A new era begins...

Drinking my very last bottle (in the way back of the fridge) of Lunacy tonight reminds me that it's about time that find myself to Germantown Ave, the new home of Tom Baker's & Peggy Zwerver's Earth Bread + Brewery. At around 2.5 years after bottling, it's not fair to comment on; especially considering no one (esp. Baker) would have ever advised keeping it this long. It's not a dumper and I'm still drinking it, but it's nothing like the original product that first brought me to the Heavyweight beers many years ago. So, with that, the Heavyweight chapter officially closes (at least in my cooler) and I now need to check out what's brewing in Mount Airy.

Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em

Messers Bengel & Ortino are excited this morning. Well, I can only assume that John is as well. The blogmaster certainly is. After successful QC last night, he announced this morning the addition of the surprise keg for this evening's affair: '05 Heavyweight Perkuno's Hammer. After having same from a bottle a few nights ago, I agree that it's stood the test of time. Suppose then that I'll be triangulating through the Fertile Crescent this evening from Exton to Zieglerville to Reamstown and back home. Will I see you along the way? Don't like these ideas? Check what else is happening in the Philadelphia region?

Blind Tiger Loves Heavyweight Loves Victory Loves Beer

In NYC this Wednesday? Now's as good as chance as any to check out what's flowing from their many tap handles. Direct from Alan's e-mail update... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Heavyweight Brewing Company, an old Blind Tiger staple, has been closed for over a year now... And even though we may still have some bottles kicking around, the draught list always seems a little empty without the ol'Heavyweight tap handle showing up every now and then. Luckily, the craft beer community is more of a family than just a bunch of small business owners trying to make a quick buck. In the true spirit of family, brewers in this small group love to share; whether it's ideas, stories, insight or even recipes... When I heard that Heavyweight founder Tom Baker was talking to Bill Covaleski (president and head brewer of Victory Brewing Company) my beer senses started tingling. I knew that the two of them together could do something to keep at least one of the phenomenal brews from Heavyweight within our grasp...and as rare as it is, I was right! This Wednesday Jan. 16th @ 4:00PM the Blind Tiger will proudly introduce Victory's homage (not a replica) to Heavyweight's Perkuno's Hammer...called Victory Baltic Thunder! This deep complex Baltic Imperial Porter has a beautiful symphony of flavors... Think deep roasted malts, with notes of chocolate, hits of coffee bitterness, and a finish that will have you begging for more. And just to make things even better, I will be putting on some of Victory's classic brews like the Hop Wallop, Hop Devil, Golden Monkey and the Donnybrook Stout. Oh, yeah, and I guess you guys might even appreciate a keg of Heavyweight...right? So, I'm going to let go of (and this is very difficult for me) the only keg of Heavyweight's Uncle Bob's Bog Weisse - a tart cranberry wheat... So come by, have a Victory...have a Heavyweight...heck, have both! And if we get lucky, we may even share a pint with Heavyweight's very own, Tom Baker.

The Thunder Finally Rolls at The Drafting Room : 1/5/08

The Tale of Two Beers. Maybe that's what this past Saturday should have been called at The Drafting Room in Exton, PA. There was the Perkuno's Hammer that some were tasting for the first time and describing as having a pleasant fruit tartness to it. Huh?! Then, there was the originally intended Perkuno's Hammer that many have tasted before which was not available on Saturday. It was, fortunately, available with my dinner at home the prior night from a 12-ounce bottle. It had kept perfectly well and was only slightly diminished in overall flavor and fullness. Luckily for me, I've still got another 5 bottles from that same case.

But it was the Baltic Thunder from Victory Brewing that lured most people to TDR on Saturday. Victory's rebirth (or perhaps better stated...recrafting) of the Perkuno's Hammer from the now-defunct Heavyweight Brewing (formerly of Ocean Township, NJ) was delayed for months for reasons ranging from legal to packaging problems. Patrick Mullin, über Suburban Beer Guy that he is, had been given the courtesy of hosting the event at TDR.

Now, in the final twist to this new beer's quirky legacy, Patrick had his last day of work at TDR on December 31st. But, that didn't stop him from dropping in for a couple of hours before heading off to his new employer's, Sierra Nevada, company meeting. With tap handles in tow, it almost looked as if he'd never left, helping with some of the setup. But, before long he had beer glass securely in hand and looked just like the rest of us. Even laughing with Jack Curtin, what a sight!


Unfortunately, anyone heading to TDR looking for a Baltic Thunder vs. Perkuno's Hammer showdown left disappointed. Unfortunately, the Hammer's kegged beer had turned and only left a sharp, sour taste which I'd mentioned above that some people actually enjoyed. I suppose my expectation for what the beer should taste like (rather, did taste like a year or two ago) was skewing my preference. Across the room, several pints were returned while others grinned and beared it. The same could be said for the Baltus O.V.S. whose time had also passed. Though, in my opinion, if one beer was more suited to the sourness, it was the Baltus.

The Heavyweight beer for whom the light was still shining was the Lunacy. And, oh how happy I was, for this was the first Heavyweight beer to show me Tom Baker's brewing magic back in the early 00's.


Uh, back to the Thunder. I seem to be jumping around quite a bit here, eh? Well, to me the Thunder was just nicely done. It wasn't a big wow beer, but then, my hopes weren't set that high. Considering the time in the tank, the blending that they had done, and the promise that this would not be Perkuno's Hammer #2, I was figuring it would be a quaffable, yet flavorful and interesting, beer. Just not an overly complex or boo-ya beer. Of course, this could change with the next batch, and I do expect it to be a tad bigger and livelier. But, some around the room could be heard poo-pooing the current version. C'mon now, does everything have to have the impact of wasabi paste? Does sushi really have to be drowned in soy and wasabi to make it enjoyable? (Actually, that sorta reminds me of a Pete Brown article from a few days ago.)

So, what else....what else? How about the Scaldis Noel and the Bear Republic Racer 5? In a draft list that included all of the Victory and Heavyweight treats, and more delights in the bottle (Jackeldricka, Biere de Garde, Black Ocean, and Slice of Bread), I guess it wasn't so difficult to overlook the Scaldis and the Racer 5. Normally, either could easily be the first choice off a draft list. (Oh wait, when we arrived and the specials weren't flowing yet, I did have a Racer 5 and it was just right!) So when a glass of Scaldis was presented to me in my last minutes before leaving, it was a fitting and wonderful conclusion to the day.


Tom and Peggy arrived not long before I was heading out so I only had a few brief words with them. And, a picture snapped by everyone's buddy Richard. I guess this calls for a visit to West Mount Airy in the coming weeks to see how things are going at Tom's newest project, Earth Bread & Brewery. How nice it would be to see the construction come along quickly enough to be serving some beer during Philly Beer Week. Seems optimistic, but let's keep our fingers crossed...

Of Liquid Diet Riddles

9-2=7 ... What was Victory involved in that used the number 7? 7 grains, 7 hops, 7 yeasts, 7 fermentations, 7 days and nights? 7 has always been a magic number, but in this case it was none of the above. But, what I do recall after fishing through old issues of Ale Street News and Mid Atlantic Brewing News follows below. 7 Threads Symposium Ale was a blended porter made with Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale, Flying Fish Porter, Independence Brewpub Oatmeal Stout, Iron Hill Pig Iron Porter, Nodding Head Grog, Stoudt's Fat Dog Stout, Victory Storm King Stout & Yards India Pale Ale. At 6.8% ABV & 50 IBUs, it was blended and bottled at Stoudt's Brewery to commemorate the Brewers Association's Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia April 13-16, 2005. Is 7-Threads the answer to Jack's question? We'll see, come this Saturday at The Drafting Room.

Celebrate Earth with Tom Baker

Here are some more words, direct from Tom Baker himself, on the future of his brewing plans in Mt. Airy. Looks like 2008 is shaping up to be another great beer year in the Philadelphia region.

Don't Turn A Blind Eye Of The Tiger Is Watching

I may not have been the first......or the second....to report this.

Tom & Peggy are opening their latest beer venture in Northwest Philly....Mt. Airy to be exact. Right near North by Northwest and McMenamin's to be even more exact.

I go away for a day on business and this major news breaks. If you're not from the Philly region, trust me, this is major for the Philly Beer Market.

So, what new do I have to add to the story? Funny you should ask. Oblivious to what's going on back in the Fertile Crescent, I order an Old Salty (barrel aged, circa 2005-ish) at the Blind Tiger. Did you remember last night's event? Weeeelll, let's just say there were more than enough goodies to still go around tonight. Including the Old Salty.

Oh, and remember Kate? Yes, she was there again. She thanked you all for your support last time around. And, she served up the Old Salty with a wink as Tom Baker turned around and said (something like) "that beer sure got beat up!" And on went the conversation about the new lease he just signed in the morning....and the 10-12 guest taps that he'll eventually have flowing (because he can't, and doesn't want to, brew every style...e.g. Prima Pils)....and the estimated, stress estimated, March 2008 opening (hm, why did I even print that?!)....and the eagerness to work in a solid (editorial comment: not fly-by-night trendy) neighborhood....and the not-so-eagerness to work through the same-as-it's-ever-been Philadelphia red tape bureaucracy.

While I didn't break any news today, do I get points for getting it firsthand..in person, in the flesh...from the man himself? I kid, of course!

