Tap Handle #854: Yellow Rose - Honcho Grande

Tap size:  8.5"

Rarity:  10 or less seen, hand-made, brewery closed

Mounting:  internal 3/8" nut

Unlike the previous Yellow Rose Pale Ale tap I profiled, I did not see this Honcho Grande tap appear until around 2012, although I knew of its existence before that, as it was another "grail tap" as defined by knowledgeable members of the tap collector community. However, like the Pale Ale tap, this tap also appears to be made of plaster and weighs about 1.5 lbs. Made by Carolyn Flannery, who was the co-owner of the brewery along with her husband, her initials "CF" appear on many of the taps (but not on this one). This is the second Yellow Rose tap I obtained from fellow collector Bill Gibson. This one features Pancho Villa, who, despite some unscrupulous activity, is considered a hero of the Mexican Revolution. Since the tap is short, I have not taken zoomed in photos. It is the 2nd of 5 taps produced by Yellow Rose that I will be profiling, and it's very impressive, with 2 bullet-laden bandoliers slung over his shoulders and a large sombrero perched atop his head. My copy has a few paint chips but is otherwise in great shape. The Honcho Grande tap is far more scarce than the Pale Ale, with only 2 seen in total on the secondary market (one of which was sold with another Yellow Rose tap) and none seen since 2022. I only have historical price data for the one I purchased and the one sold in 2022, the latter of which sold for a whopping $350.

Editor's Note: Like the Pale Ale profiled previously, the story of Pancho Villa detailed below, which was the inspiration behind the tap, was transcribed from a blurry image of a Yellow Rose Honcho Grande label, and I think it's mostly correct, although I did leave a couple of words as questions marks because I could not read them or guess at what they were.

A Legend of the Texas Border

Statue of Pancho Villa,
By Lyricmac

Forced to flee after killing his sister's seducer, Doroteo Arrango (born 1878) took on the alias that lasted his lifetime, "Pancho Villa". In his youth, he survived in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico as a bandit, eventually learning the skills necessary to become an astute guerilla fighter and leader. With the outbreak of the 1910 Mexican Revolution, he joined the cavalry and commanded the "Division of the North". He was reported to have been loyal to his soldiers, but not to his women as he had seven different "legit" wives and fourteen other unrecorded marriages. Also known for his compassion, he often went out of his way to assist the oppressed, children and widows. Driven by a deep concern about the impoverishment of his country, he was a sincere patriot "hated by thousands but loved by millions". There was some popular sentiment to promote him to president. Unfortunately, Pancho Villa extended his activities to "help the people" into South Texas which raised the ire of the U.S. Cavalry. He became an American household name when he miraculously evaded capture by the U.S. Army during Captain Pershing's ??? pursuit of him through northern Mexico. In 1966, forty-three years after his death, Mexico officially deemed him a "hero of the Revolution". In commemoration ???, a large bronze statue sits in front of the governor's mansion in the state capital, Chihuahua City. Astride his famous horse, "Seven Leagues", Pancho Villa's commanding presence reminds us of the large handprint left on Mexican soil by this man of humble origins.

For more about Yellow Rose, see this post.

According to beer reviewers, Yellow Rose's Honcho Grande was a Brown Ale that poured a brownish amber color with a creamy and sticky white head. The aroma was composed of fruit, toffee, and caramel with notes of hops. The flavor was dominated by sweet roasted malts with a touch of fruitiness and only a trace amount of hop bitterness.

BeerAdvocate:  80 out of 100 (good)