Quick Sips: Troegs Dreamweaver

Harrisburg, PA is not only a city brimming with history, in 2010 Forbes ranked it as the #2 place in the United States to raise a family.

But if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that the greatest thing Harrisburg has to offer is Troegs Brewery, one of the best of Pennsylvania’s amazing craft breweries. (Seriously, folks, PA is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to beer. Only California, Michigan, and Oregon can compete.)

That means when Troegs puts out a modest little wheat beer, we expect something special. And yes, Dreamweaver is something special. Sure, it’s just a German style wheat beer, but it’s a super great one, with spicy clove, musty yeast, and easy drinkability. Without straying too far into hyperbole, it just might be one of the very best American interpretations of a German wheat beer.

Best part of all? It's suitable for all occasions, making it an excellent choice for a year-round, anytime beer. Cheers!
 

NOTE: Portions of this post originally appeared in the Philly Weekly.

Quick Sips: Troegs Mad Elf

Some beers are born of cults. I swear it.

I don’t know if Satanists or Pagans or something are getting together in the woods each winter to bust cherries, but I DO know that each winter they – and everyone else – are scrambling to get Troegs’ The Mad Elf ale, which is the sort of beer you’d get if a bunch of drunk Pagans brewed the most cherry-poppin’ beer they could imagine. That, and the devil himself would have to have thought of adding honey to the mix, because the most evil things are also the most sweet, right?

So, yeah. There is that.

Okay, I rammed the analogies into the ground. Fine. So just taste the beer. You’ll find yourself struggling with the insane 11% ABV, even as you revel in the sweet sin of this beer’s sweet, fruity nectar. Those nutty Troegs people, they know how to do it, don’t they? How on Earth is a beer this big so devoid of alcohol burn?

Oh, and here’s a secret not many people know since folks scoop this up every winter and drink it ASAP: this beer ages pretty well. If you have a few bottles, don’t be shy about stashing them away for a few year, because it holds up well and mellows into a nice beer to have with a cigar on a cold night. Cheers!

Portions of this first appeared in the Philadelphia Weekly and are reused here with permission.

Tröegs Dreamweaver Wheat: 10 Beers of Summer

I like me some Troegs. They're probably best known for Nugget Nectar and Mad Elf, two bold seasonal beers with a legions of passionate fans -- personally I'm partial to their Javahead Stout and the woefully underrated Flying Mouflan -- but this is a brewery about more than a few high profile beers. Even their standard, year-round stuff is worth seeking out and drinking.

Dreamweaver Wheat is among those "normal" beers that rise above the pack. Available on its own or in a very worthwhile mixed pack also containing their pale ale, Sunshine Pils and HopBack Amber, this isn't strictly a summer beer. You can get it any time.

But it sure does make for great summer drinking.

Unlike the dry, crisp approach taken with Bell's Oberon, Dreamweaver Wheat is closer to a traditional German wheat, a chewy, aromatic brew with an Earthy yeast character and sparkling spice on the nose. It's medium-bodied and nicely carbonated, drinking as easily as the best of summer beers with just enough doughy flavor to give it some heft (balanced, of course, by fine noble hops). On an especially hot day you can squeeze a thin slice of lemon peel into it to add some zest. Otherwise, suck down a few of these with some brats and you'll have a little slice of heaven.

Recommended.

For more on this brewery and this beer, read my super awesome little writeup on it in the Philadelphia Weekly.

CONTEST: If you dig summer beers, be sure to enter to win loads of awesome summer beer stuff! It's EASY!

The Philly Beer Top 50 - Part 6

Philly Beer Week is pretty much the biggest beer thing ever this side of the Great American Beer Festival when it comes to the not-shitty side of the Mississippi, so needless to say I'm stoked to be writing the 50-Beer Countdown To Philly Beer Week for the Philadelphia Weekly.

And hey, I care for you (not really), so I'm happy to divide it up into handy little five-beer lists like this. So here are five of the 50 beers available in Philly that you MUST drink. Part 6 of 10!

Fegley's Hop'Solutely
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Fegleys-HopSolutely-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-27-206299301.html

Victory Storm King
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/Victory-Storm-King-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-28-206301371.html

St. Bernardus ABT 12
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/St-Bernardus-ABT-12-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-11-203822451.html

Green Flash Palate Wrecker
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Green-Flash-Palate-Wrecker-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-29-206639581.html

Troegs Mad Elf
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Troegs-Mad-Elf-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-30-206646331.html

The Philly Beer Top 50 - Part 4

Philly Beer Week is pretty much the biggest beer thing ever this side of the Great American Beer Festival when it comes to the not-shitty side of the Mississippi, so needless to say I'm stoked to be writing the 50-Beer Countdown To Philly Beer Week for the Philadelphia Weekly.

And hey, I care for you (not really), so I'm happy to divide it up into handy little five-beer lists like this. So here are five of the 50 beers available in Philly that you MUST drink. Part 4 of 10!

Founders Dirty Bastard
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Founders-Dirty-Bastard-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-17-204118431.html

Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Oskar-Blues-Dales-Pale-Ale-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-18-204893471.html

Terrapin Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Terrapin-Moo-Hoo-Chocolate-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-19-204895221.html

Tröegs JavaHead Stout
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Troegs-Javahead-Stout-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-20-205399151.html

Fegley’s Insidious Imperial Stout Ale
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Fegleys-Bourbon-Barrel-Insidious-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-24-205961861.html

The Philly Beer Top 50 - Part 3

Philly Beer Week is pretty much the biggest beer thing ever this side of the Great American Beer Festival when it comes to the not-shitty side of the Mississippi, so needless to say I'm stoked to be writing the 50-Beer Countdown To Philly Beer Week for the Philadelphia Weekly.

And hey, I care for you (not really), so I'm happy to divide it up into handy little five-beer lists like this. So here are five of the 50 beers available in Philly that you MUST drink. Part 3 of 10!

Tröegs Dreamweaver
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Troegs-Dreamweaver-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-12-204099481.html

Avery Brewing's Mephistopheles
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Avery-Mephistopheles-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-12-204100571.html

Founders All Day IPA
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Founders-All-Day-IPA-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-13-204110031.html

Rodenbach Grand Cru
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Rodenbach-Grand-Cru-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-14-204111951.html

Ommegang Hennepin
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Ommegang-Hennepin-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-204117901.html

The Philly Beer Top 50 - Part 2

Philly Beer Week is pretty much the biggest beer thing ever this side of the Great American Beer Festival when it comes to the not-shitty side of the Mississippi, so needless to say I'm stoked to be writing the 50-Beer Countdown To Philly Beer Week for the Philadelphia Weekly.

And hey, I care for you (not really), so I'm happy to divide it up into handy little five-beer lists like this. So here are five of the 50 beers available in Philly that you MUST drink. Part 2 of 10!

Victory Golden Monkey
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Victory-Golden-Monkey-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-6-203062651.html

Flying Fish Exit 16
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Flying-Fish-Exit-16-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-7-203063151.html

Samuel Adams New Albion Ale
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Samuel-Adams-New-Albion-Ale-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-8-203063981.html

Tröegs Nugget Nectar
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Troegs-Nugget-Nectar-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-9-203611731.html

Stone Brewing's Oaked Smoked Old Guardian
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Stone-Brewing-Old-Guardian-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-10-203821411.html