Mould's Beer Blog

Over the weekend, Easton, PA's Weyerbacher Brewing released their beer Sunday Morning Stout in 12 oz. bottles and kegs.  They had a release event at their Line Street brewery, hosting Milford, NJ's Fieldstone Coffee Roasters and the Mucho Bueno Food Truck . Fieldstone roasted the coffee blend that Weyerbacher used in Sunday Morning Stout, and was selling the blend by the bag and by the cup.  Sadly, I neglected to try the coffee or pick up a bag of the coffee! But the beer, yes, the beer.  I definitely picked up my fair share of Sunday Morning Stout.  Ringing in at 11.3% ABV, this imperial stout was aged in bourbon barrels and had the Fieldstone coffee blend added to it. Sunday Morning Stout When Sunday Morning Stout came out of the barrels and was bottled, it poured a jet black monster with a large brown head.  It was brimming with the vanilla and alcohol characteristics reminiscent of bourbon.  You are getting just what the label says, a stout a...

Cassiopeia is the latest Brewers' Select beer from Easton, PA's Weyerbacher Brewing. Brewed to the style of an American Barleywine (think bitter hops, over the top malts and an alcohol by volume over 10%), Cassiopeia can be found in 12 oz. bottles at the Weyerbacher Visitor's Center (while supplies last) and has limited availability in kegs at bars where Weyerbacher is served. Weyerbacher Brewers' Select Cassiopeia, an American Barleywine If you haven't read the rest of my series on Weyerbacher's Brewers' Select beers, then this is where I take a quick look at the constellation that Weyerbacher has chosen for their latest Brewers' Select. Here's some info on the Northern Hemisphere constellation Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia, the Constellation  ( from Constellation Guide ) named after a vain and boastful queen in Greek mythology Ptolemy wrote about the constellation in the 2nd century 3 of the stars located in Cassiopeia have known planets...

Canis Minor, a Brewers' Select beer from Weyerbacher, was released on draft throughout Weyerbacher's distribution footprint around a month ago (early September).  It is also available in 12 oz. bottles in Weyerbacher's visitor center while supplies last! Weyerbacher had previously used the NATO phonetic alphabet to name their Brewers' Select beers. After reaching the end of the alphabet, they decided to start using Northern Hemisphere constellations (in alphabetical order, of course), to represent their one-off beers. Why not learn a little astronomy while enjoying some (hopefully) fantastic beer?  Here are some facts about the Canis Minor constellation, followed by some notes on the Canis Minor beer! Canis Minor (constellation)  (from Top Astronomer ) In Latin, Canis Minor can be translated to "Lesser Dog" Along with Canis Major (Greater Dog), they are said to be following Orion Canis Minor is home to 2 bright stars Alpha Canis Minoris, also know...

Thanks to Vin from Bier Battered  for the idea of a "Throwback Thursday" post where we write on our introduction to craft beer and the first microbrews we remember drinking.  Enjoy, and feel free to share your story! If there is one thing beer nerds like to do, its to recount their craft beer origins.  Swapping stories about their first Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, or their first Anchor Steam, or perhaps their first Pete's Wicked Ale.  For me, it wasn't any of these.  Rather, I found my way into craft beers in Maine, and the first craft beers I discovered were from Atlantic Brewing , Bar Harbor Brewing , Shipyard and Maine Coast Brewing . It was on vacation in Bar Harbor, Maine where I happened upon these beers, probably around 2004. In this bustling tourist town, with lobsters and clam chowder aplenty, Maine beer was sold everywhere.  And more important, it was good!  Much better than the standard light lager I was used to drinking. Atlantic Brewi...

Easton, PA's Weyerbacher Brewing Company, brewers of awesome beers such as Merry Monks, Blithering Idiot and Old Heathen, like to experiment with different beers in their Brewer's Select series. After having completed a beer for each letter of the NATO phonetic alphabet, they have now turned to constellations. I thought it would be fun to use this space to learn about the experimental beers that Weyerbacher is brewing, and also to learn a little bit of astronomy along the way! Canes Venatici is the latest installment in the Weyerbacher Brewer's Select Series.  The beer was released on May 25, 2014 in Weyerbacher's taproom in 12 oz. bottles.  You can also find it on tap in limited amounts in Weyerbacher's distribution network. Canes Venatici is an ideal model for the camera Weyerbacher Canes Venatici  (from Weyerbacher ) 6.7% ABV maibock style lager Showcases a unique hop in the flavor and aroma called Mandarina Bavaria, which adds a citrusy, oran...

