Category Archives: Brewery Reviews

Sly Fox Brewing

June 18, 2015Beer Events, Brewery Reviews@jerseyfreshale, @SlyFoxBeer, Flying Fish 5K, Fox Trot 5K, Great American Brewery Runs, Sly Fox Brewing, Yard's Dashgeekybeergal

Sly Fox Brewing Fox Trot – May 30, 2015
331 Circle of Progress Drive, Pottstown, PA 19464

One of this Gal’s goals for 2015 is to run all 3 Great American Brewery Runs Races or at least walk all three. Last year a couple of my gal pals and I participated in the Flying Fish 5k which happened to take place on one of the HOTTEST days of the year yet, we still had such a good time we decided try for the trilogy this year.

Now allow me to clear up any misconceptions you may have that I’m a runner. I am not…at all! Ok, I have run a couple of 5K’s and mud runs in the past but it’s been a while since I ran so from the time I registered for this race I had plans to walk it. I enjoy challenging myself but I also want to have fun and I was in this for the fun and the beer. That’s right each racer gets a special race glass filled with beer at the end of the race! Oh and the races raise money for charity – a win for all!

First up on the Great American Brewery Runs schedule for 2015 the Sly Fox Brewing Fox Trot at the Sly Fox Brewery. I had only ever been to the Sly Fox Brewhouse in Phoenixville, PA and not to the Brewery itself so I was excited to finally be able to check it out. After being to both I prefer the atmosphere and character of the brewery.

Race Day! Believe me when I say after last year’s ungodly heat at the Flying Fish race I was watching the weather closely. It was scheduled to be hot but thank goodness cloudy. At least the sun wouldn’t be blaring down on us. The brewery was a solid hour and fifteen minutes away so an early morning start was required. We arrived at the brewery on schedule, 8:30am, to pick up our race packets and to get a feel for the lay of the land.

The brewery is located in an industrial park not far from houses and surprisingly a fair amount trees and grassy areas. Right next to the brewery parking lot was a large grass field where the band and food trucks for the event set up. It made for a great place for people to kick back and relax after the race. That’s right this is a relaxed party atmospher – you just have the pesky race to run first.

After picking up our packets and pinning on our bibs it was time to check out the brewery. Outside there are several picnic tables with umbrellas to sit and inside there are also a few picnic tables plus a long bar. On this day there were no bar stools but I’m not sure if that’s the norm or because of the large event. Besides their beer they also offer a small food menu with flatbreads, salads and nachos. I didn’t try any of their food but it looked tasty.

After checking things out we choose a picnic table outside to sit and relax at until race time. Folks came around prior to the start of the race to place our 21+ wrist bands on so we wouldn’t have to wait after the race for an id check to get our beer. As we sat waiting for race time the food trucks started arriving and setting up. The three of us were hungry so with each food truck arrival we got excited and couldn’t wait to get something to eat after the race.

Race Time! Finally it was time to make our was to the start line. It was hot but fortunately still cloudy out. Until just a couple of minutes before the race started then the clouds parted and the BLARING sun shown in all it’s blazing glory. NOOOOO! Immediately the temperature rose and every one started sweating just standing there. Oh this race just became so much longer. Suddenly we were off!

The Course – now if you’re thinking because it’s a brewery run the event planners choose a flat easy course you are wrong. This course was full of hills, lots of hills and road kill. Seriously folks clean up the road kill prior to the race. It’s not like these poor critters had just passed it was obvious they had been there a long while – eww.

Slowly I made my way up every hill and was ecsatic when I reached the water station which meant I was have way through the race and closer to beer! Whoo hoo cause by this point it was stinking hot.

Finish Line! There it was the finish line and water. I crossed the line and asked for two bottles please. Hey, I was toward the back so must folks already received their water and they had plenty left for those behind me and well, I needed two. The guy informed me I could always refill my bottle at the water refilling station. Yup, I was aware of the filling station prior to the start of the race but I was also aware this station was set up right next to the port a potties and the location was gross and the set up not really sanitary. So I wanted two bottles and enjoyed them both immensely.

The Party – I met up with my friends, they’re runners so they finished way before me, enjoyed my first bottle of water and headed over to the beer line. The line was long but moved supper quick. Not only did each racer get a beer but we also received a cool koozie. If you registered as a team of 10 or me you also received a growler.

