On Tap is a regular column featuring our recommendations on the most unique new draft beer offerings from local pubs.
Our Recommendation: Troegs Scratch Beer 97 (Black Rye IPA)
Where: Square Bar, 250 E. Chestnut St., West Chester, PA
If you live in Chester County and are active on Twitter, you no doubt know @SubEWL. When he recently tweeted the breaking news that the Square Bar had added five new taps to further diversify their craft beer selection, I made a note to stop in and check out the scene.
The new taps feature a number of tempting beers, and from behind the bar Kevin was happy to chat about the new brews and provide a few samples. The first rounds on the new taps included Brooklyn Scorcher IPA, Ithaca Flower Power IPA, and Rogue Yellow Snow IPA. Kevin also suggested I sample the Dogfish Head 120 Minute Ale, which was silky smooth and dangerous at 18% ABV.
The beer I chose for a full tasting was the one with the most interesting story, the Troegs Scratch Beer 97. This is a Black Rye IPA that Troegs brewers Andrew Dickson, Tim Mayhew, and Matt Hobbs collaborated on with stellar brewmasters Matt Moninger of The Church and Jason Oliver of Devils Backbone. The collaborators were chosen because they had won medals at the Great American Beer Festival, and this brew was originally created for 2013 Philly Beer Week.
This Black IPA poured a frothy head and was dark savory brown. At first taste, there was a surprising hoppiness with a rye finish. As the beer warmed a bit, subsequent tastes revealed a bit more of the mocha and maltiness. I’ve had some rye beers that are too bitter, but the rye presence in this ale balanced well. At 4.3% ABV, this is a sessionable beer.
It seemed only fitting that as I was sipping away on this Black IPA, I noticed that @SubEWL tweeted that today, August 1, is IPA Day, according to The Atlantic. The circle is complete, and I’m pretty sure I owe @SubEWL a pint.
