Friday Night Tricycle

After delicious pizza at Candelari’s on Washington in the Heights we (the Wises and I) decided to head over to Petrol Station to grab some beers. This dive bar used to be a gas station (oh really?!) and when you walk in there is an L shaped bar and a few tables plus the back area outside with way more tables and the quintessential beer company signage. We sat outside for a bit, but with the fan not pointing in our direction it was a bit too hot. Inside an older man was yelling bar trivia for everyone to hear, some of the most obscure shit I’ve heard beeing classified as “trivia”. So anyway, on to the beer! I saw the beautiful Dogfish Head tap and inquired to which brew it was and to my delight and surprise it was Burton Baton! (cross that off the wish list) So of course I had to order it, even at $10 a pint!

The Beer:
Dogfish Head Burton Baton
Brewed by: Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton, Delaware
ABV: 10%
Style: English-style Old Ale and an Imperial IPA

Dogfish Head Burton Baton, Petrol Station, Houston

The Taste:
From Dogfish’s website about the combination of the styles of beer: “After fementating the separate beers in our stainless tanks, the two are transferred and blended together in one of our large oak tanks. Burton Baton sits on the wood for about a month.” This beer was so tasty! I was expecting it to be very strong tasting and maybe a little on the sweet side, but I was wrong. It was smooth and very drinkable for such a high ABV. There was a citrus taste and you could smell and taste the oak which was delicious. I will definitely order this again, should I be lucky enough to see it on tap!

The Beer (2):
Victory Hop Wallop (Cask)
Brewed by: Victory Brewing Company, Pennsylvania
ABV: 8.5%
Style: American Double/ Imperial IPA

Victory Hop Wallop, Petrol Station, Houston

The Taste:
After the Dogfish, I had to step it down a notch (at least in ABV) and so I went with another beer I have never tried, The Victory Hop Wallop. I was in for a treat because this was a casked beer and not just from a normal keg. I was told this changes the flavor as well as carbonation. The beer smelled of citrus and tasted that way along with a bitter taste (hello, all the hops!) but was still quite good. I’m glad I got to try it casked, as a regular Hop Wallop may have been too much hops and bitterness for my taste. I would definitely order a regular one to taste the difference.

The Beer (3):
Victory Golden Monkey
Brewed by: Victory Brewing Company, Pennsylvania
ABV: 9.5%
Style: Tripel

Victory Golden Monkey, Petrol Station, Houston

The Taste:
This beer, while being 9.5% ABV (so much for the stepping down a notch) was very smooth and drinkable. Smells citrusy and spicy as well (not like hot spices, more like cloves) and tasted delicious! It is made with German Malts and Belgian yeast, according to Victory. It was highly carbonated and medium to light bodied, which was good for the last beer of the night. I liked the way it tasted from start to finish and would definitely order this again.

I loved the atmosphere and great beer selection at Petrol Station and will definitely be back again!