I guess spring fever has gotten ahold of me. On Saturday, I picked up my practice of writing up craft beers sent to me for comment and shooting a quick photo alongside my grill. Well, on Sunday, the actual first day of Spring, the wife had been making some cakes to use up the eggs in the fridge, so I volunteered to go out and grill some more dinner. Prepared with a New York strip steak and a hoodie to brave the 40° F spring weather, and I grabbed another beer by the Grill.
This time, it’s Victory Brewing Co.’s Headwaters Pale Ale, from those folks in Downington, PA. provided to me by the Brewer’s PR rep. This was originally brewed in 2011 as an anniversary beer and has stuck around on their list since then. The can refers to itself as a “Refreshing, boldly-hopped ale,” and the website description says “Firmly crisp and aromatically arousing pale ale integrates a softly supportive malt base which underlies streams of herbal hop complexity. Shifting impressions of lemon aroma and flavor intermingle with leafy, tea-like earthiness.” It’s also mentioned as a tip of the hat to water table advocacy groups that have worked to keep their brewing water clean at the source.
It weighs in at 5.2% alcohol by volume, just about the same as any any “regular” beer. The pour shows a little of its copper colored Vienna malt, a little bit hazy with unfiltered yeast particles floating around. The puffy head lets out a little bit of aroma from Citra hop; the website also mentions Simcoe, so this is all hopped with new American varietals.
In tasting it I would not go as far as to say it’s sessionable, as there is a noticeable alcohol kick to it. I would say the hops present are more bitter than anything else, but of course I’m sitting next to the grill that’s blowing smoke at me as I drink it. After a few sips, though, you can catch some more of the lemon that started in the nose. I kept getting an English hop impression, but I only looked up the full specs after drinking and see that I misled myself.
It may be hard to say something new about yet another in a long line of a hoppy pale ales but this one stands up as its own identity and it would be a good accompaniment to maybe lighter meats fish and chicken, and some beef like the steak I’m doing up with the beer, just mildly seasoned with salt and pepper.
Well, that was easy to write up, and quickly, too. Maybe I can soon get clear my backlog of notes, then get on to review some local beers that I’ve bought myself.
