Burley Oak Brewery
BEER AVG
3.93/5
3.93/5
Type: Brewery, Bar
10016 Old Ocean City Rd
Berlin, Maryland, 21811
United States
(443) 513-4647 | map
www.burleyoak.com
Notes:
No notes at this time.
Added by lackenhauser on 09-02-2011
Grab a complimentary copy of BeerAdvocate magazine here while supplies last.
Reviews: 26 | Ratings: 104
4.3/5 rDev -1.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Always had a wide range of beer on draft, along with bottles, cans, and growlers/crowlers to go. Was pretty busy, but the bartender was willing to take time with each customer to help pick beers/flights. Beer is delicious overall, with a few "eh" beers here and there.
★ 270 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Always had a wide range of beer on draft, along with bottles, cans, and growlers/crowlers to go. Was pretty busy, but the bartender was willing to take time with each customer to help pick beers/flights. Beer is delicious overall, with a few "eh" beers here and there.
★ 270 characters
3.94/5 rDev -9.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Nice little place with lots of wood all around and some interesting artwork on the walls. Wasn't filled with people and seemed kind of quiet at first, but eventually there was some live music, a nice little acoustic set by a couple guys. At the bar sparked up some conversation with some fellow customers who were much older than me. Lots of beers to choose from and even an incredibly sweet homemade root beer. No food but that's all right. I'd come back here again if I find myself in the Berlin area.
★ 503 characters
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Nice little place with lots of wood all around and some interesting artwork on the walls. Wasn't filled with people and seemed kind of quiet at first, but eventually there was some live music, a nice little acoustic set by a couple guys. At the bar sparked up some conversation with some fellow customers who were much older than me. Lots of beers to choose from and even an incredibly sweet homemade root beer. No food but that's all right. I'd come back here again if I find myself in the Berlin area.
★ 503 characters
4.7/5 rDev +7.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
The place makes you want to stay for a while, a very long while! Great comfort and homey feel to the place like a tavern. Sully was my bartender and he knew his stuff. I think I got a smile out of him too. I considered ordering Thai for delivery just to stay a while longer.
★ 274 characters
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
The place makes you want to stay for a while, a very long while! Great comfort and homey feel to the place like a tavern. Sully was my bartender and he knew his stuff. I think I got a smile out of him too. I considered ordering Thai for delivery just to stay a while longer.
★ 274 characters
4.44/5 rDev +1.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.25
Dropped in for my first visit during their 4th Anniversary party while vacationing at the shore. I dig their style and had been hoping to see the brewery in person for some time - just so happened it was a special event. Major kudos for a super friendly and welcoming staff. Solid selection. Very impressed with the newer stuff - I'd say it keeps getting better and better. Cool merch as well. Would have liked to take a tour, but perhaps another time.
If I had to cite something negative, I thought the clientele was hit-or-miss; but, overall I highly recommend.
Prost!
★ 581 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.25
Dropped in for my first visit during their 4th Anniversary party while vacationing at the shore. I dig their style and had been hoping to see the brewery in person for some time - just so happened it was a special event. Major kudos for a super friendly and welcoming staff. Solid selection. Very impressed with the newer stuff - I'd say it keeps getting better and better. Cool merch as well. Would have liked to take a tour, but perhaps another time.
If I had to cite something negative, I thought the clientele was hit-or-miss; but, overall I highly recommend.
Prost!
★ 581 characters
4.8/5 rDev +9.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75
Visited while on vacation close by. Met by friendly, outgoing staff. Sat at the bar and sampled 7-8 of their beers, which were all either very good or outstanding. Fun, comfortable atmosphere for all ages. Will definitely return when back in town.
★ 247 characters
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75
Visited while on vacation close by. Met by friendly, outgoing staff. Sat at the bar and sampled 7-8 of their beers, which were all either very good or outstanding. Fun, comfortable atmosphere for all ages. Will definitely return when back in town.
