While strolling through the windswept streets of West Chester, I slipped into Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant to escape the crisp, cold breeze and blowing leaves and indulge in a liquid lunch. Hey…it’s my day off. Don’t judge!
I saddle up to the bar and longtime Iron Hill bartender extraordinaire Jesse Gilbert proved once again that he knows me all too well.
“Would you like the new sour that just went on tap today?” he questioned. My affirmative reply would not go unrewarded. Moments later, a brilliant goblet of amber/ruby nectar was placed in front of me. It was Iron Hill Sour Power IPA, “an assertively hopped American-style Pale Ale re-fermented with a blend of wild yeasts and bacteria, aged in wine barrels for half a year.”
Well if that description doesn’t sound enticing I don’t know what does. Aromas of mild, tart fruits and red wine coupled with grapefruit and citrus rind awakened my senses before the glass even reached my lips. That first long sip was a delicious explosion of flavor. Slightly sour grapefruit mingled with earthy bitterness, citrus rind, red wine, oak and leathery funk in a potpourri of perfection. I must admit that I wasn’t surprised.
Over the last year, barrel aging and sour beers have slowly but surely become a strong suit at Iron Hill’s West Chester location. Head brewer Andrew Johnson has a real talent for coaxing excellence from wild yeast and oak barrels. If you haven’t yet enjoyed one of his concoctions, do yourself and your taste buds a favor and head over to the West Chester Iron Hill for a liquid lunch soon. You won’t regret it.
Find Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant at 3 W. Gay St. in West Chester; phone: (610) 738-9600.
Photographs credited to Kerry Watson.