Each racer received a glass of Grisette Working Class Ale 5.6% (2014 GABF Gold Medal Winner). Super psyched that it was a farmhouse ale they were serving. Perfect style for an end of race beer. This one had the farmhouse standards that I love, earthy bread, coriander and citrus.

Next we needed food, only we no longer found the different food truck options as appealing as we did prior to the race. We were hot now and heavy, rich food just wasn’t going to cut it. Plenty of folks enjoyed the pork parfait, fried cheese curds and such but the three of us opted for a quinoa chickpea patty. It was good, not heavy and filled us. Luckily there were plenty of spots in the shaded picnic table area for us to relax at and enjoy our sandwich.

It was also time for another beer. I chose the Abbey Extra Belgian Pale Ale 5.7% – clean, crisp malty beer with hints of spice and fruit. Normally I would prefer a little more body to an Abbey but this was perfect for the hot day.

After finishing up our beers it was time to head back home. Unfortunately, the brewery wasn’t allowing any take out purchases on this day understandable but disappointing. However, overall a fun day!

Next up the 2015 Flying Fish 5K and I hope they announce a date soon for the Yard’s Dash!

Side note: So far I’ve found these Great American Brewery Runs to be well organized with plenty of water, bananas and pretzels at the end of the race course and a sufficient amount of port of potties for the racers to use.

Neshaminy Creek Brewing

March 5, 2015Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviews@NCBCBeer, Brewery, Croydon, Local, Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co., PAgeekybeergal

Neshaminy Creek Brewing
909 Ray Avenue, Croydon, PA 19021
215.458.7081 Twitter – @NCBCBeer

Neshaminy Creek Brewing was the 2nd stop on the snowy day brewery tour. This gal was pretty excited to finally visit this brewery since from day one they have been hitting it out of the ball park with styles and quality of beer they’ve been brewing.

The Brewery is located in an industrial park and once you enter their is a small gift shop to the left (former tasting room) and large tasting area with brewery to the right that includes foosball, pool, air hockey and multiple arcade games (if only they had centipedes…sigh) for all to enjoy. On this particular day several families were there and the kids were happily entertained with the game tables while the parents got to sit back and relax with a beer. There’s also a large projector that plays off the wall, picnic tables and a long bar to enjoy your beer at. (a.ka. this is a cool place to hang out)

There were plenty of open picnic tables spots on this fine wintery day but my companions and I decided to take up residence at the bar. The bartender was very friendly, helpful and knowledgable about the beer – a win win in this Gal’s book. As I was trying to make my beer selection I noticed just how extremely reasonably priced the beers are ranging from $4 to $6 and they offer a large variety of styles as well.

Of course, this Gal decided to go for a taster round. I knew I wanted the Tripel and both stouts but wasn’t sure about the 4th selection so I asked the bartender to choose for me.

L to R: JAWN, Triple, Coconut Mud Stout, Mud Stout

My flight…

J.A.W.N. Juicy Ale With Nugget – American Pale Ale 5.2%
Not a style I would typically choose for myself but so glad the bartender chose this as my 4th. This a very fresh beer oozing with hop aromas and flavors accented by tropical fruit, citrus and malts. Truly a thirst quencher. I have to say the Pale Ales and IPA’s are growing on me.

Tribute Tripel – Belgian Tripel 9.3% – A tasteful blend of citrus, coriander and subtle malt undertones that is wonderfully smooth without the punch of drinking a high alcohol beer.

Coconut Mudbank Milk Stout 7.2% – This is a wonderful concoction of chocolate, coffee and coconut that resembles a chocolate coconut Easter egg without the surgery sweetness overload.

Mudbank Milk Stout 6.5% – YUM! Same wonderful chocolate, coffee & malty goodness of the Coconut Mudbank minus the coconut. Yes, this Gal loved it.

Tasted the Churchville Lager 4.9% This is a GABF Gold Medal winner and I understand why. It’s a flavorful lager that instantly transports one to the heart of Germany.

Also had a small taste of that days Hand Pump Offering – County Line IPA 6.6% – Wow, has that fresh crisp grapefruit punch that I’m really starting to appreciate and enjoy. Plus, I love trying what’s offered on a hand pump.

After the taster round I decided to indulge with a glass of their Concrete Pillow Barleywine 12.7% – Truly a sipping beer that I would have preferred to be served more on the room temperature side of things – a bit too chilled for me. Temperature aside this is a wonderful beer that has the bourbon undertones that I just love with hints of herbal earthiness, dark fruits and hints of hops.

