Manayunk King Crunch Imperial Porter

One of the things I liked most as a child was peanut butter and chocolate chip sandwiches. I used to have them every day in elementary school. I don’t think I could have them now because as I’ve gotten older, I really don’t like sweet things, but as a child, they were amazing. Hopefully the beer is just as good.

ABV: 9.1%

Style: American Porter

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Satisfy your most aggresive cravings with King Crunch, our peanut butter and banana Imperial Porter brewed in honor of The King’s favorite sandwich. Both robust and creamy, your senses will delight with notes of creamy peanut butter and fresh ripe bananas.”

Random: This beer comes in at 38 IBUs.

The beer poured with a two finger, medium brown head. It dissipated quickly and left some lacing on the glass. The body was dark brown, almost black. There was some carbonation visible, despite how dark the beer was. The nose was a combination of dark roasted malt, milk chocolate, peanut butter and bananas. The taste started with some booze, but quickly went into milk chocolate. There was also roasted malts and smoke. There was peanut butter and banana next. The body was really thick and chewy with a lot of carbonation. It had a lengthy and sweet finish with peanut butter and chocolate. I purchased this beer awhile ago, so I have no clue how much I paid for it. I didn’t hate this beer, but I couldn’t see myself having more than one because of the sweetness.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

Manayunk Upshitz Kriek

Today’s beer was a selection from the beer store that was highly recommended to me by the staff. I haven’t had the best experiences with the brewery, but I thought it was worth a shot. Let’s see how it was.

ABV: 8%

Style: American Wild Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “We added a boat-load of the most exquisite sweet dark cherries we could find, giving Upshitz Kriek an abundance of sweet and tart fruity flavors, balanced by a far from modest grist bill. Both our house Belgian yeast and a select strain of Brett Drei offer sensational contributions to give this sour ale its unique and delicious flavor. Just don’t be caught without a paddle.”

Random: This beer is available in bombers and on draft.

This beer poured with a half a finger of cream-colored head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was clear and bright red in color. There was a lot of carbonation visible as well. The nose had sour cherry juice, green apples and grape must. The taste was tart up front with black cherry juice, green apples, yeast and raspberries. There was a touch of light oak as well. The body was on the lighter side with moderate carbonation. It had a lengthy finish with black cherry juice. A bomber of this was $10.99, which broke down to $.50 per ounce. I thought this was a good beer and would make for a great sour to introduce new beer drinkers to.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Manayunk Hoptastic Voyage

Tonight’s selection is one that Val picked up for me. We visited the brewery a few years back and the food was less than stellar, as were the beers. I’ve been avoiding their beers for awhile now. Val picked this one up because she needed to fill up a six-pack and I decided to try to give them a go again.

ABV: 4.9%

Style: American Pale Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Slide, slide, slippity slide. The third release of our Hip Hop IPA Series takes us cruising down the freeway in a convertible, with wind blowing in our hair and the smell of the fresh sea air. This floral IPA will send fruity shockwaves down your spine.”

Random: I wonder how many craft beer drinkers get the Coolio reference with this beer.

The beer poured with a two finger, orange-tan head. It went away quickly and left some lacing on the glass. The body was a hazy, bright orange with light carbonation visible. The nose had lemon with grapefruit pith and quickly went into mango and honeysuckle too. The taste had some orange segments with cream soda sweetness. Some mango and pear came through next with a lot of sweetness from the malt. The body was watery with a lot of carbonation. It had a quick finish with some oranges. A can of this was $1.17, which came to $.10 per ounce, which was very reasonable. But, the bitterness on this beer was very light and needed to be dialed up. I wouldn’t have this one again.

Untappd Rating: 3.0/5.0

Manayunk Summer Paradise

I refilled the bird feeder that we have outside our front window. In turn, the cat has continually tried to get these birds, despite the window that separates him from the bird. It’s hilarious to watch.

ABV: 3.8%

Style: American Pale Wheat Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Summer Paradise is a crisp, slightly tart, wheat-based ale that makes one wonder how so much flavor could be bestowed upon each sip. This thirst-quenching ale keeps with the tradition of brewing easy drinking beers during warmer months. With just a hint of spices, within a backdrop of citrus, it will remind you of a summer in paradise.”

Random: I almost had this on draft at the brewery, but decided on a different beer. That’s why I picked up this can so I could review it and give it a fair shake.

