Jersey Baby

I am wrapping up a short visit to New Jersey for work but thought I should deposit a few east coast beer tasting notes here, before I go.

1. Brooklyn Lager - pretty damn good. I was surprised it called itself a lager. While light in body and mouthfeel, the aroma and flavor were almost centennial hops. Fresh pine and juniper. A delightful surprise.

2. Triumph Brewing, Princeton - sampler. There were some notable, interesting beers here. A brewpub setting with glass house, turnkey brewing equipment. Coffee cream stout? A mixture of a milk stout, made with lactose and a coffee stout - I almost felt like I was drinking a cappucino with sugar. Sweet and roasted. The Amber was my favorite which is unusual because Ambers, while highly drinkable and usually a safe bet, are hardly memorable. The Amber at Triumph had great hop profile without being overly bitter, settling nicely on a lightly roasted body. What is up with NJ and hops? One might think we were back in Cali...

3. Yuengling - When my cousin said this was the oldest, continually operating brewery in the country, my mouth dropped. A respectable brewery owner should have known that. He cracked a bottle for me while we waited for dinner, and I can't say that it was my favorite. It calls itself a Lager but also had 'Amber' on the label. The flavor is more like a Coors Lite or Miller Lite but with a tinny mouthfeel that is hard to overcome.

4. Long Valley Brewery and Pub - GABF award winning ales on tap. It was a little late when we hit the sampler but unlike our previous evening's misfortune, we made it before the bar closed. The award winning Nut Brown Ale was mystifyingly lighter than the Amber it sat next to. I even had to ask, "Is this the brown?" It had decent flavor but not award winning. Too light in color, body, and flavor. The Lazy Jake Porter was another award winner. The others kind of run together in my memory. Either lack of distinctiveness or too much beer drinking earlier in the evening.

Many thanks to Ben and the guys at LiMN architects for helping me with my East Coast beer research.