Joining me on my quest to prematurely clog the arteries  and double my cholesterol were good friends Bobby Burdette (@bobbyburdette) and Derek Kalinosky (@dkalinosky). My main goal was to see what the masses would make of the Pittsburgh Penetrator. Bobby and Derek cared less about that and more about all out BaconComa^©. Having put myself on a diet after the Grill Around the Globe… I managed some measure of self-control and didn’t over eat.

What did you eat, Greg?

Excellent question. The Harris Grill, which serves bacon every Tuesday night FOR FREE, set up a nice little buffet area for all the wonderful dishes available to sample. Lets go to the lineup:

• Country Fried Bacon
• Bacon Perogies
• Bacon wrapped Shrimp
• Bacon Sushi
• and for desert… a Bacon Cupcake.

First up, the Country Fried Bacon. Now its probably not fair for me to judge this dish since I have such an unfavoring love for the Six Penn Tempura Bacon. Still, I found the breading a little heavy which prevents the bacon from really getting the kind of crisp you’d expect. It tasted good – but also very, very unhealthy. I could almost feel it coat the inside of my heart with a thin layer of slick grease. Definitely couldn’t manage more than one slice.

The Bacon Perogies were very nice. The bacon shared the spotlight with perfectly cooked onions. I believe there was bacon both in the onions and inside the perogie. Very understated presence but definitely there. The Bacon Wrapped Shrimp were outstanding. Seafood that sits in a chaffing dish can run the risk of ending up overcooked and tough but no chance here. Probably due to the shrimp not spending much time resting. They were gone in a flash. The Bacon Sushi, as I understand it, came in two varieties. I only had a chance to sample the Philadelphia – which had a nice cream cheese element that played really well with the bacon. It was by far the most… interesting dish I tried. And I’ll leave it at that.

The Bacon Cupcake was, in a word… redonkulous. Plain and simple. Candied bacon chip on top of what I think was a maple cream cheese frosting. I didn’t eat the actual cake so i can’t say much there. I can only assume it was good based on how quickly the cupcakes were flying off the serving trays.

There was beer too, right?

Local home-brewers club, Three Rivers Underground Brewers, were on hand with several styles. Three on tap included a nice Pale Ale, a curious Applewood Cider brew and the star of the day – an incredible Maple E.S.B. which is so good I have to believe someone somewhere is going to get rich off it. It was that good. Poured a somewhat cloudy tan with a slight head. Perhaps due to a combination of the portable tap system and the tiny little plastic cup they provided.

The aroma bore a strong scent of maple yet didn’t invade the taste of a tastefully hopped beer. At first I was a little confused by the mouthfeel. The typical crispness of a bitter was gone and in its place was a well-balanced, pitch-perfect beer. Bobby’s best guess is that the sweetness of the maple tipped the scales to even. The tiny little plastic cup wasn’t the only reason I went back for thirds, fourths, AND fifths. It was that damn good.

So what’s this about a Pittsburgh Penetrator?

One of my big goals for the day was to introduce my variation of the world famous Bacon Explosion – The Pittsburgh Penetrator. The premise is simple one. Add a little Pittsburgh flavor to what is already a fantastic dish. Construction is easy. Its a Bacon Explosion wrapped around a fresh kielbasa, the casing removed to allow smoke to penetrate fully. No pun intended. Ok. I lie… it was intentional.

I need to make sure I give credit where credit is due… the idea came from my boss. Several months ago he attended a party in Upstate New York and wanted to bring something special. Being an avid sport shooter, he described to me a type of ammunition known as a penetration round. The general idea is that the core contains a solid rod designed to punch through… things. Here we punch through your taste buds.

I was very happy with the overall reception. However, there seemed to be a bit of confusion around what it was exactly. I read one account in a blog that thought it was a pork tenderloin, which I totally don’t understand. I think some folks didn’t realize that it wasn’t a standard BE.

I didn’t get around to taking many photos when I made the Pittsburgh Penetrator but here are just a few. Also only snapped a few pictures from the event. My hands were too full of beer and bacon.

Initally, I assmued this was a tradtional Märzen. This “Octoberfest” from Harpoon is not a true Märsen actually a American Amber… still has a very familar ABV of 5.50%.

Pours out a dark umber, with a nice off-white/cream head that holds a very yeasty appearance for several minutes. The lacing is very present throughout the glass, never leaving.

I found this scent confusing at first. Nicole pointed out the floral notes that get me back on track, the hops are there. The yeast from the lacing stays and adds to the flavor of the beer. Slightly malty as well.

