Beer of the Week

The beer: Brewtus

Brewed by: Monocacy Brewing Company, Frederick, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "From the shadows of a dark and opulent curtain spring the robust aromas of locally roasted coffee and hardy malt. Deep-seated hop bitterness rallies with these conspirators, delivering a well-balanced thrust of assertive flavor to a bland tyrant. Raise a glass in celebration of liberating taste. 'Et tu, Brewte?'”

Would I buy it again? Yeah, yeah, another beer from Frederick. I swear, this is the last one. There's a good reason I forgot I had Brewtus laying around — it's not very good. I mean, it is what it says: a strong coffee stout. In that regard, Brewtus is very successful. But as a beverage to enjoy? Well, it tastes like a black coffee in beer form. There is not a lot of relief from the bitterness here, and it's not even hoppy bitterness. This is a beer you have to wrestle with to get down, and while it has its place, a warm spring evening is not a great occasion for it. Even so, I probably wouldn't buy this again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Eraserhood

Brewed by: Love City Brewing Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Description (from Untappd): "Our signature hazy IPA is a love letter to our neighborhood, the Eraserhood. Off-beat and vibrant, this IPA is triple dry-hopped. Huge flavors of mango and pineapple with a smooth, round body. Moderate malt backbone and juicy finish."

Would I buy it again? Like the amber lager last week, Eraserhood represents a pretty typical offering in the genre of hazy IPAs. It's quite fruity in a pleasant way, which helps take the edge off the hops. I don't know about that malt backbone, but this is on the juicy side of IPAs rather than the bitter side. What really sells this beer, though, is the ABV: 7.2%, making it by far the strongest beer on Love City's menu. Not that I didn't appreciate it, because it is good for an IPA, but I do need a reason to buy IPAs (especially multiple times). Strength is a great way to ensure I do.