Mystic Brewery - NE IPAs

Great beers, fun taproom (minus the big jenga). They get yeast/fermentation better than most (IMO), the IPAs carry the haze people want but have a depth that many others lack. But frankly, their best beer is Saison Renaud. And I wish Table Beer was on tap everywhere in Boston. It's a great session/warm weather beer.

 

They have been brewing some really good IPAs in my opinion. They only have growler fills for IPAs. The taproom isn't huge but has a very nice atmosphere and they have a bunch of different beers on tap. You can order food from local restaurants "they have a list of them". All and all it is worth the trip to get some growler fills and try some of the different beers they are brewing. They do sell bottles of beers/ sours to go.

 

Mystic has some really great IPAs...actually most of their beers are very enjoyable.

Went there Friday to try Post-Apocalyptic Xanadu (TIPA), and I felt it compared favorably to The Streets imo. Echo session ale was also a great low abv saison, that tasted both hoppy and maintained the saison taste, unlike some other local hybrid styles.

Unfortunately, we had to leave after two drinks because it was very hot on Friday and they had no AC (some fans, but were being hogged by a group). So beware of that in the summer months.

 

Place is one of the more underrated or at least underhyped breweries in the north east considering what they churn out, IMO. They have good to great examples of most styles.

Cans would be really nice to see.

 

Mystic has been making good beers for quite sometime now, but unfortunately you don't receive much chatter/hype until you brew a New England style IPA.

Absolutely worth the trip for all the reasons everyone above has stated. You have to try Ciao pizza that delivers there (last time I was there was a guy who worked there with an iPad taking orders). Sometimes I want to go there mainly for the pizza and the solid beer is just a bonus. Oh, you can also get flat bread and spread the Vermont butter they have for free (it used to be sitting on the bar in a giant ball under a plastic case, but I didn't see it last time).

Extra bonus: It doesn't get nearly the traffic of a Nightshift (not knocking those guys, love going there too), so you're not likely to have to wait in line or battle for a seat.

 

Table Beer is a mind blowing experience. So complex, smooth, and enjoyable...

 

Maybe I just don't go to enough bars but Mystic seems underrepresented on Boston tap lists in general.

 

Inconsistency opaque them in the beer scene. They do brew some awesome Saisons but again, they are not consistent.

 

I disagree completely. I find them to be one of the most consistent breweries in the state. I've spent many hours in that taproom and have never had a bad beer.

What beers did you find inconsistent?

 

Mystic is a shameful hole in my brewery visit list given how close I live to them and how long they've been around. I generally associate them with Saisons, which I'm not really a fan of, so that's mostly why I've dragged my feet.

This thread is a good reminder that I should get off my ass and check them out.

 

They do everything well. Have since the start. One of my local favorites. IPAs get people to talk I guess. They have been putting out talk worthy beer well before though.

They are good but not the reason I go.

 

I attend the two BA fests in Boston every year and our favorite stop while in town is almost always Mystic. Great food, good atmosphere, the take out Pizza from up the road is great. Never had an unpleasant time there. Its an easy spot to hang out for a while.

The IPA/DIPA they have in house/growler fills that I have tried have been above average. I think Bonus Life in particular was great.

 

Ditto.

Not sure when the last time you visited was.. Up until they bought the old HF system 2ish years ago they had the unfortunate situation of having to brew their wort in a separate facility and then ship it to the Chelsea to ferment, so yeah I can see some inconsistencies arising there and maybe that's where you formed that opinion. If you haven't been in a while I'd recommend the revisit.

 

Everyone just...shhhh...Mystic is one of the few havens left where you can actually go sit and always drink something great in a relaxed tap room, without a huge line.

I'm all for promoting someone doing great work, and wanting them to continue succeed, but I'm also selfish.

 

The most recent ones I can remember were De Varenne (smelled and tasted like rotten cheese) and Freak Scene which is one of the worst beers I ever had. Really enjoyed Saison Renaud and Table Beer.

To be fair, it has been about a year and a half since I had any Mystic beers. That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the info, I will definitely give them another try.

 

I still miss their Descendent Brown ale - a great beer, especially on bourbon barrels.

 

Just wondering, do you normally like funky wild ales and/or gruits?

Similarly, I know people who thought Fernetical was undrinkable but I thought it was spot on with the experiment and very tasty.

 

While we're singing Mystic's praises, the last batch of Ventus was a first rate BA wild ale. Still see bottles hanging out on better beer store shelves. Worth the $$$ IMO.

 

I do enjoy barnyard/funky flavor. Not had much gruits to be honest, but I had one call Kyot I believe from the Netherlands and that one had a good profile of floral and honey notes.