#insurrection aleworks

[thebeeroftheweek]

Beer of the Week 247 - 6/6/2018: Insurrection AleWorks Maple-Bourbon  Bocctahhe

Russian Imperial Stout aged in Maple Bourbon Barrels

Points to anyone who knows Russian and can tell me what  Bocctahhe means in English!

[thebeeroftheweek]

Beer of the Week 221 - 12/6/2017: Insurrection AleWorks Shogun Assassin

Yes, another Insurrection beer.  What can I say?  I REALLY like the beers they are producing and putting out, plus, they’re only a 1 minute drive from my house!  Shogun Assassin is a rustic American ale brewed with wheat, Pilsen & oats, hopped with Sorachi Ace and fermented with Insurrection’s house rustic ale yeast.  I was lucky enough to get this growler free of charge from Insurrection’s owner after chatting with him for a bit at the bar. 

Shogun Assassin poured a hazy, yellow-gold color that had a very white head that quickly dissipated to a small cap of white.  The aroma starts with a soft hit of citrus fruits followed by aromas of melon (honeydew specifically).  A subtle fresh hop character is present as well and seems to mix nicely with the lighter fruit notes.

The flavors are all fresh, bright, and crisp with citrus, honeydew melon, fresh hop spice, and a light element of honey-like sweetness.  This one is quite refreshing and crisp, and fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your thought process, this is INCREDIBLY drinkable (it’s only 5.3% ABV after all).  I won’t go into detail, but this growler didn’t last long!

Overall, this was a solid offering from Insurrection.  Nothing special or extraordinary, but still a great example of the precise, cleanly made beers they have been cranking out.

Cheers!

[thebeeroftheweek]

Beer of the Week 217 - 11/8/2017: Insurrection AleWorks Sang De L’Orange

First, I apologize for the slightly crappy picture quality and framing - this may not have been my first, second, or even third beer at the time I took this photo, as I was splitting beers with my brother, Matt P.  Second, I also apologize that there was no actual review of BOTW 215.  I’m not entirely sure what happened there, but I will ensure the review gets posted sometime soon.

Now, on to this weeks’ beer!  As I’ve mentioned before in BOTW 202, Insurrection AleWorks is a really, really great brew pub.  They’re constantly churning out new beers, but haven’t really bottled all that many - until recently that is.  Sang De L’Orange is a wild ale that they brewed and bottled earlier this spring and billed as a “Rustic American Ale brewed with Pilsen & Oats.  Fermented with our house mixed-culture yeast of Rustic Ale yeast, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus & local Micro Flora.  Then conditioned on heaps of Blood Orange Zest.”  A Wild Ale made in Heidelberg, PA?  With “micro flora”??  Yeah, we’ll see about this.

SDO pours a clear, golden-orange color with visible carbonation throughout.  A small, bubbly, eggshell white head forms and quickly dissipates to a cap of the same color.  The aroma starts with notes of fresh citrus fruit with orange and lemon standing out, sour fruits with white grapes coming to mind, straw, and some wild, funky notes.  The citrus mixes nicely with the funkyness from the wild yeast and micro flora.

The flavor really follows the nose quite closely with strong flavors of citrus fruits like orange, lemon, and kumquat coming to mind, sour white grapes, and lots of funky flavors and sourness from the Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and local micro flora.  The mouthfeel lighter bodied with moderate carbonation.  There is a strong sour component that does pucker the mouth every so often.  The finish is slightly dry and fairly sharp at times from the citrus and sour components.

Overall, this was a really nice offering from Insurrection, and a GREAT sour for being made here in Heidelberg, PA.  I could’ve used a lot more blood orange flavor, but this really shows how evolved Insurrection has become in terms of thinking outside the box in developing their beers.

Cheers!

[thebeeroftheweek]

Beer of the Week 202 - 7/26/2017: Insurrection AleWorks Cromulent

If you know me, you know that The Simpsons is my all-time favorite TV show.  And, if you know The Simpsons, then you’re probably familiar with the word “cromulent.”  If not, check out this clip from a classic episode: 

So, when I saw that my local brewery, Insurrection AleWorks, brewed a new IPA and named it “Cromulent,” I knew I had to make the 1 minute drive over and grab a fresh growler!  Insurrection AleWorks opened its doors in late 2015 right in Heidelberg, PA, and has quickly become my favorite spot to grab great, small-batch, craft beer.  Moreover, they have  TREMENDOUSLY delicious food - best shrimp tacos I’ve ever had.  Both the beer and the food are meticulously crafted, and is super impressive for such a small facility.  The good news is that they are currently expanding their facilities!

Insurrection describes Cromulent as an American IPA brewed with wheat, Pilsen, and oats, and then hopped and dry-hopped  with Mosaic & fermented with their house ale yeast blend.  This IPA clocks in at 6.2%, so it should be awfully drinkable on those hot summer days.  Cromulent pours a beautiful golden, tangerine color that is quite cloudy as Insurrection does not filter its beers.  A fluffy, eggshell white head forms about three fingers thick and retains quite well, leaving some slight lacing along the glass.

The aroma begins with a nice hit of light mango, lemon, citrus and tropical fruits, earthy pine, and a sweet creaminess first.  Malts and oats come next providing a nice, crisp backdrop to the Mosaic hop profile.  The flavor profile is similar to the nose but the oats actually make themselves known a bit more here.  Flavors of mango, lemon, orange, and some grapefruit come through - not the juicy, full flavors I look for in an IPA, but more understated and enough to let you know there are Mosaic hops present.  Slight pine flavor, and a crisp, malt backbone stands out against the tropical flavors.  The mouthfeel is very creamy and soft, with just a small bit here and there from the hops.  Really nice feel for a light-medium to medium bodied IPA.  The feel of this beef might have been the best part for me.  It wasn’t the enamel-ripping IPA I am used to, and that was nice.  It was also super drinkable, as the growler went pretty fast!   

Seriously, guys and gals, this brewery is doing really awesome stuff right in the suburbs of Pittsburgh.  I would HIGHLY recommend you check them out if and when you have the chance.  I promise, you won’t be disappointed.  After all, they are a perfectly cromulent brewery!