After gorging yourself on chocolate goodness in Hershey, go about an hour southeast to Downingtown, Pennsylvania, and visit the beer mecca that is Victory Brewing Company. Meet Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski, two friends since fifth grade with a passion (and top-notch education) for great beer. Ron started out with Baltimore Brewing Company to get his one-year brewing prerequisite. After that, he attended the prestigious Technical University of Munich at Weihenstephan, where he honed his brewing prowess.  Meanwhile, Bill took over Ron’s position at Baltimore Brewing and brewed some award winning German specialty brews. Feeling accomplished, he said auf wiedersehen to his Baltimore pals and studied abroad in Munich at Doemens Institute. After a year of German training and probably many liters of delicious Weihenstephaner, Ron came back to the states to work at Old Dominion Brewing in Virginia, where he helped increase their production ten-fold. With their expert German educations and a few impressive credentials on their résumés, Ron and Bill finally agreed it was time to open their own brewery and share their tasty beer with the masses. Victory Brewing opened its doors, sadly not in time for Valentine’s Day, on February 15, 1996. They have 12 year-round releases, all with great, full-flavor including Hop Devil IPA, Storm King Imperial Stout, Golden Monkey Tripel, Headwaters Pale Ale, and Dirt Wolf Double IPA, which replaced Hop Wallop. I have one of their specialty brews to sample, Hop Ranch IPA. Their beers are brewed with whole cone hops, rare nowadays for breweries, to ensure bright hop notes and a fresher taste. Now for some bitter delight.

Appearance

Pouring it well-chilled in my favorite IPA glass, it produces a crystal clear aurulent color with a whipped white head. I always enjoy the color of a good IPA, reminds me of a sunset.

Smell

Did someone dunk a Juicy Fruit in my glass? It has an amazing tropical fruit aroma of pineapple, mango, tangerine and lemons. I think Carmen Miranda walked by.

Taste

A fruit cocktail of grapefruit, citrus, papaya and hint of pine. I even think there is a blueberry floating around in there. The showcase hop is Mosaic, which has made its way to the front of a few IPAs I have noticed recently. The fruitiness is very refreshing.

I will certainly put this on high on the list of my favorite IPAs. Look for other fantastic Victory beers including V-Twelve Quadrupel and Prima Pils. Do you have kids? Do not fret; they make their own root beer available on draft at the brewpub. I think next time I will pick up a Helios Saison just in time for summer!

Adam Shugan, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits beer consultant

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