WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS
Magnanimously cavernous mall-bound 30-barrel brewhouse, MIGHTY SQUIRREL BREWING CO. opened for biz on December 7th, 2018. A pristine 24,000 square-foot corner space including a 40-draught main bar taproom, 20-draught club-styled stage room and tea-lit and lawn-chaired side deck (with food truck), the glass-windowed, epoxy-floored social drinking establishment may be sizable, but never ostentatiously so.
The massive left side L-shaped main bar (with cornered couch lounge) sidles the glass-encased silver brew tanks and canning line while the ample right side seating towards the stage showcases a glass-enclosed rock climbing wall. At the far left back, bottles-to-go are available beneath the illuminated orange squirrel insignia.
A fine soulful band plays Mighty Squirrel this cold Friday evening, December ’19, on the outskirts of Boston.
I tried six of the twelve tapped offerings while perusing the commodious digs.
Dry grain-husked musk and dark floral Noble-hopped herbage front crisply clean Helles Lager, Munick, leaving lemon licks upon its astringent back end.
Candi-sugared dried fruiting consumed Monk’s Choir Belgian Quad, leaving sweet fig, raisin and date illusions to further sweeten its toffee-spiced caramel malting and subtle rum, bourbon and brandy snips.
‘Vibrant’ Milkshake IPA, Peach Smoovy, brought lactic milk sugaring to abrupt peach juicing and light vanilla bean creaming while contrasting vodka-nipped piney hops and orange-peeled grapefruit bittering over delicate oats-flaked malting.
Pumpkin pie-spiced Gourdgeous Pumpkin, benefited from yam-candied nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom seasoning speckling dry pale malts in fine fashion.
Creamy cocoa nibs and milk-sugared cold brew coffee regale rich mocha stout, Velvet Moon, a soothing full body with wood-seared hop char contrasting tertiary maple oats, vanilla bourbon, anise and tar illusions.
For dessert, splendid Imperial Stout, Mississippi Mud Pie, melded sweet brown chocolate malting to milk-sugared coffee, bourbon vanilla and anise illusions above maple molasses oats to counter wood-burnt hop char at charming mocha finish.