Friday the Firkinteenth XIV

[Rich Pawlak]

Tomorrow comes the next Friday the Firkinteenth at Philadelphia's Grey Lodge Public House (6235 Frankdford Ave., Phila, PA), and I still can't believe the lineup that will be poured via gravity, 7 firkinsns at a time, starting at noon, from atop the bar at the GL.

to wit:

Appalachian Cherrypacker Porter

Brewers Art Resurrection

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

Flying Fish Farmhouse kreusened with Grand Cru and dry hopped with Summit and Chinook hops

General Lafayette Oak Malted Stout

Iron Hill Pumpkin

Lancaster Hog's Milk

Legacy Nor'easter

Nodding Head 3C Extreme Double IPA

Rock Art American Red (dryhopped and oak aged)

Sly Fox Simcoe IPA

Sly Fox ESB

Stouts Scarlet Lady ESB (dry-hopped with Summit)

Troegs Double Hopped Hopback (unfiltered and two bags of Nugget Hops)

Victory Dr. Decibels

Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA

Yards IPA

First time i've ever seen two beers from one brewery, but, hey, it's Sly Fox, so it's all good! ANd, keep in mind that some of these beers tomorrow will be one-off brews, made just for this event. Another swesome killer lineup!

[cdh]

Hmmm... I think lunch in the Northeast has just appeared on my to do list. Know of any Firkinteenth food being specially cooked up down there for the holiday?

[Rich Pawlak]

Hmmm... I think lunch in the Northeast has just appeared on my to do list.  Know of any Firkinteenth food being specially cooked up down there for the holiday?

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The MENU at the Grey Lodge has greatly expanded since your last visit, Chris, and it's served all day.

[cdh]

They'll be serving the full menu too? The Firkinteenth usually packs the place so full that I'd imagine that moving food from kitchen to customer might become quite challenging... Which is why I thought to ask if they were doing anything special for the event... e.g. unspillable food that can be eaten while being standing in line at the bar... But if they're going to do full menu, they must have thought out those issues.

[cdh]

Stopped by for a long lunch today and tried a few of the beers on offer in the 1-4 window this afternoon... Lunch upstairs at the bar was quite tasty... the lodge cheesesteak paired a drippy goopy white-cheese-covered layer of thin sliced beef with a layer of salami underneath it. On first observation it didn't appear impressive in a piled-high-Philly-steak kind of way, but after a couple of bites it was delicious and satisfying. The fries were golden brown, crispy and delicious.

As to the beers, I wasn't wowed by anything I tasted, unlike previous FtFs... maybe it is just the season... I'm not much of a fall beer lover.

Troeg's double hopped Hopback was smooth with a clean malty taste that balanced the hops, but I'm not a mega-IPA lover, so while this was fine, it didn't push my buttons.

The General Lafayette Malted Oat Stout was my least favorite of the bunch. It had a strange smoky phenolic thing with a upfront sweetness that just didn't work for me. My least favorite offerering, and from a brewpub that often serves up beers that I really enjoy.

The Lancaster Hog's Milk was another stout style beer that had a lot going on it its flavor profile, it had a little buttery diacetyl in the background, and bit of a estery fruityness, and a restrained malt profile.

The Legacy Noreaster was the best stout of the bunch offered... sweet, malty, dark, roasty and delicious.

The Brewers Art Resurrection was a good belgian ale... while described as a dubbel style beer, this tasted much more like what I think of as a trippel. A sharp hoppy high note, and not much of a fruity malty low note that I expect from a dubbel. Very light in color as well.

Stoudt's Scarlet Lady with juniper berries and a Summit dry hopping was remarkably restrained in flavor profile considering its description and cloudy visual appearance. A malty english-style beer, though without the tang I like in a British Bitter.

Victory's Dr. Decibel was another dry-hopped beer that sounded better than it tasted, though in a seasonal way. This was an autumnal brown ale, malty and lightly hopped, with a dry hopping done with East Kent Goldings. This might be a very nice session beer, but it didn't shine forth with robust dry hopped aroma like I'd hoped it would.

I heard reports on the Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA from Lew Bryson and Gary Bredbenner, and both commented on the over the top hoppiness... and I decided to pass on that one, and also on the 10% ABV Nodding Head 3C Extreme Double IPA... too hoppy and boozy for a lunchtime beer in my estimation.

[John]

I'll be at the Stoudt's Microfest this evening. I didn't check the beer lineup recently, but I know that Great Lakes Brewing from Cleveland will be coming. I love their Dortmunder. Hope it will be one of the beers that they will serve. Rich, will you be going? If so, say hello if you see me. I'll be wearing the 06 Hot Dog Tour shirt.