By David Diehl
One of the best parts about going to the Finger Lakes breweries, or any brewery really, is the opportunity to get an education. And, let’s be honest, beer is probably the best homework. Triphammer Bierwerks, located in Fairport, had that in mind when they released ‘the Goose’ project, a blonde ale brewed with only one hop.
“The whole intent of this series is to produce a nice, easy drinking beer that spotlights a certain kind of hop,” explains Triphammer owner and brewer Scott Denhart. “Maybe then, someone who is not a brewer can then distinguish the taste of each hop or its aroma.”
This release is brewed with Mosaic (the first Goose focused on the Citra hop), which is an expressive hop that can have flavors and aromas of mango, lemon, citrus, pine, and even blueberry. Being that it is the only hop used, it should be fascinating to search for those characteristics and hopefully find some more.
“You know, a lot of New England IPAs have Mosaic, El Dorado, all these different hops mixed together. That can mask some of the hop’s individual characteristics,” says Denhart. “The next hop we may showcase is Amarillo, or there’s a new hop called Sabro that is supposed to be pretty nice.”
We look forward to seeing which hops Triphammer will introduce to the gaggle in the future. In the meantime, the Goose is available at various Wegmans and in the Fairport taproom.
Triphammer Bierwerks 111 Parve Avenue, Suite 3A-1, Fairport, triphammerbierwerks.com
It was always a goal for David Diehl to return to the Finger Lakes and make an imprint on the beer culture of the region. A Hobart & William Smith Colleges graduate, Diehl spent over a decade in Brooklyn and is excited to be back and taking on Finger Lakes craft beer reviews and commentaries for EdibleFingerLakes.com. He has also been published in Inked Magazine, YRB Magazine, Nerve.com, and The Finger Lakes Times. You can follow his work at FLXWORDS.com.
