By Jim Cyphert, Mahoning Valley Flight Crew

It had been about a month since my last stop at Paladin Brewing in Austintown. Living only two miles from the brewery, it’s a handy spot to grab a quality craft beer. That’s exactly what I did last night.

John Chandler and his team had been brewing Mosaic Tribute Pale Ale yesterday. The team is a bit busier brewing these days to meet the demand of a new distribution deal in Columbus (Franklin County) with Ohio Beer Co. (as well as the brewery's deals with other distributors, including R.L. Lipton and Ermes).

While I’m a fan of the Mosaic Tribute, I opted for the only Paladin beer I had yet to try — the Bourbon Porter (31 IBU, 6.9% ABV). While I’m not typically a big fan of bourbon-flavored beers, I was in the mood for something new and different.

http://www.vindy.com/users/photos/2017/jan/12/105165/

Here’s what Paladin says about this beer: “We infused a rich and malty Baltic Porter with bourbon-soaked oak to get a complex and satisfying flavor with a very smooth mouthfeel and a nice cream tan head. Each sip is complemented by and intense aroma of toasted oak and the sweet graininess of good bourbon followed by a melding of the bittersweet roastiness, creating a very characterful beer.”

I can’t argue with all of that. I can say that there is more of a hint of bourbon than an overpowering flavor, which is just right for me.

Paladin has 16 beers on tap. The newest being the Bourbon Porter, the Imperial Knight (a Russian Imperial Stout) and the Paladin Porter (Mahoning Valley Flight Crew member Joe Sanfilippo voted this his favorite winter seasonal in our Nov. 30 article in The Vindicator).

Newsflash: If you shop at the Churchill Commons Giant Eagle in Liberty, you can drink a Paladin Sir Kenneth Blonde Ale as you peruse the isles, and you can even get your growler filled with Paladin beer there. If you don’t shop there, you may just want to reconsider.

Cheers!