★ 247 characters
3.12/5 rDev -28.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 2 | selection: 2.5
Awesome beers, overpriced samples but cheap pints. Don't expect to get any of the best beers to go at all. 6 beers in growlers or 32 burley cans, 2 beers in 22zers, and 1 beer in 12 oz 6 packs. None of the these were the really good beers they had on tap. If you've had all their beer before and paid the $28 they ask to do a full flight, then cheap pints on premises, otherwise way too expensive to justify
★ 407 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 2 | selection: 2.5
Awesome beers, overpriced samples but cheap pints. Don't expect to get any of the best beers to go at all. 6 beers in growlers or 32 burley cans, 2 beers in 22zers, and 1 beer in 12 oz 6 packs. None of the these were the really good beers they had on tap. If you've had all their beer before and paid the $28 they ask to do a full flight, then cheap pints on premises, otherwise way too expensive to justify
★ 407 characters
4.29/5 rDev -1.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25
Nice, down-home craft brewery that's trying to do things right. Buy local, support sustainable business practices and brew good beer. What more could you ask for?? Their Vlad the Inhaler is outstanding; Rude Boy isn't half bad either. A little off the beaten track in Berlin, MD but well worth the trip.
Oh, and Berlin is a really artsy little town. Actually, it was judged the "coolest small town in America" in 2014, so it was fairly easy to convince the wife to visit Berlin for the shops, and "Oh BTW there's this really good brewpub just down the street...I'll go there while you browse the antiques".
★ 615 characters
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25
Nice, down-home craft brewery that's trying to do things right. Buy local, support sustainable business practices and brew good beer. What more could you ask for?? Their Vlad the Inhaler is outstanding; Rude Boy isn't half bad either. A little off the beaten track in Berlin, MD but well worth the trip.
Oh, and Berlin is a really artsy little town. Actually, it was judged the "coolest small town in America" in 2014, so it was fairly easy to convince the wife to visit Berlin for the shops, and "Oh BTW there's this really good brewpub just down the street...I'll go there while you browse the antiques".
★ 615 characters
4.75/5 rDev +8.7%
Was visiting a friend in Ocean City and he suggested this place. Excellent choice thay serve no food but you can bring your own or have something delivered. We had a pizza delivered and a few beers. Good selection and I had the Local which is a APA at 6% with 40ibu. A nice all around brew pub with nice people.
★ 316 characters
Was visiting a friend in Ocean City and he suggested this place. Excellent choice thay serve no food but you can bring your own or have something delivered. We had a pizza delivered and a few beers. Good selection and I had the Local which is a APA at 6% with 40ibu. A nice all around brew pub with nice people.
★ 316 characters
4.75/5 rDev +8.7%
A great location and really comfortable tasting room. They pour flights and pints and had excellent availability when I was there. Maybe a dozen beers including several one-offs. A really nice place to hang out for an afternoon or evening, and they even have live music. Definitely worth a stop if you're in Ocean City or visiting the northern part of Assateague island.
★ 371 characters
A great location and really comfortable tasting room. They pour flights and pints and had excellent availability when I was there. Maybe a dozen beers including several one-offs. A really nice place to hang out for an afternoon or evening, and they even have live music. Definitely worth a stop if you're in Ocean City or visiting the northern part of Assateague island.
★ 371 characters
4/5 rDev -8.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75
First impression was the place is in the process of 'maturing'. It doesn't seem quite the finished product, and reminds me of a 'work in progress'. Nice setup, with friendly staff, but does lack any offering of food to pair with the very nice beer selections offered.
★ 269 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75
First impression was the place is in the process of 'maturing'. It doesn't seem quite the finished product, and reminds me of a 'work in progress'. Nice setup, with friendly staff, but does lack any offering of food to pair with the very nice beer selections offered.
