Velvet Hammer
Peticolas Brewing Company

Velvet HammerVelvet Hammer
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From:
Peticolas Brewing Company
 
Texas, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
Ranked #77
ABV:
9%
Score:
91
Ranked #6,266
Avg:
4.1 | pDev: 12.93%
Reviews:
35
Ratings:
372
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 27, 2023
Added:
Mar 03, 2012
Wants:
  35
Gots:
  132
A tribute to our favorite Brewmaster, Greg Matthews, the Velvet Hammer appears as a dark, ruby reddish-brown ale beneath a sheath of protective off-white foam. It is malt-forward with elements of caramel and the sweetness of light brown sugar, balanced nicely by a combination of floral hops and a noticeable alcohol bite. It's a sturdy brew with a smooth character which belies both an inner strength and a slightly full body, along with a moderate bitterness to round out the taste.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.58 by Tommypepe

Aug 27, 2023
 
Rated: 4.09 by PaulSlazinger from Pennsylvania

Jul 25, 2023
 
Rated: 5 by Thullraven from Texas

May 23, 2023
Photo of Bluerabbitbell
Reviewed by Bluerabbitbell from Pennsylvania

4.39/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
3/26/23. On tap at Lake House Bar and Grill at White Rock Lake, Dallas, TX. With Sam and Wanda's friends after church.

Dark reddish in color. Decent off white head.

From the first sip until the last ..... yum! I really really enjoyed this one.

The brewer notes are very accurate. Just the right balance malty hoppy and alcohol bite!

Excellent!
Mar 27, 2023
 
Rated: 3.84 by TrojanRB from Texas

Mar 17, 2023
 
Rated: 3.94 by SViterileroux74 from Texas

Jan 28, 2023
 
Rated: 3.5 by PhineasMcClintock from Massachusetts

Dec 11, 2022
Photo of DavyJonesXXX
Rated by DavyJonesXXX from Texas

4.21/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
The notes are on point for me. Boozier than I expected but you get half way through the can and it rounds out nicely. Good beer would purchase again.
Nov 26, 2022
 
Rated: 3.67 by chrishiker1409 from New York

Aug 31, 2022
Photo of mushroomcloud
Reviewed by mushroomcloud from Texas

4.31/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
16oz canned 5-14-21, opened 9-20-21.
2 finger sand colored head slowly fades and leaves some peaks of lacing.
Glowing amber with nice clarity. Full lacing.
Rye-like spiciness, light caramel, and leafy/herbal hops.
Big rich flavor, spicy as all get out - malt and hops (?).
Leafy hops - I like that characteristic a lot, don't get it much these days.
Medium body with prickly carbonation, slick mouthfeel. Long, hoppy, and bitter finish.
Outstanding.
Sep 21, 2021
 
Rated: 4.26 by NeoClassicist from New York

Sep 07, 2021
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.6/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Thanks to Heather for picking this up on her last layover in Dallas.

Red ale pours a dark reddish brown color. Oh wait, they call it a 'strong' ale here. Look, its an imperial red ale ok? 1/2" off white head. Aroma of reddish maltiness, bittering Nugget like hop influence.

Had a bit of everything a decent red ale should have, a light brown malt influence, light brown sugar like sweetness, respectable amount of hops and bitterness, but not something you would say was made to be a massive hop red ipa like end result. Requisite amounts of caramel, toffee kind of stuff that manages to not get heavy or sticky without resorting to lactose or heavy carbonation. I didn't think it had much if any of an alcohol bite.

So check this out, I really didn't like any of the ipas I had from Peticolas. Strangely enough, the styles I am not the biggest fan of, I dug, like this beer, the kolsch and their "light" beer. If you're a red ale fan, I definitely think you should check this one out, but even if you aren't, this one is pretty good still.
Sep 19, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by gboley from California

Jun 11, 2020
 
Rated: 4.16 by NodakEric from Minnesota

Mar 02, 2020
 
Rated: 3.74 by Pro_Magnon from Texas

Feb 22, 2020
 
Rated: 4.01 by cgrunin from Texas

Dec 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by MJSFS from Florida

Dec 07, 2019
 
Rated: 3.94 by bigpoppa67 from Wisconsin

Oct 06, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Hellpop65 from Kansas

Sep 30, 2019
 
Rated: 4.06 by MikiMo from Texas

Jan 25, 2019
Velvet Hammer from Peticolas Brewing Company
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 372 ratings