I find this brewery to be an exciting one to watch. They were established in 2010 and have come so far so quickly. I have enjoyed every offering I’ve tried by Neshaminy Creek Brewing whether at the brewery or off site at a bar. This Gal looks forward to seeing what’s next for this crew!

Broken Goblet Brewery

March 1, 2015Beer Reviews, Brewery Reviews@BrokenGobletPA, Brewery, Bristol, Broken Goblet, Local, Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co., PAgeekybeergal

Broken Goblet
1500 Grundy Lane, Bristol, PA 19007
Keystone Industrial Park
Twitter @BrokenGobletPA

Snowy day be damed it wasn’t keeping this Gal and her crew from enjoying the local beer scene. Stop one on our mini brewery tour was Broken Goblet. The snow didn’t seem to stop anyone else either the place filled up quickly!

This brewery is small but mighty offering up 7 interesting beers on tap. My companions and I split a full tasting round that was served on a nifty goblet tray. The taster had something for everyone and even the none beer drinker found two beers to her enjoyment!

Broken Goblet has warm welcoming feeling to it that resembles hanging out in your friend’s cool basement bar turned up a notch with fairly lights, small stage for bands/movie night, a few high top tables, a small but inviting bar and towards the back of the building the brewery. They offer a small food menu as well, when a food truck isn’t out front of the establishment. The staff is friendly, knowledge and accommodating and yeah the geek in me LOVED the bartender’s Star Wars shoes! Star Wars themes shoes – seriously it doesn’t get any better!

Taster Round consisted of:
Bubba’s Tea Bag 5.9% – This is an interesting beer with some earthy hints to it but too sweet for this Gal’s taste. However, my sis enjoyed it and, well, I really never see her enjoy a beer. Score one for B.G.

Cream Ale – extremely light body with a mix of citrus and yeast that finished clean. Again, Sis, finished it off. Score two for B.G.

Angry Troll Amber 7.1%
I’ve always been one to enjoy a good amber and this was no exception – well done with a good balance of roasted malts and subtle hops.

The Fall of Ryesengard Black Rye 6.6%
Right off the bat – love the name. Me and rye beers have a tricky relationship. I appreciate them but rarely want to drink them. However, this rye was tasty. You certainly taste the rye but it doesn’t overpower the roasted malts, hints of pine or the hops.

Old Toby Belgium Pale Ale with Basil 5.5% – I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this one but it works. The basil helps to balance and compliment the hops without being overpowering.

Russian Imperial Stout – Of course this was my favorite Broken Goblet selection but not only did I enjoy it but my none stout buddy enjoyed it as well. It has everything I love about a stout – roasted malts, cocoa, caramel and dark fruit but with a bit lighter mouth feel to it.

Deep Impact IPA 9.6%
I enjoyed this Imperial IPA but that’s because there wasn’t the usual abudance of hops one associates with an IPA. I’d be curious for a true Hop Head’s opinion of this beer.

Next up – stop two on the mini local brewery tour – Neshaminy Creek Brewing.

Side note: As a strong believer in giving back/lending a helping hand to our fellow humans and fur friends I strongly appreciate when breweries do the same. I found these guys to do just that which adds to the whole beer experience. Thanks guys!

Spellbound Brewing

January 7, 2015Beer Reviews, Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviews@Spellboundbrew, Breweries, Mt Holly, NJ, Spellbound Brewerygeekybeergal

Spellbound Brewing, Mt. Holly, NJ
http://www.spellboundbrewing.com
https://www.facebook.co
/spellboundbrew
Twitter – @Spellboundbrew

Right away I knew I was going to like this place. The entrance, even though in a warehouse facility, is inviting and makes you feel like you are entering someplace special that has an ethereal/mystical feel to it. Once inside you notice all the fabulous wood including bottle shaped flight trays carved from wood, fairy lights and very cool tap handles.

The tasting room is a nice size with a long bar, several high top tables and railings along the wall for gathering at. Only down side is the lack of seating. Two stools at the bar for the entire tasting room? If there had been seating I feel confident in saying people would stay longer.

Of course this Gal went for a Taster Round. Now I love porters but even I was a bit surprised that 4 out of the six beers on tap were porters. My companion and I were hoping to have a bit more variation in styles to try.

Session Porter 4.5%
Lighter body but still full of flavor. Makes for a nice easy drinking porter.