★ 269 characters
4.47/5 rDev +2.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Update July 2015. I finally got to sit and sample nearly all the beers on tap and I am very impressed. These guys are killing it across a variety of different styles. I got there early and the vibe was very laid back as opposed to the first time I was here. Service was very friendly and timely. Gotta say, don't know if I've sampled a more impressive taplist in VA, MD, and DC thus far. They're killing it with sours, stouts, IPAs. Oddly enough, the only miss for me was one of their flagships, the DIPA Secret Sauce, where I got some unpleasant (to me) funk on the finish. That was the only miss for me on a truly impressive lineup and taproom experience.
★ 666 characters
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Update July 2015. I finally got to sit and sample nearly all the beers on tap and I am very impressed. These guys are killing it across a variety of different styles. I got there early and the vibe was very laid back as opposed to the first time I was here. Service was very friendly and timely. Gotta say, don't know if I've sampled a more impressive taplist in VA, MD, and DC thus far. They're killing it with sours, stouts, IPAs. Oddly enough, the only miss for me was one of their flagships, the DIPA Secret Sauce, where I got some unpleasant (to me) funk on the finish. That was the only miss for me on a truly impressive lineup and taproom experience.
★ 666 characters
3.98/5 rDev -8.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 1
Stopped by for a visit over the 4th of July weekend after a morning dawn patrol surfing down at Assateague. What a great day, surfing, then a pitstop at a brewery afterwards for a liquid lunch.
Well it was ok inside. I didn't feel very welcome though. A bunch of 20 something hipsters mostly at the bar and a few scattered older (50's) couples in some side tables. Bartender was attentive and pleasant but busy. Service was solid, good selection and they give 4oz pours as well as pints. No food at all but pretzels. That really stunk as I was very hungry after surfing all morning. Pints are reasonably priced but bombers to take home were way overpriced IMO.
Overall, the brewery puts out some solid brews, but I think its a bit overhyped.
★ 743 characters
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 1
Stopped by for a visit over the 4th of July weekend after a morning dawn patrol surfing down at Assateague. What a great day, surfing, then a pitstop at a brewery afterwards for a liquid lunch.
Well it was ok inside. I didn't feel very welcome though. A bunch of 20 something hipsters mostly at the bar and a few scattered older (50's) couples in some side tables. Bartender was attentive and pleasant but busy. Service was solid, good selection and they give 4oz pours as well as pints. No food at all but pretzels. That really stunk as I was very hungry after surfing all morning. Pints are reasonably priced but bombers to take home were way overpriced IMO.
Overall, the brewery puts out some solid brews, but I think its a bit overhyped.
★ 743 characters
4.83/5 rDev +10.5%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75
I really enjoyed this brewery. They have a great selection of different styles of ales. This isn't one of your "we have 30 different IPA's" type brewpub. They have so many styles, I had my first sour beer here and it changed my beer drinking life forever! They had two sours when I was there and each different one had options to add flavor. I added lemongrass into my sour and it was a treat.
This is a good down-home and very friendly place to enjoy a beer and a bite with a friend or to go out with the guys or girls to get stupid!!
★ 537 characters
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75
I really enjoyed this brewery. They have a great selection of different styles of ales. This isn't one of your "we have 30 different IPA's" type brewpub. They have so many styles, I had my first sour beer here and it changed my beer drinking life forever! They had two sours when I was there and each different one had options to add flavor. I added lemongrass into my sour and it was a treat.
This is a good down-home and very friendly place to enjoy a beer and a bite with a friend or to go out with the guys or girls to get stupid!!
★ 537 characters
5/5 rDev +14.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Burley is always on point. Atmosphere is relaxed. Always treated well. Selection is excellent. They are constantly pulling something new and experimental. They really care about their fans, new ones and regulars.
★ 212 characters
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Burley is always on point. Atmosphere is relaxed. Always treated well. Selection is excellent. They are constantly pulling something new and experimental. They really care about their fans, new ones and regulars.