This beer poured with less than half a finger of white head. It dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was a hazy yellow with moderate carbonation. The nose had some orange with some sweetness, but very mellow nose. The taste started with orange and quickly when to the tart end of the spectrum. It wasn’t intense, but definitely present. Lemon came through and yeast as well. The body was thin with moderate carbonation. Given the tartness, it could have used a bit more carbonation. It had a quick finish with citrus and tartness. This was $2.69 for the can, which broke down to $.22 per ounce. This was an alright beer, but nothing worth searching out.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

Manayunk Grapefruit Daydreamin’

Despite my less than stellar experience at the brewery restaurant itself, I picked this can up outside of Philly. I love grapefruit and wanted something light and refreshing with dinner. Let’s see how it fared.

ABV: 4.1%

Style: American Pale Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “This intense IPA incorporates both grapefruit zest and fresh grapefruit juice alongside a colossal dosing of Summit, Cascade and Citra hops. The explosion of citrus and the dank, resiny hop aromas are sublime while the delicate malt profile produces a very quaffable session IPA.”

Random: They traded Tulo to the Jays? I can’t imagine him in anything other than a Rockies uniform.

This beer poured with a one finger, bright white head that dissipated slowly and left some lacing on the glass. A crown was also left on top of a hazy, light orange body with high carbonation. The nose was very citrusy with fresh grapefruit and grapefruit zest. It had grass and some lemon as well. The taste was exactly like the nose, grapefruit flesh and zest primarily up front. Then, the grass and lemon zest came through with a touch of sweetness from the malt at the end of the sip. It was really drinkable with a light body and high carbonation. The finish was lengthy with grapefruit. Price-wise, this was $2.29 for the can, which was $.14 per ounce. I didn’t think it was a bad price for this beer, which is really crushable. My dings on it were that it wasn’t all that complicated of a beer, but I would have this again. It would make for a great barbecue beer.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

Manayunk St. Alpha

This was the last beer that I had at Manayunk. At this point, I had given up on the food and the service was still pretty sad. But, I wanted to give their Belgian IPA a try. It was one that I had never seen before.

ABV: 8.5%

Style: Belgian IPA

Trivia: According to phillytapfinder.com, “A hybrid of two different styles, our Belgian IPA contains ingredients from both sides of the pond. Aromas of apricot and banana from the Belgian yeast combine with the piney, citrusy aroma of American hops to create a wonderfully complex bouquet. This golden-colored ale’s taste is dominated by the assertive bitterness of the hops while maintaining a balance that will please fans of both Belgian and hoppy American styles of beer.”

Random: I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I’m going to sleep poorly tonight since the other half is headed to visit a friend in DC for the weekend.

This beer poured with a one finger, white head that dissipated quickly and left some lacing on the glass. The body was a hazy, orange color with no visible carbonation. The nose was filled with the normal Belgian characteristics of yeast and spice and transitioned into bright grapefruit. The taste was pleasant with lots of Belgian spice and yeast. Then, the grapefruit bitterness came out, but it wasn’t so assertive that it took away from the Belgian notes. It had a thick body with moderate carbonation. The finish was long and hoppy. Out of the beers that I tried at the brewery, I enjoyed this once the most and it was a good example of a balanced Belgian IPA. I would recommend this to anyone who likes the style.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Manayunk Watermelon Wingman

This was the second beer that we tried at Manayunk. I ordered it mainly because Val said that she wanted to try it and I had a feeling that she was going to hate the cider she ordered (which she did). Let’s see how this was.

ABV: 5.3%

Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale

Trivia: According to phillytapfinder.com, “On a hot and humid summer day, nothing tastes better than a crisp, refreshing Watermelon Wingman Saison. The all-natural juicy watermelon sweetness contributes to the seamless balance of fruity and spicy esters provide by our Belgian yeast. A modern spin on the traditional farmhouse style, this highly carbonated ale is dry and invigorating with a fresh watermelon aroma and delicious succulent flavor.”

Random: The crab dip by far was the worst thing that we ordered. The bread was beyond stale and when we asked for chips instead, those were stale too.