Porter 6.9%
Full body with just the right balance bitter chocolate with roasted coffee..

Palo Santo Wood Aged Porter 6.9%
Good mix of chocolate, vanilla and anise with hints of a few other herbs.

Coconut Palo Santo Porter 6.9%
Coconut + chocolate = liquid mounds bar without being overly sweet. Very well done and quite yummy.

Also, had a sip of my friends:
Peach 2X IPA 7.5%
Well, I have a thing about peach flavored beverages so this didn’t go over well with me. It’s all I tasted so that was that.

IPA 6.5%
Piney hops mixed with malts make for a pleasant drinking experience.

I look forward to revisiting Spellbound Brewing and watching them grow into their full potential. After all they are off to a great start.

Note they are located just 2 miles from Village Idiot Brewing which makes for a fun little beer tasting excursion.

Village Idiot Brewing

December 29, 2014Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviews@_Village_Idiot_, Mt Holly, NJ, Village Idiot Brewinggeekybeergal

Village Idiot Brewing, Mt. Holly, NJ
http://villageidiotbrewing.com
42 High Street, Mt. Holly, NJ 08060
https://www.facebook.com/VillageIdiotBrewing
Twitter – @_Village_Idiot_

Villiage Idiot Brewing is located in the heart of Mt. Holly which has a quaint small town amtosphere. Upon entering the brewery you feel as if you’re entering a cozy restaurant/bar with lots of dark wood, tables and and a nice little bar area. One can bring in food from outside so it’s easy to make an afternoon of it at Village Idiot. Great atmosphere for a relaxing afternoon of sipping their beer while enjoying a kick butt game of scrabble.

There were four beers on a tap the day I visited and, of course, I had to try each of them.

Bridgetown Blonde Ale 4.8%
Not what I come to expect form a blonde but than again I find this style can really vary. This particular blond tasted young to me with yeast and wheat notes. Not the smoothest rendition of the style.

Punk O’Lantern 6.5%
Very good pumpkin offering with just the right amount of spices without being overwhelming. The spices were accented by touches of caramel, malts and just a touch of earthiness.

Revolutionary Rye 6%
Nailed It! I’m not the biggest Rye fan but I can appreciate when the style is done right. It has the graininess one associates with a Rye with an underlying softness of spices and a mild bitter finish.

Bike Rail Pale Ale 5.3%
This was my favorite beer of the visit day and I’m not typically a Pale Ale Gal. The hops were definitely there but without being overpowering which allowed the grapefruit/citrus flavors to shine through.

Village Idiot is still young and I look forward to visiting again and seeing how their beers develop and mature.

Note they are located just 2 miles from Spellbound Brewing which makes for a fun little beer tasting excursion.

Long Valley Pub & Brewery

October 15, 2014Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviews, Brewpub Reviews@Brewpubnj, Fall Outing, Long Valley Pub & Brewery, New Jersey Breweriesgeekybeergal

Long Valley Pub & Brewery – Long Valley, New Jersey

Long Valley Pub& Brewery has been on my list of beer places to visit for a few years. Finally the day arrived for a beautiful fall drive to the brewery. The drive is beautiful and builds the excitement for the final destination. The setting for Long Valley Pub & Brewery is perfect for kicking back with a fine beer and taking in the fall foliage show.

The brewery is very picturesque with outdoor seating/bar area and a rustic ski lodge setting inside. On this particular day the fire place was roaring adding to the overall fall feel. The brewery is 2 stories high with lots of stone and natural wood adding to the overall coziness of the place even though it is actually very large with 2 bars inside and plenty of seating.

My companion and I were seated upstairs and fortunately he had a view of what ever sporting event was on the TV and I had a perfect view of the roaring fire. Win win seating.

Immediately upon being seat I started to peruse the beer menu and, of course, settled on ordering the sample round. With six beers on tap there was no other way to go.

To accompany my beer I ordered the Pan-seared Scallops which were fresh and seared perfectly. I really can’t emphasis enough how good the scallops were. My companion had the French Onion Soup and the Blackened Chicken Alfredo. I’m told the soup had a rich flavor and the Alfredo was delish. High props go out to Miguel G. for excellent service.

Hookerman’s Light
Delicate light body beer with fruit accents; a true light beer.

American Pale Ale
Well done, very enjoyable without the knock you off your stool hops.