★ 212 characters
4.09/5 rDev -6.4%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5
Berlin is a most lovely town, and the addition of a quality brewery and tasting room is nothing but excellent news.
The wife and I arrived here as our plans to visit Assateague changed. Torrential rains forced us to spend the day in bars and breweries. Hard life... Burley Oak is beautiful and cozy, with an ample wooden bar, a nice big sofa, some tables and a log-cabin feel. I could spend hours here! They also feature local art for sale on the walls, and they have a ton of merchandise (their logo is beautiful and striking).
As for the beers... they sure have a good amount of them on tap. 12 taps, plus one nitro pour and a homemade root beer. Kolsch, Pils, porter, stout, Berliner Weisse... I had the Rude Boy barleywine (listed here on BA as an Imperial Red) and the Snow Job winter warmer. Both were sort of weak and unremarkable, almost interchangeable in flavor and looks.
Their hoppy brews tasted so much better. Pale Ryeder DIPA (pungent, dry, bitter), Aboriginal Gangster and Secret Sauce. Also Vlad, their Imperial Stout, damn well crafted.
At six dollars for a pint or snifter, prices ain't bad. They do growlers as well (reasonable prices), and also live music and events pretty much every day of the week. Nice to see a brewery that is not just pouring beer in the tasting room!
No food, be warned. Service is efficient but not terribly nice or engaging.
I would come back and hang out. This is truly a lovely joint.
★ 1,445 characters
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5
Berlin is a most lovely town, and the addition of a quality brewery and tasting room is nothing but excellent news.
The wife and I arrived here as our plans to visit Assateague changed. Torrential rains forced us to spend the day in bars and breweries. Hard life... Burley Oak is beautiful and cozy, with an ample wooden bar, a nice big sofa, some tables and a log-cabin feel. I could spend hours here! They also feature local art for sale on the walls, and they have a ton of merchandise (their logo is beautiful and striking).
As for the beers... they sure have a good amount of them on tap. 12 taps, plus one nitro pour and a homemade root beer. Kolsch, Pils, porter, stout, Berliner Weisse... I had the Rude Boy barleywine (listed here on BA as an Imperial Red) and the Snow Job winter warmer. Both were sort of weak and unremarkable, almost interchangeable in flavor and looks.
Their hoppy brews tasted so much better. Pale Ryeder DIPA (pungent, dry, bitter), Aboriginal Gangster and Secret Sauce. Also Vlad, their Imperial Stout, damn well crafted.
At six dollars for a pint or snifter, prices ain't bad. They do growlers as well (reasonable prices), and also live music and events pretty much every day of the week. Nice to see a brewery that is not just pouring beer in the tasting room!
No food, be warned. Service is efficient but not terribly nice or engaging.
I would come back and hang out. This is truly a lovely joint.
★ 1,445 characters
3.92/5 rDev -10.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4
This place has been on my list for a while, and I finally decided to vizit, deviating slightly from the path on my last trip to Dogfish Head.
It's a simple place with a simple setup, but very nice overall. There's a good sized bar with lots of room for standing or sitting, and brewery processes in view behind a window. Atmosphere was fun and extremely laid back. There was a good selection of brews on tap, with a nice variety of styles, and sampler flights of different quantities were available, as well as pints and growlers. The beers were solid for the most part, though there was really nothing I had that blew me away. Prices were reasonable. Service was fine. There seemed to be a local patron factor going on, but we still got attention without having to wait. I didn't notice any food service.
They had tons of merch, and with a cool logo like theirs, it's hard not to pick something up, whether it be glasses, shirts, hats, whatever. They also bottle their beer once in a while, so if you find something you really like, you might get lucky and be able to bring home a few bottles for future consumption.
Overall, a nice place with some potential. Again, the beer wasn't extraordinary, but I'd still go out of my way to return again, so I'd recommend a visit if you find yourself in the area.
★ 1,308 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4
This place has been on my list for a while, and I finally decided to vizit, deviating slightly from the path on my last trip to Dogfish Head.