By the way, wanna know the special VSKs from last night that are still on tap? Quick: Smuttynose Bourbon Brown; Stone Double Bastard; Boon Lambeek #17; Dogfish Head World Wide Stout; Cuvee Angelique; Brookly Monster 1998; Hitachino XH; Stoudt's Fat Dog; Stoudt's Double IPA; Sixpoint Porter (cask); Sierra Nevada Celebration (cask); Rogue 10,000; La Rulles Cuvée Meilleurs Voeux; He'brew Rye on Rye; Lagunitas Hop Stoopid; Allagash Grand Cru; Blue Point Cherry Imperial Stout; and on and on, as well as new ones to replace the ones, like Dogfish Head Theobroma , that had kicked last night.

That's all for now...I'm tired....on Amtrak....not moving very quickly...about to tap into my takeaways from New Beer....did I mention tired? Did I mention typing on the train sucks?

Score a couple more points today for better beer!

Talk to you tomorrow.

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The Hammer returns with a Thunder - Save the Date!

He says it much better than I could have.

Heavyweight Update...you've heard...right?

By now, this bit of good news has surely reached your inbox, right? If not, New York, Northern Jersey, and Connecticut are rejoicing while Pennsylvanians are saving their gas money for road trips to Nyack. Welcome back, Tom & Peggy!

Heavyweight Brewing Co. - update 1/14/07

Because we like Lew so much, it's only fair to quote him. (And because he has the more inside track than we obviously do on this subject :) =============================================================== The cat is almost out of the bag. Perkuno's Hammer will be brewed under license by an area brewery. As soon as everything's signed (and certain people start talking to me again...), I'll let you know what's up.

Beer Tasting: Heavyweight Biere d'Art

Biere d'Art is a Biere de Garde "farmhouse" style brewed by the now-defunct (or so they say) Heavyweight Brewing of Ocean Township, NJ. This 22oz. bomber was purchased from the brewery during their last open house on the first weekend of July 2006. It was since stored at room temperature and refrigerated to the low 40 degrees fahrenheit prior to serving. We did this "remote" tasting with Adam on the western side of Pennsylvania spending quality time with his father and Bryan on the eastern side of Pennsylvania spending quality time.....in his desk chair! In any case, it's a shame to see these beers disappear with the closing of the brewery. Though, we have a sneaking suspicion (and optimism) that we'll see some of these recipes reappear at sometime in the near future. Adam's Notes:

• good malt nose upfront
• hazy burnt orange
• well carbonated
• good level of yeast present in taste/nose
• some lighter fruit flavors
• malt there as a backdrop for all this
• a tinge of spice toward the end
• hops not very detectable as such

Bryan's Notes:

• a huge shaving cream head that doesn't quit, leaving behind some serious lacing
• solid copper colored brew
• a slightly earthy and musty, but not offputting, aroma
• sweet and malty upfront
• slowly turns over to some alcohol warming (almost 8% ABV) and slight hop bitterness in the end
• prefer colder temperature
• such a pleasant drinking beer; no problem finishing the bomber all by myself!

Heavyweight Brewing Co. - update 8/21/06

Lifted yesterday from Lew Bryson's site. Looked intriguing, so I thought I'd pass it along.

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Heavyweight Brewing: 8/21/06 -- Heavyweight Brewing has closed -- and it's because they wanted to, not because they had to. Tom Baker will be opening a brewpub soon. Meantime, I'm leaving this up, because Tom told me recently "I'll have some news about The Hammer that's going to make you happy. You're gonna like it." I'm quivering in anticipation. No, really.

Beer Event: Heavyweight Down for the Count - A Toast

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A toast to Tom & Peggy :-) At the Drafting Room in Exton, PA

