EMMAUS, PENNSYLVANIA

On a dead end corner lot in the sleepy Lehigh Valley town of Emmaus, YERGEY BREWING is the delightful brainchild of bearded engineer, Jim Yergey. One block away from Funk Brewing at a freestanding beige cement garage with an arched roof, Yergey’s distinct brews have inspired local denizens and ‘brewpies’ alike since opening September ’16.

On my late October ’17 sojourn, the cozy hangout is packed thru to its covered front patio as the night falls. The 20-seat bar features 12-plus tap handles and a few silver brew tanks. Edison lights hover above the six wooden table-chair setups and two community tables. The black ceiling offers a caliginous backdrop for the comfy epoxy-floored nanobrewery.

A few Grateful Dead cuts play in the background while I sample nine well-rounded selections.

First up, sweet-tart banana fronted Anna Banana Hefeweizen, a simply delectable moderation with spritzy lemon zest and Graham Cracker-like wheat sugaring.

Next, smoothly ethereal No Joke Blonde Ale tethered tart grape esters to mild herbal spicing, honeyed biscuit sweetness, lemon meringue piquancy and sugar cookie nuances.

Easygoing oats-flaked Slightly Nuts British Mild let brown chocolate and toffee sweeten alongside hazelnut, chestnut and pecan illusions.

Amber grain toasting and dry citrus hops balanced A Beer Has No Name Red IPA. Its grapefruit-orange-mango tang gained a caramel sweetness over light phenol astringency.

Sessionable India Pale Ale, LV’s Hoppin’ coalesced yellow fruit spicing with fragrant floral citrus hops and yellow wooded dryness.

Yergey’s most popular offering, mellow Hoptiletious Double IPA brought bright floral citrus sweetness to dry piney hopped tenacity as its orange-pineapple-grapefruit tang lingered above sugary caramel malts.

Brewed in collaboration with Backyard Beans, cold brewed dark roast coffee took prominence for Cafehoptiletious, a hybridized IPA with a mildly smooth nitro soothe and crisp citric-pined respite.

Bringing moderate chili heat to the fore, Chocolate Chili Porter tamed its peppery frontage with brown chocolate, black cherry and blackberry sweetness.

For dessert, nitrogenated Bourbon Barrel Kings’ Nightcap maintained a mild bourbon molasses creaminess above nutty caramel malts and subtle brown chocolate sweetness (gaining wispy cherry puree and blackberry brandy undertones).

www.yergeybrewing.com