For the last of this round of beer reviews we tasted Cape May Brewing Company‘s Barley Wine Ale, Sawyer’s Swap. It’s an American style barleywine with more hops than others might have. At 9% it’s actually on the low end for these beers, and the balance of flavors masks the alcohol content really well. Check out the video, and scroll down for more thoughts on this awesome beer.
One thing we noticed was how much thought went into this beyond the beer itself. The labels are really well done, and the name Sawyer’s Swap refers to a bit of local history.
Colonel Henry Sawyer was shot multiple times by Confederate soldiers during the civil war before being captured and imprisoned in Virginia. The Union at the time held General Lee’s son, so a trade was arranged- Sawyer’s Swap. He went right back to fighting for the Union before being shot yet again, finally retiring to Cape May, NJ, where he built the Chalfonte Hotel, which is still there today.
Cape May Brewery makes a whole bunch of really, really great beers, and this one confirms their consistency in this. It’s got a ton of flavor, including notes of toffee, vanilla, anise, and caramel. The sweetness from the malt blends well with the hops to make this a really smooth beer.
Sawyer’s Swap is the first beer they’ve bottled, and I can’t wait to see which they bottle next. They’re really a great brewery and hopefully these will help spread the word a bit.
Tapped SJ 