SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT
During Italian Festival in the southern Hartford County town of Southington, my wife and I visited WITCHDOCTOR BREWING COMPANY early Saturday evening, July ’24. We grabbed seats at the lacquered wood bar to enjoy nine stylistically diverse concoctions while a band at the outdoor stage played Italian love songs for the minions out on the streets and sidewalks of the friendly fest.
Taking up a part of a mammoth red brick warehouse, Witchdoctor’s old plank wood floors and ceiling, low-lying exposed pipes, large-bulbed Edison lights and metal chairs provided a proper Industrial feel.
There were 20-plus draught handles and sidling TV’s at the bar and a small stage to the side while a billiards table adds elegance.
Soft-toned bohemian pilsner, Mustache Queen, brought fizzy lemon seltzer to musty mineral graining and slight vegetal herbage.
Sweet corn-sugared lemon spritzing picked up mild spicing for Mic Czech Pilsner, inviting floral herbal mustiness.
Easygoing dry-hopped golden ale, Love Is Blonde, let sugary lemon spicing and spry redcurrant-gooseberry tartness reach crystal pilsner malting.
Enchanting Monk’s Hood Saison spread Chardonnay buttering across lemon meringue, orange marmalade and floral rosebud daubs above salty barnyard graining.
Brisk dry-hopped NEIPA, Space Sheep, merged sharp grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering with sweetly soured guava-gooseberry swipes in lacquered pine surroundings.
Puckered lemon souring exceeded vanilla-creamed orange tang of Dreamsicle Orange Creamsicle Sour, spreading moderate lime rind acidity on the backend.
Slightly divergent oatmeal amber ale, Paupers Porridge, coalesced maple molasses sugaring with glazed hazelnut, roasted chestnut and dried cocoa subtleties plus a sweet cigar ash remnant.
Luscious chocolate coconut stout, Kick In The Coconuts, draped bourbon-spiced brown chocolate syrup over toasted coconut sweetness, picking up lovely creme brulee, coconut caramel butter cake and marzipan illusions.
Creamy oatmeal stout, Oat To Joy, led dark chocolate bittering thru sweet maple oats, subtle hazelnut-walnut snips and crisp tobacco roast.