Best Beer from New Hampshire

Yes. Stoneface.

 

If you're only looking for IPAs... my favorites in rough order:

Stoneface IPA (distro), Mozzacalypse (brewery only)
From the Barrel MK, Elle (limited distro)
Garrison City Anomalous (mostly brewery only, very limited distro)
Flying Goose Lupulin Suplex (brewery only)
Kelsen Battle Axe (distro)
Henniker Hop Slinger (distro)
Earth Eagle New England Gangsta (brewery only)
Rockingham Javelina (limited distro)

 

Assuming you're looking for more than IPAs... The best beer I've had out of NH is Stoneface's RIS.

 

Others may feel differently, but all of the Stoneface IPAs and DIPAs blow Finestkind out of the water. Not even close. Finestkind is tasty, it's an undeniably great value compared to ~$6 500ml bottles from Stoneface, and it is by far the best beer for sale at Fenway Park! But the Stoneface beers are much tastier.

 

I would agree to the extend that if you prefer hop flavor forward IPA's vs. malt and bitter forward IPA's. Stoneface is on the new wave of IPA's in this region that focus on juicy hop flavors and toning down the bitterness levels. Still have the balance but certainly not putting hair on your tongue like the IPA's of old. I would put Finest Kind in the Old School camp more than the New School.

 

Another vote for Stoneface - I prefer them to Smutty as well. It's very easy to their brewery from I95 and they are happy to provide free samples. If the brewery is sold out, the Trader Joe's in Newington regularly stocks their APA and IPA for $5 each.

 

Stoneface and From the Barrel are my favorites for IPAs.

Kelsen makes the best beer though, in my opinion. Paradigm, Draken, Vendel and Vinatta' are all amazing.

 

I tried some beers from Schilling at ACBF and was very impressed. They're up in Littleton which is nowhere near Portsmouth area but if you head up north I'd check them out.

 

Earth Eagle - Gangsta IPA and Ancestral IPA (both rotate in and out of lineup).
Portsmouth Brewery - Solid IPAs from time to time.
Throwback (North Hampton) - interesting brews using local ingredients frequently.
Smuttynose - New restaurant is solid, nice tap selection as well.
Tributary - Just over the border in Kittery, ME off 95. Great beer, especially the Pale and IPA ( their regular IPA is solid as their west coast style. Everything Tod Mott does is top notch.

 

Finest Kind gets my vote at $12.99 for a 12 pack of cans. It can't be beat.

 

Stoneface pale is fantastic.

If you are coming soon, they will probably have mozzacalypse around. Possibly the tastiest & most refreshing first sip of a DIPA I've ever had. Haven't had their RIS yet and haven't hit kelsen yet though.

Smutty Robust Porter is probably my vote for best beer in NH.

Just in the 30 minutes between Kitterey and Newburyport there is some serious beer being produced...

 

I'm a big fan of Finestkind, especially in cans. While I enjoyed Stoneface's IPA - and generally prefer "new school" IPAs - my vote goes to Smuttynose. I agree with an earlier poster that robust porter is excellent as well.

 

I guess we're assuming -- maybe correctly -- that the OP only likes hoppy beers, but I'll add my two cents for the darker side.

I'll echo that the Robust Porter is excellent and my favorite Smutty beer. If you're in Portsmouth, get a bomber (if available) of the Black Cat Stout from Portsmouth Brewery; Stoneface, of course, does good hoppy stuff but their RIS is excellent.

More than anything, I'm going to throw out there Throwback. They're good people, make good beer. I just looked at their tap list and it's got a good combo of light and dark. It's a nice atmosphere, too. You can find their bottles around, but not entirely sure where because I no longer live up that way.

 

FYI - the current top ten on BA

1 Stoneface IPA
2 Smuttynose Baltic Porter
3 Stoneface Hopulization DIPA
4 Stoneface RIS
5 Stoneface Mozaccalypse DIPA
6 Portsmouth Royal Impy Stout
7 Smuttynose Robust Porter
8 Smuttynose IPA "Finest Kind"
9 Kelsen Paradigm Brown Ale
10 Smuttynose Imperial Stout

Stoneface's lineup is solid. Will always love Finest Kind.
Expect Great North Aleworks to crack into this list in the near future.

 

Tell me more. I don't see it on the NH page.

 

Agreed. No contest. Now Smuttlabs Shebang, if you can find it (I did at Julios), that's amazing stuff.

 

They are finishing their build out and should have beer soon. Rob is a fantastic brewer. http://www.greatnorthaleworks.com/