PENNdemonium - Pennsylvania Brewing Company

Alkey

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a large 12 fl oz bottle a clear golden color with lots of bubbles but no foam.

Smell has a hint of earthy hop and some sweet bread aroma also.

Taste is bitter at first but is washed away by a watery sweet malty flavor.

I had this brew before in a couple bombers and it had a harsh bitterness but the sampler case taste much better this time. Very smooth and drinkable for an 8%.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 17:34:51 | More by Alkey

DerekP

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Notes from 3/8/13

1 pint 6 fl oz bottle purchased for $6 at Guntown Beer in Canonsburg, PA.

Grassy nose from the bottle. In a pilsner glass, lots of carbonation bubbles rising to the top. Frothy white head with lacing sticking to the glass. The body is a light bronze color with hints of amber-orange under the light. The head is beginning to recede.

A caramely, spicy hops flavor blend up front during the first taste. Bread crust, crackers, pepper, booze and ginger ale. A cough syrup-esque, waxy, even chalky film has begun to form on my tongue (subsides later on).

Spicy in the nose with a little sweetness. Lively yeast aroma, pepper mint and wet grass. Herbal, savory and warm.

Some might say syrupy, but I find this to be very smooth in the finish.

Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 22:52:03 | More by DerekP

randylangford

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7.2%

02-14-2013 01:51:39 | More by randylangford

cliff1066

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

12-23-2012 06:25:53 | More by cliff1066

RBorsato

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +13.9%

11-06-2012 20:50:50 | More by RBorsato

MarvinSnyder

West Virginia

4/5  rDev +7.2%

10-21-2012 20:02:33 | More by MarvinSnyder

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into a snifter. Thanks are due to Eric for hooking me up with a couple Penn brews that I haven't had before. This brew appears a hazed golden copper color with a finger of off-white to yellowish stained head. As the cap recedes, it leaves some webby lacing effect on the glassware.

The smell is sweet with a bit of candy corn aspect which is just in time for the halloween season. More smells reveal yet more sweetness that is more in line with belgian candy sugar than anything else. There is a bit of caramel to toffee grain inclusion along with a bit of fruity to floral hops and an alcohol ester poking its way through.

The taste is sweet with the previously described candy corn aspect. Some caramel and toffee combine with floral hop elements, mild citrus to zesty bitterness and some fruity alcohol esters. This brew is all about the sweetness upfront, alcohol mid palate and finishes with some bitterness of the hops that just isn't quite enough to keep this brew in check.

It is a medium bodied offering flirting with being more heavy than it should be. It displays a modest to lower level of carbonation and has quite a sticky sweet feel to it that while understandable for the style is a bit too exaggerated. Overall it wasn't a terrible offering but I would not be in a hurry to try this again either.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 03:22:27 | More by stakem

Garlicjosh

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +13.9%

09-08-2012 23:06:20 | More by Garlicjosh

ItsBeer4Me

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

06-24-2012 18:46:23 | More by ItsBeer4Me

cowboy83

New York

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

06-05-2012 18:58:10 | More by cowboy83

bigdeuce

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Strawberry blond pour with a nice head and great retention. Hop aromas and almost an Oktoberfest malt scent on the nose. Clear looking. Clear taste which is really smooth. A little too hoppy for a Maibock. Has more of an APA feel on the back. It's not a bad brew just would like the hops to be calmed a bit and the color a bit darker.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 22:46:57 | More by bigdeuce

gjrey

4/5  rDev +7.2%

05-20-2012 14:55:20 | More by gjrey

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7.2%

02-03-2012 00:47:31 | More by ejimhof

rab53

Massachusetts

2/5  rDev -46.4%

12-02-2011 05:29:35 | More by rab53

righthereisay

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Got this on tap at Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh.

Appearance: Darkish orangish color with a little head, some bubbles...

Smell: flowery toasted hops, not too hoppy

Taste: Pretty nicely bodied, with some nice flavor. Not too bitter (I don't like bitter beers) Overall, I was surprised. I thought it was an IPA when I ordered it (I don't like IPAs). But it turned out to be one of my favorite Penn beers.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2011 00:25:50 | More by righthereisay

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving Type - 22oz bottle

Appearance - Light golden tan/yellow, 2 inch cream head, lots of lacing and carbination.

SMell - Wheat, sugars, yeast,tons of malts. Some carmal and lots of grain/grassy armoa.

Taste - Right on par with the smell, very malty and wheaty, with orange, pineapple cherry and apricots. Honey and carmal are a huge flavor also. Beer is rounded out with some hops, lemon and spices. Sugars are present. Has a peppery finish and some warmth.

Mouthfeel - Its thin but does coat mouth with mentioned flavors. Tounge gets alot of the malts and fruits. Palette gets sugar, and some dry yeast. Alcohol warms mouth some but nothing too serious.

Overall - Pretty sweet yea sneaky strong for a summer beer. This one could end up getting you in trouble. The sweet fruits add some serious drinkibilty. Its a fun beer, and tasty but not for the week of heart, i would prefer a wit or summer wheat beer with 4-6% alcohol on a summer day, this would be a good closer or after the sun went down.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 23:28:45 | More by wvsabbath

nukem5

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a beautiful copper color not quite as dark as its fall cousin Oktoberfest/Marzen with a slightly thinner head.

S: Big malts hit the nose with brutal force and very little as far as hops go there is a light floral scent but not much.

T: Big and malty as expected litely bittered but sweet and candy like ,slightly boozy, Caramel thrown in there .

M: Medium bodied slightly alcoholic and tingly on the tongue.

O: Definitely drinkable and did have a few will certainly have to get more before they disappear. Maybe a growler or two think it would be a great beer to cook with.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2011 01:25:01 | More by nukem5

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a light amber color with a small off-white foam head with excellent retention. There is nice lacing down the glass.