Down for the count? No way! Tom, Peggy, and Heavyweight's beers have never looked stronger. On one hand, it's disappointing to see them taking a break in the game as they change direction a bit. But, on the other hand, it will be fun to see where their odyssey through the wonderful world of beer takes them next. Saturday at The Drafting Room in Exton, PA came with a lot of hype and anticipation and certainly delivered upon that hope. The doors opened at 11:30am to as many as a couple dozen "fans." The beers began flowing shortly thereafter and there was no looking back. Within an hour, the bar area was filling up with countless 5 ounce glasses of Heavyweight brew floating around. Ten and sixteen ounce glasses were available too, but you could certainly tell that this was an event full of experienced beer drinkers...I don't think I spotted anyone with 16 ounce glassware in the first few hours. Plus, everyone wanted to have a chance to taste all of the 15 available drafts. Further complicating matters for those with plans to taste all of the styles was that six of them were only in sixtels, while the remainder were in full half-kegs. The game was on. Glasses of beer and good times were all around the bar. Beer fans, writers, brewers, BAs, retailers, dignitaries (heheh), and afficianados from far and wide travelled to Exton for this event. It was a veritable who's who in terms of faces we saw come through the door. Patrick and company at TDR sure did a nice job of securing and promoting this event. Then, they did an even better job of hosting and conducting it. The staff was able to control the crowd and keep everyone happy with attentive and prompt service. We commented a few times on just how easy it was to get beers and keep 'em coming. So, what else happened? Well, not much I suppose. The afternoon was comprised mostly of great friendship and conversation. Storytelling abounded. There were not any sort of scheduled events occurring throughout the afternoon. Though, as you can see from the video and still pictures that we've included, there was a timeout for everyone to raise their glasses in a toast to Tom and Peggy. Then, it was back to the frivolity. Tom and Peggy stepped out for dinner at Victory and arrived back at TDR around 8:30pm. Apparently, others did the same to take advantage of being in the area. With Victory, Sly Fox, John Harvard's, and Iron Hill not far away it's sure makes for a great beer day for out-of-town visitors. I haven't seen any stories online yet about any late night activities back at TDR. I, on the other hand, stepped out to mow the lawn and take care of a few chores at home (the lines in the lawn are straight!) My wife and I returned around 8pm to TDR for dinner and a few last rounds. By that point, the crowd had thinned considerably and there were only a few hardy souls leftover from the afternoon. Patrick was still going strong, obviously still on a high from the day's events. While my original and all-time favorites from Heavyweight include Lunacy and Perkuno's Hammer, I have got to give a quick mention below to the all-stars of the day from my perspective. With the rich flavors of the Old Salty barleywine delivering the most impressive strike, I think the biggest surprise to me was the Doug's, which I don't recall previously enjoying so much. Also, the Jakeldricka was complexly and interestingly amazing. I sadly only have one bottle at home, and am anxiously looking forward to getting into it! 1-Old Salty (whiskey barrel-aged) 2t-Doug's Colonial 2t-Jakeldricka (Viking Beer) 4-St've 5-Baltus Heavyweight, we hardly knew ye. (Well, actually we did know you, it's just fun to use that phrase :) Thanks for the seven short years and we already look forward to seeing you again soon!

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Beer Event: Heavyweight Down for the Count

If you missed it here's what was on tap!

Beer Event: Heavyweight's Final Open House : 7/1/06

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While I technically was not at the final open house (that was actually on Sunday) at Heavyweight's Ocean Township brewery, I was there on Saturday July 1st. On my way to Ocean City, NJ (approximately 80 miles south of Heavyweight), I picked up my brother-in-law Michael and nephew Matt. This was their first experience with Heavyweight and I was, of course, more than happy to introduce them.

We showed up a bit too early and went across the street for a sandwich at Wegmans grocery store. Peggy, Tom, and company finished setting up the beer and munchies. As usual, the crowd that showed up brought generous amounts of non-perishables for the local food bank and tasty beverages for the owners and other guests to enjoy.

On tap for Saturday's open house included: the usual suspects (Lunacy, Perkuno's Hammer, Baltus, and Stickenjab); Bock Bock; Black Ocean; Slice of Bread; Ivy League Pils; Doug's Colonial; and Jakeldricka.

And, for sale to take home, the beers available in 750ml bottles included: Jakeldricka; Biere D'Art; Doug's Colonial; Black Ocean; and Slice of Bread Rye. Also, for sale were specially-made t-shirts commemorating the final open house weekend at the brewery.

All in all, it was another fine open house in northern New Jersey. Michael and Matt enjoyed their experience even more than they expected too. We were all pleased with the beers that we had not previously tried. It's these kind of experiences with Heavyweight that I think will be missed the most. But, hopefully, the recipes will live on in the next incarnation of Tom Baker!

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Heavyweight Beer finds it way home with me!

Maybe I shouldn't brag about this. Perhaps I should keep this under wraps. Sshhh, after the Harpoon tasting at Beer Yard on Friday, I made my home with a case each of Heavyweight's Lunacy and Perkuno's Hammer....my two favorite brews from the iconic New Jersey brewery. Geez, I sure will miss these guys.....

BEER EVENT ALERT: HEAVYWEIGHT AND THE DRAFTING ROOM

I am so freaking excited by this news that I want to type this all in capital letters. Are you sitting down for this? Heavyweight Brewing is planning a final blowout party for Saturday August 5th at The Drafting Room in Exton, PA. The show gets started around 12pm. Make your travel plans now. Tell your spouse, tell your parents, tell your kids, tell your neighbors. You are not doing anything else on this entire weekend. Hydrate, drink/celebrate, recover. No room in the weekend for anything else. No weddings, no christenings, no yardwork. I don't think I need to say much more than this. Oh wait, maybe you're not all that excited yet. Let me lay this one you. The plans are to dedicate all 15 draft lines to Heavyweight. You know, on second thought, doesn't this all seem to good to be true? Could this be Tom Baker's final ruse?! Well, The Drafting Room confirmed it with a press release. They even have a sign that they hung late this afternoon. Now, maybe we should confirm with Tom and Peggy. Oh, please let this be for real ;-)