Argyle Brewing Company is the first farm brewery to open in Washington County, NY. Ironically, Argyle takes its name from the “dry” town that one of the owners hails from. Their beer is brewed down the road in neighboring Greenwich, NY since “a successful brewery needs to sell its product.”
The founders chose the name in order to pay homage to the hard working farmers and factory workers of Argyle. Their concept of sourcing hops and barley locally will help to bolster the surrounding farms and economy, befitting for a company that was born of local pride.
I was unaware of this brewery’s existence until a family member brought me a mixed sixer of 12 oz bottles.
The IPA pours out of the bottle showing a dirty copper color, like an old discarded penny. Also noticeable is a thick haziness in the beer that clouds the glass so that you can barely see your fingers. I love seeing lightly or unfiltered beer, so this immediately drew me in. The nose has a typical pine resin and mellow citrus character. After some warming the ale starts to show some stone fruit like peach and apricot.
The following flavor and overall experience of the beer was a bit of a let-down. There was some toasted malt, bready flavors and a grassy quality but fell completely flat as soon as I washed it down. There was a bitterness that was out of balance with nothing left on the palate to frame it out. It reminded me of a session IPA — lacking some of the body and five minute finish that most American IPAs have these days.
Don’t get me wrong, the beer wasn’t bad – at all. Perhaps I’ve grown too accustomed to the palate wrecker IPAs of the times.
Actually, all of the other beers I tried from Argyle rocked. The Oatmeal Stout, Altbier, and Brown Ale were top notch; full of character and body while showing great balance. If you are in this little niche of NY, pay these guys a visit at their new brewery and let the beer money trickle down.
(2 out of 5, Average)