I’ve got a short evening to open and sample a locally made beer, which I bought myself just for this occasion.
Hopewell Brewing Co. is a storefront brewery with a taproom at 2760 N. Milwaukee Ave., in the Logan Square neighborhood near other brewers like Revolution, BiXi Beer, and Maplewood.
Swift IPA is one of their flagship beers, and can be found in cans at retailers around the area. They describe it as “featuring a substantial crisp bitterness kept in check by a solid malty sweetness. With an intense citrus bouquet and flavor…”
Under the tab, there’s a big impression of orange juice, then the usual piney nose from American type hops. I let the head kick up as far as I dared to see how well it holds up here. The taste sticks with the citrus hop notes, keeping the pine in reserve. There’s a bit of a sweetness to the malt, in attempt to balance out the hoppiness, and which adds to the citrus impression. It’s a decent, standard American-style IA (I think that’s a bit different from an American Pale Ale, as this does not amp up the hops as much). A pretty good standard for Hopewell to fly along with. 6.8% abv
They have gotten some notice for putting out Lil Buddy, a lager in a mere 8 oz. can. But I haven’t gotten hold of that one yet.
Filed under: Beer Review
Tags: Beer review, Hopewell Brewing
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