It's a simple place with a simple setup, but very nice overall. There's a good sized bar with lots of room for standing or sitting, and brewery processes in view behind a window. Atmosphere was fun and extremely laid back. There was a good selection of brews on tap, with a nice variety of styles, and sampler flights of different quantities were available, as well as pints and growlers. The beers were solid for the most part, though there was really nothing I had that blew me away. Prices were reasonable. Service was fine. There seemed to be a local patron factor going on, but we still got attention without having to wait. I didn't notice any food service.
They had tons of merch, and with a cool logo like theirs, it's hard not to pick something up, whether it be glasses, shirts, hats, whatever. They also bottle their beer once in a while, so if you find something you really like, you might get lucky and be able to bring home a few bottles for future consumption.
Overall, a nice place with some potential. Again, the beer wasn't extraordinary, but I'd still go out of my way to return again, so I'd recommend a visit if you find yourself in the area.
★ 1,308 characters
4.75/5 rDev +8.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4
The atmosphere here varies a lot. So, if you are picky, you are bound to fins a time you can enjoy. From laid back Sunday afternoons with sports, to Friday night's headlined with music. Their new beer garden also provides an enjoyable new social spot day or evening. Overall though, it is the more laid back kind of atmosphere you would expect in a small brewery.
They produce very high quality beers, even on the ones I do not particularly like the style of, their use of local and higher quality ingredients is quite present.
The bartenders never seem to be ones to just strike up q conversation. BUt, if you have a question, or are having trouble deciding, they will be more than happy to assist you.
Their actual range of their selection varies a lot. Some nights they may have around ten beers on tap, including nitro and cask offerings. Other nights, they may only have five beers tapped, and only standard CO2. Originally, they were specializing in big hoppy beers. Then, I noticed a trend towards Belgian style beers. Most recently, they have been dabbling in the sour beer world. Last time I was there, I was able to try a Berliner weisse.
No food, no food trucks in the area. But, there are many local bakeries and carry out places that sell food you can bring right on in.
Most pints are $6. A lot are high gravity though, which makes the price more reasonable. And $12 growlers.
Update: Burleys individual beers as well as draft lists have been improving so much, I had to update the rating. They're now canning. Come in for a 32 oz can, or find in your local craft beer shops soon.
★ 1,600 characters
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4
The atmosphere here varies a lot. So, if you are picky, you are bound to fins a time you can enjoy. From laid back Sunday afternoons with sports, to Friday night's headlined with music. Their new beer garden also provides an enjoyable new social spot day or evening. Overall though, it is the more laid back kind of atmosphere you would expect in a small brewery.
They produce very high quality beers, even on the ones I do not particularly like the style of, their use of local and higher quality ingredients is quite present.
The bartenders never seem to be ones to just strike up q conversation. BUt, if you have a question, or are having trouble deciding, they will be more than happy to assist you.
Their actual range of their selection varies a lot. Some nights they may have around ten beers on tap, including nitro and cask offerings. Other nights, they may only have five beers tapped, and only standard CO2. Originally, they were specializing in big hoppy beers. Then, I noticed a trend towards Belgian style beers. Most recently, they have been dabbling in the sour beer world. Last time I was there, I was able to try a Berliner weisse.
No food, no food trucks in the area. But, there are many local bakeries and carry out places that sell food you can bring right on in.
Most pints are $6. A lot are high gravity though, which makes the price more reasonable. And $12 growlers.
Update: Burleys individual beers as well as draft lists have been improving so much, I had to update the rating. They're now canning. Come in for a 32 oz can, or find in your local craft beer shops soon.
★ 1,600 characters
4.66/5 rDev +6.6%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75
A little brewery near Ocean City, Maryland. The people were friendly, the beers tasted great and the place had a very inviting atmosphere. I look forward to visiting the Burley Oak every time I'm here for vacation. I only wished that they bottled more beers but I'll drink what I can while I'm in town.