Easton, PA's Weyerbacher Brewing Company, brewers of awesome beers such as Merry Monks, Blithering Idiot and Old Heathen, like to experiment with different beers in their Brewer's Select series. After having completed a beer for each letter of the NATO phonetic alphabet, they have now turned to constellations. I thought it would be fun to use this space to learn about the experimental beers that Weyerbacher is brewing, and also to learn a little bit of astronomy along the way! Camelopardalis is the 6th release in the Northern Hemisphere constellation portion of the Weyerbacher Brewer's Select Series.  It was released on Friday, March 7 in the Weyerbacher's Easton, PA taproom.  12 oz. bottles of Camelopardalis are only sold at the brewery, and you will only be able to find an extremely limited number of kegs throughout Weyerbacher's distribution. Weyerbacher Camelopardalis  (from Weyerbacher ) A 10.2% abv, 40 IBU Belgian-style Imperial IPA During the wh...

It may be well into November, but there are still some pumpkins beer in my fridge waiting to be consumed.  As part of their Brewers' Select Series, the brewers at Weyerbacher made Aries , a blend of their Old Heathen Imperial Stout and Imperial Pumpkin Ale.  Both are mighty tasty on their own, so I was definitely excited to try this one out. Aries in all its glory Aries pours black with a light brown, finger width head.  Most of the aroma seems to come from the Imperial Pumpkin Ale side of things.  Lots of autumn spice.  Upfront, the flavor in Aries is all Imperial Pumpkin.  However, as you swallow, you can start tasting some smooth chocolate flavors from Old Heathen.  It all comes together nicely.  If you see this one around anywhere, and you're in the mood for some autumn spice with a bit of stout thrown in, give it a try! Weyerbacher Aries, Up Close and Personal Facts about Aries the Constellation: Known as Aries the R...

Easton, PA's Weyerbacher Brewing Company, brewers of awesome beers such as Merry Monks, Blithering Idiot and Old Heathen, like to experiment with different beers in their Brewer's Select series. After having completed a beer for each letter of the NATO phonetic alphabet, they have now turned to constellations. I thought it would be fun to use this space to learn about the experimental beers that Weyerbacher is brewing, and also to learn a little bit of astronomy along the way! Auriga is the fourth release in the Northern Hemisphere constellation portion of the Weyerbacher Brewer's Select Series.  Last week, I posted about Bootes , the fifth release, so these posts are coming a little out of order.  No big deal though, because you should be able to find some Auriga if you stop by Weyerbacher, or if your bar is lucky enough to get some.  Let's check out some info on the beer, and then some facts about the constellation! Weyerbacher Auriga : (from Weye...

Easton, PA's Weyerbacher Brewing Company, brewers of awesome beers such as Merry Monks, Blithering Idiot and Old Heathen, like to experiment with different beers in their Brewer's Select series.  After having completed a beer for each letter of the NATO phonetic alphabet, they have now turned to constellations.  I thought it would be fun to use this space to learn about the experimental beers that Weyerbacher is brewing, and also to learn a little bit of astronomy along the way! The fifth beer in Weyerbacher's Northern Hemisphere Constellation Brewer's Select Series is Bootes.  Check out some quick facts about the beer followed by some facts about the constellation!  Bootes from Weyerbacher Brewing Company                 Bootes the beer facts : (from Weyerbacher ) ruby brown american strong ale, 9% abv brewed with pale, wheat, biscuit, crystal and roasted malts mash-hopped with Si...

