Church Brew Works Pipe Organ Pale Ale

My last review of 2012...it's been quite a year :) Thanks to all who read this blog from time to time.

Pipe Organ Pale Ale is orange-amber with a dull glow. A tiny head recedes to a stable, bubbly rim.

Fruity in the nose: pineapple, peach. Some amber malts underneath the hops comes through faintly.

A pleasant, light touch in the first taste. Balanced hops and malts mostly, with just a bit more bitterness. There's some peachy hops flavor, but the beer is dry overall.

A simple, approachable and purposely sessionable pale ale. It won't blow anyone away, but it's a solid beer that won't crush you after a few, which is its big draw for someone like myself.

Appearance: 3   Aroma: 3.5   Taste: 3.5   Mouthfeel: 4   Overall: 3.5 out of 5
 

Wolaver's Alta Gracia Coffee Porter

"Ale with coffee and vanilla beans"

USDA Certified Organic beer.

Near black. Dark mahogany brown hues under the light. Dark beige head, like the foam
of soda pop. Solid retention.

In the nose are sharp, rich coffee notes; freshly ground. Some sweetness is discernable;
could be yeast, could be residiual sugars, might be both. Another glance at the label
reminds me of the vanilla beans addition to this brew. Notwithstanding other
complexities, roasted coffee is the most prominent element in this beer's aroma.

Medium-heavy bodied, dark roasted coffee flavor, bittering hops with a coffee-like
astringency, dark chocolate dryness on the tongue, and a sweetened finish round
this brew out. A number of layers keep it interesting and worth examining with the
palate.

Certainly unique and unlike other porters. It doesn't play the modern fence
between porter and stout. It's porter-ish, but more coffee-ish than anything. Standard
bearer for a new style, perhaps? Category: Coffee Ales. Sub-Category: Coffee Porters.

I can't think of another beer it reminds me of. Search this
out and take it home. Lastly, cocoa flavors become more pronounced as the beer warms
up.