Tap Handle #395: River Horse - Hop Hazard Pale Ale
Rarity: Rare
Mounting: standard 3/8" ferrule on 5/16" hanger bolt
River Horse Brewing has created quite an impressive tap. Standing at almost 13" tall, there is an amazing amount of detail, from the rippled water up the sides to the numerous teeth in the hippo's mouth. This is one tap that benefits from a glossy finish, since everything is supposed to look wet. Unfortunately I found it difficult to capture that look with my camera, but it is there. The tap is pretty rare and hard to come by, and the Hop Hazard label is pretty unique...all the other labels I've seen are yellow and say "River Horse Lager" on them.
Click through to read more about River Horse Brewing, their Hop Hazard Pale Ale, and to see more photos of this impressive tap...
River Horse was founded by two brothers in Lambertville, New Jersey in 1995, who ran the brewery for 12 years until they decided to sell. Chris Walsh and Glenn Bernabeo were partners in an investment banking firm, but decided to ditch the big bank culture and find a consumer product. When the brewery came up for sale, they pursued it, and ended up buying the brewery in 2007. The brand had taken some beatings due to inconsistent product. With some time and capital they turned it around, and the brand’s popularity quickly soared, causing the company to outgrow its Lambertville location, which was the former home of the Original Trenton Cracker Company.
In 2013 the brewery moved from the 10,000-square feet building they were renting to a new location in Ewing, New Jersey, which is about 25,000 square feet. Within the first 18 months at the new facility, they expect to be producing 30 to 40 percent more capacity, as well as a wider range of brews, particularly River Horse's American-style lager, which was difficult to brew in Lambertville due to its characteristically long fermenting process and their limited capacity. River Horse currently produces 5 year round brews and 4 seasonals, and is distributed in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
Hop Hazard is an American Pale Ale with a golden-orange hue, medium body and a floral, hoppy finish make this American Pale Ale perfect for any time of year. It has a malt rich base that counterbalances a combustible five-hop blend and leaves your taste buds with enough room to enjoy a unique, dry-hopped finish.
Ratebeer weighted average: 3.2 out of 5
Beer Advocate: 80 out of 100 (Good)
Note: the Ratebeer rating reveals a limitation of the site, which factors in the ratings from the previous owners. Those old scores should have nothing to do with the new owners...but unfortunately it does.
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