Ipswich and Newburyport Brewing Merger

I beleive NBPT was contracting at Isle Brewers Guild in Pawtucket

 

Correct, NBPT was at the Guild in Pawtucket. Following the Guild's social media it seems there has been a run on the number of Night Shift taps lately so this must have been in the works for a little while, and the tanks are now re-proportioned.

 

Dear Ipswich,

What in the f*ck happened to your Oatmeal Stout in the state on Connecticut?

Keithmurray

 

Sounds like a win-win partnership.

I’m a longtime fan of Ipswich beer, particularly the Ipswich Oatmeal Stout & in more recent years the Route 101 IPA. Dig the old school English style IPA & Ale on occasion too. But they could definitely use some more experimental beers (read: cloudy IPAs) which the NBPT small system will enable them to do.

As for NBPT, I’ve always just thought their beer was just OK. I’ve enjoyed a few visits to their small taproom & have seen some decent bands there. Sounds like their new taproom will be worth a visit.

 

Sounds like the deal is closer to an "alternating proprietorship" deal between the two that will include "shared... sales, and marketing" (not typical of most AP's), rather than an actual merger of the two companies, based on the BREWBOUND article Massachusetts Breweries Strike Strategic Partnership:

 

Add Route 101

 

The Ipswich 1620 IPA is great when fresh. But they don’t date the cans so hard to know

 

Same with 101 - though the difference is that the 101 is date marked but mysteriously never super-fresh.

 

Ipswich seems to have a good handle on how to survive long term in the craft beer world. Their model seems to evolve and make good moves consistently, this being another, good for them.

 

I had a good eight month run at lincoln liquors when they ordered just enough for 101 to always be fresh. They made one big order and everything went to shit.

I think the future is to have one non-ipa flagship and rotating IPAs through the year. I feel like ipswich could thrive under that model.

1620 is great, handled corrrectly it could take off .

 

I feel like the future model (current model for some) is to rotate all your beers.

If Ipswich Oatmeal Stout was rotated (or even more spread out as a seasonal), I'd grab it more often. Right now there's so much beer out there I don't consider it most of the time. The 7% ABV plays into it as well though. If it were more sessionable I'd be more inclined to buy it more often.

 

I'm all aboard the session train but if Ipswich Oatmeal wasn't the abv it is, I do feel it loses something.

Also from recent purchases, the abv had dipped into the 6 range.

 

Oh yeah I agree. I was just saying I tend to purchase more beers that are lower in alcohol (especially in bulk). So if it was lower, I'd be more inclined to buy it more often.

That's interesting the ABV has dipped. Kind of odd, I can't ever remember it being below 7%.

 

Their website has it listed exactly at 7%. And that photo is obviously not of that beer! Haven't seen it in CT in forever though

https://www.ipswichalebrewery.com/Stout.PAGE.html

 

Yeah I usually have one of the nice newish 6 pack boxes of cans in my fridge. Have not noticed a dip in ABV

 

Ha yeah what is that? That beer doesn’t even look good.