Every Wednesday night, long-time Newtown borough-staple Isaac Newton's hosts a beer tapping event, bringing in rare brews from around the world to share with local enthusiasts.  Last week, Bucks Happening and local beer brewer, Chris McGrath,  decided to head over to check it out.

Around 6:30pm, we easily found a couple of seats at the bar and set out to try last week's special, the Moylan's Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale – Apple Brandy/Port Barrel blend.  Our bartender, John, was both informative and friendly, chatting with several regulars at the bar throughout the night. Although we were disappointed that the manager blew off our meeting, John did his best to fill us in on what he could.

With a thunderous storm reeking havoc outside, Isaac's bar offered a joyful escape to a bustling happy hour and dinner crowd.  After tasting the Moylan's Kilt, we savored a Southern Tier Pumking and Dogfish/Victory/Stone collaboration beer called the Saison Du Buff while enjoying a couple tasty appetizers.  Such a wide variety of craft beers is difficult to come by and lower Bucks beer enthusiasts are thrilled to have a bar like Isaac's nearby. With the craft beer industry reporting growth of 12% by retail dollars in the first half of 2010 (when so few industries were reporting any growth), it is an affordable luxury being discovered by more and more people each day.

We spent the night chatting with some great locals, sharing stories and beer tips.  The beer tasting that had brought people out to Isaac's also brought the crowd together. We'll be back for more and hopefully Isaac's can make a few minutes for us next time.

Chris McGrath Reviews the Moylan's Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale – Apple Brandy/Port Barrel blend:

The Kilt Lifter looked beautiful sitting in my Leffe glass (a perfect glass to enjoy a beer as complex as this). The first thing I noticed about this beer was its deep amber, almost rust color.  The nose was fantastic with aromas of sour apple and dried fruit. The taste very much matched the nose as the fruit sweetness remained throughout.   The cool thing about this beer was how it changed from first sip to last.  As I continued to drink it, the sour apple tartness really came through; however it wasn't over the top and was probably mellowed out by the oak barrels.  Overall an awesome beer! It walked the line between being a scotch and wild ale which is alright by me.

Guest blogger Chris McGrath, is a local brewer at River Horse Brewing Company in Lambertville, NJ.

We Are Supported By: