EASTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Inside a cavernous maroon-paneled, stone-walled farmhouse with twin grain silos at the back patio deck, FOOT HILLS BREWERY opened in 2014. Its natural yellow pine furnishings, A-framed Crawford ceiling and tree-cut bar top bring a natural bucolic warmth to this large countryside pub.

Entering from the cozy front deck, the 15-seat L-shaped bar features 20-plus taps and to the left is a small stage area for local bands. A Barnes Aquifier System is used for the crisp underground well water.

Leaning heavy on the India Pale Ales and bringing European tradition to its lager-pilsners, Foot Hills does a great job getting the most out of each stylistic brew.

Straightforward Czech-styled Hera Pils let light grain malt sweetness slip inside herbal grassy hop astringency in a pleasantly easygoing manner.

Delicate Saaz hop herbal musk and earthen grain dew soaked Branch Manager Pilsner, a dry German-styled moderation.

Mildly creamed hefeweizen, Vice Beer, gathered banana-clove-bubblegum sweetness for its honeyed Graham Cracker wheat sugaring and tart lemon spritz.

Dried fruit spicing ensconced Love Thy Neighbor Dopplebock, as fig-sugared prune, plum and raisin illusions rode alongside desiccated orange tartness over light Vienna malting.

Easygoing Farmers Fresh Session IPA gave its crisply clean lemony grapefruit tang a light vanilla-creamed crystal malting that sweetened above grassy herbal hop restraint.

Juicy yellow grapefruit tanginess dominated brisk summertime moderation, G-Fresh Grapefruit IPA, staying mellow as mandarin orange, clementine and lemon meringue wisps gather below.

Zesty lemony grapefruit and dry wood-toned pale malts headed Fresh Pick New England IPA, a clean-watered moderate-medium body utilizing Simcoe-Mosaic-Citra hops to gain dainty orange, peach, pineapple and tangerine illusions to push forward its sunny grapefruit thrust.

Another grapefruit-empowered Imperial IPA, Jigsaw Jazz, let dry-hopped Citra juicing break out zesty grapefruit rind, pith and peel bittering complemented by lemony mandarin orange, tangerine and tangelo illusions.

Lively lemon licks brightened spritzy Checkmate Chuck Imperial IPA, picking up mild lychee, white grape and honeydew nips to offset its subtle grassy-hopped resinous pine bittering.

Refreshingly sea-salted gose, The Pianist, gained lightly acidic lime peel bittering and sour lemon briskness and will please wild ale fans. 

Dark chocolate and iced coffee fronted delicately oak-aged Bill The Butcher Imperial Stout, a surprisingly dry departure with earthen dew mustiness and soured wort graining leveling off the mocha expectancy.

Cocoa-enriched Tim’s Udderly Milk Stout plied dark chocolate syruping to mildly spiced dried fruiting, leaving light-roast coffee, molasses, toffee and hazelnut illusions in its wake.

forthillbrewery.com