August/September 2012 VENUE: EARTH-BREAD + BREWERY
Germantown Ave. is quickly becoming a beer destination with a handful of great bars and two brewpubs. Earth-Bread + Brewery in Mt. Airy is one of the cornerstones of this growing beer community. Known for making an ever-changing selection of unique beer styles and exceptional flatbreads, EB+B quickly garnered the love and affection of this community.
Our Notable Guests
Our notable guest this issue is Tom Baker. Creating a name for himself at the now defunct Heavyweight Brewery, Tom has moved on to open his own brewpub in Mt. Airy, Earth-Bread + Brewery. Serving as the head brewer and owner, Tom utilizes his 7 barrel brewhouse to concoct unique and original beer styles.
Our other notable guest is Paul Rutherford, who’s been with Iron Hill for a number of years at various locations, is now head brewer at Chestnut Hill. Paul’s beers have quickly earned a great reputation for this location, with rave reviews for offerings such as his Kryptonite IPA and Germantown Brown Ale.
From the Scene Guests
Bill Strouse is the second winner from our social media contest. A simple retweet on Twitter won him a guest spot in our Tasting Room. A passionate photographer, Bill pairs his interest in beer by alternating it with sips of bourbon.
Ben Kane came in second in our first annual Battle of the Homebrew Shops. Ben, along with Brandon McAllister, brewed a Belgian-style IPA with One Village coffee beans that led to their accomplishment, representing How Do You Brew in Newark, DE.
Southampton Keller Pils
4.5 out of 5 stars
Southampton Keller Pils is brewed unfiltered, nuanced and gently carbonated. Each year it is made with a different hop variety to create a unique interpretation of the pilsner style. ABV: 5.0%
Tom: 3 – Nice, crisp beer, like lager straight from the tank.
Paul:3.5 – Clean, crisp and balanced with nice hop flavor in the finish.
Bill: 2.5 – Not much aroma. Smooth on the tongue. Light hop finish.
Ben: 4 – Great hop notes but not overpowering. Great beer for a warm summer day.
Mat: 3.5 – Hops lack a bit of vibrancy, but a great drinking beer, worthy of a keezer tap. |
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Roy Pitz Ludwig’s Revenge
3.5 out of 5 stars
German style rauchbier. Using all its ingredients from Bamberg, Germany, it is made with special birch wood smoked malt that imparts a light smoky aroma, taste, and dryness. ABV: 5.0%
Tom: 3.5 – Smoky, reminiscent of a Bamberg rauchbier.
Paul: 4 - Nice bready malt nose with a touch of chocolate. Balanced but a bit astringent.
Bill: 3.5 – Malt aroma and dark chocolate finish that thins quickly.
Ben: 2.5 – Roasty aroma and malty flavor with crisp finish. Badass label.
Mat: 3.5 – Notes of smoke and dark chocolate really make this beer. |
Dentergems Wit
3.5 out of 5 stars
The beer’s distinctive hazy color comes from suspended yeast and wheat proteins. The light and almost spicy aroma makes it popular with people looking for a tasty, thirst-quenching beer. ABV: 5.0%
Tom: 3 – Great nose- citrus and coriander. Lemon flavors dominate, otherwise a nice summer sipper.
Paul: 3 – Great citrus aroma, refreshing but a bit thin and finishes flabby.
Bill: 3 – Lacks body, but clean finish.
Ben: 4.5 – Great spicy, citrusy aroma. Spicy, lemony and citrusy in flavor.
Mat: 3 – If the flavor was equal to the nose, this beer would be much closer to a 5. |
Jack’s Hard Cider
3.5 out of 5 stars
Jack’s Hard Cider is made from apples that are grown, pressed, fermented and packaged all at their facility in Biglerville, Pennsylvania. ABV: 5.5%
Tom: 3 – A bit sweet with a great fresh apple flavor. Solid effort.
Paul: 3 – A bit sweet for me but still had nice tartness and clean finish.
Bill: 3 – Semi-dry. Nice green apple crisp palate. Clean finish.
Ben: 3.5 – Apple flavor is well balanced. Mild aroma, but not overly dry.
Mat: 4 – Perfect for a local, everyday cider. A bit more dryness would help though. |
Maine Beer Company Mean Old Tom
4 out of 5 stars
An American-style stout aged on organic vanilla beans. Intense notes of coffee and dark chocolate lead way to subtle notes of natural vanilla. Flaked oats generate a silky mouth-feel. ABV: 6.5%
Tom: 3.5 – Toasty with nice malt flavors. Not all that mean!
