The Livin's Easy

We are creatures of habit here at Dumbarton's Beer. We happen upon a style of beer and latch on like a parasite fish to a shark. This past winter we put away our share of stouts - coffee stouts, oak barrel-aged stouts, stouty stouts.

This week we are reminded that mid-Atlantic summers are hot, hazy, humid with a chance of late-day thunderstorms (strong in some areas). Who needs Doug Kammerer?

Summer is basically here and we need a new regular brew. Something we can call "user friendly". So, we went searching and by searching we went far and wide to one grocery store. See, the key to being user friendly is easy access. If it's the best summer beer ever but is hard to find it's not, by definition, user friendly. It should also be at least moderately budget friendly. Paying $15 for a sixer is not an option for an everyday beer. Actually, paying $15 for a sixer is virtually an abomination but that's for another day.

Being wrong all the time pays off

All of this led us to Troegs Hopback Amber Ale. Troegs is one of those brewers where you get more quality than you pay for. The brothers will never compete with Budweiser or PBR in terms of price but you can't beat bang for the buck.

Hopback Amber Ale is an American Amber Red Ale. Because we're aiming for an everyday brew we'll skip the particulars. It's a nice red brew with a caramel sweet foundation followed by mild hoppy bitterness.

Hopback is well balanced, which is key because sweet can become too much in the summer season. It's not particularly refreshing but real beer should never be described as "refreshing". We pictured it in a glass but we implore you to drink it straight from the bottle.

The Third Beer of Christmas

For the third beer of Christmas our trusty assistant brought us Troegs Brewery's Java Head.  Sure, the original gift was to be Four Loko but it's hard to find these days.  The cool part of this stout is not that it's brewed with coffee beans - lots of stouts are brewed with coffee beans.  The guys at Troegs use beans roasted in the greater Harrisburg, PA area.  St. Thomas Roasters in Linglestown, PA roasts the beans.  The beer is good so we assume St. Thomas beans are pretty good as well.

Java Head comes in a 22 ounce bomber, which is our preferred container for beer these days.  It pours dark like a coffee stout should.  The head is short, thick, and cafe mocha in color.  There is clearly a roasted coffee aroma with a hint of chocolate.  It's a smooth beer that's on the lower half of the carbonation continuum.  There is certainly a heavy, mealy start to this one but it fades as your palette adjusts.  You can definitely taste the coffee with just a bit of sweetness but the finish is a bit bitter.

It's a pretty good beer and we're a bit sorry we didn't pick up a couple of bombers.  That said, it's not the most memorable.  If you're in the mood for a solid stout you can't miss with Java Head but it is not the kind of beer your going to seek out for special occasions.

Breaking News: Troegs Moving to Hershey

Pennlive.com is reporting that the Troegs Brewery will leave it's home in Harrisburg, PA for nearby Derry.  According to the report, Troegs will move to 200 E. Hersheypark Drive in Derry Township of Pennsylvania.  The property is owned by the Hershey Trust.

Troegs brews some of our favorites - including Hopback Ale and Troegenator Double Bock.  We're not sure how we feel about the move.  On one hand, we're big supporters of maintaining corporate headquarters for the long-term.  On the other hand, Troegs is growing quickly and may need additional space.  Having been to the Harrisburg site we now have an excuse to visit Derry, PA.

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