German Valley Amber
This Gal loves German style beers. Good balance of malts & hops with a tinge of bitterness and a finishes strong.

Lazy Jake Porter
Winner of the round! Good hearty blend of roasted barley and malts with accents of hops make this a hearty full body porter.

Grist Mill Golden Ale
Very light body with some hints of citrus and hops but overall not whole lot going on. Perfect for someone looking for a real light beer or a good intro to craft beer.

Oktoberfest Style
True German lager – clean and tasty with malts and just a tinge of hops.

Would love to have tried the award winning Nut Brown Ale but sadly it wasn’t on tap. Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to go back.

My companion and I, well really me, decided to wrap up the visit with a splurge and treat ourselves to a sweet ending of Fresh Apple Crisp which paired wonderfully with a full pint of the porter. A perfect ending to beautiful Fall outing.

Tuckahoe Brewing Company

September 24, 2014Beer Reviews, Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviewsgeekybeergal

Tuckahoe Brewing Co.

Every September this Gal heads down to beautiful Cape May, New Jersey for a fun filled weekend with the family. In recent years this annual trip has come to include a stop at Cape May Brewing and this year was no exception. However, also included was a stop at Tuckahoe Brewing Company.

Tuchahoe is set back a ways in a rural warehouse area – very easy to miss but no worries it can be found. The outside is a non-descriptive warehouse and the inside is tiny. As soon as you walk in you’re front and center in the tasting room. There’s a small bar that seats maybe 6 people to the left, a high top table for 4 and picnic bench area to the right.

On this particular day the beer offerings were slim – only 3 beers on tap. I believe there are usually more offerings but think there may have been some sort of problem with the lines this particular day. Not real sure what was going on but went for the $5 taster round of the 3 beers on tap.

Marshallville Wit 4.8% – This Gal does enjoy Wits so I was looking forward to this offering. It had the yeasty cloudy appearance I associate with a wit along with the lemon/citrus flavors hints of cloves but there was also a strange soapy taste to it as well.

Holly Beach Pumpkin Ale 7.4%
Right away there was a good hit of spices but not much pumpkin flavor. I consider this beer more a fall ale rather than a pumpkin ale. Unfortunately, there was a strange after taste on this beer as well.

Steelmartown Porter 6.5%
The woman who handed us the taster of these said, “it’s smells good but that’s all”. This beer does have a good robust roasty nose but follows it up with a pleasant coffee, cocoa & vanilla taste. The flavor matched aroma. It was the most pleasing of the three beers.

The place was hopping and people were filling growlers yet I did hear a fair amount of grumblings too. In all fairness I feel something was off on the production end and will go back to try it again another day.

Maine Part 3 – Oxbow Brewing

August 13, 2014Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviews, Uncategorized@BoothbayBrewery, @oxbowbeer, belgium style, farmhouse beers, Maine, Newcastle, Oxbow Brewing, Saisongeekybeergal

Oxbow Brewing – Newcastle, Main

The exploration to Boothbay Brewing went so well that two days later the group decided it was time to go beer sampling again. My bro researched and found Oxbow Brewery was just around the other side of the lake we were staying on. A mere 15 minutes away! Five of us piled into the vehicle, we lost one of non-beer drinkers for this exploration, and headed out.

Oxbow specializes in Belgian-style ales that are brewed in a small renovated barn located in a pretty rural area. One would never know its back there and can easily drive past it. The sign out front on the roadside is small and easy to miss but luckily we spotted it. The minute the vehicle turned on the path to get to the brewery I knew I was going to be one happy gal. I think most places small and hard to find turn out to be hidden gems. Oxbow is just that – a true gem! Their slogan perfectly describes them “Loud Beer from a quiet place”. It’s the kind of place I could seeing bringing a book to enjoy while hanging out relaxing with an Oxbow beer or two.

As we pull up the excitement in the group was growing. Right away we noticed picnic tables and corn hole for outside enjoyment. Off to the left of the path is some sort of wood shed that looks like it might have some use during events. Straight ahead is the tasting room – cute rustic shed and behind that is the brewing barn. All surrounded by woods.

Upon entering the tasting room I fell in love with the place even more and I hadn’t even tried their beer yet! For a small establishment they have nailed it. From everything to the logo, tasting glasses, swag for sale, great customer service and the overall inviting environment for their guest to enjoy. The tasting area is small with a mini bar to order at and then you can either take your beers out front, out back or step down to the small room off the entrance area with 3 or 4 barrel tables to sit at.

