Mike’s Beer #8—Dock Street Rye IPA

There are two major benefits to long airport layovers: 1) time to read a good book and 2) a chance to try new beers.

Living in Ithaca, NY, my chances of flying directly to any given destination are pretty low (by the way—how come “slim chance” and “fat chance” mean the same thing?). So when I flew alone to Florida last weekend, I had several decent chances to chill with a book and a brew. It turns out that one big beer was all I needed for a three-hour layover in Philly—Dock Street Rye IPA. I’d rate Dock Street pretty high as far as rye beers go—it had all the qualities I’d look for in this style: it was malty and sweet with a skunky undertone and it packed a serious wallop. I had to slow myself down and order a burger before the words in my book started spinning. The only downside was a slightly sour aftertaste, something that my taste buds seem to be especially sensitive to.

Mike’s Beer #7—Yuengling Bock

And so Bock Month ends with a whimper. After sampling three very scrumptious examples of the style earlier in the month, I top it all off with an utterly forgettable concoction, a mainstream beer that I really had hopes for.

There were warning signs from the beginning. The beer poured thin and lifted soda pop bubbles to the top of the glass. The beer was the color of Coke when the ice has already melted. In other words: yuk! There was not much aroma—a feint hint of root beer was pretty much all I could pick up.

The beer itself was bitter with not enough sweet below it. It was a little maltier than your average beer, but not nearly enough to be considered a true bock. In all, I didn’t see much sensory evidence that screamed out “bock.” It was just a malty, bitter beer with a fancy label (complete with goat, chalice and retro font). If only they’d put as much effort into making the beer itself reflect the style. Overall, I’d put it a bit higher than some of their other brews, but still, I probably wouldn’t drink this again unless there was some serious scarcity.

Mike’s Beer #4—Troegenator Doublebock

As I’ve said earlier, bocks have sort of been off my radar for a while as I’ve vacillated between the worlds of IPAs and Belgians. This is where Take 52 has been helpful in expanding my understanding. Running into Finger Lakes Beverage Center this afternoon, I might have easily grabbed one of my comfort beers—Middle Ages Wailing Wench, or maybe Ithaca Flower Power IPA. My sites were set on Stone IPA when I spotted TroegsTroegenator Doublebock in the next cooler over. This Pennsylvania brew has been showing up more and more recently, and I figured, after my great experience with EKU 28, it was time to try this one. I can’t claim to be an expert on the style, but it drinks super clean, with a serious balance between the malt and heavy alcohol. The carbonation is light, just as I want it to be with this style. And when the swallow is gone, the taste dissipates quickly, making the net sip all the more urgent.

I had this beer while celebrating my boy’s 5th birthday. Turns out that Troegenator goes well with chocolate. Cake, that is. Only, the combo of heavy carbs (we also had potatoes with brunch, homemade cinnamon rolls and plenty of birthday cake) made napping a distinct certainty.

I would most certainly pick up this beer again, especially if I were visiting family in Florida and mom was buying.