Weyerbacher has been a most charitable brewery as of late.  Two campaigns from them have really stood out to me. Most recently, Dan Weirback, president of Weyerbacher, made a $12,336 donation to the Breast Cancer Patient Assistance Fund of the Lehigh Valley Health Network.  They donated $1.00 from every bottle of Althea that was sold (they sold all of it!).  The fund helps patients cover the costs of non-medical expenses related to their disease and their treatment.  The campaign was so successful, Weyerbacher will be brewing Althea again for next fall.  Althea is a belgian-style dubbel ale brewed with plums.  (It tasted fantastic, too.) Weyerbacher Althea, copied from my Instagram  Weyerbacher also donates a portion of the sale of every bottle of Last Chance IPA to small, regional, animal rescue operations.  According to their website, they have donated a total of almost $35,000 to these ope...

Hey all, thanks for stopping in to this week's Beer Digest.  This is the fourth installment, and I am highlighting two beers from two different Pennsylvania breweries, Weyerbacher and Round Guys Brewing.  Before I get into the beers, I want to thank Josh from Short on Beer for including me in his video series, "Conversations with Beer Bloggers."  Check out our conversation , where we talk about how I got into craft beer and beer blogging! Weyerbacher Brewing Viridis Lupulus IPA 7.5% ABV, 95 IBUs The team over at Weyerbacher Brewing have come up with a new seasonal beer, Viridis Lupulus, and it is an IPA.  They plan on releasing Viridis Lupulus in late spring or early summer, and will feature a different lineup of hops for each release.  According to Wiktionary , viridis comes from the Latin verb vireo , which translates to "to be verdant, to sprout."   Lupulus comes from Humulus lupulus , and is the species name for the common hop.  So...

How often is it that you discover a new style of beer?  In this age of the Internets and the Googles, information is flowing faster than ever.  Due to the unwavering diligence of the words of the beer blogger, faithful readers get news of beer releases via label approvals sometimes MONTHS before a beer is released.  Therefore, you would think nothing could slip by, right? It wasn't so much a style that alluded me, but more a blend of styles.  I'm talking about saisons (farmhouse ales) that are hopped up like an IPA (hey, happy #IPAday, if you're into that sort of thing).  Let's call them simply, bitter saisons.  I had my first saison brewed in this way last weekend, but not on purpose, as I thought it was going to be more of a traditionally brewed saison.  Then, I came across ANOTHER one!  I bought it thinking it would be another traditionally brewed saison, but nope.  Both had tons of citrus/pine in the aroma and in the flavor, and surp...

Happy Friday!  Hope you're all having a great summer, full of lots of great craft beer!  It has been a busy summer of beer here in NJ, with lots of great news and events.  I attended a summer cask fest at Uno Chicago Grill in Metuchen, where lots of great cask beer was had by all.  Some of the participating breweries were Bolero Snort , Kane Brewing , Carton Brewing , Climax Brewing and of course the brewery at Uno Chicago Grill . Some other news, a few weeks ago I joined the great team over at New Jersey Craft Beer  as a regional representative.  New Jersey Craft Beer aims to provide craft beer fans in New Jersey with a resource for finding current beer happenings.  They also have a membership club, where members can save money at 310+ participating businesses in and around New Jersey.  I will periodically mention and talk about New Jersey Craft Beer here, such as recaps of events the group participates in.   Here are some beers I'...

I've had some really great and interesting beers over the last week.  In this new post series, I'm going to highlight my favorite beers from the last week or so.  Hope you enjoy reading!  Suggestions and comments are always welcome! Mission St 2013 Anniversary Ale (Trader Joe's) Steinhaus Brewing Co. (brewed at Firestone Walker in Cali) 8.5% ABV I wasn't really sure what to expect from this beer, but it took me by surprise.  They say it is is blend of three different brews, and when it all comes together the final product is an imperial brown ale.  There was lots of malt, a little roast, and a full, creamy body.  I was surprised how fast I made it through the whole bottle.  There wasn't the slightest hint of the 8.5% ABV.  If more brown ales tasted like this, I would probably drink them more often. Mission St. 2013 Anniversary Ale from Trader Joe's Hitachino Nest XH Kiuchi Brewery 7% ABV Kiuchi Brewery's Hitachino Nes...