One can purchase a sample round, individual full glass pours or growlers. During our visit several locals stopped in to refill growlers. Always a good sign. Of course, this Gal went for the sample round as did the other beer drinkers in the group. The staff working the tasting shed was very pleasant and helpful which always helps the experience be that much better.

Personally, I love farmhouse style Belgian beers but realize they aren’t for everyone. Each beer drinker in the group did find at least one beer they liked. This Gal enjoyed just about all of them.

Loretta – Oxbow Brewing 4%
Refreshing blonde ale that begs to be enjoyed sitting outside on a lake shore of Maine. No one flavor dominates it’s just a very easy drinking beer.

Freestyle 25 – Oxbow Brewing 4.5% (Freestyle is the breweries creative outlet featuring beers only brewed once) Czech Red Ale style done well with toasted malts, floral tones and an unique hop flavor.

Farmhouse Pale Ale – Oxbow Brewing 6%
Right away one can pick up the saison yeast followed up by the hops with a pleasant array of spices and citrus flavors going on. It’s their flagship beer and understandably so – nice job.

Grizacca – Oxbow Brewing 5%
Ummm, no. Not for me but my Bro’s fav of the bunch so much so he had a full class after the taster. It has an earthy grass essence to it followed by a wallop of hops.

Oxtoberfest 2013 – Oxbow Brewing 6%
This Gal’s fav of the bunch and the one I chose to have a full glass of after the taster. This beer wasn’t a fav for the rest of the group. In fact, most didn’t care for it but I found it to be very interesting and enjoyable. Good dry body with a smoky tartness. The sourness complimented the malts without being overwhelming.

It’s safe to say this group will be visiting Oxbow again. Heck, even the non-beer drinker liked the brewery so much she bought a t-shirt from it, as did this Gal. I have to say it’s one of the comfiest t-shirts I’ve ever worn. Even their swag is top notch quality!

Nice job Oxbow!

Update July 2015: We recently revisited Oxbow and once again thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was amazing to see how the groups beer taste has grown and changed. Last year the Grizacca wasn’t for me but this year loved it – amazing. Has was everything else. I especially loved the Bowie. Also, the group enjoyed all the beers including the ones they weren’t too fond of last year. Yup, taste grow and change.

Catch this Gal talking about Oxbow on What’s On Tap beer show.

Maine Part 2 – Boothbay Brewing at The Watershed Tavern

August 8, 2014Beer Tastings, Brewery Reviews, Brewpub Reviews, Uncategorized@BoothbayBrewery, Boothbay Brewing, Maine Beer, The Watershed Taverngeekybeergal

Boothbay Brewery at The Watershed Tavern

After a few days of kayaking and boating this Gal felt it was time to explore some more of Maine’s other great offering – BEER! Next tasting stop Boothbay Brewery at The Watershed Tavern. This particular exploration involved six of us including both beer and non-beer drinkers alike.

We piled into two vehicles and were on our way until we had no clue where we were. Not one to give up I called to only find out we were a mere minute down the road from the brewery. I feel safe in saying many folk get lost on their way and the brewery is use to explaining how to find them. They are not far off the main road to Boothbay but at the same time one would never expect a brewery to be where they are. Once we arrived none of us could believe what we found. The brewery and attached restaurant are really plopped down in the middle of a back road surrounded by the beauty that is Maine. Not only is there the brewery and restaurant but several small cute cabins scattered about the property for rent. It’s a little slice of Maine heaven that is beautiful and welcoming.

The brewery itself was closed by the time we arrived so we wondered into the restaurant, The Watershed. When one walks in you feel like you entered a good friend’s rustic cabin that they built by hand using their own trees which is pretty much the case here. It’s warm, cozy and invites one to stay and enjoy.

We decided to plop ourselves down at the bar which meant we took up most of the bar. There are only 8 stool/chairs around the bar. These seats are a piece of carved art with very high backs and extremely sturdy. Around the bar is a small booth and game table ledge with a couple of stools around it. The bar top is a beautiful piece of milled wood. OK, there is beautiful wood everywhere, walls, ceilings, beams, tables, chairs, tasting trays – all of it gorgeous! There is also a handsome brick fireplace in the bar area that I can only imagine ads to the cozy environment in the winter time.

