Cape of Good Hope from Yards Brewing Company

WRITTEN BY SHANE FISHER (@SFISH521 & @GOOFYFOOTEDBREWINGCO)

Ever since I was of legal drinking age in 2012, I was drinking mostly craft beers.  At that time, there were still restrictions on how beer could be purchased and we did not have a bottle shop near our house, so my brother and I would often purchase sampler cases from our beer distributor, one of our favorites being the Yards Brewing case.  Before Love Stout made its way into these cases, Philadelphia Pale Ale, Yards IPA, Brawler and ESA were commonly found in our refrigerator.  I remember that September going into our beer distributor to go stock up and coming across a case of Cape of Good Hope labeled as an “Epic Ale” and the store owner told us that it was a limited release, so we knew we had to get it

Each year, the adventurous West Coast IPA undergoes a recipe change, creating a new journey of flavors that the different hops will impart on the beer.  This year’s batch packs intense notes of citrus, melon and pine from the use of Chinook, El Dorado, Citra, Azacca, Simcoe, Cascade and whole flower Columbus hops.  At 9.7% ABV, this beer is a definite sipper that will delight your palate with each sip.  The beer pours a golden amber, and at 75 IBU, the beer is well balanced with enough piney bitterness to remain bitter and true to the West Coast IPA style for “The Bold and the Brave.”

As I poured this beer, the aforementioned notes of citrus, melon and pine greeted me as the beer cascaded into my glass. Upon taking the glass to my nose, I was greeted with a delightfully different aroma than last year’s offering with the tropical melon notes that are hot right now making their way into this beer.  My first sip was greeted with a healthy amount of citrus and melon flavors lingering throughout my palate from the nice body of the beer, with a nice dry and bitter finish.  The balance of hops in the beer played nicely with the medium-full body of this beer.  At 9.7%, this beer was an absolute sipper, with Yards recommending it as a main course with an uncertain suggestion of a side dish of cranberry walnut salad with a lemon vinaigrette… and another Cape for dessert.  I did not try their recommendation for a side dish, but definitely wanted another Cape for dessert.  Thankfully now with the new PA beer laws, I can get my hands on this beer in singles and six packs more easily… but would not be opposed to buying a case of this delicious ale.  This time around was enjoyed from a bottle, but my next will definitely be on draft at the brewery, as it has been far too long since I’ve paid a visit.

Keep an eye out for this adventure in a glass where great craft beer is sold and served because this beer will be gone within a blink of an eye.  One of my favorite places to enjoy this beer is at their taproom at 901 N Delaware Ave in Philadelphia.  The brewery puts on a great tour of its facilities with plenty of great samples every weekend when their bottling line is not active.  Along with their awesome tours, the taproom shows off their various beers with beautiful banners that line the ceiling along the glass windows to the brewhouse.  My favorite part is the various one-offs, seasonals and of course the fresh beers made just feet away from the bar.

The future of Yards Brewing is bright, as Tom Kehoe and his team look to open their new brewhouse later this year at the corner of 5th and Spring Garden Streets.  With 600 barrel fermenters lining the building and $13 million being invested in their new brewhouse, we are excited to see the growth that is coming.

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