Victory Brewing Company - Hop Wallop Ale

Read the left panel of the label for some background on the legend of Horace 'Hop' Wallop. Truth be told, this beer is a legend in its own right. One of the earlier examples of an emerging style known as Imperial IPA, or Double IPA, this beer maintains a unique flavor profile among other such DIPAs (or I2PAs, as they are sometimes abbreviated), due mainly to their proprietary blend of whole hop flowers. In case you didn't already know, hops are a close cousin of cannabis, and if you've been to college, er, we mean, ever smelled cannabis, and certain fresh-picked hop varietals, the aromatic similarities can be striking. Victory uses massive amounts of fresh vibrant hops, and the resulting nose gives the impression of cannabis, as well as pungent citrus, pine sap, and even slight notes of ammonia. Yes, the hops are just massive! Note the thick, sappy head with large bubbles that have a multi-colored, oil-slick-like appearance under good light—them's the hop oils folks—you can literally see the hop content! These sticky oils help foster an extraordinarily long-lasting head. Now, somehow the folks at Victory balance this hops explosion with massive malt content, giving a note of grains, coupled with a distinct German-brew mustiness on the nose. The flavor curve presents a grainy offset that balances the tremendously bitter hops insurgence. But sweet malts are just beaten into submission by the hops. However there are some softer influences coming from the hops, in addition to the sharp bitterness—floral, perfumy evergreen notes soften the edge. Despite the massive hop content and 8.5% ABV, Hop Wallop Ale maintains a refreshing drinkability. Pair with strong flavored foods to match this big beer. We suggest an ultra-spicy Caribbean pulled pork sandwich.

Let's just call it like it is; the Victory Brewing Company of Downingtown, Pennsylvania is one of America's Best Breweries. But don't take our word for it, Malt Advocate Magazine selected Victory as their Brewery of the Year for 2001. Still not convinced—well, we've got two more ways to assure you (try the beers we've sent you!) We're immensely pleased to be featuring beers from this hugely respected brewery. Founders Ron Barchet & Bill Covaleski met in 1973 in Montgomery County, PA; both were 10 years old. They remained close friends, though academic pursuits took them to different places during college. Ron headed out to Southern California to earn his degree in Political Science and Economics, while Bill obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Temple University in Philadelphia. Not long after college, both became disenchanted with their chosen trades and picked up the hobby of homebrewing to "drown" their sorrows. In time, the hobby became a new career for both—Ron secured an apprenticeship at the Baltimore Brewing Company and then headed out to Germany to continue his studies; Bill quickly picked up Ron's position at the brewery once he left for Germany. Both became well-versed in the art of German brewing, with Bill earning numerous awards for domestic interpretations of German beers that he developed. Ron returned from Germany and joined the production staff at Old Dominion Brewing Company in Virginia, and using his newfound knowledge of European brewing techniques & styles, saw production soar 1000% in four years! During their 10 years of homebrewing and commercial brewing for other breweries, they dreamt up a brewing operation that would combine an on-site restaurant and bar serving up freshly brewed beer. In 1996, after earning many accolades for their brewing efforts, and confident in their abilities to set up and run their own brewery & restaurant, they opened the Victory Brewing Company. We encourage you to visit their website which is jam-packed with info, including details about upcoming events, such as their annual tour in which founders and brewmasters Ron & Bill lead vacationing beer cognoscenti on a 10-day European Pils tour through Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria, along a brewery route that inspired their own brewing careers. They've also got an entire site devoted to cooking with beer and beer & food pairing, complete with podcasts, cooking tips and recipes—you've got check it out at www.victorybeer.com/cooking/. Cooking with beer can be great as a hobby, for bonding with your spouse, or just a creative outlet. Not only that, it's down right addictive! Speaking of addictive, we've tried something like 15 of Victory's different beers over the years, and we haven't found one that wasn't top notch. If you ever find Victory brews on your beer store shelf (or while traveling to a region that has them), buy them. They're one of the finest breweries in the nation—you will not be disappointed. For more information about the brewery, restaurant & scheduled tours, call (610) 873-0881 or check out their web site at www.victorybeer.com.