Category Archives: United States Brewpubs

RAVENOUS BREWING CO.

United States Brewpubs,

Image result for ravenous brewing co Image result for ravenous brewing co
WOONSOCKET, RHODE ISLAND

Currently residing at a diminutive gray shed in a Route 7 Woonsocket auto shop facility, RAVENOUS BREWING CO. came to fruition in 2012 when head brewer, Dorian Rave, garnered favorable exposure for his ambitious Coffee Milk Stout. Though a move to larger space is imminent, Ravenous’ current August ’18 digs include a gorgeous granite bar top inlaid with broken beer bottles fronted by a wood-meshed American flag, six handcrafted draught taps, refrigerator with bottles-cans to go, four-stooled table and cement floor.

Each thirst-quenching brew captured its style well, starting with refreshingly crisp staple, Blackstone Pale Ale, a mild dry body with mildly herbal Chinook hop woodiness and grapefruit rind-embittered Cascade hop grassiness sugared by caramelized pale malts.

Next, brisk Seltzer-spritzed Summer Kolsch led lightly white-peppered lemon rot souring into musty white-wined grape esters and straw-grassed barnyard funk, picking up a glancing floral-daubed orange marmalade respite.

Easygoing Bienvenu French Quarter Red Ale brought sugar-caned plum, fig and date fruiting to the fore in a mild manner.

Wood-lacquered juniper bittering soaked up yellow grapefruit bitterness and melon rind phenols for Cogswell Tower IPA, a fine pale-malted dry body hopheads will likely regale.

Coffee-grounded cocoa nibs delighted Cocoa Plouffes Mocha Porter, an off-dry medium body contrasting caramelized black chocolate malts with sour-creamed yogurt milking.

Milk-sugared coffee, sweet brown chocolate and brown-sugared oats coalesced to make Coffee Milk Stout the perfect dessert (reviewed fully in Beer Index).

   www.ravenousbrew.com

LAST WAVE BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

Last Wave Brewing's approachable beer is Point Pleasant Beach's 'worst-kept secret' - NJ Indy

POINT PLEASANT, NEW JERSEY

The first brewpub in Point Pleasant, LAST WAVE BREWING COMPANY, opened for business Memorial Day weekend 2017. Specializing in nicely tweaked New England-styled IPA’s, but also well-versed in standard American fare (light and dark ales), Last Wave’s sunset logo welcomes patrons to this nearly intimate glass-windowed and sage green shingled Bay Avenue one-room venue.

Families gather with avid brewheads at sunset on a muggy Friday evening in August ’18 while my wife and I survey the homemade suds. Colorful surfboards, paper lanterns, squiggly acoustic wave designs and Edison lights provide a kitschy beach setting and the ocean blue left wall features a nighttime surfer mural. Community tables and four-stool tables spew across the epoxy-floored pub while the mosaic-wooded rear wall draught handles dispense liquid goodies from the big silver brewtanks located in a separate backroom.

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On tap this weekend were a dozen hand crafted brews. I missed out on Dawn Patrol Guava Gose and A Frame Wheat IPA, but the other ten were top-notch interpretations of standard stylings.

First off, summery light body, Spot Check Golden Ale, let its subtle lemon licks receive grassy hop astringency over doughy pilsner malting.

Nearly as light-bodied,  Flatspell Belgian Wit spreads delicate orange-peeled grains of paradise across wispy coriander-spiced lemondrop tartness and mild grassy hop astringency.

Sharp IPA-like fruiting and woody hop embitterment heighten ‘classic’ copper golden medium body, Layback Pale Ale, an aggressive busker plying seltzer-like lemon spritz to tangy citrus tones, serene caramel malts and distant tea leaf notions.

As for the three rangy India Pale Ales, sunny yellow-hazed medium body, Quiver Hazy IPA, brought pine-lacquered orange rind bittering to the fore as tangy grapefruit, pineapple and mango undertones wavered.

Briskly perfume-musked Green Room Imperial IPA let its lemony yellow grapefruit bitterness and pine-sapped juniper bite overwhelm biscuity Vienna malts.

Eccentric champagne yeast-derived hybrid, Toast To The Coast Brut IPA (a collab with nearby Asbury Park’s Dark City) allowed subtle orange rind, grapefruit pith and pineapple bittering to anchor its dry brut champagne adjunct, gaining weedy hop astringency over doughy pale malts.

Tea-like Red Sky Red Ale rendered brown apple and pear fruiting for mild caramel-chocolate malts and calm citric-pined Cascade hops.

Brusque alcohol-whirred medium-full body, Bay To Bridge Imperial Red Ale, gathered a floral-spiced bouquet to enhance tangy apple, apricot, peach, pear and tangerine illusions above leafy hop oiling.

Toasted coconut chip sweetness endeared Right Coast Coconut Porter, a robust dark ale with dark chocolate-toffee sugaring that’s perfect for dessert.

And there was no denying 5/4 Chocolate Coffee Stout, a full-bodied nightcap reigning in dark-roast coffee bitterness for espresso-milked dark chocolate malts.

Revisiting April ’24 on a sunny Saturday, Last Wave delivered a solid lager, topnotch Scotch ale and two sterling stouts.

Firstly, crisp premium lager, Point Beach, let spritzy lemon salting graze grassy hop astringency above dry pale-malted breading.

Next, dewy peated Scotch whiskey nipped traditional Scotch ale, Cracked Rail, leaving misty orange-tangerine spicing and red apple reluctance atop pale chocolate malting.

Confectionery Over The Bridge (Peanut Butter Cup) contrasted chocolatey peanut buttering and slightly sweet vanilla creaming against searing dark-roast hop bittering.

Prominent dark-roast coffee persistence and bittersweet cacao nibs regaled sumptuous  5/4 Chocolate Coffee Stout, picking up hop-charred nuttiness.

www.lastwavebrewing.com             

SCREAMIN’ HILL BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

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CREAM RIDGE, NEW JERSEY

20 miles west of the northerly Jersey shoreline, SCREAMIN’ HILL BREWERY is nestled inside a large plantation farmhouse way out in the sticks. Entrepreneurial farm brewer, Brett Bullock, opened this rustic aluminum-topped barnyard red brewpub during 2015.

Spread out to include a large outdoor section with benches and barrel seating plus a covered front and side deck, Screamin’ Hill utilizes homegrown barley, wheat, rye and fruits for its rangy beers.

Backroom silver-barreled brew tanks hold the suds served at the American-flagged lacquer wood serving station near the back of the plank-walled interior. A few community tables and a refrigerator with growlers, cans and bottles complete the one-room pub.

On my initial August ’18 sojourn, my wife and I quaff nine homemade offerings and buy a bottle of Screamin’ Hill The Barnyard Project Batch 2 Oatmeal Stout aged in Rye Whiskey (reviewed in Beer Index).

Dewy peat mossing and honeyed tea illusions draped easygoing opener, ESB, a dainty Brit-styled sendup.

Nearly as soft-toned, Golden Gregg & The Ram Chargers, a clear-yellowed golden ale with grassy-hopped lemon rot and herbal remnants contrasting sugar-spiced pale malts.

Nifty American Amber/Irish Red Ale hybrid, Rusty Farmer, let leafy tobacco roast crisping lull into caramel-spiced apple and pear fruiting, picking up mild tea sugaring.

Subtle habanero peppering countered spritzy Calypso-hopped citrus zest for Thrill Hill Blonde Ale, leaving only mild heat on the tongue.

Rosy amber-hued softie, Black Raz Wheat, ransacked its initial candied black raspberry tartness and pallid wheat spine with zestful lemon spritz, debunking its descending berry scheme.

Lemony grapefruit paced Idaho 7-hopped Crop Rotation Single Hop Pale Ale, contrasting its heightened astringency with creamy vanilla malt sweetness.

Murkily golden amber medium body, Desperado IPA, soaked its orange rind bitterness, grapefruit tang and pineapple juicing in honeyed crystal malt sweetness.

Pine-needled yellow grapefruit and orange rind bittering frontloaded bold East Coast-styled Screamin’ Magnolia IPA, allowing zesty Cascade, Citra and Chinook hops to dominate its mild barley-roasted pale malt base.

Pepper-breaded rye spicing gave Rye Bullock IPA a welcome changeup fortified by brisk grapefruit-orange tanginess and leafy hop resin.

Too bad respectable dark ales, cocoa-nibbed Chocolate Porter, and Vanilla Stout, had just finished the day before.

www.screaminhill.com

WEEPING RADISH BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

GRANDY, NORTH CAROLINA

Established in 1986 by Bavarian-born brewer Uli Bennewitz, WEEPING RADISH BREWERY BUTCHERY & PUB originated thirty miles south in Manteo to become North Carolina’s first microbrewery. Now thriving in their new Grandy digs since 2011, the spacious A-framed auqa blue farmhouse includes a wood-furnished pub, dog-friendly front deck, orchard-clad parking lot and gated goat area. Though their beers are staidly conservative and generically formal, the salads and German-styled meat dishes kicked ass.

