FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY

Moving from its mall-bound digs in Raritan to a sterling gray aluminum-sided Flemington warehouse fourteen miles west in January 2020, CONCLAVE BREWING has seen an increasing demand for their crisp elixirs since getting licensed five years hence.

Conclave now joins Lone Eagle as a Flemington brewery fixture. Several community tables dot the midsized Edison light-fixtured pub space. The marbleized amber concrete floor glazes the interior and the compact serving station features at least sixteen tap handles. The large high-ceilinged left room brew tanks climb towards the sky and further expansion in this gargantuan microbrew space seems inevitable.

On my February ’20 stopover, I enjoyed four previously untried goodies.

Perfectly centrist flagship, Gravitational Waves New England IPA, posted a punctual tropical fruit-spiced Galaxy-Citra-Mosaic hop blend that allows mild floral pining to soak into juicy grapefruit, pineapple, mango, orange and peach zesting.

Floral-perfumed citrus zest brightened Taiji IPA, as mildly creamed crystal malting glazed crisply clean yellow grapefruit-embittered orange tanginess.

Heady dark candi-sugared quad, Artaban Belgian Dark Ale, received a spicy dried fruited barrage of golden raisin, plum, prune and dark cherry.

On the dark side, bittersweet cocoa nibs and vanilla beans enhanced Liquid Velvet Imperial Porter, pervading its syrupy dark chocolate malting with decadent delight.