Exploring the Emerging, Community-Oriented Craft Beer Scene in New Hampshire

stopped at Modestman Brewing in Keene and liked it. It will be a good one I believe.

 

Does Schilling have interesting stuff on tap that they don't distribute like Notch does? Do they do Mlíko Pours? (or even have the draft system to do it)

Because while I do like Schilling's beers, I think Notch is that much better. But some of Notch's best stuff is from their tap room only.

Not a NH brewery, but I'm also curious how Silvaticus compares to Notch. If you can't tell already, I think Notch is the gold standard for German/Czech styles.

 

Silvaticus and Schilling are on my list to check out for 2020.

I am also curious to check out Sawbelly, which is just about to open up in the old Neighborhood Brewery space in Exeter. I wonder which direction they're going to go with. Neighborhood had some great variety (non haze bombs), but wasn't able to sustain.

 

I agree on Notch as I think they are the benchmark, for me, at least that I've had.
What I've had so far, from Schilling, has been really great and def want to have stuff on tap at their brewery.

Judging from tap list, def other stuff (not canned) on draft. No mention of specialty pours.
https://schillingbeer.com/current-beers/

 

A very small amount of the Schilling (and Resilience) brews are canned or bottled for distribution. There is always a lot of their other options on tap at the pub or neighboring taproom.

 

Resilience DDH Hop Weave is very solid.

 

I'm not sure about Mlíko pours exactly, but they had several beers on tap with something described as a traditional lager pour, or something along those lines (I'm probably getting it wrong) when I was there over the summer.

I love Notch, especially the taproom-only stuff (thought it's been about a year-and-a-half since I've been), and the same is true of Schilling. I'm partial to Schilling's stuff--I've seen more of a variety of styles on-tap at Schilling than Notch. They're both fantastic breweries, and I wish it was easier to get more stuff from both of them.

 

I would say in the last year and a half or so they’ve done a lot more styles, especially since they started the Voll Projekt.

Styles that may not have been there a year and a half ago:

Altbier
Hefeweizen
Rauchbier
Kölsch (being canned for the first time in January)
Pale Oktoberfest (canned for the first time this past fall)
Helles (recent addition, and traditionally served from a barrel in the tap room)
Doppelbock (canned)
Dortmunder
Rice lager collaboration
Harvest IPA (canned)

And of course a handful of New England IPAs of varying ABVs, some of which were probably there a year and a half ago.

I probably forgot some too.

 

The collab they did with Trillium was spectacular

 

The rice lager is (also done with Bellwoods and Cloudwater).

 

And only 2.7%.

 

I went for the The Standard and the Rauch and left most impressed with the Rice Lager. Thankfully, my friend, who is a bartender there, tipped me off. I don't know how much they brewed of it, but I highly recommend getting it before it's gone.

 

Hard to compare the two as they are both quite different (but each excellent). I'd say the Silvaticus lagers have a more soft mouthfeel and more biscuit-like taste compared to Notch.

 

Driving from Boston to Portsmouth in a few weeks. Recommendations on breweries to stop at along the way or in Portsmouth? Any good bottle shops in Portsmouth and what breweries should I look for?

 

Go to Stoneface.

 

I think that there is a wisdom of the majority in this thread. Schilling is fantastic (and reasonably, although not readily, available within distribution range) and Spyglass has hit the ground running. Great for growlers to go.

Still, here's my pick for an outside contender: Blasty Bough.

It is definitely out of the way, not a huge footprint and, if you're just looking for NEIPA's done three ways, there are certainly other, better options. B.B. doesnt seem to specialize...but, can I tell you, Jigs & Reels is a (imho) simply killer, malty Irish Red with Maple & Spruce.

I haven't stayed for the music scene there bit the bar crew has always been super friendly in the afternoons. Fair warning, (friendly) dogs on premises last I went.

 

This is a fun thread. Nice to see some Granite State love. +1 for Schilling - excellent beers all around, and a great location on the river in Littleton. A couple other NH breweries of note I did not see mentioned yet are Northwoods and Chapel + Main. The latter is a brewpub in Dover, with former Smuttynose brewmaster Dave Yarrington churning out some delicious beers.

And I do need to add that I personally know the owners of Deciduous Brewing, and they are wonderful people and definitely NOT Trump supporters. LOL.