Crafting mostly German-styled ales at the huge warehouse backspace, Weeping Radish serves the entire East Coast with bottles and cans. Their OBX Beer (a fair Kolsch) has received multiple plaudits (reviewed in Beer Index).

On my mid-July stopover before hitting the Outer Banks beaches, I grabbed worthy one-off, Oyster Bock. Its creamy oyster-shelled salinity added texture and richness to bittersweet black chocolate and cocoa malting as well as dried fig tartness above boggy earthen mossiness.

My wife settled on a pint of Weizen, where lemony mandarin orange outdid stylish banana-clove tartness, herbal chamomile notions and lightly honeyed white wheat sweetness.

PLEASURE HOUSE BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

 Image result for pleasure house brewingImage result for pleasure house brewery

VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

One block from Chesapeake Bay in a well-maintained aquamarine-roofed mini mall, PLEASURE HOUSE BREWING began operations in 2014. Prolific homebrewer, Drew Stephenson, crafts rangy fare running the gamut from simple blonde ale to wattle seed-laden stout.

My wife and I grab seats at the bar (July 2018) where a pastoral earth-toned brick wall features twelve tap handles. Wall-hung surfboards and mounted fish decorate the place and show off Pleasure House’s amiable beach spirit.

The cement -floored space offers one community table and eight dining tables while several brewtanks hide behind the bar. Crowlers and cans are available for takeout.

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Musky wet graining soaked spritzy lemon limed souring for light-bodied G’Suffa Helles Lager, leaving minor herbal spiced restraint upon the crisp finish.

Tingly Belgian-styled lightweight, Shuckers Single Blonde Ale, plied orange-peeled lemon meringue piquancy to honey-spiced pilsner malts and salty herbal notions.

Salted yellow grapefruit piquancy led the way for Glo Belgian Blonde Ale, picking up mild lemon, orange, banana and mango tropicalia.

Blackcurrant tartness boosted hybridized German wheat beer, Melo Currants Hefeweizen, shoving stylistic banana-clove sweetness to the side for currant-bound honey mead wining.

Easygoing NoMoHazeBros Brut IPA (with Simcoe-Amarillo hops) let sparkling Brut champagne effervescence pick up light wood tones to envelop lemony orange-tangerine-grapefruit tanginess.

Duck sauce-like Duckin Saison boasted apricot and ginger adjuncts that serenaded black-peppered green grape wining and mild dry leathering.

Approachably smooth Chardonnay-barreled Light Tower Wine Aged Saison brought light white wine tannins to sour lemon rot and dry barnyard acridity.

Hop-forward Red Mill Seven Red Ale let sharp red-orange fruiting gain caramel-spiced grain toasting. 

Lemony orange, grapefruit, peach, pineapple and tangerine tanginess brightened Rudee Inlet Imperial IPA, a lightly creamed medium body with delicate pale malt sugaring.

Roasted wattle seed boosted OB’s Wattleseed Stout – Nitro, scurrying thru bittersweet cocoa-dried black chocolate malting, peanut-oiled walnut musk and mild hop-charred bittering.

WASSERHUND BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

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VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

Two entrepreneurial Virginia Tech grads, Aaron and Christine Holley, decided to showcase “German Style Brewing with a Beach Kick” and in 2015 started a water dog-named brewery for all the local denizens. On the outskirts of Virginia Beach, WASSERHUND BREWING COMPANY crafts some outstanding homemade Bavarian draught fare to go alongside damn fine artisan pizza and German meats.

A central bar services several wood-metal tables and four outdoor patios beneath an aluminum overhang. Surfboards decorate the ceiling alongside Edison lights while a huge blackboard displays tapped beer list.

My wife and I shared Puggle Pizza (white-sauced feta cheese with bacon, onions and mushrooms) while hanging out, ironically, with our puggle, Roscoe, mid-July 2018.

Mild PureBred Pilsner, a German-styled light body, coalesced grassy-hopped pilsner malting with corn-sugared sweetness and tingly spicing.

A Helles lager with Czech pilsner tendencies, Schutzhund Lager retained dry-hopped herbal pungency, wet-grained dankness and lemon-soured spritz.

