I haven't been active on the forum but I have used the site for quite a while to figure out what beers to try. Hoping you guys can come through for me here. I often pick up new beers from a local package store called Gasbarros. I tried one about a year ago that I quite liked and my girlfriend liked as well. I can't remember the name of it and I haven't been able to find it since then. It came in a dark bottle with a black cap and I believe a black label. The cap was plain black with a tree on it. The beer itself tasted much like root beer, minus the sweetness. As if it was a beer that had been brewed with root beer spices and flavorings. I know this isn't much to go on but any help would be apprecieted. Thanks in advance!
Like an evergreen tree or a broad-branched deciduous tree? With the graphic being a major hint to help identify the brewery, you might want to post the cap description in the Brewerania forum if no one can help in this forum. The only brewery with a black bottle cap with a tree that i can think of is Arbor Brewing from here in Michigan. But I don't think they distribute to MA, and none of your other descriptions fit them for the label or beer taste.
Definitely a deciduous tree. Cap was black with a white tree silhouette design with bare branches. The beer tasted like it was brewed with sassafras and wintergreen or something similar, much resembling the taste of root beer but more...beer-like I guess. Not like a hard soda, not sweet at all. I want to say it was an ale, but I can't remember clearly as it was over a year ago.
Sounds like you are talking about White Birch. Not sure which of their beers would have the profile you are describing, but it should help you narrow it down.
Might it be White Birch Cattywhompus https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20417/87654/ ? One review says it tastes like root beer
It's not picture of a tree (I think it's a leaf), but in case your memory is playing slight tricks on you 'Deciduous' is another possibility for the brewery:
