Cape Of Good Hope IPA - Yards Brewing Co.

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours out as a very nice looking crimson red color with a white foamy head on top. The retention and lacing on this beer was very good. The smell of the beer is loaded with some beautiful hop aromas with a minimal malt presence on the nose. The taste of the beer is sweet and hoppy. It's a great balance of malt and hops but hoppy enough to give it the extra punch it needs to fit the style. The mouthfeel of the beer had a good amount of oily body, there is a subtle carbonation to it also. Overall in all honesty I think this is the best beer I've had from Yards. I am a big fan of this style beer and I thought this was really good. I'd buy this one again without a second thought.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2013 22:11:18 | More by Knapp85

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Capone's, Norristown, PA

This has been floating around for a while, so I figured I'd give a try at last. Poured a cloudy orange-amber with a nice puff of white head that retained fairly well and left a bit of lacing on the glass. Nice hoppy nose, citrus and pine. Tasty fresh hops on the palate, more citrus and pine, nice and bitter but not cloying, solid sweet malt base. Medium body, moderate carbonation, left a bit of film in the mouth with an appropriately bitter aftertaste. Nice DIPA overall.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2012 23:21:11 | More by Rifugium

B33R501

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful darkish amber pour, nice head, lots of lace. Big combination aroma of caramel malts and piney hops. Very fresh. Taste follows, caramel malts, sweet breads, english toffee, with a delightfully moderate puckering hop bitterness. Dry finish, buttery, sweet and bitter. Grapefruit and pine linger on the palate for a while, making this a most memorable experience.

While some may find this beer average or lacking in some ways, I find it fresh, delicious, and damn good. Pretty damn complex too. Well crafted, you could (and I have) do alot worse. $3 a pint makes this a best buy. Much better than it gets credit for.

And on a personal note, stop reading if you're offended. This is (one of) the beers I enjoyed on a very sad Labor Day 2011. I believe it was 2 of these and 1 Double Simcoe. Took Thu and Fri off to hang with the kids and goto the pool, only to find out the Hurricane (for reference the same that devastated Vermont and the Alchemist) damaged and closed the pool and Jack got sick Wed. By Sun the worst happened, an old family friend (my parents age but still) had died, I got the news Labor Day Mon, dropped my girls off in Philly, grabbed 3 beers, drove around the old neighborhood, went home and took a nap. Did it help? No, but it numbed the pain. And the one year anniversary is quickly approaching. Jack loved life, family, pinochle, the pool, and my little one, like his own granddaughter. And then we had to tell her this summer when someone was missing from the pool.

Posted for posterity. RIP good friend.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2012 20:34:14 | More by B33R501

kylehay2004

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: clear amber body with golden hues and a half finger head.

S: very malty. hops provide resin, citrus, earthy and bready notes.

T: a malt forward DIPA. The hops are simple providing some non-descript citrus and earthy notes.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: this one is just plain. not memorable in a very popular style with so many others with more flavor and complexity.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2012 01:52:01 | More by kylehay2004

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

on tap at devils den in philly - review from notes

Pours a hazed amber and caramel color with a nice fluff of beige head. Retains really well with tons of lacing layered around the glass.

Somewhat nondescript nose with some light pine and resiny hops. Bready caramel sweetness and a faint warmth.

Nice bitterness up front with pine, resin and pithy grapefruit. Decent maltiness with bread, caramel and light syrupy hints. Finishes bitter with a noticeable smack of alcohol.

Medium body, decent carbonation, very sticky, almost chewy feel. This is pretty decent compared to some of Yards other offerings, but it'd definitely be lost in the crowd of DIPAs.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2012 01:59:02 | More by xnicknj

JerseyKirk

New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewery.

A: Nice orange to reddish hue. Poured a 1 finger white head. Hop haze.

S: Big citrus tones. Tons of grapefruit. Pretty sure Simcoe is the culprit. Really nice smelling.

T: Huge hop notes, lingering bitterness, fresh and clean tasting. Malty in background with a slight hint of alcohol.

M: More on the sweet side although hops balance out the caramel malt. Alcohol also noticeable but not detracting.

O: Awesome beer that came out of one giant f-up according to Tom Kehoe. Awesome mistake guys!

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2011 16:10:54 | More by JerseyKirk

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Draft at The Pour House in Westmont, NJ.

Pours a very hazy brown color with golden orange hues.  Completely opaque with a one finger off-white head that quickly fades into a thin ring.  Minimal lacing.  

Slightly earthy hop aroma with lots of citrus and a strong malt presence.  Hints of pine and hop oils followed by sweet orange peel countered by a caramel malt character.  

Medium bodied with a blast of earthy dry hops up front that linger over the sweeter notes into a slightly bitter, dry finish.  Bitter piney hops up front that are countered by sweet citrus mid palate giving off strong orange peel and grapefruit flavor that is very sweet.  Back end has stronger malt flavor than expected with some chocolate, caramel and boozy heat.  Complex and decently balanced but a bit boozy.  Not bad.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2011 21:51:24 | More by corby112

SFLpunk

Vermont

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On draft at the Drafting Room. 2 ounce sample.

