Pickering Creek Inn, or the “Pick” according to their loyal customers, is noted for their stellar line-up of craft beer and live music from the local scene. On Thursday, September 20th, they showcased both with the jamming local band Happy Dog & Friends accompanying a list of rare Ballast Point selections loaded on tap.
Graced upon the chalkboards and handles were the following Ballast Point varieties: Piper Down Scottish Ale, Bourbon Barrel Piper Down, Navigator Doppelbock, Barmy Apricot Honey Ale, Sextant Oatmeal Stout (Nitro), Sculpin Habanero IPA, Sculpin IPA, and Big Eye IPA.
Many Ballast Point beers may be found at your neighborhood Wegmans or the cooler section of your favorite bar, but some of these are rare selections you can’t find in Pennsylvania. Thankfully, Pickering Creek, in conjunction with beer distributor, Bella Vista, were able to make this happen, bringing these varieties from the West Coast to my pint glass.
Now, I know not everyone is going to be a fan of this line up. You can’t expect everybody to be open to the flavor of spicy peppers in their beer; then again, craft beer isn’t for everyone. It’s almost like a club for those beer drinkers willing to take their palate to the next level. It’s about trying the unthinkable. And sometimes it’s about infusing Habanero peppers with an IPA. So if craft beer is a club, then tonight, Pickering Creek Inn is indeed its club house.
People flocked into the bar to check out the special line up and menu items exclusive to the Tap Takeover. For this night only, you could enjoy Sculpin Habanero Mussels and Piper Down Fish-n-Chips along with the $2 Tacos advertised every Thursday at the Pic.
I’m a huge Ballast Point fan myself. This past year, I’ve been introduced to the Big Eye and the Sculpin IPA. It’s always great to see what breweries like Ballast Point have to offer behind the scenes. That doesn’t mean I was necessarily a fan of everything Pickering Creek Inn had on tap that night. Honestly, the Barmy Apricot Honey Ale tasted much like mead, or a honey wine, but with an ABV (alcohol by volume) percentage too high to make it approachable or even drinkable. That’s just me of course! Overall, I’m just not an apricot fan, but if you are, this is your kind of beer.
But the beer generating a buzz (no pun intended), whether you enjoy it or not, was the Sculpin Habanero IPA. At first sip you pick up on malts and citric hops, but those Habanero peppers sure creep up fast in the nose and taste. For me, this is one of those “one and done” beers. Certainly, not something I could see drinking beer after beer. It comes off as more of a novelty beer, if anything, but I still found it enjoyable.
My personal favorite of the evening was hands down, the Navigator Doppelbock. This is not only one of my favorite styles, but Ballast Point has managed to craft something very unique that is tasty, approachable and full of flavors. The combination of rich malts, coffee and chocolate with a hint of raisin makes this a win in my book. I will definitely scour the craft beer scene to find this one in the future.
It’s always a shame to find a beer you really enjoy and know it’s not going to be an easy find, but alas, that is the curse of being a craft beer fan. One thing is for sure. I’ll definitely be able to count on Pickering Creek Inn for stellar varieties in the future and will definitely find myself at their next Tap Takeover.
Find Pickering Creek Inn at 37 Bridge Street in Phoenixville, or online at pickeringcreekinn.com.
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