NATICK, MASSACHUSETTS

Just 20 miles west of Boston in the bucolic town of South Natick, Belkin Family’s LOOKOUT FARM BREWING COMPANY resides at the front building of a historic multifaceted farm. Fruit orchids, gardens, farm animals and a redwood stable selling goods are only some of the highlighted features making this reliable agricultural venue so attractive.

In 2014, the Belkin’s opened a cidery that then expanded to include a brewery by 2017. The warm A-frame tasting room (with beautiful coppertop bar and Ford tractor grill tap handles) connects to a spacious family-styled greenhouse.

Brewer Aaron Mateychuk (formerly of defunct Walthan brewery, Watch City) designs stylishly diverse brews listed at the chalkboard along with four ciders. 4-pack cans of each draught selection are also available in the side refrigerator.

After perusing Boston’s Freedom Fest the day before, I took Freedom Leaf editor Steve Bloom and his buddy, Tom, to Lookout to enjoy a sunny Sunday afternoon, September ’18.

Sweet blue cornmeal positively affected Czex Mex Blue Corn Mexican Lager, a hybridized light body with sweet tangerine contrasting bitter grapefruit.

Salty kettle-soured guava and tangerine tartness permeated limey gose-like So Many Silos, a spritzy Seltzer-like moderation with mild cider and lemon snips.

Wood-toned citrus tones imbued Hold Your Horses Northeast IPA, underpinning its grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering with mild peach sweetness.

Off-dry tropical medium body, Dashboard Double IPA, let grapefruit, orange, pineapple and mango juicing soak up its oily piney hop bittering.

Candi-sugared Back Door Belgian Triple heaped corn syrupy caramel malts upon whiskeyed cherry tones.

Soft-tongued dark-roast coffee and charred walnut dominated First Cut American Stout, a robust full body with ancillary wood-burnt espresso, Blackstrap molasses and dark cocoa illusions.

www.lookoutfarmbrewing.com