Glove Dropper
Rivertowne Brewing

 

This year’s collaborative “Confrontation” beer was brewed and canned at Sly Fox.

The lightly hazy golden orange colored beer pours out into a Duvel glass with a 1 1/4” off white head that recedes slowly but visibly while leaving a pattern of web like foam and lots of small rings and a few large right of foam on the sides of the glass. Sipping creates lots of thin strands, patches and legs of lacing.

The light aromas are mostly about the blood orange and some citric zest. In the background there’s a also some of bready malt.

The flavors are much as expected from the nose with lots of orange and some citric zest. In addition there’s a bit of tartness. some light bready malt sweetness and a bit of resinous bitterness which are all in a very nice balance that contributes to the complexity of flavors but does not interfere with the orange and citrus flavors from the hops.

The mouth feel is medium bodied and lightly prickly with the finely bubbled active carbonation. The finish begins as the orange flavors and sweetness begin to fade away to leave the long, slightly tart and lightly bitter dry ending to close the show.

Overall an enjoyable drinkable beer with lots of blood orange showing This is a beer I’ll be happy to have again but only expect to see again in a year when there is a major match up between the Flyers and the Penguins.

 

 

 

$ 3.00 (Including tax)/16 oz can ($ 0.188/oz) from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA. Reviewed 3/4/19.
“BEST BY 06/30/19” stamped on bottom of the can. In reefer at distributor. Stored upside down at 42 degrees and served at 42 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 4.
Body – Yellow-orange, hazy. When held to the light, it becomes translucent.
Head – Large (Maximum 5.5 cm, aggressive center pour), off-white, high density, excellent retention, slooowly diminishing to an undulating eight to ten mm ring, a thick partial layer, and some scattered pieces of lacing as the head retracts.
Lacing – Fair. As the level drops, wide bands of tiny to small bubbles remain.
First pour – Yellow, hazy.
Aroma – 4 – Yes! I do smell some orange among the grapefruit.
Flavor – 3 – Pretty much your very slightly citrusy slightly bitter IPA. No alcohol (6 % ABV), no dimethylsulfide, no diacetyl.
Palate – 3.25 – Medium, watery, lively carbonation.
Impression and interpretation – 3.25 – Nice head and some orange aroma that can be detected, not just a generic citrus fruit smell, otherwise a very average IPA. A step up for Rivertowne and a step down for Sly Fox.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At last, the ocCANsion has arrived! For those uninformed, misguided jagovs who said that EVERY Pennsylvanian should take great civic pride in th' Philthadelphia Iggles' Super Bowl win, I queried my friends as to who felt equally elated when th' Pixburgh Penguins won back-to-back Stanley Cups. I am STILL getting hate mail! There are (at least) four Pennsylvanias - 1) NE PA with its NY/NJ influence; 2) SE PA with PHL & its suburbs (defined as any county serviced by SEPTA); 3) Central PA with the Susquehanna River dividing the state and LOTS of variegated allegiances, from PHL & PGH to BAL & WAS; & 4) Western PA where if you ain't Black & Gold, you ain't s**t & we're dropping the gloves! Tonight, W, 07 March 2018. marks the last of four regular-season meetings between the Pens & the Flowers & I have held this CAN in abeyance for this ocCANsion!

From the CAN: "India Pale Ale brewed with Blood Orange"; "A Confrontation Beer from Sly Fox and Rivertowne"; "A Salute to Pennsylvania's Bloodiest and Bitterest Intrastate Rivalry."; "Sly Fox Beer (Philadelphia) vs. (Pittsburgh) Rivertowne Brewing".

Hoo boy! My CAN was from Rivertowne Brewing Company in Export, PA, or else, I'd have dropped the gloves & Crack!ed it inna mouth & given it a Glug that it wouldn't forget! In deference to my beloved 'Burgh, I was as gentle as I could muster. Like my local, in-person trader - tone77, I got some initial foaming through the vent. All the more reason to go gentle into this f**kin' night! I CAN hardly CANtrol myself! The cause seemed to be a brimful craft CAN, making it all the sweeter. Once sufficiently decanted, a vigorous in-glass swirl raised three-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, bone-white head with good retention, although the lacing was light. Laces?!? In our skates, not in our glass! Color was an absolutely gorgeous Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7) with NE-quality clarity, causing The Gelt Gang of Mammon, Midas & Croesus to jump off of my couch, where they were watching the game & come into my kitchen for a taste. Now, I'm droppin' the gloves! This is mine, all mine, although they love the Black & (especially) Gold as much as I do. Nose was kind of tangy, very citrusy with a woodiness and slight pine. Phew! Let's get it on! Mouthfeel was medium. Phlimsy brought it with an initial burst of citrus, both hops and blood orange while Da 'Burgh laid back with its earthy, woody malt & let the Flowers make their move with their 68 IBUs. Pheh! In Pixburgh, we drink yer beer, Philthadelphia! No, really, the only reason that I make so many exCANsions to PHL, 70 miles to my east, is to drink their beer, have my way with their wimmen, laugh at their sports & come home. This beer was no laughing matter, though. The brewers seemed to have met at the halfway point of the PA Turnpike, striking a beautiful balance between the malt & hops, intertwined in the middle of the CANmonwealth with Blood Orange. Mmm. Finish was nicely bitter, about as bitter as you might expect from a rivalry that dates to the 1967-'68 expansion season. I CAN only hope that they see fit to brew this again, especially if the two teams meet in the upcoming playovs. Inna meantime, yinz jagovs CAN f**k straight off!

 

Poured from a 12 oz. can. Despite zero agitation, this beer came gushing out, resulting in a cloudy golden color with a 2 inch head. Smell is strong of oranges. Taste is juicy, orange peels, moderate bitterness, just a touch of tartness. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is a good quality beer.