A medium golden orange with some thin white head that grips the glass. Nose is very perfumed and like frankensensce. Some dried citrus and cinnamon. Palate is pleasantly bitter with lush citrus and green leaves. Some caramel and vanilla. A suggestion of oak too. Very interesting and cool. Would love to try again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2011 18:31:21 | More by SFLpunk

metter98

New York

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is yellowish amber in color and has no visible carbonation. It poured with a thin but creamy white head that gradually died down and left a thick ring of bubbles on the surface around the edge of the glass and a good amount of bubbles in the center.
S: There are moderate aromas of citrus hops in the nose.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste is quite citrusy from the hops but only has some notes of bitterness because it is well balanced by the underlying malts, which also lend some hints of caramel and malty sweetness.
M: It feels medium-bodied, creamy and very smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is quite easy to drink because it is well balanced and hides the alcohol from the taste very well.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2011 18:02:39 | More by metter98

Gavage

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: cloudy orange in color with a 2" fluffy head. Some nice lace paints the glass.

Smell: caramel, floral hops, and some graepfruit are easy to pull from the glass.

Taste: big bready malt base with caramel, sweet red grapefruit, hints of alcohol, and a nicely balancing strong bitterness.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Lightly crisp to start, smooth and a bit dry at the finish. Aftertste is long as the flavors linger on the tongue.

Drinkability: this was a very good DIPA that went down rather quickly for me. I could easily have a few of these as long as someone else was driving me home.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2009 17:39:17 | More by Gavage

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at Drafting Room Exton.

A-Pours a hazy, unfiltered copper with a nice fluffy white head and good lacing.

S-Piney sweet hops and good malt.

T-Crisp pine hops in the front, a rich malt backbone throughout and a slightly bitter citrus finish. Really nice.

M-Medium bodied and crisp with a nice lingering bitterness.

D-Outstanding, even better than the cask version, which was pretty darn good. This is probably my favorite Yards beer ever.

HV

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2009 13:24:29 | More by sholland119

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Medium amber body with some clarity towards the edges. moderate white head. decent head retention and a real nice coating of lace left behind.

S: Herbal, floral, citric hops. Somewhat tea like. Good soft orange, lemon notes.

T: Nice delicate hop forward brew. The floral-citric notes dominate up front, but are by no stretch of the imagine overbearing. Gentle caramel malts hold down the fort.

M: Medium bodied. Not as smooth as the cask version, but still has a clean hoppy finish.

D: Overall, I thought the cask version was just a tad better, but this is certainly a dIPA even non-hop-heads can enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2009 14:06:52 | More by callmemickey

MusicaleMike

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer was brewed as a one-off for the charity event, The Philadelphia Sessions. They had a firkin available at the event. The brewers said that it was a DIPA style.

It was a bit cloudy and golden in color with a nice soapy white head on top.

The smell was wonderful. It was similar to their Philadelphia Pale Ale in its citrus hop aroma, but the bitterness was amped up. Still, it remained well balanced. Bready malt undertones.

The body was lighter than most other DIPAs and that certainly helped make this beer easily drinkable. Fantastic drinkability, something that Yard's does well.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2009 18:25:30 | More by MusicaleMike

Roose13

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle

A: A dark copper. Half inch head that hangs a bit.

S: Very citrusy, a little piny. Very hoppy. It actually smelled like something I would drink on a harbor in Philly/Camden. Just felt like that atmosphere to me.

T: Bready, malty, and hoppy.

M: Pretty dry. Medium body. Balanced

Overall: Just a well-balanced DIPA with a full taste. Amazing beer and one of the best offerings I've had from Yard's

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 23:38:22 | More by Roose13

jaasen64

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle courtesy of stmgl01. Poured into Hunahpu snifter.

A- Pours a copper brownish with a couple fingers of slightly yellowish head that recedes at a moderate pace to leave pretty much no head. Consistently rising carbonation bubbles.

S- Some citrusy lemony hops balanced with bready caramel malts and a tiny bit of oily resin. Nice smell, reminds me a little bit of Alpine's Duet but definitely not as good. About average aroma strength.

T- Light citrusy resinous hops and malts that lend some caramel, nutty, and bready flavors. Nicely balanced and decently flavorful. Hops could have been pronounced a little bit more, but overall a nice clean profile. Finishes with some light bitterness and a light lemony aftertaste.

M- A little bit watery, light carbonation, easy drinking, a little bit of alcohol on the finish.

O- Decent overall DIPA that was nice to try. Hops could have been a little bit more pronounced and abv toned down a little bit to maybe 7%. I would drink this again and it was nice to try, but it's not something that I would search out.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 22:33:54 | More by jaasen64

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice a DIPA! I thought this was just your everyday IPA or pale ale.

A - A fairly dark DIPA, clear and bubbly with a 1/2 inch of sticky white head.

S - Smells of soft citrus hops, sweet malts, and a clean profile.

T - Actually quite good. Clean crisp hops with no noticeable ABV. Malt profile is rather grainy but balanced and sweet with a cracker like finish. Hops do show in the finish yet again balanced.

M - Wow so good. Medium bodied, crisp, clean.