Kettle-soured Salty Dog Gose let ground coriander serenade raw-honeyed lager yeast, whereas sharply tart pink-hued Raspberry Salty Dog Gose brought lemony raspberry souring to salt-licked coriander spicing.

Black tea-like Belgian blonde hybrid, German TEArrier, gained dried plum tones and delicate hop spicing.

Soft-toned German Shepheweizen retained lightly creamed vanilla sweetness and distant banana-bubblegum sugaring, leaving wispy herbal nuances in its wake.

Orange blossom-honeyed Summer Fetch Citrus Honey Wheat picked up herbal lemongrass reminders for lemonade-sugared pale wheat malts.

Nifty hop-forward Doggy Paddled IPA, a medium-bodied West Coast version, allowed mild grapefruit and navel orange tang to pick up light lemon souring for contrast against sweet honeyed pale malts.

Breakfast-styled Haywire Husky Coffee Pale Lager offered milk-creamed coffee pleasantries to pale malt dryness in an understated manner.

Casual nightcap, Bitchin’ Bacon Stout, draped mild bacon-smoked fattiness upon chocolate-milked cocoa fudging and peanut-charred whims.

DEADLINE BREWING PROJECT

United States Brewpubs,

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VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

In a humble mid-space at the Seashore Shops in Virginia Beach, DEADLINE BREWING PROJECT began slinging suds September 2017 (and closed in 2022). Diligent head brewer, Darrell Cuenca, crafts rangy small-batch elixirs that tickle his fancy. Currently utilizing plastic fermentation tanks as of my first visit, July ’18, Cuenca’s crisply clean fare matches the pristine surroundings of its nuevo modern Industrial white-leathered chairs and inviting living room comfort.

Deadline’s L-shaped 15-seat bar includes six taps and a refrigeration unit. A right side community table fills up with noon time patrons. Exquisite quotes from scribes Hunter S. Thompson and Thomas Wolf are painted on the left wall alongside quips from respected newsmen Edward R. Morrow, Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings.

Stylishly robust Pacer Blonde Ale placed desiccated orange spicing and mellow passionfruit tartness across hard wood tones, finishing light with dry pilsner-malted spelt and oats graining.

Dryly coniferous medium-bodied IPA allowed crystalline-watered crisping to truly capture the tangy pineapple-mango-tangerine subtleties and hard-candied lemondrop sugaring overriding the sweet pale malt setting.

A unique hybridized collaboration with local brewers’ Wasserhund, Back Bay, Home Republic and Gordon Biersch, Erd Beer IPA brought yogurt-soured lactose and tart strawberry to the fore as lemon-limed bittering gained influence alongside Hallertau Blanc-hopped green grape esters.

Zesty Calamondin lime brightened Amelita Calamansi Shandy, and orange-pineapple-candied soda alternative bettering most of its gimmicky summertime competition.

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LOST COLONY BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

MANTEO, NORTH CAROLINA

Formerly Full Moon Cafe, protruding red brick complex, LOST COLONY BREWERY, began brewing operations during 2011. One of the premier restaurants on sportsman’s haven, Roanoke Island, in the bay town of Manteo, its three separate entities come together as one full-fledged cafe, restaurant and beer haven.

First, there’s the shaded wraparound patios surrounding the front entrance and side street. Next, a casual left side Pub with eight-seat bronze-topped serving station, five laminated wood tables, colorful homebrew logo t-shirts, three TV’s and nautical paraphernalia appeals to seasoned brewhounds.

A cafe-styled family dining area with six-seat mahogany bar, six small tables and beautiful sea blue ceiling (with choice pub fare emanating from the back kitchen) marks the cozy interior.

Since Lost Colony’s former brew room (inside the Pub) became too crowded, a few years back operations moved offsite to southwest fishing village, Stumpy Point. Newcomers should check out Lost Colony’s funny Youtube commercials.

On my initial July ’18 dinnertime journey, my wife enjoyed hummus and steak quesadillas while I chowed down seared tuna. Staying close to standard stylistic recipes, each of the eight calculated brews available matched or exceeded expectations.

Briskly carbolic Lost Colony Kitty Hawk Blonde’s yellow fruit spicing picked up musky herbal hop astringency to contrast its crisp barley roast and caramel-toasted sourdough base.

Simple dry moderation, Stumpy Point Pale Ale, slung tangy yellow grapefruit zest at peppery herbs.

Sweet tea-like Irish red ale, Hatteras Red, retained caramel-malted barley sweetness and crisp tobacco roast. Similarly, tea-sugared Kill Devil Hills Scotch Ale tossed toffee-like caramel malts at distant honeyed fruiting.

