River Horse Brewing Co.
Lambertville, NJ
Available: NJ, PA, MD, NY
The River Horse Brewery is housed in the former Original Trenton Cracker Factory. This American pale ale, introduced in 1999, is brewed with four hop varieties and dry-hopped with Cascade hops.
Alcohol by weight: 4.4
Color: n/a
Bitterness: 40
Gravity: 1056
Spectacular mahogany color, and of course, it’s dry hopped! The result is there’s a splendid nose on this beer. Even if you hate hops, this will blow you over. Oh, and the head is great and it has a fine sound. The kiss of these hops is more like a great bear hug, but a loving one that you’ll really enjoy. Got Hops? Well, yes, of course, and in just the right amount. And, no, they didn’t neglect the malt here either. It’s just like it should be.
This beer has a full amber hue and raises a tan head. The nose is biscuity and malty with some molasses notes. The bitterness is sturdy and crisp up front, dropping back to reveal a dry, biscuity center leading into a clean finish. The label says to expect hops, but they weren’t in evidence; I fear they faded in the bottle. Look for a fresh bottle and pair it up with a burger.
Dense, whipped cream head. Attractive, copper-red color. Slightly smoky, earthy, fruity (passion fruit?) aroma. Soft, luscious malt background. Firm, straight-ahead, quinine, bitterness all the way through to a long, clean, dry finish. Some beers have a bear-hug of malt; others a karate-chop of hops. This brew softens you up in the bear-hugging clinches, but it’s the hop attack that finally takes its toll.
Fred Eckhardt lives, writes about and drinks beer in Portland, OR. He is the author of The Essentials of Beer Style and Saké.
Internationally recognized brewer and expert on traditional beer, Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery and the author of The Brewmaster's Table.
Author of Ultimate Beer, the Simon & Schuster Guide to Beer and numerous other works on drinks, Jackson has created legions of converts to fine beer.