I've finally been getting back on the exercise wagon.  I've decided to start small, and just work on trying to improve my mile time, hoping that will improve my stamina.  I went out 4 times this week, doing a little over a mile each time.  My fastest was today, but still only a 10:30 minute mile!  I'm working on it! I haven't had a beer in awhile, so today I decided to uncork a bottle of Blasphemy by Weyerbacher Brewing Company.  To make Blasphemy, the brewers at Weyerbacher take their Quad, a Belgian style quadruple, and age it in bourbon barrels.  In the bottle, it is unfiltered, bottle conditioned, and 11.8% ABV. Label from www.weyerbacher.com Blasphemy pour a reddish brown color with a finger width head that dissipates quickly.  The nose is full of vanilla from the bourbon barrels.  Taking a sip, more vanilla, caramel, and alcohol.  Very smooth going down.  After letting warm a bit, I'm getting a cherry syrupy taste, it is ...

So it's July 28, the Summer Olympics are in full swing in London, and here in NJ we've been having some gnarly thunderstorms and hot days!  I didn't do much this week on the exercise front, I really need to get back on that wagon!   Weyerbacher's Tiny, an 11.8% Belgian-style Imperial Stout, pours a deep black color, with a light brown head that doesn't stick around for very long.  After letting it warm up for around 15 minutes, I smell deep, roasted malts and dark chocolate.  Much the same in the taste.  Bitter chocolate, a touch of alcohol, and a nice roasted flavor.  It's a good imperial stout, but it doesn't really set itself apart from the other imperial stouts on the market.  I don't think I would buy this one again, but would definitely drink it if someone gave it to me. A few things about the Summer Olympics opening ceremonies, LOVED Rowan Atkinson's (aka Mr Bean's) skits.  The ceremonies started out really neat, showing the s...

Weyerbacher Seventeen As far as I know, Weyerbacher only has one rule.  Their anniversary beers must be at least 10% ABV.  This  saison fits the bill, coming in at 10.5% ABV.  At first, this struck me as odd.  Everything I knew (which is not a whole lot) about the history of saison led me to believe that saisons were normally low in ABV, and were brewed as a refreshment for farmers in Belgium.  I had a taster of this beer at the brewery, and was very impressed.  I couldn't wait to get home to fully appreciate this beer! Weyerbacher Seventeen pours a golden straw color, with a small head that quickly dissipates.  Not much lacing on this one.  On the nose, wow, tons of citrus!  Spice too!  Taking a drink, I get a mix of lemon and alcohol, which turns spicy and leaves my mouth with a peppery aftertaste.  The alcohol is there, but I enjoy it in this one.  For me, this is very drinkable for 10.5% ABV.  The m...

Weyerbacher Verboten, a Belgian-Style Pale Ale.  This beer was originally 'Alpha' in their Brewers' Select Series.  It is bottle conditioned, and listed at 5.9% ABV and 30 IBUs. Color :  Deep amber, copper, finger width head Smell :  Yeast, banana, piney hops Taste :  More yeast and banana, pale and caramel malts, some wheat, piney hops at the back-end, no alcohol Mouthfeel :  Not too heavy, not too light, a decent amount of carbonation Overall :  A very balanced beer, I could definitely drink a few of these in a sitting if the opportunity presented itself.

My wife and I decided to take a trip into Easton, PA after reading on Weyerbacher's website what their awesome tap selections would be that weekend.  Weyerbacher is one of my favorite breweries to visit.  They always have a good selection of their beers on tap for samples, and they even open up some of their special series bottles to give samples of too.  You can buy growlers, kegs, and bottles of whichever beers they have available.  They also sell lots of swag like t-shirts, hats, and beer glasses.  I hear they are working on getting the approval from the PLCB to sell pints in their Visitor's Center.  Can't wait for that! I love the new logo and artwork going on Weyerbacher's beers recently.  While taking the brewery tour, I took this picture of the new Merry Monks: Check out my beer haul from their Visitor's Center! After Weyerbacher, we went with some friends to Pearly Baker's Alehouse in downtown Easton, a place where they always have a...