Despite its muskier earthen hop bittering and biscuity pale malt base, Brit-styled Nags Head IPA seemed suspiciously Americanized as floral orange-peeled grapefruit tropicalia and whispering pine tones came forward.

Musty earthen nuttiness rallied Raleigh Buxton Brown Ale, a dry English-styled moderation with spicy pale-chocolate malting.

Irish-styled dry body, Charon Stout, tossed molasses-spiced brown chocolate and dark cocoa at latent fig-date illusions.

Soft-toned carafa-chocolate malting marked Holy Hand Grenade Of Antioch Imperial Stout, scattering recessive hazelnut-sugared dried fruiting on the light mocha finish.

BOLD MARINER BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

 Image result for bold mariner brewing

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA

Inside a gray aluminum warehouse off the beaten path in Norfolk’s Old Dominion University area, BOLD MARINER BREWING COMPANY came to fruition during November 2015. Owner Michael Starks, A former Navy officer, and head brewer, John O’Reilly, take a few good chances crafting stylistically whimsical elixirs.

A large overhead-doored American flag proudly beams down at the wood-lacquered J-shaped bar and standard community tables . Glass-encased brew tanks peak out from the cement-floored bar area. A gated picnic area, large beergarden and private party room offer plenty of extra seating.

I try all ten available samples on my initial July ’18 afternoon sojourn. Unlike most brewpubs, Bold Mariner concentrated on making lagers as well as ales.

Fair maize-dried Middle Light Lager brought corn-husked astringency to mild rice niceties and sweet floral accents, suiting only blue collar thirsts.

A better lager choice, Lafayette French Lager had subtly spiced citrus zing that went sour with lemon-rotted orange desiccation.

Just as worthy, easygoing Frogman Lager relegated dry floral earthiness and grassy hop bittering for its mineral grained toasting.

Floral hibiscus serenity hybridized Fete de la Mer Hibiscus Wheat, a salty lemon-soured moderate-medium body contrasting mellow yellow grapefruit and lemon meringue tartness against less prominent Belgian candi-sugaring.

Lemony grapefruit-soured Scurvy Dog Saison relegated blanched strawberry-grapefruit illusions and distant herbal notions.

Sessionable Bold Dominion Pale Ale saddled lemon-spiced grapefruit and orange tanginess with caramelized pale malting.

Dry Baja Coffee Pale Ale placed medium-roast coffee inside crisp pale malting, proving perfect as a breakfast alternative.

Middling dry-bodied moderation, Red Maiden Irish Red, placed toasted caramel malting alongside spicy apple-peach-orange jaunt.

Floral-fruited Dog Zebra IPA gave pine-dried yellow grapefruit and orange rind bittering a zesty lemon spritz.

Sweet toffee malts and floral hop spicing girded bittersweet tropical fruit sharpness for bold medium-bodied Liberty Risk Imperial IPA.

BENCHTOP BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA

At a dead end street just off bustling Colley Avenue, Norfolk’s uniquely rewarding BENCHTOP BREWING does a fine job re-creating, reimagining and Americanizing the crisply clean mineral-watered splendor of old-styled Norwegian-styled ales. Boasting “hop-forward ales harmoniously blending scientific approach and artistic freedom” using local ingredients, this spacious red-bricked pub will please any serious hophead as well as lighter thirsts with its crystalline IPA’s and provocative stylistic changeups.

An orange-lettered Benchtop sign welcomes thirsty minions to the 12-seat wood lacquered bar that includes five left-windowed community tables, eight-plus draught handles, railroad-tied bar backdrop, exposed ducts and one TV. A few metal-furnished front patio seats are also available out front and to the side.

Seated at one of the metal-backed patio seats with my wife, I sampled seven happily hybridized suds mid-July ’18.

Musty cellar-like Norwegian yeast inundated Gong Session IPA as well as Gong Water – Citra IPA. The former regaled mild grapefruit and orange rind bitterness that contrasted candied peach, pineapple and mango spicing while its fizzy lemon lime spritz gained momentum alongside Hallertau-hopped white grape esters.

The latter Gong benefited from juicy Citra hops and dank earthen wood musk as its floral-spiced grapefruit rind, orange peel, pineapple and mango tang spread across mild pine resin.

Lemony passionfruit guided Hazing Face Galaxy Pale Ale, a soft-toned moderation with floral-spiced tangerine, mandarin orange and grapefruit tanginess gaining wispy herbal nuances.

