"Other" MA Breweries

Totally agree. Looks like they just put out an Almondine Exorcism, which I guess was Breakfast Exorcism infused with amandine almond liqueur...sounds interesting!

 

Picked some up at Vinnin yesterday. Hoping it's as good as Breakfast Exorcism.

 

Hmm, in the past I've had some Pils that seemed not as crisp, and a recent batch of Cerne Pivo wasn't quite as good as the first batch I had in cans. But I don't remember specifically picking up on diacetyl.

And I know what a beer overloaded with diacetyl tastes like from the old days of Pilsner Urquell (especially on draft), although this has improved since their freshness initiative. Also, perception of diacetyl varies from person to person too.

 

I've gotten it from Left of the Dial a few times. A recent Cerve Pivo I had on draft was pretty buttery.

 

Ipswich. Oatmeal Stout & 101 IPA are top 10 NE beers IMO.

Berkshire. Like Ipswich, producing good beer (but not attention grabbing from beer geeks) for a long time.

 

What are these rules and what makes them crappy?

 

All draft? Could you DM me the locations where you experienced this? Every beer (meaning every batch) we brew goes through a D-test and evaluated for diacetyl and diacetyl precursor in process. My sense is you either had old beer, or the lines may be the issue, but need to confirm.

Again, draft location can have a significant impact on a beer like Pils (temp, gas blend, pressure, lines). Some locations are much better than others. As far as Cerne (Black Lager), I upped the starting gravity on the later batches as we were coming in slightly lower than the target ABV, all else is the same.

Appreciate the alert.

 

Re: slumbrew growlers

I went in the other day for a growler - was told they don't fill to order; instead they prefilled growlers and only sold those. I was disappointed.

It isn't really to the main topic of the tread but this circumstance really got me thinking about the role of growlers in the area; if something is a one off or isn't packaged, growlers make tons of sense. Being offered a choice of pre-poured Happy Sol or Trekker Tripel in a growler seemed...weird...just my opinion there, of course.

 

That's odd, I thought diacetyl was more prominent in lagers, specifically pale lagers such as a Pils. I'd expect it in that beer if anything. Ales and beers that use darker malts tend to not have noticeable diacetyl characteristics in them (again, from what I thought from my reading and experience, could be wrong).

I've been drinking your beers for so long, and have drank so much Notch Pils, I couldn't say where or when it tasted off. I'd say it was definitely on draft more than cans, but I recall both have seemed off in the past. As an aside, I've had far more awesome Pils than not, otherwise I would have stopped buying it. And I don't recall it being off lately.

In addition to that, I've adjusted what I look for in that beer after reading up on the exact style. At first I was comparing it to something akin to Pilsner Urquell, which I don't feel does your beer justice, difference Czech-style Pils.

The first batch of Cerne was outstanding, the second I had was still good, tasted a bit astringent though if I had to specify a characteristic. The malt profile/mouthfeel seemed a bit rough, and not as smooth as the first lot I drank (not sure if I'm making sense here). But this was also mixed in with other beers that night, so that could be taken into consideration. I believe the second batch was the 11/02/16 canning. I do know I had Cerne on cask at Row 34 a few years ago, and it's still one of the best beers I've ever had. Those imperial pints were going down quickly.

The last can I had of Left of the Dial was actually the best one I've ever had, this was in January. I had just consumed a Mango Even Keel prior to that beer. I actually like regular Even Keel, so if you ever feel the urge to make a Mango Left of the Dial, well, don't.

One last thing, you said some of the cans could be "old" beer. What are your recommended "best by" dates for your beers? Three months, five...etc. from canning?

Cheers, and thanks for replying. I look forward to the beer hall in Salem!

 

No one ever really mentions Rapscallion in Sturbridge, but it's really a relaxed atmosphere and the beer is consistently good. They don't do any super hoppy stuff like Tree House or Trillium that will blow you away (nor are they trying to), but they always have a decent selection. The staff is super friendly and they have live music most weekends. I really enjoy their coffee stout and porter. They don't really distribute, but sell crowlers and growlers. It's pet friendly too. And you can hit BT's or Yankee Spirits while you are in town.

 

Mystic is my favorite brewery. I also really enjoy Devil's Purse on Cape Cod..Really delicious ipas and pale ales. Super friendly staff at both places as well.

 

Medusa
Jack's Abby(even though you mentioned them)
Ipswitch
CBC
Brewmaster Jack
Berkshire Brewing
Sam Adams
Harpoon
Wormtown

 

Hype? Maybe just buy good beer you like? Jacks Abby, I would put the BA Framinghammer up against any BA out there. Wormtown Be Hoppy? Cambridge Brewing rocks. Nuff said. Newburyport greenhead IPA. Cape Ann brewing, the seasonal 4 packs. Harpoon czernobog, killer RIS. As said, Night shift. Ipswich 101 is one of my regular go to's. Tried any of their seasonals? Spencer stout? Narragansett coffee milk stout, fabo, IHMO. Wachusett as well. MA has a GREAT beer scene. Explore. Others wish they had it so good. At one of my beer tastings, got someone who was not such a fan, esp ipa to say, " this notch pilsner, pretty good"

 

Cambridge Brewing is wildly under rated, so much so that I don't get it. They make some of the best sours in the world. They make solid to outstanding beer across dozens of styles and yet I never hear a peep about them in the forums. I remember a while back I saw someone say they were a huge beer fan that lived in the city, but had never been to CBC. Somebody else responded "that is like being a baseball fan and never going to Fenway park" . I think that summed it up about perfectly

 

Agree completely. Jack's Abby too...they don't get enough credit for beers like Saxonator, which is superb. Night Shift makes some great stuff, but hard to find. I had a porter from Mystic I really liked not long ago, but I don't go for farmhouse or saisons so don't do most of their stuff. Bog Iron makes a Blonde Ale that is better than Shawn Lawson's Knockout Blonde IMHO. Lots of good stuff all over.

 

No cans or bottles and off the beaten path, Honest Weight in Orange is definitely under most people's radar. They are however getting product out to a fairly eclectic list of beer bars (eg Armsby/Dive Bar, Blind Pig/Athol House, Foundry/Dirty Truth) including some in the greater Boston area as well that I'm not familiar with. I go on growler runs most weekends and there is typically a selection of 4 or 5 hop forward styles, generally towards the lower end of the ABV spectrum (haven't seen a DIPA yet). Friendly, with no lines to speak of and good prices, my TH growlers are getting dusty even though TH and HW are equidistant from where I live in Northampton.

Weeks that I don't go to HW I make the 5 minute drive to BLDG 8 and pick up a case of 16 ozers for $65. Life is good.

 

Naw, North Adams is a hell of a drive to still be in state. But Bright Ideas Brewing isn't open yet.

Honest Weight is fantastic! Killer beers with complex malts and flagship Branch Bridge pale is top notch. Nice guys to boot. Growler fills run about $10-12 so quite reasonable.