Cheers to Burley Oak!!
★ 327 characters
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75
A little brewery near Ocean City, Maryland. The people were friendly, the beers tasted great and the place had a very inviting atmosphere. I look forward to visiting the Burley Oak every time I'm here for vacation. I only wished that they bottled more beers but I'll drink what I can while I'm in town.
Cheers to Burley Oak!!
★ 327 characters
4.16/5 rDev -4.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
This small craft brewery is really what the industry is about - no large shiny tanks and warehouses with forklifts and endless cases of bottles ready to be shipped. This is small town, locally supported really good beer. I stopped in to fill a growler and found time to sit and enjoy a pint of their Aboriginal Gangster IPA - my youngest son got to enjoy their home brew root beer and he was quite happy.
This is no frills place with quality beer and friendly and informative staff. It is well worth a visit if you are in the OCM area.
★ 537 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
This small craft brewery is really what the industry is about - no large shiny tanks and warehouses with forklifts and endless cases of bottles ready to be shipped. This is small town, locally supported really good beer. I stopped in to fill a growler and found time to sit and enjoy a pint of their Aboriginal Gangster IPA - my youngest son got to enjoy their home brew root beer and he was quite happy.
This is no frills place with quality beer and friendly and informative staff. It is well worth a visit if you are in the OCM area.
★ 537 characters
4.8/5 rDev +9.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
If you're in Ocean City or nearby, you have to head here. They send out kegs to various bars on the Eastern Shore, but very few around Baltimore. So, if you are in MD you can usually try their "flagships" or year-round beers at Max's.
A: It is a very quaint place that has a small, gravel parking lot. They have a nice rectangular space complete with foosball table. I can't recall any tvs there, but that is not a bad thing. The bar is located against the wall with a glass window into the brewing area. Also, to the left of the bar they sell shirts, hats, glassware, stickers and glassware.
Q: The beers are all fresh and made right behind the bar with a lot of local ingredients. Their IPAs are top notch and they aren't afraid to experiment or try new styles. Their casks are always full of weird things.
S: It is a small place, so service is easy to get and very fast. Also, the head brewer (and helpers) are almost always on hand to talk and chit chat, but may be in the back brewing, which you can see through the glass behind the bar.
S: I got a full flight at $5.50 for 3 5 oz. pours (and $1.84 for single samples), with 9 beers on tap. All pints were $6 with one being $5 (the kolsch). There was room for 12 beers on the board and it looked like at least 1 had just kicked.
The tour is only on Saturdays and Sundays at 3. It is quite short and informal, but it is very informative and you can bring a pint with you. Bryan, the head brewer is very passionate about brewing and a very down to Earth guy that loves talking about his brews, especially the new and weird ones. Great guy.
p.s. I wish I had known about their homemade root beer. They don't serve food (outside of mini bags of pretzels you can buy), but you can bring your own.
★ 1,755 characters
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
If you're in Ocean City or nearby, you have to head here. They send out kegs to various bars on the Eastern Shore, but very few around Baltimore. So, if you are in MD you can usually try their "flagships" or year-round beers at Max's.
A: It is a very quaint place that has a small, gravel parking lot. They have a nice rectangular space complete with foosball table. I can't recall any tvs there, but that is not a bad thing. The bar is located against the wall with a glass window into the brewing area. Also, to the left of the bar they sell shirts, hats, glassware, stickers and glassware.
Q: The beers are all fresh and made right behind the bar with a lot of local ingredients. Their IPAs are top notch and they aren't afraid to experiment or try new styles. Their casks are always full of weird things.
S: It is a small place, so service is easy to get and very fast. Also, the head brewer (and helpers) are almost always on hand to talk and chit chat, but may be in the back brewing, which you can see through the glass behind the bar.
S: I got a full flight at $5.50 for 3 5 oz. pours (and $1.84 for single samples), with 9 beers on tap. All pints were $6 with one being $5 (the kolsch). There was room for 12 beers on the board and it looked like at least 1 had just kicked.
