Hardywood Park Craft Brewery Singel, a 6.2% ABV Belgian Abbey Style Blonde Ale
| Appearance | Golden with a fluffy, white head that fades quickly. |
| Aroma | Belgian ale yeast, tropical fruit, spicy hops, slightly sour. |
| Taste | Bready, fruity, peppery; mellow, dry finish. The taste is mild compared to the aroma. |
| Mouthfeel | Light bodied with medium carbonation. |
| Overall | This is an easy drinking beer. It’s a great Beligan-style beer for beginners or those who don’t enjoy the powerful, complex dubbels and tripels. |
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, located in Richmond, Virginia, was founded by lifelong friends Eric McKay and Patrick Murtaugh. The brewery is named after a sheep station in Australia where the two first discovered hand crafted beer in the form of a delicious home brewed amber ale in the fall of 2001. From that moment on, Eric and Patrick have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of brewing the finest beers in the world.
Eric and Patrick do not lack experience in the beer world. They have worked as brewers apprentices, bar tenders, and in beer sales and marketing. They are both accomplished homebrewers and BJCP judges.
Eric created GreatBrewers.com and the BeerCloud mobile app, and he also became Richmond’s first Certified Cicerone™.
Patrick attended the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago, then relocated to Munich, Germany for practical brewing training where he earned his Master Brewer Certification. His apprenticeships included Brauerei Heller Trum in Bamberg, Germany, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. and Defiant Brewing Co. in New York.
Hardywood Singel is an unfiltered, unpasteurized Belgian blonde ale offered year round. The tropical fruit esters and spicy hop aromatics are well-balanced. The delicate beer finishes dry and mellow for a “truly ethereal experience.”
The inspiration for this brew originates with western European Trappist brewers known for their complex dubbels and tripels. Most people don’t know, however, that these Trappist brewers also brewed a milder ale for consumption during the day. Hardywood Singel is their interpretation of this milder ale.
Thank you to our new friend and dedicated listener Joe Man from Richmond, Virginia. Wayne and I had the chance to meet him this past weekend at Victory Brewing Company. He shared with us many beers from Richmond, including this one. We truly enjoyed meeting Joe and his family and chatting over some delicious Victory brews. Thanks, Joe!
Wayne and Steph with Joe Man at Victory Brewing Company
Wanna pick this one up? Check out Hardywood’s Beer Finder to see if Hardywood Singel is available near you!
Check out… this video from Hardywood Park Craft Brewery about the 2013 release of their Gingerbread Stout!
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