Best New England Beers

ipswich oatmeal stout is cheap and readily available (10/6 pack) and its a world class oatmeal stout. mayflower has a few goods beers, i like their porter a lot. if you can score something from jack abby (brewpub in framingham) definitely do that. i found four of their beers at whole foods the other day...

 

Jack's Abby

 

Captain lawrence DIPA
NEBCO Ghandi Bot
Maine Brewing MO/Zoe/Peeper


Cheers!

 

The VT ones are obvious, RI try Grey Sail Flying Jenny, CT get Nebco, ME look for Oxbow and Marshall Wharf for MA as mentioned Jacks Abby and Pretty things. You also might want to have this moved to the New England forum.

 

Too bad Ry(e)an Ale won't be around...great stuff. Give Cisco's Woods series a shot if you can find some. Maine's Lunch too.

 

Well I should add if you are drinking at brewpubs and what not as we'll, go to CBC they have some nice BA stuff right now.

 

Not obvious, but delicious, Rising Tide Daymark, yummy goodness.

 

Don't go to Jack's Abby expecting a brewpub that someone noted above. It's just a brewery with free tastings. But I agree, pick up their beers, especially Hoponius Union.

+1 to Ipswich Oatmeal Stout

If you can find some Wormtown, they have consistent quality, and Be Hoppy is great when fresh.

Berkshire Brewing, I don't believe distributes to NY. Affordable bombers - try their Coffeehouse Porter.

Another mention for CBC's (Cambridge Brewing Company) bottles. I love their Bannatyne's Scotch Ale and Sgt. Pepper Saison.

 

If you can still find any Gritty McDuff's Christmas Ale, get some. It doesn't rate the highest, but I think it is because people are expecting a spiced Winter Warmer. It's a great well balanced ESB that is one of my favorites.

 

Cambridge Brewing Company
Wachusett can be hit or miss, but I like their Winter Ale
Harpoon (you probably get it in NY, but if not...)

 

Jacks Abby Smoke and Dagger, Saxonator, Lashes, Hoponius Union. I think Kiwi Rising is all done...hope they make it again cuz I missed it. Saxonator kinda scarce, too, come to think of it.

Clown Shoes - Blaecorn Unidragon (have not tried the Porcine Uni) and Vampire Slayer. Their web site distribution thing skips NYC by the looks.

Pretty Things is irregular even where I am on the south shore about 45 miles out for town. Haven't seen the full current line up anywhere I've been.

Cisco to me is so-so. You must get Smuttynose in NY? Blue Hills and Wachusett - meh, mostly. My son (beer guy for a very small store) likes some of the Offshore Ales - I have something of theirs yet to try. Opa Opa is all over the place, hot and cold on the products. Backlash - meh. Newport Storm (Coastal Extreme Brewing) I don't care for. Up and comer might be Idle Hands - Triplication is pretty good from my notes should be around a four or so, pretty well distributed around greater Boston. It is the only bottled stuff I have seen/had of theirs. Mayflower - don't know much about yet, but have heard some good things. I am not a Harpoon fan either.

This store is in Belmont, MA...lists brewers they carry by state http://nocrapbeer.com/craftbeercellar/ma/belmont/beers.php?sort=state. Pretty good list but not all-inclusive. Oh they do have Cambridge Brewing Company - that would be good.

Weekend...hmmm...lot of area to cover in a short time. Tullys is a little too far in the wrong direction up Maine, but Julio's in Westboro, MA you might be able to work into the route if you aren't a hurry, well, either direction. Kappy's has at least two stores near Boston...they are a pretty big chain, kinda warehouse. There is a Wines and More just south of Providence...find you do need to check dates there, staff is spotty, inventory is pretty big and pretty diverse but some conspicuous absences. But it is only ten minutes off 95S..getting back on can be a bitch.

 

Another vote for Jack's Abby. Cambridge Brewing's "Audacity of Hops" is another good one. There was a pretty good supply of Pretty Things' latest "Once Upon a Time" series today at Redstone Liquors (right off 93/95 in Stoneham) - most friendly and helpful staff ever (thought the ladies in Belmont are great too)

As above, Idle Hands is a new up and comer (I think their Triplication took a silver at GABF) - definitely pick some up if you like Belgians.

 

ZOMG HEADY TOPPERZ

 

Someone had mentioned Berkshire and I second that. Cheap bombers, a ton of different kind of brews and they so far, have all been fantastic.

New England Brewing company makes a few great beers, Ghandi Bot, 668, Fuzzy Baby Ducks and Imperial Storm Trooper come to mind.

A hard to find nano brewery in CT, Relic Brewing makes some very unique brews, and they are fantastic. And I've happened to strike up a good friendship with the owner.

New England has a ton of great breweries

 

Anything from Jack's Abby, Berkshire's Coffeehouse Porter, Mayflower Brewing's Porter, Ipswich Oatmeal Stout (world class oatmeal stout imo), anything from Pretty Things, Wachusett Larry DIPA, Wormtown in Worcester, MA thier Be Hoppy+Sweet Tatz. I'm sure theres plenty more but these are some to checkout. Not sure if you get Baxter Brewing Co out of Maine but thier Stowaway IPA and Winter Punch Stout are both solid and worth checking out.

 

No one has mentioned Night Shift - they are a bit pricey but if you like sours or high concept beers its worth tracking down. Or swing by the the brewery in Everett to taste and chat with the owners.

 

Ipswich should be available in Boston.

+1 to Jack's Abby and Rising Tide. Rising Tide's Atlantis is an amazing black/smoked ale that people who hate smoked beers would probably enjoy.

You won't find any of the VT beers down there that are good (Heady, HF, Lawson's), nor will you find Oxbow.

 

Absolutely anything from Jack's Abby or Clown Shoes (especially their stouts and).

 

I'd caution about getting "anything" from Jack's Abby. Now that the beers have been ticked by most geeks they are beginning to languish somewhat at package stores. Hoponius Union is a nice beer under ~ 3 weeks or so but really falls off a cliff quickly
Also seems like some of their seasonals sit around too...so be sure to check the bottle dates.

Ipswich Oatmeal Stout is a top-notch beer IMO & is widely available. Smuttynose big bottles are good, easy to find & priced reasonably too.

Mystic does a decent job with cork-n-caged Saisons if you're into that sort of thing.