The tour is only on Saturdays and Sundays at 3. It is quite short and informal, but it is very informative and you can bring a pint with you. Bryan, the head brewer is very passionate about brewing and a very down to Earth guy that loves talking about his brews, especially the new and weird ones. Great guy.
p.s. I wish I had known about their homemade root beer. They don't serve food (outside of mini bags of pretzels you can buy), but you can bring your own.
★ 1,755 characters
4.64/5 rDev +6.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
From Visit on 12/31/12
(copied from my blog post)
The owner of Burley Oak, Bryan, was at the brewery pouring beers and talking with whoever wanted to talk. He seems like a really nice guy and someone who is passionate about beer and the local community. We were also fortunate enough to have him give us a little tour (which is usually only on Saturdays but there were a lot of people there (including our group of 24). What a treat. We got to go into the back room and he explained their whole brewing process and a little bit about the brewery and its short history.
The building has a nice size bar in the front with enough room to sit and enjoy live music (which they have pretty often) and as your sitting at the bar you can look into the back and see the brew kettles and fermentors. Their production is small. Bryan told us that what they do in a year is something that Dogfish head can do in a day and a half. They make a handful of different beers and they even craft their own root beer (they were out of it this time around, unfortunately). I was also able to pick up their second bottled beer, Lower Class Barleywine.
Overall it was a great visit to Burley Oak, again. Excellent beer, with a lot of selection and a good time. During the week they seem to have a lot of different things going on like live music, vinyl record night, etc. It is a shame I don't live close to them anymore.
If you ever travel to OCMD, take a few minutes away from your tube at Seacrets and make it a point to get over to Burley Oak to have a few beers and chat with Bryan.
★ 1,571 characters
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
From Visit on 12/31/12
(copied from my blog post)
The owner of Burley Oak, Bryan, was at the brewery pouring beers and talking with whoever wanted to talk. He seems like a really nice guy and someone who is passionate about beer and the local community. We were also fortunate enough to have him give us a little tour (which is usually only on Saturdays but there were a lot of people there (including our group of 24). What a treat. We got to go into the back room and he explained their whole brewing process and a little bit about the brewery and its short history.
The building has a nice size bar in the front with enough room to sit and enjoy live music (which they have pretty often) and as your sitting at the bar you can look into the back and see the brew kettles and fermentors. Their production is small. Bryan told us that what they do in a year is something that Dogfish head can do in a day and a half. They make a handful of different beers and they even craft their own root beer (they were out of it this time around, unfortunately). I was also able to pick up their second bottled beer, Lower Class Barleywine.
Overall it was a great visit to Burley Oak, again. Excellent beer, with a lot of selection and a good time. During the week they seem to have a lot of different things going on like live music, vinyl record night, etc. It is a shame I don't live close to them anymore.
If you ever travel to OCMD, take a few minutes away from your tube at Seacrets and make it a point to get over to Burley Oak to have a few beers and chat with Bryan.
★ 1,571 characters
5/5 rDev +14.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
This is my favorite place in the world besides M&T Bank Stadium. It is such a relaxing place and it feels like you are just drinking over your buddies house. I definitely recommend stopping by and if you do feel free to buy me a beer on the pay it forward board!
★ 262 characters
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
This is my favorite place in the world besides M&T Bank Stadium. It is such a relaxing place and it feels like you are just drinking over your buddies house. I definitely recommend stopping by and if you do feel free to buy me a beer on the pay it forward board!
★ 262 characters
4/5 rDev -8.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Last year, we left two days before Burley Oak opened; I'm not missing it this time around.
Atmosphere: Just outside OCMD, Berlin has a quaint small-town feel. Burley Oak is not in the historical district; rather, it is right beside the local paper (the Dispatch). Gravel driveway, restored beer barrel from Croppers out front. Inside, a long bar, a few scattered tables and foosball. A large glass window behind the bar reveals the brewing room.
