bumpy ride. We had a total of four flats and two mechanicals along the way. And while it wasn't the most fun I've had on a bike, I think it'll prove to be one of my more memorable rides. There's nothing quite like flying down a debris-strewn dirt double track at 20 mph in a tight pack of riders.

The beer tie-in came at the very end of the ride. Tired and fairly beat up, we entered Emmaus on a road that swung by Shangy's, a legendary beer store in PA. There were four of us left by now but a little easy math showed that we could easily split a case if everyone carried a six-pack back to our end point, South Mountain Cycles. After about five minutes of discussion, we pulled a variety case from North Coast Brewing Company from the shelf and biked up through Emmaus with a hand on our handlebars and another gripping a sixer.

Over a German-style pizza (onions, green peppers, sweet peppers, steak), I tried the Blue Star wheat beer and Old #38 stout. Here's what I thought:

Old #38
B+ / 3.9
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

I don't about the classification as a Irish Dry Stout style (this is thicker and more full flavored), but this certainly is a tasty beer. I got big milk and dark chocolate flavors along with chocolate grains and an aroma to match. There's a medium body with a balancing bitterness and touch of citrus hops flavor. Overall this is a great dessert beer and I'd love to see a coffee version of this.

Blue Star
B+ / 3.9
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

Cracked a bottle open after a long bike ride and this really hit the spot. Light and refreshing, yet full of flavor. The wheat malt isn't as clean as I'd expect for an American wheat, it's a pleasant sweet bread flavor. Balanced by the malt are very fruity hops, lots of citrus and no harsh bitterness. There's also a little kick of yeasty earthyness. All in all, this is relatively complex session beer. At times I got a slight cilantro aroma, which makes me think they used Summit hops. I also could have used a little bitterness, but maybe that's just me.