Yallarhammer
Blackberry Farm Brewery

As the hallmark of any capable brewery used to be the American Pale Ale, many brewers have abandoned this approach for other trendy styles. But the market for a no-frills, easy drinking and flavorful ale is still alive and well. Blackberry Farms addresses this market with a well brewed yet understated ale.

Yallarhammer hits the glass with a bubbly straw hue and carried with a fine mesh haze before crowning with a frothy and appetizing foam cap. As its scent of light citrus, herb, orchard fruit and fresh bread drifts across the nose, its first sip of mild honey, biscuit, wafer and powdered sugar creates a malty effect early on the palate.

As the bubbles carry off much of the malt sweetness, the middle palate is left to the hops. A rise of citrusy orange peel, lemon and a hint of grapefruit all offer a uniquely American taste while a somewhat juicy taste of white peach and white plum give the late taste a lightly candied hop balance with hints of spruce, sun tea, verbena and peppery grasses.

Medium bodied, light in flavor but pleasant overall, the pale ale may be easily forgetable for the the bolder beer fans, but as an all occasion and sessionable ale, Yallarhammer is a welcome to the fridge any day.

Color is that of a lager, more copper in color than I expected. Head was typical white. Nose was slightly malty. Taste had a malty backbone to it.Slight bitterness on the backend.

 

 

Picked up from Bottle King in Glen Rock NJ, feeling blessed to have a little more BF available than usual. American Pale Ale with Cascade, Chinook, Amarillo, Comet, and Idaho 7 hops.

Pours out of the can as a pretty clear yellow with a chill haze. White bubbly head, about a finger but it dies down in time.

A welcome, complex nose, with notes of orange, tea leaf, pine, moss, caramel, and spring flowers. Quite great, feels like a lot of effort went into making this stand out.

Less complex than the nose but that is not a bad sign. Notes of caramel malt and orange, lighter notes of lemo balm and earth. More straightforward but still dropping hints.

BItterness is nothing ridiculous (apparent 36 IBUs) but very enjoyable. It gives a complete experience for bitterness, maltiness, and hoppiness, nothing lacking but each working at different levels clearly.

Just a wonderful American Pale ale I wish more breweries emulated. It isn't a full on SIerra Nevada clone either, which wouldn't be bad. It charts its own path and is worth reaching for. Total buy.

 

 

 

Poured from a can (can’t tell date) into a wine glass (all I could find in the house). Have a slight cold so not really able to taste all that well

L: Dark orange/yellow, decent head at first fades to light lacing

S: floral/citrusy hop nose, down the fairway

T: some hop bite, refreshing what I was expecting

F: well carbonated

O: what I was looking for, hop nose and bite deliver. Again that cold is throwing me off a bit, but nothing wrong at all would pick up again

 

 

 

A: Hazy dark gold with 1" Foamy head and decent lacing.
N: Hoppy notes with some soap.
T: Lots of bitter hops with grapefruit and resin oils, some mild soapiness on finish.
M: Dry and bitter throughout.
O: The bitterness was a little too much for me, flavors were mild and masked by hop bite.