Overall what a great surprise by Yards and I think the best part was it was mixed and matched (6 pack) for under 10 bucks. Completely impressed me with flavor and price. Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 22:44:57 | More by DrDemento456

FlakyBiscuit

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very enjoyable and drinkable 2ipa. Consumed in a pint glass from a fresh bottle, this beer poured a clear copper with a half inch head. Mild bread and nut aromas. As far as taste, a balanced brew with no typically hop bitterness that comes from other 2x ipas. Kind of a hopped up ESB with a little spice and toffee flavor. Nice lacing and mildly carbonated. A well made ale. I enjoyed this beer and will enjoy this again. Yards is one of my favorite brewers and this beer does not disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 19:45:48 | More by FlakyBiscuit

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle.

appears a clear copper color, with foamy off-white colored head. half decent head retention. quite hoppy aroma - hop resin, grassy, slightly citrus. taste is fairly sweet, bready malt, finish dominated by floral, grassy hops. medium thickness, medium carbonation.

overall - a nice DIPA. nice balance of strong malt and hop flavors.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 02:48:33 | More by jmdrpi

jjchristiano

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Its a nice IPA that has the hop flavor but is not a real hop bomb.
The hops are suttle on the intial taste and throughout which I really like.
Could be a nice first beer in a flight of IPAs for tasting different variations.
I'm a big fan of Yard's and hadn't tried this one previously. I continue to think of them as one of the best.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 23:40:11 | More by jjchristiano

larryi86

Delaware

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle dated 8/7/12poured into a pint glass

A- A clear copper color with a two finger off-white head.

S- Grapefruit, tropical fruits, pine, caramel malts.

T- Sweet caramel malts, grapefruit, some tropical fruit, bitter finish with some resin and pine. Tasty with good balance.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- A solid beer and another good beer from Yards. Definitely with seek this out on cask.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 00:09:51 | More by larryi86

FickleBeast

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours very clear amber with a nice finger if fluffy foam. Aroma is hoppy, floral, sweet.

First sip is sweet, malty up front and finishes bitter. Certainly an east coast style ipa. Quite balanced but a Tad on the sweet side. Hops are showcased in the bitter finish but not a ton of hop flavor compared to others of the style.

Overall, above average but not top tier...

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 01:21:35 | More by FickleBeast

rfgetz

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2012 Update...

This 2012 version pours a dark copper tinted amber, minimal cap of head. First whiff brings very muted notes of pine, light caramely, nutty and toasty malt profile. First sip is bitter, notes of caramel malts stronger than hop flavors of pine resin and faint fruit, boozy on the finish. Fuller side of medium bodied, oily and lingering bitterness.

Have had this brew every year since its inception in 2009. That years beer was bright, clean, bitter and fruity. 2010 and 2011 seemed to tone down the hoppy fruitiness a touch and ramp up the malt. The hop bill on this years brew is disappointing as the malt is much more in the front of the scent and taste. Bitter, yes... good hop flavor... not as much.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 00:27:48 | More by rfgetz

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: burnt orange body, trace khaki head, solid lacing

S: mild grapefruit, lemon zest, pine, earthy

T: grapefruit, mango, pine, earthy, bitter/mild oily finish

M: med body, slight oily/sticky mouth

O: Enjoy Yards and LOVE this style, but this is
either a weak Imp IPA or strong IPA. Still
enjoyable, repeat buy and recommend.

QUITE NICE, WORTH HAVING!

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 17:25:55 | More by BeerLover99

jtierney89

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tarnishes brass hue with great clarity and big sticky brown tinted head. Big hoppy nose. Earthy with pine , hints of grapefruit and citrus. Sweet malt underneath it all. Great lacing. Sweet biscuit up front with an english hop presence throughout. Nice full mouthfeel but smooth and goes down easy. Incredible balance actually. Lightly toasted malt throughout. Well blended flavors. One of the few english-style imperial ipas out there and incredibly drinkable at the high abv. Nice change of pace in the world of dipas and incredibly well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 03:34:00 | More by jtierney89

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

2.25/5  rDev -41.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle to snifter. Sampled 9/1/11, one month after the bottling date of 7/27/11. The bottle indicates a marginally stronger beer than BA - 8.3% ABV.

A: Pours with a small 1/2 finger head, airy/foamy and light tan in color. The sienna brown body is hazy - as expected being unfiltered - and completely opaque. Spare lacing.

S: The hop bill is heavy - putting out aromas of pine resin, orange and dried herbs. Just beyond that, plenty of caramel and toasted grain come through. Alcohol presence is high and accentuated further by plasticky phenols.

T: Wood, honey, a combination of caramel and toffee plus light notes of cardboard or paper. The bottle says "uniquely aged" which leaves me wondering what that means exactly - but also if any oxidation has taken place. Aside from that, the alcohol is just too prominent for my taste.

M: Medium-ll body with a fizzy effervescence and slightly minerally texture. A firm bitterness on the end helps to conceal the sweetness.

O: I'd like to see Yards tweak the recipe before the next release but apparently plenty of folks enjoy this one just like it is. Just came across a little hot and messy to me.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 16:19:38 | More by FeDUBBELFIST