Geeky Beer Gal’s Bro suggested we share a taster round since it include 6 large tastes and we were still pretty full from lunch. (there is also a 10 beer taster round) Two others in the party shared a flight as well. The two non-beer drinkers entertained themselves with tavern puzzles available at the bar for patrons to enjoy and drive themselves crazy with. The Watershed offers both beer and wine but no hard liquor. They do offer a few selections from other breweries, as well, such as Dogfish Head and Allagash.

My being a malt person and my bro being a hop head made for a very interesting mix for our taster flight which consisted of:

633 Pale Ale – Boothbay Brewing 6.33%
A true pale ale and happens to be their flagship brew as well. This ale has some good quality malt tones that help counter balance the hops. Right away one can tell they are using American west coast hops which helps me to distinguish one pale ale from another. To me American West Coast hops are a breed unto themselves with a very distinct characteristics that sets these beers apart from the rest of the hop pack. The hop factor was a bit much for me so not a favorite but a very well done pale ale.

Ken Brown Tribute Ale – Boothbay Brewing 7%
Sweet malty goodness! This ale has a nice dark roasted coloring but the body is on the lighter side for a brown. Great mix of malts with accents of hops and a good nutty flavor. Enjoyable indeed.

Dexter “Rippa” Red IPA – Boothbay Brewing 6.5%
Hop overload for this Gal but the Bro enjoyed it. A hoppy red ale true to style with some caramel undertones making its way through the field of hops.

Black Rocks Stout – Boothbay Brewing 6.7%
Yum! Wonderful roasted coffee, bitter chocolate and caramel flavors mixed with just a hint of those West Coast hops. A full pint of this black beauty would be most enjoyable. (Tried a small taste of this on nitro – AMAZING – the nitro helped to mellow out and blend the flavors together even more so.)

Devil’s Thumbprint Black IPA – Boothbay Brewing 6.6%
More and more I find myself enjoying the Black IPAs. I just find them to be a really nice balance of malt and hops and easy to drink. This certainly was the case with the Devil’s Thumbprint. It was so well balance that both myself and my bro enjoyed it!

Townsend – Boothbay Brewing 5.3%
A good medium body English style ale with a pleasant mix of fruitiness, hops and malts.

Fellow tasters shared the…
Flip Flop Kumquat – Boothbay Brewing 4.9%
Very light in body, nice wheat beer with hints of citrus. Good intro beer for someone just starting to get into craft beers.

Vanilla Porter – Boothbay Brewing 3.8%
First tried this after tasting the Black Rocks Stout and felt it was good with just hints of vanilla. I tried it again later on in the tasting and wow the vanilla really punched its way through. Nice porter body but the vanilla was bit overpowering.

While enjoying the beer we all took notice of how delish the food looked and smelled. A nice touch was the chef retrieving some beer from the taps to cook with. The menu is true tavern fare with both meat and vegetarian offerings. On the way out we spotted fish and chips being served to a patron and none of us could believe the size of the dish. We all agreed we’ll have to pay another visit to Boothbay Brewing so we can try out the food and enjoy some more beer!

Maine Part 1 – Great Lost Bear and Allagash Brewing Company

August 5, 2014Beer Bar, Beer Reviews, Brewery Reviews, Uncategorized@allagashbrewing, @GreatLostBear, Allagash Brewing Company, Atlantic Bar Harbor, Gearys, Gritty McDuff's, Maine Beer, ME, Portland, Smuttynose Brewing, The Great Lost Beargeekybeergal

The Great Lost Bear & Allagash Brewing Company

This Gal recently had the pleasure of spending some much needed down town in the beautiful state of Maine. Maine also happens to be home of this Gal’s favorite beer bar – The Great Lost Bear! (Please see last year’s post for a full review). Why is The Great Lost Bear my fav? Three simple reasons: 1. Great beer, 2. Great Veggie food (meat friendly too), 3. Great Music – the perfect trifecta. I’m talking kick back and relax bar atmosphere, sipping on the best of Maine beer offerings while listening to the Dead or some other great classic rock band. For this Gal it just doesn’t get any better.

On this particular visit I opted for the much loved taster round. Five 5 oz pours for $6.25. Wanted to enjoy as many beers as possible but kept in mind still had a good hour and half drive to the final destination. To help balance the intake of alcohol I enjoyed a delish house-made veggie burger that was out of this world in size and goodness!

