Driven past this brewery in the past on my way to Stowe/Burlington but never stopped in and since I saw some of their cans at Julios and I figure I would try something new. "Cassis" was really good!! A little bready funk, tart, and a delicious rich berry flavor. Best of all it seemed like a good price too at 8.99 for a 16 Oz can. Anything else I should be on the lookout for from these guys?
I have yet to try Hermit Thrush but just had to report this - I am in Bermuda this week and the beer scene is pretty weak, but of course I researched it prior to coming, and the market that sells the widest variety of beer - in addition to lots of mass market beers, I saw some some one-offs from various states including a single from Hermit Thrush! It was sitting next to several Russian Rivers (Consecration, Damnation), Stillwater, some Deschutes, some New Orleans beer, and then other mass markets... Didn't exactly answer your question but thought it was entertaining enough to mention anyway! Cheers!
Overall, they do a great job with sours and BA sours. I have never had anything that I didn't partially enjoy. Their sour IPA Green Street SIPA is an interesting and tasty brew, well done if you like sour with nice layers of hops. The Supah Funk series and Gin Barrel Saison are also worth seeking out.
I am a big fan of Brattleberry. Although at over $30 a 4 pack I don't buy it very often. Great stuff though.
Considering it's spontaneously fermented and aged for a considerable amount of time, the pricing seems appropriate. My local packie breaks down all of Hermit Thrush's stuff into singles which makes the pricing a lot more palatable. Admittedly, I still hesitate at purchasing any beer in a 16 oz can priced over $4 or $5 - some of the hazy IPA pricing from breweries like Finback and Single Cut have made me a bit more critical/skeptical of 16 oz. can pricing. Hermit Thrush's stuff is well worth the price though.
-especially since they had single cans sitting next to $15-20 bottles of allagash and oxbow. Definitely puts the price in perspective as "similar" beers were around twice the price for less volume
I like some of their beers a lot, but on some of them I get a very off putting flavor that reminds me slightly of ketchup and relish. Like a wild ferment McDonald's burger or something. I do dig that gin barrel saison though