Straightforward Proven Theory IPA let brisk orange-peeled lemon rind and juicy grapefruit gain pungent yellow-wooded juniper bittering and desiccated mango, pineapple and peach undertones.

Adding a little sourness to the mix, Juicy Thoughts Double IPA allowed bitter lemon rot to ransack sunny grapefruit, peach and tangelo tanginess as well as mild piney hop resin.

Foraged oyster shells brought viscosity to salty lemon-limed Mermaid’s Scorn Oyster Gose, a sweet-tart coriander-spiced moderation with lactobacillus souring gaining vinous white grape esters.

For dessert, Walter’s Brunch Coffee Chocolate Maple Porter draped maple sap across roasted coffee, milked espresso, chalky chocolate and dried cocoa illusions.

BEARDED BIRD BREWING

United States Brewpubs,

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA

At Norfolk’s artsy Neon District, BEARDED BIRD BREWING crafts well-rounded Americanized versions of several standard beer styles. Open since May 13, 2017 (and closed around 2022), manager Matt Harte and brewer Joe Cloonan help guide the delightful l’il nanobrewery.

Beneath a generic black and white Bearded Bird sign, patrons enter the high-ceilinged one-room pub to find a 10-seat L-shaped bar, gorgeous black serpent queen mural and front-windowed community tables. Its unfinished warehouse feel is increased by the aluminum-roofed back patio (with metal furnishings).

My wife and I visited during a hot Friday evening, July ’18.

Smooth ‘core beer, Angry Aly Amber, allowed yellow fruited spicing to brighten the front end above mild leafy-hopped grain roast and nutty remnants.

‘Sunny’ Clean Cut Canary Cream Ale let its sweet orange tang coerce raw-honeyed lemon rot souring over toasted wheat malts.

Sour-creamed White Flag Vanilla Cream Ale offered lemon meringue tartness and mild vanilla bean sugaring to grassy hop astringency.

Ginga Ninja Honey Ginger Saison raised ginger and honey adjuncts above lemon rot souring and leathery barnyard acridity.

Vibrant The NEON IPA saddled lemony grapefruit and orange-peeled tangerine tanginess with dry piney hop resin and floral-spiced herbage.

Milk-sugared Big Trouble coffee beans lifted Early Bird Hazelnut Stout as hazelnut sweetness and chocolate-spiced vanilla fudging edged out toasted hop crisping.

Similarly-styled 1st Anniversary celebrator, Early Bird In Russian Stout, brought sweet-milked hazelnut coffee to dark chocolate, cocoa and carafe malts as well as tertiary black cherry and black licorice snips, picking up a peppery nuance over time.

 

WESTTOWN BREW WORKS

United States Brewpubs,

Image result for west town brewing

WESTTOWN, NEW YORK

A virtual retreat away from the suburban sprawl of Rockland County and beyond New York City, Orange County’s WESTTOWN BREW WORKS came to life in rural seclusion during 2015 (and temporarily closed 2024). Built within the confines of a mountainous canyon in the tiny hamlet of West Town (a few miles northeast of Warwick’s bohemian village) this wood-furnished gray barnyard really soaks up the peaceful pastoral serenity of the rustic rolling hills.

On a beautiful sunny Sunday in July (2018), me and the wife (with dog in tow) enjoy some live acoustic music while sitting at one of the many patio tables perched outside the green aluminum-topped brewery.

Inside, the high-ceilinged venue, the elongated wood bar features tap handles below sidled American flags guarding the blackboard beer menu. Interestingly, Westtown’s also a hop farm.

We tried all five currently available brews while the music played pristinely in the backdrop.

First up, soft Belgian farmhouse ale, Wit Tail, laced subtle orange-peeled coriander sweetness with mild white wheat malts, picking up wispy mandarin orange, tangerine and grapefruit illusions.

Next, lemony orange-peeled moderation, Solar Scar Tripel, sweetened over time as its candi-sugared caramel malting and mild vanilla creaming came thru.

Approachable Farmhand India Pale Ale brought easygoing floral-spiced grapefruit, orange and pineapple tanginess to the fore as its mild piney bittering gained light hop peppering.

Sedately nut-charred Scouts Recipe Brown Ale provided walnut, peanut and hazelnut tones for its toffee setting.

Lastly, Shoo-Fly Dry Irish Stout retained moderately dry black chocolate bittering and muted brown-sugared molasses sweetness.

www.westtownbrewworks.com