It perfectly complimented the Taster Round which consisted of:

Summer Weizen – Smuttynose Brewing, NH 5.6%
Well done weizen style, very refreshing with a bit of tang. Good wheat presence with hints of floral and pepper. A beer perfect for kicking back and relaxing with.

Black Fly Stout – Gritty McDuff’s 4.1%
Yes, I repeated a beer from last year’s visit to the Bear. Just goes to show how much I enjoy this particular stout. (last year’s review This stout was ridiculously smooth, light in body but packed with big roasty goodness. It runs in the Irish Stout family but enjoyed it more than the typical Irish Stout because of the full malty flavors.)

Atlantic Bar Harbor Brown 5.2%
I love Brown Ales and will tend to order one whenever I see the style represented on a beer menu which in my opinion is not often enough. This particular brown has a good roasty quality of nuts and malts while maintaining a light body. Not the best brown this Gal has had but enjoyable just the same.

Hampshire Special Ale – Geary’s 7%
Maine in a glass! Wonderfully toasted malts, caramel and toffee balanced perfectly by the hops with hints of ginger and coriander make this ale a real pleasure to sip on. The perfect ambassador for Maine beers.

Confluence – Allagash 7.5%
Wasn’t sure what to expect when I ordered this little delight but I was pleasantly surprised by how incredibly smooth this ale is. All sorts of wonderfulness going on that results in a sweet and spicy harmony. One can detect hints of pepper and apricot along with the hops and malt. However, there’s no mistaking that one is drinking a Belgian style strong ale.

That was the end of my wonderful New England Sampling but I couldn’t leave without a quick taste of a little treasure I spotted on tap for the Goose Island Tap Takeover happening later that night….

Bourbon County Stout – Goose Island 14.2% (ON TAP)
Liquid Gold – Strong Liquid Gold. This style isn’t for everyone but for those of us that like the style Goose Island nailed it. Once you get past the bourbon taste you can pick out hints of vanilla, chocolate and smoke.

Sadly it was time to wrap up what is happily becoming my yearly pilgrimage to my personal Mecca, The Great Lost Bear.

Now as much as this Gal wanted to linger at the Bear there was another quick stop that just had to be made and was only a mere 8 minutes down the road from The Great Lost Bear.

Allagash Brewing Company

One of this Gal’s favorite Brewery’s, so much so I once had an amazing pet I named after the brewery – Allagash.

I had the pleasure of visiting this brewery many moons ago when Allagash was in its infancy stage. It was just a small brewery with no real tasting area and I don’t think they even offered tours then. They seemed pretty surprised when my companion and I showed up to buy some beer that day.

Boy, how things have changed. My jaw hit the floor when I saw the brewery, it’s huge; as is the tasting room. It’s also, very welcoming. There is a lovely outside patio area to hang out and enjoy your beers with a rustic Maine feel to it. Inside has a much more contemporary industrial look and feel with a long tasting bar and several tables for relaxing at. There is Allagash swag for sale all around the tasting room without it having an obnoxious in your face buy me feel to it. It was just there if you wanted to check it out. There was also a cold case with beer for sale. Even the bathrooms are cool! The tasting room is really set up for relaxing and hanging out.

The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable and greeted us upon entering and couldn’t believe I had been there so long ago. The other surprise besides the growth of the brewery was that the tasting round was completely FREE!

026 — L to R White, Saison, Dubbel, Fluxus

On this particular day the tasting round consisted of the:

White – Allagash 5%
The white has been a go to beer for me for some time. It’s just so refreshing and such a pleasure to drink. It’s a beautiful representation of a Belgian wheat beer with a good unity of wheat, coriander and orange.

Saison – Allagash 6.1%
This Gal loves a Saison! Great balance of rye, pepper and citrus with a lovely yeasty cloudy presence to it. (Four packs of the Saison and Black where purchased for later enjoyment.)

Dubbel – Allagash 7%
A classic – Hints of chocolate and nuts mixed with malty goodness that add up to a slice of Belgian heaven.

Fluxus – Allagash 8.8%
I don’t remember trying the Fluxus before and it continually changes. This year’s Fluxus is an interesting combination of malts with hints of honey and finishes with a slight earthy pine taste without any one flavor being overpowering but rather complimenting each other.

Now it really was time to continue on thy way – great start to a great vacation. This Gal highly recommends a stop at Allagash Brewing Company next time you find yourself in Portland, Maine followed by some lunch at The Great Lost Bear.