Overall Church Brew Works Experience

Shawn- We had very good service and the food was amazing. As for the beer, I just wish they had more aromatics. I would definitely recommend others to visit, though plan your visit well - don't drive into the city the same night as a Pens game!

Angela- I really enjoyed our experience here. The atomsphere is awesome, though I wish we had been here during the day to see the sunlight streaming in through the stained glass windows. The service and food were fantastic - props to our server Gina. The beers weren't overly flavorful, but they are good session beers. I will absolutely come back to this brewery.

Chris- If I were rating this on a 5-star scale, I would rate this as a 2-3 star restaurant based on the food quality and style. We had excellent food and service - the manager Phil even stopped at our table - and I enjoyed the beers we tried.

The Church Brew Works - Hoptoberfest

The final beer of our trip to The Church Brew Works was the Hoptoberfest. The two differences between this and the Oktoberfest are the hops and the alcohol. There is a significant amount of additional hops and malt added to this brew - it is their "Americanized" version of a German classic. It is 17.0°P, 50 IBUs, and 7.0% ABV.

Overall average rating: 6.8/10

It is a clear, light amber colored beer. There is little to no aroma, just a slight hop scent. Chris says, "It smells like when you go outside on a crisp, fall day." There is a light front tongue bite, and it is an easy to drink, hoppy Oktoberfest.

Shawn- This beer is easy to drink, and I notice a slight wheat taste. Chris said it best when he referred to this as a "hoppy Oktoberfest," 6.5/10.
Angela- I really thought this would be my least favorite as I am not a fan of hoppy beers, but it is not overly hoppy at all. I find it more flavorful than the Oktoberfest, 7.5/10.
Chris- It is a hoppy version of the Oktoberfest, and a good representation of the style, though I expected more body, 6.5/10.

The Church Brew Works - Four Grain Ale

The third specialty beer is the Four Grain Ale. There is no specific description of this beer anywhere that we found, so our analysis is all we have. It is 14.0°P, 45 IBUs, and 5.3% ABV.

Overall average rating: 7.0/10

It is a translucent dark red beer with a somewhat complex aroma, featuring scents of wheat, rye, barley, and a floral. There is no tongue bite, and it is hoppy with a smooth grain finish.

Shawn- I love the aroma of this, and I think the floral is lavender because it smells warm and calming. It is a good beer from start to finish, 7.5/10.
Angela- It is absolutely the most fragrant of the beers we have had, but I notice a slight bubble gum flavor in the finish again, 6.5/10.
Chris- It is a delicious beer that lives up to its four grain name, 7/10.

The Church Brew Works - Oktoberfest

The next specialty beer is the Oktoberfest. Theirs is a light amber beer with a malty flavor and aroma, making it very drinkable. While drinking, one can say, "Eins! Zwei! Drei\! G’suffa!" (One! Two! Three! Swill like a pig!) It is 14.0°P, 30 IBUs, and 5.2% ABV.

Overall average rating:  6.3/10

It is a golden wheat/amber color, with aromas of wheat, malt, and caramel. It is a well-hopped beer, with just a slight bitter hop flavor. There is no real tongue bite with wheat and malt flavors. The guys also detect a slight metallic finish.

Shawn- It is well-hopped, but I find it to be pretty average for an Oktoberfest beer, 5.5/10.
Angela- I think it has a good taste, an average Oktoberfest. I don't get the metallic after taste, though it seems to thin out in your mouth as you drink it, 6.5/10.
Chris- This beer fits the style well although it's a little more hoppy than what I am used to. It does reflect the classic Oktoberfest style well, 7/10.

The Church Brew Works - Aultered Rye Ale

After finishing the four house beers, we moved onto the four specialty beers. The first is the Aultured Rye Ale. This is a traditional Rogger style beer with a twist - lemongrass.The lemongrass flavor is supposed to be subtle and noticed right up front and in the aroma. It is 13.5°P, 15 IBUs, and 5.0% ABV.

Overall average rating: 6.8/10

It is a translucent red color with a malty rye aroma. We also notice a slight hop aroma, as well as a distinct sweet scent from the rye (perhaps the lemongrass?). There is a rye flavor with a front/mid tongue bite. (I'd like to point out that we did not know about the lemongrass ingredient prior to drinking it, and we never specifically noticed the lemongrass flavor, which is a flavor Shawn normally can identify.)

Shawn- I think this is a nice, well done beer that reminds me of fall, although it lacks a complexity which I would have liked, 7/10.
Angela- This is a little thin for my taste, but it is a sessionable autumn beer - reminds me of colorful, crunchy leaves and a chill in the air, 7/10.
Chris- It lives up to its name because of the rye flavor throughout the beer. It's simple and done well, but I expected more. The aroma reminds me of Killian's or Great Divide Hoss, 6.5/10.

The Church Brew Works - Blast Furnace Stout

The last of the four standard beers the brewery offers is their rotating stout. They constantly rotate their stouts to celebrate the variety of stouts all over the world. They may brew a more traditional stout or use ingredients like espresso or coconut. On our trip, we had the Blast Furnace Stout. They blend oats, barley malt, and very darkly roasted barley. It is 13.5°P, 30 IBUs, and 4.8% ABV.

