Home > Hop Wallop brewed by the Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown, PA
Hop Wallop brewed by the Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown, PA
Hop Wallop brewed by the Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Horace ‘Hop’
Wallop headed West a broken man. For it was a certain Miss LuLubelle Lager
that had left him, thirsting for more. Drawn by wild tales of the riches of
the gold mines, Hop pressed on westward. His last nickel spent on a
prospecting pan, Hop’s hunger and thirst got the best of him. Two fistfuls
o’ barley and three of some wild and wayward hops tossed in the pan with
some clear water was to be his meal. But sleep overcame him and he woke to a
bubbling, cacophonous concoction. Overjoyed with the beautiful ale that he
had made, Hop realized the secret of the ’green gold’ he had discovered in
those fresh hops. Celebrated far and wide, Hop Wallop lives on in this vivid
ale with his words, "hoppiness is happiness." As our annual homage to the
fresh hop harvest, Hop Wallop is a fragrant experience that delights the
tastebuds. Pure gold of color, this ale offers its heady bounty of hops to
the adventurous of taste. Bold, bracing and surprisingly refreshing for a
strong ale, Hop Wallop lives up to its name and legacy. ABV: 8.5%
Beer Review by Beer Advocate
Ah, the good ol’ Raspberry Wheat. A style that dates way back to when brewers
didn’t even have email, and suits were throwing money at the craft brewing
industry to see if it would stick. Cloudy burgundy color; white head holds
strong. Sweet raspberry fruitiness, some tartness with a bready maltiness ... a
clean, fruity nose. Medium body. Raspberry sings strong but stays away from
being sweet. Quick flash of tartness, grainy maltiness and alcohol. This fruit
beer flexes its brawn while still staying quaffable. Hands down one of the best
fruit beers around.
Beer Review by Beer Advocate:
Appearance: A very healthy head leaves think rings of lace down the glass, the
clarity of the brew is nearly crystal clear showing off its weathered gold hue.
Smell: Super citrusy with waves of piney hop oil; suggestions of lemon meringue
pie, orange peel and pine cones. Very aromatic yet oh so delicate in the nose.
Taste: Solid malty medium body, the carbonation lacks a bit so there is some
lose of crispness. Such and intense flavour and bitterness comes from the hops
it is hard to recognize anything else. The maltiness comes in a light toasted
biscuit form with fruity alcoholic esters in tow. More piney and citric flavours
blast the palate beyond its threshold of flavour even in the after taste.
Notes: This is certainly one brew that helps define the new breed of Imperial /
Double IPAs in the USA. A big thumbs up from me as Victory helps raise the bar
in craft brewing.
The Story
Victory Brewing Company
The story of Victory Brewing Company starts on a school bus in 1973 when
fifth-graders Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski stepped aboard, on their way to
a new school. The two became fast friends and remained so, even as they grew
up and went to college on opposite coasts.
Just months out of college, Bill’s appreciation of good beer and access to
his father’s home brewing equipment inspired him to explore the hobby. That
same year (1985), Bill gave Ron a home brewing kit as a Christmas gift. With
that, both Bill and Ron developed their love of the craft, and a friendly
rivalry grew between the two. The good-natured competition pushed Bill and
Ron to become accomplished home brewers, and as they both grew disillusioned
with their jobs in the corporate world they realized their combined skill
and love of brewing could pave the path to successful careers as brewers.
Ron left his job as a financial analyst and started an apprenticeship at
Baltimore Brewing Company (BBC), working under a Dutch-born and
German-trained brewer named Theo DeGroen. After working there for nearly a
year, Ron had the necessary prerequisites to move on to study at the
Technical University of Munich at Weihenstephan.
Immediately upon Ron’s departure, Bill took over his emptied role in
Baltimore. While Ron was enhancing his German brewing knowledge, Bill was
expanding the line of beers produced at the BBC to include several German
specialty beers, many of which went on to win multiple awards at the Great
American Beer Festival. After his time at BBC, Bill completed his brewing
studies by traveling to Munich, Germany to attend Doemens Institute.
After Ron’s year of education in Munich, he returned stateside and took a
role at Old Dominion Brewing Company in Virginia. Over the course of four
year as the brewmaster there, he helped to increase production from 1,500
barrels annually to nearly 15,000.
With knowledge, experience and a love of quality beer in place, Bill and Ron
decided they were ready to open their own brewery near where they first met
in Pennsylvania.
Victory Brewing Company opened its doors to the public on Feb. 15, 1996.
What was once a Pepperidge Farm factory became home to a 142-seat
restaurant, 70-foot-long bar and a full-scale brewery. In its first year,
Victory Brewing Company brewed 2500 barrels of beer.
Today, Victory brews of 82,000 barrels of beer a year, produces 11 year
round beers and has over 200 employees.