This beer poured with a half a finger of white head that was relatively thick and dissipated slowly. It left some lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, golden-yellow color with high carbonation. The nose was very fruity with the expected watermelon note and grain. The taste reminded me of watermelon Jolly Ranchers, but not in a good way. Or a cheap, fruity watermelon drink with booze. There was some grain, but the artificial watermelon taste overwhelmed all. I didn’t get any of the Belgian influences that are cited in the description and it tasted more like a fruit beer than a saison. The body was thicker than expected for the style with high carbonation. It had a quick finish with watermelon. For a summer beer, this wasn’t awful and I would have it again. Val liked it too. But, there are many better offerings out there in this genre.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

Manayunk Brotherly Love

Over the holiday weekend, the other half and I decided to stay a night in Philly. Before we went to Philly, we headed over to Manayunk for lunch and ate at the Manayunk Brewing Company. I was really excited to try it since I’ve had a few of their beers that I’ve really enjoyed. The experience there was disappointing at best. I hated the food and the service was poor. I think this would be a place that I would go back to have a drink, but not eat. Anyways, this is the cider that Val ordered.

ABV: 4.2%

Style: Cider

Trivia: According to the board in the brewery, this cider was brand new. I can’t find any other information about it.

Random: Whenever Val orders something that has “tart” in the description, I order something that I’m pretty sure she will like, so we can switch glasses, which is exactly what happened in this case.

This cider poured with half a finger of white head that dissipated quickly and left some lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, very light yellow color with high carbonation visible. The nose had tart, Granny Smith apples and a dash of yeast. The taste was very dry with the same Granny Smith apples and cracker at the end. After I few sips, I picked up Meyer lemon as well. It had a medium thick body with high carbonation. The finish was lengthy and dry with tart apples. Val hated this cider because it was too tart and too dry for her. Since I prefer a dry cider, I enjoyed this one, although it was on the simple side. I would have it again if I was in the mood for a cider.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

Manayunk Minor Brett

This was the last beer that I had at Memphis Taproom. This is specially brewed for them by Manayunk. Let’s see how it was.

ABV: 5%

Style: Belgian Pale Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “During the 1800’s and into the 20th century, Manayunk was known for the manufacture and sales of fine textiles. Krook’s Mill, now the Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant, was one of the linchpins of the then booming industry. Anne Dawson opened the mill in 1822 at the mouth of the Manayunk Canal and the Krook family followed with the existing building just short of 100 years later in 1912. A cornerstone from the original mill was placed in the new building. Krook’s Mill eventually closed its doors in 1992. Four years later, Harry Renner IV brought the facility back to life as a space for retail business, a fine eatery, a brewery and as an entertainment complex for both neighbors and visitors alike to enjoy. Our first batch of fresh-brewed beer was tapped on October 17, 1996. In 2000, we expanded our outdoor seating with a deck overlooking the Schuylkill River. In 2003, we added a Stone Pizza Oven and a Sushi Bar to expand our menu selection. Today you can still find the scale, now an antique, that was once used to weigh the wool brought into the factory.”

Random: I am not digging how insanely cold it is today.

This beer poured with a one finger, white head that dissipated quickly. It left some lacing on the glass. It had a cloudy, orange body with high carbonation visible. The nose had big notes of Brett with citrus and tartness. Yet, the taste was not as tart as expected. I picked up some hay and horse blanket and citrus. The Brett was apparent, but was not overwhelming. It had a light body with high carbonation and a long finish with Brett. Although this beer was subtle in lot of ways, this was a really enjoyable beer and would make for a good introductory beer for someone who wasn’t familiar with Brett.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Manayunk Yunkin’ Punkin’

This was the beer that my other half had at City Tap House and was nice enough to let me sample. Let’s see how this one went.

ABV: 5.5%

Style: Pumpkin Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Brewed with real pumpkin, this seasonal favorite is the one true indication that fall has arrived. The aroma of nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and clove jump out of the glass creating an experience much like eating a slice of pumpkin pie on a brisk autumn afternoon. A perfect companion for any of our desserts.”

Random: The other half is still asleep. I was up at 7, even on my day off. This is not fun.

This beer poured with less than a finger of white head that dissipated quickly with no lacing. The body was a cloudy, copper color with little visible carbonation. The nose had pumpkin with a touch of tartness, but not a lot of pumpkin spice that I’m used to in pumpkin ales. The taste had a lot of pumpkin with the same touch of tartness that was apparent in the nose. But the pumpkin flavor that was there was actual pumpkin as in the gourd, not just a lot of nutmeg and cinnamon. It had a medium body with very light carbonation that needed to be dialed up a bit. It had a quick finish with pumpkin. This was a nice beer that was very different from the typical pumpkin beer. Although it needed a bit more carbonation, I would seek out this beer during the fall season, just to see a different take on the style.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0