Overall average rating: 6.0/10

The color is very opaque, almost black. The aromas we note are coffee, cherry, and a slight copper. It is a light tasting beer, not very overpowering. It has a front tongue bite and starts out thick like a stout and then thins out.

Shawn- This is a stout I could drink in the summer; I even notice a hint of coconut in the aroma. It is thin and doesn't develop as much as I'd hoped, 6/10.
Angela- It is not nearly as thick and rich as I had expected, and I notice a slight bubble gum aroma/taste again, 5.5/10.
Chris- I like that it's not heavy - it is a versatile stout with a slight copper taste. I actually prefer it to Guinness, 6.5/10.

The Church Brew Works - Pious Monk Dunkel

Next up is the Pious Monk Dunkel. The sampler description says "the Pious Monk Dunkel is the perfect example that not all dark beers are strong!" It is an award-winning beer for the brewery with 13.0°P, 20 IBUs, and 4.3% ABV.

Overall average rating: 5.5/10

It is a clear, rich dark amber/copper color with a hint of red. There is a very faint aroma, and what we notice is a light malt and a metallic scent. The taste is smooth and well-balanced, with a malt flavor that doesn't seem to develop.

Shawn- It is drinkable, but it lacks so much in the aroma that it kills the beer. If the aroma was stronger, your palate could develop into it, 4.5/10.
Angela- For me, this is simply a good sessionable amber beer, 6/10.
Chris- It feels like the flavor should evolve but it just stops. It lacks body and is not as heavy as I thought it would be, 6/10.

The Church Brew Works - Pipe Organ Pale Ale

The next beer in our sample was the Pipe Organ Pale Ale. (Unfortunately, we were there at night and the lighting wasn't the best for taking pictures.) This is brewed with English pale malt that is balanced with "only the best" English hops - East Kent Goldings. It is 13.0°P, 30 IBUs, and 4.5% ABV.

Overall average rating: 6.5/10

The appearance is a cloudy and translucent slightly unfiltered amber/copper color. It has a distinct bubble gum aroma, as well as hops. Chris detects a little malt, while Shawn notices a hint of nutmeg. There is a side tongue bite, as it has a hoppy start yet a smooth finish.. still with a bubble gummy taste.

Shawn- There is definitely a bubble gum taste, but each time you sip it, you taste additional flavors, 7/10.
Angela- It is a very unique beer - the aroma and taste reminds me of Pink Bubbalicious. Because of that flavor, however, it is not something I personally could drink often, 5.5/10.
Chris- I really enjoy the way it evolves in your mouth. The layers of flavor are fantastic, 7/10.

Church Brew Works - Celestial Gold

"Celestial Gold has been known to induce Celestial Bliss!"

The first beer in our eight beer sampler at The Church Brew Works was the Celestial Gold.

The beer sampler description says that this beer is appropriate for a business lunch (woo!) or as an evening sipping beer. This beer has a light, bubbly effervescence and blends a subdued maltiness with a slight hop flavor. It is 10.5°P*, 18 IBUs**, and 4.1% ABV.

Overall average rating: 6.2/10

This beer is clear and light straw in color. The aroma is floral with hops, as is the taste. It tastes crisp with a light front tongue bite from the slight hop finish.

Shawn- This is a great way to start the taste; I really like it a lot as a starter beer. It is crisp and refreshing and has me excited for what's to come, 6.5/10.

Angela- It is a good light, refreshing summertime session beer, 6/10.

Chris- For a session beer, this has more flavor than, say, Budweiser, but it is definitely a hot summer day beer or one to be had with food, 6/10.

*The Plato scale measures beer strength.

**International Bittering Units measure bitterness.

The brewing altar.

(from nomadeditions.com)

On the crossbar in the arch is a Latin phrase that translates to "I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." This really is a gorgeous building.

Here's a closer look at the brewing equipment:

(from churchbrew.com)



The Church Brew Works

Our first trip to a brewery as bloggers was to The Church Brew Works in Pittsburgh, PA.

(from churchbrew.com)

This brewery, located in the former St. John The Baptist Church, is the first and only Brew Pub in the country to be located in a historic church. The original hardwood floors, stained glass windows, and hand-painted ceiling were renovated in order to maintain their original beauty. Guests can sit in the the original pews in the dining area or sit in the pub/bar area. There is also a Hop Garden, where guests can drink and dine outdoors.

(from churchbrew.com)

The executive chef has taken traditional American food and added an upscale flair, and the menu also features regional favorites, such as pierogies (yum!). In addition to the beer, they also offer liquors, single malt scotches, and a nice selection of wines. As for the beer, Church Brew Works features four house beers - two ales and two lagers - as well as specialty seasonal beers.

The menu includes a page describing every step of the brewing process - it's really neat. The beer sampler included 8 beers - three house beers, one rotating house beer, and four specialty beers. Check back to read more about our experience!