Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Harp Lager

Harp LagerLeaving brother's house on Easter, I was struck with fear! "What if I ran outta beer before epic night of Justified (OnDemand), Game of Thrones, and Mad Men?" Grabbed Harp Lager out of fridge for later consumption. Typical, bland big-box lager. (You can close your mouth now, Gift Horse!)
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The Pizza Project
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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Williamsburg Alewerks Tavern Ale

Williamsburg Alewerks Tavern Ale
When I first sipped this one, was expecting something light. Lageresque. Instead, it's smoky, malty, and extremely porterish (second really cool fake word made up for this post!). While part of enjoyment came from low expectations, definitely enjoyed the complexity and depth. Strong, but not overbearing!

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The Pizza Project
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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Port Brewing Midnight Expression Lager

Port Brewing Midnight Expression Lager
Thought I was grabbing a 22-ounce Port Brewing Wipeout IPA. Get up to counter. Notice I picked up wrong one. I'm adventurous! Decided I'd just try this instead. Bad choice. No idea why it is called a lager. It's really just a thin stout. How about full disclosure, people!?

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The Pizza Project
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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Great Lakes Brewing Company Dortmunder Gold

Great Lakes Brewing Company Dortmunder Gold
Beers like to say they have won gold medals. I saw a commercial once where Miller Lite said they'd won a gold medal. For what? No clue. Dortmunder Gold says it won a gold medal at the World Beer Championships. They deserve it. One of the best lagers ever.

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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Yuengling Traditional Lager

Yuengling Traditional Lager
Walk into any bar in the Delaware Valley and ask for "lager" and the bartender will likely hand you a Yuengling. That's impressive brand recognition. Especially when the beer really isn't good. Passable in a pinch, but with skunky feel that gets worse as you approach the bottom.

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King of the Case: Brooklyn Brewery

Wherein I will buy a variety case and decide what the best beer in it is.

Brooklyn Brewery

Brown Ale
A smooth yet complex ale. Includes hints of caramel and a healthy application of malt flavor. There's a nice finish with a bit of subtle smokiness. Almost has a bit of a porterish feel, but not too much in the chocolate/coffee department. Has a slight bitterness and maybe a tiny bit of a lasting aftertaste.

East India Pale Ale
A pleasing beer, but maybe a little too subtly hopped. It has a nice floral scent and certainly isn't a bad beer. But it isn't terribly distinctive either.

Lager
This has a lot more depth and complexity than your usual lager. The malt is fairly heavy and, again, there is some of the caramel that was detected in the Brown. It all combines for a vibrant flavor, one that exceeds the expectations of the usual lager.

Pennant Ale '55
Brooklyn Brewery seems to really stress the malt in its recipes. This one, which is dedicated to the 1955 champion Brooklyn Dodgers, features a sizeable amount, but it's pretty much all there is. Seems to be aiming toward an Oktoberfest, but falls somewhat short.

The Labels
Like the earlier reviewed Flying Fish, Brooklyn Brewery's labels stress brand recognition over adventurous design. Three of the four bottles feature a cursive B in a circular foundation. Surrounded by stars, the only difference is color combination. The Pennant Ale is the only variation, with the circle becoming a baseball and the background becoming a blue-and-silver stripe pattern. I'm going to go with the Brooklyn Lager. The green-and-black color combo is just really classy.

The Winner
It's a close one between the Lager and the Brown. In the end, I am going to go with the Brown, simply because it was both delicious and more complex. However, the Lager is certainly a classic of the genre and one that would make for an exceedingly enjoyable session beer.
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Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Sly Fox Oktoberfest

With Sly Fox closing its doors at the Royersford location my brother and I had to say goodbye properly. Choosing the seasonal Oktoberfest during a dismal Eagles game was a smart choice. The medium bodied lager with a malty taste was good enough for me to pick up a growler on the way out. We'll miss you Sly Fox Rofo!

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The Pizza Project
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