Very good beer. I love the aftertaste and mouthfeel. The carbonation here is done just right. Very light and crisp hoppiness that I always like. Being a fan of Ambers, its no wonder that I find this tasty.

I like it. This was a real learning experience for me. At first, I was really excited about how well received this beer was in its category, but learning its not a true märzen threw me for a curve. Still in all, i dig it.

Best domestic Octoberfest of the bunch. Very drinkable. A case of this might find its way into my mouth in the very near future. If this was a true Ocktoberfest Märsen then it would get a higher grade…

A-

From the “mistake on the lake” comes the Great Lakes Oktoberfest. APV is a top number for the night at 6.00%

The beer purs out a golden copper, lighter than other in the same style. The head is again foamy and light. It drops quick and leaves most lace on the edge. Some across the top as well.

Smells slightly sweet, but still very malty. There is a sour quality to it that confuses me. 3222

The taste is nice. Light but still malty, very toasted. Slightly nutty even. Sweeter than i like for the style.

The mouthfeel is the final nail here. It has a nice dryness that has hoppy overtones. I lilke it. Seems more of a mature beer. But at the same time… the mouthfeel is severe enough that it might put some off.

Tough call here. I like the structure and complexity but it lacks a smoothness that would put it over the top.

B-

This is another brewery that I suppose instills a natural confidence in my mind. The Brooklyn Brewery is making an medicore Oktoberfest. 5.50 APV

Pours out as a light caramel copper and the usual bready head that I’ve seen all night. The head drops within minutes and leaves a respectable lacing across the surface. Eventually, it retreats all together.

Smells of malt and bread. Not at all like other Märzens. Light on the nose and nothing at all like I’d except from the BBC. The scent is almost gone in 15 minutes. No smell what so ever…

I like the taste well enough. It has a dryness that make me think “good hops” but nothing that puckers the lips. But when you inhale as you drink, there is nothing there. With aroma being one half of flavor… this beer falls flat

The mouthfeel is a little weird though. The aftertaste makes you think there is a lot more alcohol that there really is… weird. not that pleasant. The carbonation is also a bit different than I’m used to drinking… more pronounced. buzzy on the lips is the best way I can describe it.

Decent taste but not really worth another try.. I wouldn’t go out of my way for it. The grade is half taste, half disappointment.

C+

This is the first Oktoberfest-märzen of the night that is actually brewed in Germany. This beer from Hacker-Pschorr Bräu GmbH is coming in at 5.80% APV. From what I can research… this is the year-round ‘Original Ocktoberfest’ and not the seasonal Oktoberfest-Märzen.

The beer pours a nice clear copper brown, with a nice creamy toatsted head that fades as fast as it impresses. The lacing is almost zero… but then I’ve poured 5 other beers into this glass so who can say.

The smell is malty and caramel, nice and light. Smells good but very faint. The real treat here is the taste… oh this is good.

Its the cleanest and most drinkable German beer I can remember. Its a little nutty and the caramel is not over-powering. The hops impart a nice crispeness without drying out my mouth too much. Goes down easy. And makes me want another…

I could drink a hundred of these. Not all at one time… but you get the point. This is the best I’ve had that night…

A-

I’ve been growing into a Sam adam’s fan for a little while now, and this beer will go far in further that admiration. The self-proclaimed “largest selling Octoberfest beer outside Germany” might be that for a reason. The beer here comes in at 5.70% APV…

The beer pours a golden cooper color with an aggressive, big head. Perhaps the previous two beers tonight came up short and I am partially to blame for a HUGE head, which… in its defense – dropped quick and moved to the edges with a wispy lace.

The smell is not very prominent but still slightly malty.

The taste is very pleasant, just bordering on very drinkable. The mouthfeel is too much to make it a good autmn session beer. It coats the cheeks. Slightly sweet and a little hint of caramel to make me happy. I likes it.

Great taste, outpaceing many others in this style.

B+

Ok, this beer from Leinenkugel, was first out of the bunch because of how impressed I was by their Sunset Wheat. I loved that beer so much I served it at Porkapolooza. However, Leinenkugel continues to be hit or miss for me. Poured into a pint glass, the APV comes in at 5.10%.

Unfortunately, there isn’t as much here. The beer poured a cooper body with a strange looking soapy, thin head. The head only developed a half inch and disappeared soon after. No lacing left behind what-so-ever. The smell is barely perceptable, slightly bready.

This märzen is malty. The taste is crisp enough, not much hops to speak of… barely there. Its easy to drink, goes down fairly smoothly. Easy even.

Fair – nothing terribly special i suppose. It is certainly drinkable, for a September night out. However, I can’ really recommend it over others in the same style.

C-