Paul: 3.5 – Starts out all chocolate with a touch of cardboard in the finish, and rounded out by the vanilla.
Bill: 4 – Slight roasted malt nose. Feels great on the tongue. Easy to drink.
Ben: 4.5 – Strong roasted flavors along with milky vanilla. Dry finish.
Mat: 4 – Great body and the vanilla complements the beer rather than dominates like most beers.. |
Freigeist Abraxas
3 out of 5 stars
Inspired by an old German style called Lichtenhainer, so it’s a low-alcohol, top-fermented smoked beer with lactic sourness. ABV: 3.8%
Tom: 2 – Smoky flavors pushed aside in favor of sour lactic artness. Strange.
Paul: 3 – Spice and tart make it refreshing and interesting. Finishes with sea salt and phenel.
Bill: 3 – Refreshing sourness but the smoke doesn’t really come through.
Ben: 3.5 – Spicy up front with mild smoky finish. Very unique in flavor.
Mat: 3 – Had a much more enjoyable experience with the draft version. Flavors lack cohesion. |
‘t Smisje Wostyntje
4 out of 5 stars
This beer with Torhouts’ mustard is craft brewed with top-fermentation. Ingredients are malts, hops, candi sugar, mustard seed, yeast and water. ABV: 7.0%
Tom: 3 – Funky Belgian yeast flavors complemented with spice (notably mustard). Spritzy and utterly original.
Paul: 3.5 – Nice spice character with quenching acidity. Dry finish, bright flavors and really good.
Bill: 4 – Funky, crisp beer. Didn’t detect the mustard until the finish, though.
Ben: 4 – Spicy yeast aroma. Malty, but not without hops. Sweet with great finish.
Mat: 4 - Great, unexpected funky flavors in the middle. Complex Southampton Burton IPA |
Wolaver’s India Pale Ale
3.5 out of 5 stars
Robust IPA following British tradition by using bountiful amounts of fresh hop cones for a crisp clean character; blending Magnum, Crystal and Hallertauer hops with generous amounts of Munich and Carmel malt. ABV: 6.5%
Tom: 3 – Tastes like well-made English ale, albeit hoppier.
Paul: 3 – Deep toffee nose and well-balanced.
Bill: 3 – Not as hoppy as most IPAs, but finishes a bit bitter.
Ben: 3.5 – Malty aroma with a strong citrusy hop flavor and bitter finish.
Mat: 4 – A drinking IPA and not your typical hop-bomb. Worthy of a few pints. |
Finch’s Threadless IPA
3 out of 5 stars
The Threadless/Finch collaboration IPA is a balanced experience of both perceived hoppiness and true bitterness. It pours a darker amber color and finishes with a citrus flavor. ABV: 6.0%
Tom: 3 – West Coast fresh hop aroma. Sticky resins and sweet malt flavors. Enjoyable!
Paul: 3 – Nice tropical fruit in the nose, very bitter and piney with sweet lingering flavor.
Bill: 3 – Sweet and malty on the tongue. Easy finish with lingering hop flavor.
Ben: 3.5 – Good mix of malt and hops. Finishes strong with a well balanced center.
Mat: 3 – Very malt forward IPA. Almost drinks like a double IPA with the ABV of a single. |
Goose Island Pere Jacques
4 out of 5 stars
Brewed with loads of malt and Belgian yeast, Pere Jacques is a wonderfully fruity, malty ale with complex flavor. ABV: 8.0%
Bill: 3.5 – Pear and fruity malts command your attention in this solid effort from GI.
Greg: 4 – Good balance of spice and fruit. Finishes dry with low head for such a big beer.
Brian: 4 – Easy drinking and really smooth finish. Great mouth-feel.
Derek: 3 – Upfront sweetness with a taste of banana and honey. Slightly dry finish.
Mat: 4 – Surprisingly mellow and drinkable. Tastes like a beer that’s has already been pleasantly mellowed with age. |
La Rulles Triple
4 out of 5 stars
La Rulles Triple is a unique Belgian triple. Brewed with American West Coast hops and the special yeast created by Orval Trappist, it marries the flavors of two different worlds. ABV: 8.4%
Tom: 4 – Great balance of yeast and malt flavors. World class.
Paul: 4.5 – Candied oranges, marmalade, spice and dry finish. Great beer.
Bill: 4.5 – Pleasant sweetness; nice, dry finish and very drinkable.
Ben: 4 – Tastes like a Tootsie Roll pop.
Mat: 4.5 – Fantastic beer. Nothing else needs to be said. |
Old Dominion Double D
3 out of 5 stars
Double D, the second of Dominion’s pin-up inspired “Bomber Girls,” is a full-bodied Imperial India Pale Ale that flaunts sultry guava, mango and tropical fruit aromas. ABV: 10.2%
Tom: 3 – Unusual combo of sweet malt and harsh bitterness.
Paul: 2 – Sweet and not hoppy enough.
Bill: 3.5 – Too sweet but pleasant hop aroma and clean finish.
Ben: 3.5 – Smoky malt aroma. Very malty, almost syrupy with a mild hop flavor.
Mat: 3 – Overly sweet but could mellow nicely with minimal aging. Very fresh sample. |
Atwater Conniption Fit Double IPA 
3 out of 5 stars
An American Double Imperial IPA coming in at 92 IBU’s. ABV: 8.0%
Tom: 2.5 – Clean hop aroma. Firm bitterness and little malt flavors. Underwhelming.
Paul: 3 – Decent balance with upfront bitterness and caramel malt sweetness.
Bill: 3 – Pretty mellow for 8% ABV. Nice hop flavors with sweet finish.
Ben: 3.5 – Well-balanced aroma works into a well-balanced flavor and finish.
Mat: 3 – Slightly sticky body that finishes thin and underwhelming. |
Ballast Point Dorado Double IPA
4 out of 5 stars
Dorado Double IPA takes hops to a new level. Mash hopping, first wort hopping, kettle hopping, and dry hopping create an award winning beer that embodies San Diego’s reputation for making world class IPAs. ABV: 9.6%
Tom: 3.5 – Hops and more hops. Really nice, drinkable beer for almost 10% ABV.
Paul: 4 – Crisp, dank, and stinky = I like.
Bill: 3.5 – Nice hop nose, clean crisp hop flavors and very clean finish.
Ben: 4.5 – Strong floral hop with a nice balance of malt. Feel the hops through nose with dry finish.
Mat: 4 – Definitely a West Coast beer. Extremely hoppy and drinkable. |
Liefmans Goudenband
4 out of 5 stars
Infinitely complex in aroma and flavor with notes of maltiness and tartness throughout. An unsurpassed old brown with the richness and complexity of a vintage wine. ABV: 8.0%
Tom: 4 – Great acidity. Brown ale lingers underneath. Beautiful balance, well structured, soft finish.
Paul: 4 – Fruit and hay like mouth-feel. Smooth. Somewhat rough finish.
Bill: 4.5 – Sour and fizzy on the tongue with a tart finish.
Ben: 4 – Subtle roastiness with mild sour taste and try finish.
Mat: 4.5 – Very acidic and funky with a smooth clean finish. Great beer. |
Tilquin Oude Gueuze
4.5 out of 5 stars
A spontaneous fermentation beer, produced from the blending of 1, 2 and 3 year old lambics. It is unfiltered and unpasteurized, and refermented in the bottle for at least 6 months. ABV: 6.0%
Tom: 4.5 – Words are useless to describe this liquid.
Paul: 4.5 – Tart, bracing acidity. Soft finish. Great marriage of flavors.
Bill: 4 – Burnt rubber nose; lingering sour finish with a musty grape aftertaste.
Ben: 4.5 – Very sour, with funky middle and dry finish. Rare flavor.
Mat: 5 – One of the smoothest gueuzes I’ve had. Finishes amazingly clean, but Tom nailed the description. |
The Final Picks
Tom’s Final Pick: Tilquin Oude Gueuze. I love a beer that challenges me. As a brewer, I know how difficult it is to make a beer like this gem. Complex sourness in a wonderfully drinkable beer.
Paul’s Final Pick: Tilquin Oude Gueuze. I knew as soon as I spilled it all over the table. I was overwhelmed. Great balance of complex flavors, tart and bracing acidity and soft at the same time. Beautiful, me like.
Bill’s Final Pick: Liefmans Goudenband. I just love the sourness and the feel on the tongue.
Ben’s Final Pick: Maine Mean Old Tom. Unique flavor of roasted but dry with subtle chocolate hints and dry finish. Outside of the sours (which are inherently different) it was the most unique beer I tried.
Mat’s Final Pick:Tilquin Oude Gueuze. Just an outstanding beer. A gueuze perfect for connoisseurs and amateurs alike. A must try. Pierre Tilquin made a blend worthy of the world class gueuzes he was allotted.
(4 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)
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