Idle Hands (2023)

One of the two breweries we frequent the most and I agree 100% with what you say. Their lagers are some of the best around.

 

Tripel was incredibly ugly on draft but good. Being called a Belgian Blonde and *looks outside* wish it was a low abv Belgian Blonde because I know Idle Hands would kill that. Tried a taster of the thiol IPA and thought it was good though I wonder how much more some tropical hops would have amplified that character further versus what they used. I don't know a lot about thiols and their interactions with hops though. Fresh Heide tasted good as did Edgeworth.

 

Made a quick trip down the street to try out a few of the newer offerings and revisit Heide, which I recall really enjoying last year.

Alcahuete is on point with their assessment of Pinnacle Rock. (Keep repping us North Shore-adjacent folks!) Easily up there with Four Seam/Six Seam and I love the ABV. Absolutely spot-on for what I'm looking for at the moment in an IPA from an ABV perspective (~6.5%). I'll always love the higher ABV stuff, but I'm feeling the burnout like I think a lot of other folks are. Keep making this one Chris!

Totally dig this latest batch of Heide, even better than last year. The Valley Mild is as-described: a treat. I was very pleasantly surprised on how much caramel malt came through on a 3.7% ABV. Very full flavored, and woefully underappreciated.

To be transparent though, I was disappointed with the White Rabbits (along with Sheppard, it seems?) I'm very confused as to what this beer is supposed to be. Advertised as a Belgian Blonde with a Tripel ABV, and has a really bitter component that I was quite confused by. For the record, Triplication was my first love as a Tripel style beer, and I still very much enjoy it to this day. Considering that, this one really was a miss for me. But hey, can't win 'em all, and I appreciate the risk taking.

Last thought: I didn't have one tonight, but Gretel is one of the best beers made in New England, and I don't think that's a hot take.

 

Ah yes, White Rabbit. We tried everything in the book to get that beer to drop brite but it resisted us with every technique we threw at it. I love the taste of it but hate the appearance so it was a tough decision on whether to keep it or dump it. We ultimately decided to keep it based on the flavor alone.

 

Has anyone been to the Burlington location to give a report? I've been meaning to get there and seeing the mild on tap is just the kick in the ass I need.

Truth.

 

You have to enter from the outside. There's no place to enter from in the mall. Food is your standard New American pub fare. Good number of taps, comparable to what's in Malden.

 

Thanks. And not being able to enter from the mall somehow seems like a plus.

 

If you're in the mall and looking for it, it is not (probably because you're seeking a sanctuary). If you are just going for that, then definitely. I feel like with the way they've divided the old Sears space there, that whole area is kind of a Frankenmall. Hard to get up and down, some spots only available from the outside.

 

That's a good point actually, and yeah 'frankenmall' is a good descriptor for that end of things. I guess it beats the ghost town Lord and Taylor end though.

We enjoyed going even though the Mild had kicked by the time I got there. I thought it was a really cool concept executed well. And the outdoor seating area is pretty nice (especially for people with kids) if you don't mind staring at a mall parking lot.

Gotta say though that $9 for 9 ounce pours of a lot of the beers is pretty rough. I was glad to have my have liter of Gretel for the same price. And I've been pretty burnt out on IPAs of late but I agree that the new one Alcahuete referenced was really good. Nice fruit flavors without tipping over into that vaguely-spoiled-mango sort of taste that I get from a lot of them.

 

Yeah they were definitely 9 oz unfortunately. You can see it on the menu at the Burlington website (though there are fewer of them on the menu now than there were on Saturday). It doesn't appear to be purely ABV based so maybe it also includes things that were done on the pilot system?

Not the end of the world of course (especially since 3 of our 4 beers were half liters which is a better deal than a lot of places), but worth noting in our already pricey market.

 

I've been meaning to try this brewery for a while but kinda forgot about it for a while there til I saw this thread. Looks like a visit is in order!

 

My wife and I bought a house in Malden last year, and we go to Idle Hands all the time with our dog. Excellent beer and hangout spot. Four Seam is an evergreen selection in my beer fridge. Can't wait to give Pinnacle Rock and Heide a try soon!

 

Based on our trip last weekend, you will probably really enjoy both. And I’d bet the Mrs and I have probably seen you there as we take Rumble to the patio a decent bit when the weather is nice (and go on our own when it’s not).

 

I haven't been to Idle Hands a few months but went down based on the chatter here on Pinnacle Rock and White Rabbit. .... Pinnacle Rock was fantastic - I'd say their best IPA. The bartender said the base beer is actually Four Seam but they played with some new yeast strain and found it really changed the flavor. The website says it was a "new, unique yeast with innovative hopping techniques." ... And I enjoyed White Rabbit as well, much more so than I expected as I'm usually not a blonde fan.