Weyerbacher Brewing Company, Verboten

Weyerbacher, the company that has brought us so many good beers including Merry Monks, Blithering Idiot, and their popular Imperial Pumpkin Ale have yet another one of their crafty brews in the archive known as Verboten, a Belgian-Style Pale Ale. Originally released under the name Alpha, it was later changed to Zoten (the Dutch word for fools) when it became a seasonal release, but it wasn’t until they received a cease & desist from a European brewery that they chose to rename this beer Verboten, which fittingly translates from the German language to ‘forbidden’. 

Founded in 1995 by Dan and Sue Weirback, Weyerbacher Brewing Company is located in downtown Easton, PA. After touring Long Trail’s brewery in Vermont back in 1993, Dan was inspired and decided to start his own craft beer company, and there his company was born in a livery stable in Pennsylvania.

Verboten is a Belgian-Style Pale Ale, medium-body, moderately hopped with a light, fluffy head. The combination of Pale, Carahell and Wheat malts in addition to a generous hopping of Cascade really  gives this Belgian-Style Pale Ale an interesting, distinctive character. Verboten has a crisp, refreshing  first sip followed by mild bitterness introduced by the abbey yeast strain. Mild carbonation and a slight, soured fruity taste individualizes this beer from the rest of the Weyerbacher family.

I found the balance of this beer to be almost close to perfect! Verboten hits the mark with all of the ingredients used in the formula, but what I appreciate the most is the simplicity of the product upon completion. Not one aspect was overbearing or overwhelming and they really took the time to create a European beer with an American twist yet still keeping their creation harmonious.

I gave this craft beer a higher rating than usual, but it is well deserved and rightfully earned. Verboten  is a great session beer and a perfect change-up from the IPA’s and summertime farmhouse beers. I highly recommend this beer to anyone that enjoys Belgian-Style Ales and is looking for something a little bit different from the norm. Weyerbacher has yet to disappoint me with anything they have released thus far. I have had many of their beers prior to trying Verboten, but I must say this one is in my top 3 from Weyerbacher. Well done guys! Cheers!

Belgian-Style Pale Ale

5.9% ABV

Package: 6 pack 12 oz. bottles

Personal Rating 9.2/10

Style Rating 8.8/10

Wanna try it now? Order it online at whitehorsewine.com

Yards Brewing Company, Saison

A farmhouse inspired beer with an interesting history behind it results in Yard’s Saison summer beer. A culmination of fruits and spices combined with an harmonious balance of hops and malts results in a crisp, refreshing ale ready to enjoy on a sunny day fishing, barbequing, or relaxing poolside.

Origins are tied to a French-speaking section of Belgium where farm workers would brew their recipe in Autumn or winter (the cooler months) to be ready for consumption out in the fields during the summer. The saison beer was used as hydration for the farm hands ("les saisonniers") as there was often a lack of potable water in the fields. It served its purpose and as a result forged a new style of beer often referred to as the farmhouse ale.

It belongs to no specific category other than being a Belgian style ale as there are no defining characteristics that pigeonhole it into one genre’. The saison was a dying breed but has most recently made a strong comeback in the craft beer community. Thanks to Yard’s brewing company out of Philadelphia, they have resurrected a delicious ale that was close to the brink of extinction.

I gave this beer a generously high rating, but overall, a great session beer and certainly a pleasant change-up just in time for summer! Yard’s Saison has a citrusy carbonated bite on the front end leading to a crisp, refreshing, mildly-hopped finish. Yard’s Saison appeals to a vast audience, from your IPA lovers on down to your Belgian-style ale enthusiasts, and has much to offer in the ways of diversity regarding the elements used to create this seasonal. An easy drinking, light-bodied, golden pale ale lends itself to a vast array of audiences that can enjoy and appreciate this farmhouse seasonal beer. Cheers!

ABV 6.5%
AVAILABILITY April - July
PAIRINGS Break out the grill because Saison is the perfect compliment to anything you throw on the fire. We like pairing it with various types of sausages, a pot of mussels or Southeastern Asian cuisine.

Personal Rating: 8.1/10

Style Rating: 9.3/10

Wanna try it now? Order it online at whitehorsewine.com.

Cape May Brewing Company, Sawyers Swap

With a baker’s dozen or so of different beers to choose from, Cape May Brewing Company has found a recipe that stands apart from the rest of the herd in color, taste, richness, and appeal. They have leapfrogged themselves over the juvenile brewing stage to within pole position of other major craft brewers. I’m impressed with what they bring to the table in terms of aroma, color, and malt to hop ratio to create this off-type, not quite as popular, barley wine beer. Awesome idea, courageous style choice, and perfectly executed. A well-rounded session beer, very strong, but well disguised by its multiple layers.

A complex, masterfully crafted beer with a ton of elements to pick out and try to separate. On a side note, I love the old school, 1800’s, Civil War soldier label for this bottle! Very classy with a simple, yet almost commanding look and absolutely appropriate for this style of beer. It reminds me of an old style beer from that time period, so the correlation between label and taste is precise.
Overall, I would give this an 83%. I loved the different aspects of their creation. Not hoppy, very malt forward, and notes of barley and caramel. I didn’t pick up on the toffee as much as other people have proclaimed, but it is certainly a very intense, barely style ale comprised of grains and molasses. Medium bodied, non-lingering finish, but a very delicious brown ale that is absolutely worth a try to expand your horizons and get away from the millions of IPA’s out there. The one thing I appreciate more than anything about this beer is the fact that they tried something different. Every craft brewery has an IPA, due to its popularity and demanding appeal, so it’s a breath of fresh air to try a beer that hasn’t jumped on the “IPA bandwagon” and went a different direction with a barley wine ale. Well done Cape May….and thank you for bringing back a vintage way of producing such a good variation of a typical ale!
ABV 9.6%
Personal Rating: 8.3/10

Style Rating: 9.6/10

Wanna try it now? Order it online at: 

http://www.whitehorsewine.com/proddetail.php?prod=000004210030

Brooklyn, Brooklyn Blast IPA

Here's the lastest from our friends at Brooklyn Brewery. Brooklyn Brewery was founded in 1988. They pride themselves on brewing flavorful beers that enrich the life, tradition and culture of the communities it serves. This beer is made using using hops from both the United States and England to create their version of an IPA. 

If your look to pair this beer up with food, I would suggest cuisines including very spicy foods, especially Thai dishes, fiery Indian Vindaloos, Mexican dishes featuring habañero chilies, and Jamaican jerk chicken.

In general, IPA’s are commonly known to have an over abundance of hops usually detected up front in the beer and tend to overpower the malts used in the brewing process. Brooklyn Brewery seemed to hit the mark in finding a beautiful balance between hops and malts to create their Brooklyn Blast IPA.

Make no mistake about this IPA! Although it may be light in color with a slight amber hue, it has an 8.4% ABV content that is well disguised in a beer that could be underestimated. I found the Brooklyn Blast to have a very citrusy, hoppy flavor and a non-lingering, smooth finish. Brooklyn Brewery has certainly captured the essence of what an IPA should be in their version of the Brooklyn Blast. In general, IPA’s are not some of my favorites, but this one in particular comes highly recommended. I give this beer a 9.2 rating and suggest that any of the IPA lovers out there to give this one a try!  

Personal Rating: 9.2/10
Style Rating: 8.5/10

Victory, Hop Ranch Imperial IPA

Here's a new release from Victory. This is a new winter seasonal available in 4 packs. A very unique Imperial IPA due to the fact that it uses 2 very new hops (mosaic and azacca) which were formally unnamed and only referred to as hop #369 (mosaic) and #483 (azacca). Mosaic has been around for a short time but is quickly being picked up and used by most craft brewers because of its complex aroma and piney yet fruit forward flavor. The azacca hop was release very recently by the american dwarf hop association and was named after the Haitian god of agriculture. It has a distinctive nose with notes of mango, apricot, apples, and pears. These two new hops are the only hops used in this brew but they provide a really complex range of flavors and aromas. 

This beer clocks in at 9% abv which does not put it in the "sessionable" category. However, they brewed this one with Pilsner malt to give it a real light body. It is just enough to stand up to the big, bitter hop flavors but not enough to fill you up.

This is another brew from Victory that is really making me look at this brewery in a new light. A solid release that will definitely wow the hop heads out there. If Victory keeps this up, they will be far ahead of their fellow craft brewers!

Personal Rating: 9.8/10
Style Rating: 9/10

Wanna try it now? Order it online at: 
https://www.whitehorsewine.com/proddetail.php?prod=630279474044