S: Lots of caramel, bread, brown sugar and wheat. Very potent scents very inviting.

T: Beer starts off with a big amount of caramel and bread. Very creamy and thick. The middle and back-end is where it started to go down hill. There is a slight metallic taste that creeps in, which is obviously not intended to be there. Also on the back end is a mild undertone of citrus hops.

M: Nicely carbonated medium bodied beer. A little watery on the back end. Wish it had the same thick creaminess it started off with.

O: Not sure if the bottle was 'bad'. Will certainly give it another shot and will re-review as necessary.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 23:26:11 | More by IronCitySteve

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

According to fatheads this is an "Imperial Pilsner"

A - Pours a dark amber with a nice foamy white head.

S - Mostly hops and slight wheat base with aggressive grain. Very light smell.

T - For some reason the caramel malt speaks to me in this one, hops aside, ABV aside, it's all just grain and caramel.

M - Medium to heavy. I found myself sipping on this for at least a half an hour.

Overall I got to recommend this to someone who likes pilsners and it was OK for him. Just glad I got to try this for 3.00 than 8 bucks a 22oz.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2011 03:55:40 | More by DrDemento456

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From the tap.

Appearance: PENNdemonium pours with a huge pillowy head and lace. A dark gold body and carbonation rising from the bottom.

Smell: Light fruit, bready malts, faint banana.

Taste: Bready/Honey like malt. Flash of noble, herbal hop. Light citrus. Hint of warming booze. Distant Bubblegum. Wheat malt? Finishes bittersweet. Overall this beer is light in flavor but everything there is nice, and it can do some damage since the alcohol is so well disguised.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is fine, a bit thin but not too bad.

Drinkability: The sticker on the tap handle remarks "You Have Been Warned" and the simple fact is this is a light flavored, easy drinking beer with alot of ABV behind it. I found this well rounded specimen to be deserving of some praise, and plus its fun to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2010 16:16:47 | More by Stinkypuss

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

PENNemonium has a hazy golden body with a thick, sticky white head. Pretty good retention gives way to a decent amount of lacing.

The aroma is a bit bland honestly. A little bit of generic fruitiness, bready malts, and a noble hop bite.

I'm a huge fan of Penn Brewery. I really think they brew some of the best German beer in the United States (if not THE best). With that said, I'm not a huge fan of PENNdemonium. Overall it is a touch bland and a little bit hot. Up front comes the bready malts, which gave way to a grain flavor. Light notes of fruit float around in the middle. The finish has a pretty good dose of earthy hops that are pretty dry and a little bit bitter. The finish also has a fairly hot alcohol burn to it, that is a little too intense for a beer that is 8%ABV.

Mouthfeel is a bit creamy with adequate carbonation. The feel for this one is right on actually, it might be the best part of the beer.

Overall I would say that PENNdemonium was a bit of a disappointment for me. If given the chance, I would suggest reaching for something else in the stellar lineup that the Penn Brewery produces.

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2010 16:34:23 | More by Hojaminbag

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: slightly hazy color, light brown
S: not bad with good biscuity malt and some alcohol undertones
T: decent with good balance of malt and hops, alcohol noticeable, hard to believe that it seemed just a slight bit thin for a helles bock. could have used a little more malt
M: good, nothing to complain of
D: drinkable but alcohol could really catch up with you

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2010 21:59:34 | More by wisrarebeer

therica

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A= rich apricot with a modest head which subsides to a consistent rim.

S= rich fruits, malts, hops florals.

T= as per the scent, tons of varieties of fruits here. It reminds me more of a Belgian Dubel than a Maibock. A bit of liquor-taste until it settles down. Mild dusty dryness and only fair hops bitters.

M= slightly dry and also fruity.

D= if you're in the mood, although I'd say in the mood for a Belgian Dubel rather than a Maibock.

For the price it's a steal for an interesting and creative beer. I paid US$1.90 for a 22oz bomber locally.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2009 19:40:39 | More by therica

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A solid pour produces a two-finger thick, pale tan colored head in my 25cl tulip glass. The beer is a light amber color that shows a pretty copper color when held up to the light. The aroma smells of concentrated pale malt, pale toasted grain, a touch of toffee, a light herbal spiciness, a touch of grassiness and maybe even a hint of lemon zest. The nose is fairly mellow on this beer, it could certainly use a touch more expressiveness, but what is here is certainly enjoyable.

Fairly dry up front, but this does pick up some malt sweetness to it. The sweetness mixes with the hop notes and in the finish even takes on a touch of something like a herbal honey. This finishes with a touch of buttery malt flavor as well as a light bitterness that is noticeable but not biting enough to hold the sweet malt in check. This is not an overly sweet beer, in fact I was expecting it to be a bit sweeter than it is. The body has a richness and heft to it that sticks to the palate with a viscous coating quality, still this is not overly heavy as it is not really cloying. Despite being a bit more malt focused, this is actually fairly well balanced between malt and hop, especially when you take into account the herbal hop character. A nice toasty, pale grain character that contributes a touch of dried hay notes peeks through the malt sweetness from time to time.

Not bad, there seems to be a soft diacetyl influence at times that can make this a bit on the buttery side, but it is not overwhelming, even though I can be particularly sensitive to it at times.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2009 17:04:03 | More by Gueuzedude

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A 22 ounce bomber bottle poured into a nonic pint glass. Appears a cloudy apricot color with about an inch of fluffy off white foam. The foam settle to a thin layer within minutes and remains for most of the glass. Nose and flavor are sweet and fruity, with notes of apples, pears, nectarines, sweet malt, alcohol, and slightly spicy. Between medium and full bodied with ample carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2009 02:29:12 | More by ClockworkOrange