Hamburg Brewing Company - IPA

Presenting a hazed golden-copper hue capped by a robust head of lasting foam that laces the glass nicely, Hamburg's IPA looks attractive in the glass while offering up a generous aroma. We picked up plenty of resinous citrus tending mostly towards orange with secondary grapefruit and tangerine notes, along with touches of pine, earth, stone fruit, and a jackfruit-like tropical impression. The hops come through resinous on the palate too, with lots of citrus juice and peel, pine, light tropical and stone fruit impressions, and some herbally-earthy pine. Bitterness comes through firm and quite drying, supported by a mildly toasty and caramelized malt backbone. Quite smooth on the palate with a round, medium body, this IPA should play well with dishes centered on complementary citrus notes, such as orange-glazed pork tenderloin, a spicy Thai chicken salad, or ginger & orange beef stir fry. Cheers!

Hamburg Brewing Company was founded by father and son duo, John Russo, Sr. and John Russo, Jr., whose family is known in western New York as the founders of Sorrento Cheese (now sold under the Galbani brand). John, Jr. got his start in the brewing world like so many others, as a long-time homebrewing hobbyist. After some encouragement from friends, he decided to team up with his father to start his own brewery. The two toured around western New York state looking for the best place to launch their business, eventually realizing that it made the most sense to build it right near their home in Hamburg, in Erie County just a few miles south of Buffalo. They built their 20-barrel brewery in a building that had been owned by their family for many years and was originally home to offices and a collection of automobiles.

The brewery opened to the public in 2013 and has become a prime destination for beer lovers in the Buffalo area. Their large Taproom is built like a mountain lodge, with vaulted ceilings and a large central fireplace along with a patio overlooking a large pond. Hamburg currently produces five year-round brews plus four seasonals, in addition to a large variety of limited edition beers. Their beers can be found at restaurants, bars, and for retail sale mostly in the western part of New York. For more info, call them up at 716-649-3249 or visit www.hamburgbrewing.com.