Bonesaw Brewing Company

This venue impressive. It's located just outside downtown Glassboro - just blocks from Rowan University. It boasts a large, spacious tasting room with abundant indoor and outdoor seating. The staff is friendly and answered all my questions. I was impressed by the number of beers available on draught. I've always enjoyed Bonesaw's barrel-aged Stouts and ales.

Somewhere in Southwesternish New Jersey on the after Camden Donkey doings and looking for where beer be. Trying to dodge Philly best we can and off the turnpike, this. It’s a ‘what the fuck is this on the side of the road?’ is what it is, uh huh. A large stand alone, pretty dead Covid Thursday September…

Wrap around outside seating ‘L’ front and side with roll up panel doors opening over both, and in. It’s a cool looking space, large & open. Back & side walls in beige and a forward brick wall with a fireplace and some cushy seating. 15 barrel system in a large brewery space behind glass on the far wall there (me, pointing). Large concrete block floors. Upright I-beams about the room and across the ceiling. Alt colored sound panels, ductwork, & spinny fans. Giant fan front chandeliers in rows & tiered rope candle bulb ones in between, on one side of the room and stave ball single bulb lamps on the other side.

‘L’ shaped cut tree slab topped bar to the rear, vertical wood plank base framed, & a wood foot ledge. Seating for none during Covid life, but the length of the bar split by growlers topped. Large stainless panel on barback center with a ‘craft to the core’ inlay over a row of 33 taps below. Sampler paddles hooked to both sides and a crowl crimper countered. Draft listings above the taps on 5 rows of horizontal slat boards (beer, style, ABV, IBU, pricing, & serving size), and soda & cold brewed coffee on the ends. Growlers and trophy lining the ledge there. And a pair of flats atop with a skull wearing a fedora sitting in between (naturally), above a logo ‘Bonesaw Brewing Company’ piece. Swag wall to the right of the bar and on the end over the to-go cooler.

Loooooooong bar counter table down the center of the room, cut tree round tables on twisted branch bases, & rectables along the edges, kind of hard to tell how many just now. Flats on the walls, and there’s an elevator to somewhere but I don’t know wherest.

24 taps up just now. 23 beers (Silver Queen, Cream Ale, 4.7%; Queensicle, Orange Vanilla Cream Ale, 4.7%; Pum-Queen, Pumpkin Cream Ale, 4.7%; Black & Tan, Cream Ale w/Coffee, 4.7%; Lone Squirrel, Brown Ale, 5.9%; Shore Town, Helles Lager, 4.5%; Pummel, German Pils, 5%; Golden Cut, American Citra Pils, 5.5%; Crimson Skull, Vienna Lager, 5.8%; Bonetoberfest, Octoberfest, 5.9%; Stagger Bock, Bock, 6.8%; Amputator, Doppelbock, 7.9%; Rango 006, Pale Ale, 5.5%; Nerdz, IPA, 7.4%; Swoosh, Juicy IPA, 7.1%; Definition, West Coast IPA, 7.5%; Squeezins, Juicy DIPA, 9%; Old Sport, Belgian Pale Ale, 6.2%; Le Petit Demon, Belgian Blonde Ale, 7%; Black is Beautiful, Oatmeal Stout w/Coffee, 6%; Saint Bridget’s, Dry Irish Stout, 4.9%; All Blacked Out, Oatmeal Stout, 6.2%; Black Friday, Nitro Porter, 5.8%) and a single Seltzer (Crystal P.O.G. Hard Seltzer, 4.8%).

We had a few served in plastic cups such is Covid life. Shore Town Helles was pleasant, honey, maybe; the Pummel Pils was clean; & the Definition West Coast IPA was pretty good, too. And the Lone Squirrel Brown became a Brown as it warmed. Some of the others we tried, though; Porter, Dry Irish Stout, Octo, Bock, um, no, and this was the group I was most hoping for. Helles, Pils, & West Coast for the wins. Some were better than others, but I am most digging on the range of styles. Wouldn’t mind putting eyes on this one again.

 

I finally go the chance to stop by Bonesaw and I was not disappointed. There's a huge parking lot, and plenty of space inside. You can see the brewery to your right as you enter, and they've got a mash press which I've never seen in all of my travels over the past 25 years.

Grab a seat at one of their very nice tables - no plastic outdoor tables and chairs here - and take a look at the beer board. If you can't quite see it, there are beer lists on the bar. There are 33 taps (not always full, but there's usually around24) that cover ales, lagers, IPA, and Belgian ales. IPAs make up a big chunk of that if that's your thing.

I started with their Maibock and was thoroughly impressed. It's a difficult style to pull off as you've got to get the balance just right - malty but not too sweet, and not too dry/bitter/alcoholic either, and with just the right amount of hops. Next up I went for the Vienna and was equally impressed; these are world-class beers! Their Belgian-style dubbel and juicy IPA were just as nicely balanced, although I tend to like my juicy IPAs with a bit of a rougher edge. I sampled a few more and I can tell you that they most assuredly know what they're doing - this may very well be the best beer in New Jersey!

As usual, by state law, they don't offer food but you can bring it in or have it delivered.

Finally, one of the best things about Bonesaw is that it's open every day! MON-THUR 3-10, FRI-SAT 12-11, SUN 12-8

Large, spacious, clean beer hall. Bar stretches far, seating perhaps 30 or more. Huge indoor seating area, also plenty of picnic-table style seating outside on the perimeter - the latter might be preferable for those with young children and/or those who enjoy a beer flanked by a canopy of tall trees. I would imagine the indoors can and will get loud - capacity has to be several hundred, seated and standing. It seems designed to be an ideal location for large groups and/or planned events. Very high ceiling, plenty of walking and elbow room - so it's rather comfortable, cozy even, if a bit reminiscent of a car dealership showroom.

About 12-16 beers were available when I visited, about 6 (give or take) of which were staple/trendy IPAs, the rest British and German styles mostly. I ordered two flights (4 per) - 1st: dunkel, pilsner, vienna, Belgian blonde; 2nd: Berliner weisse, cream ale, oatmeal stout, west coast IPA - each beer was very skillfully brewed, all rather drinkably dry, however, all of which (aside from the Berliner) were seemingly brewed to safe, tried-and-true, all-too-familiar recipes. The flavor profiles of the beers were largely indiscernible from the textbook American brewpub method.

The joint was rather packed, place abuzz being new and shiny. Service was sharp, friendly. I may check back come winter (for stouts, other higher abv malt bombs) or later to see if the product develops more character and personality. But definitely worth checking out. Convenient location not far off Rte 55, making it a tempting detour while heading to and from the shore.