Quality: Greeted immediately, even with two munchkins in tow, by Bill. We chatted with him and a few locals wetting their whistles on this Monday morning. Plusses all around. The foosball especially.
Service: As I said, Bill introduced himself straight away and our drinking companions were affable. Bill even ran back to ask the brewers a question about the Free Labor saison.
Selection: 8 or so beers on tap, the only one missing was the peach seasonal. I sampled through most all of them - the Assawoman Amber especially pungent with a rich cascade nose. I also had the Hugs & Nugs, Free Labor Saison, Rude Boy (an imperial red that seemed more barleywine than not), and Barreled (a brown ale that, in the future, will be barreled). The beers were all good and the root beer was fantastic. I plan to bring a growler of the soda back with me.
Food: Slices of pizza are advertised, beyond that nothing. I recommend bringing something in.
★ 1,389 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Last year, we left two days before Burley Oak opened; I'm not missing it this time around.
Atmosphere: Just outside OCMD, Berlin has a quaint small-town feel. Burley Oak is not in the historical district; rather, it is right beside the local paper (the Dispatch). Gravel driveway, restored beer barrel from Croppers out front. Inside, a long bar, a few scattered tables and foosball. A large glass window behind the bar reveals the brewing room.
Quality: Greeted immediately, even with two munchkins in tow, by Bill. We chatted with him and a few locals wetting their whistles on this Monday morning. Plusses all around. The foosball especially.
Service: As I said, Bill introduced himself straight away and our drinking companions were affable. Bill even ran back to ask the brewers a question about the Free Labor saison.
Selection: 8 or so beers on tap, the only one missing was the peach seasonal. I sampled through most all of them - the Assawoman Amber especially pungent with a rich cascade nose. I also had the Hugs & Nugs, Free Labor Saison, Rude Boy (an imperial red that seemed more barleywine than not), and Barreled (a brown ale that, in the future, will be barreled). The beers were all good and the root beer was fantastic. I plan to bring a growler of the soda back with me.
Food: Slices of pizza are advertised, beyond that nothing. I recommend bringing something in.
★ 1,389 characters
4.61/5 rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Visited this place on a trip to Ocean City, MD. Randomly found out about it from a post on the forums which I'm glad I read.
This is a very quaint place. Seating is available at a good sized bar and various tables and couches throughout. They had 12 taps plus 1 nitro when I was there offering pretty much all of their beers.
Prices are reasonable $5 or $6 for each pint but they have samplers which are $5 for 3 5oz pours. I went the sampler route and tried a number of beers.
Merchandise for sale includes shirts, hats, glassware, stickers, and growlers.
Make sure your try their craft root beer if it's available. It was so delicious.
Also they do not serve food, but you are welcome to bring you own. I will definitely be coming back.
★ 747 characters
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Visited this place on a trip to Ocean City, MD. Randomly found out about it from a post on the forums which I'm glad I read.
This is a very quaint place. Seating is available at a good sized bar and various tables and couches throughout. They had 12 taps plus 1 nitro when I was there offering pretty much all of their beers.
Prices are reasonable $5 or $6 for each pint but they have samplers which are $5 for 3 5oz pours. I went the sampler route and tried a number of beers.
Merchandise for sale includes shirts, hats, glassware, stickers, and growlers.
Make sure your try their craft root beer if it's available. It was so delicious.
Also they do not serve food, but you are welcome to bring you own. I will definitely be coming back.
★ 747 characters
Burley Oak Brewery in Berlin, MD
3.93
out of 5
based on 1,480 ratings.
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75
Great place outside of Ocean City, MD. Great staff that really know their beers and very friendly. They really like to push the boundary of taste flavors gere too.
The barrel pub tables are great to hang out and do a tasting of multiple beers. Crowlers in the 32oz cans is definitely the way to go
★ 298 characters