Oxbow, worth stopping?

You can find their farmhouse pale ale and their freestyle series on tap all over Portland but you should definitely hit up the brewery for growlers and bottles. Their wild ales/barrel aged beers are amazing and the local scenery more so.

 

The Farmhouse Pale isn't worth going out of your way for at all. I had that & another Belgian-whatever....yawn. Decent beers but not trip-detouring worth IMO.

 

Facebook (Tasting Room @ Oxbow) lists bottles, or you can ask them there.

By Maine law breweries can only fill their own growlers.

Is it worth visiting? Yes, absolutely. Plenty of people call Oxbow the Hill Farmstead of Maine, with good reason. And, you can sit down in the tasting room and have a beer, or several beers, in a very relaxed and no-waiting environment.

 

There's a lot more to Oxbow than just FPA, and if you think a slightly funky saison that scores a 91 on here is "yawn", well...

 

Worth the stop. I was in there on Saturday, they had Synthesis on the shelf. I would check again closer to when you'll be there.

 

Oxbow is probably the best brewery in New England.

 

Worth going, especially if Synthesis is on the shelf, I thought that was their best bottled beer to date.

 

100% worth stopping - It's a cool/unique scene and the ride up & back will give you a solid feel for rural Maine... Otherwise, great beers w/ full pours available, and the nicest people ever (the staff, the brewers, everyone on site).

 

Oxbow is definitely worth the stop, great little tasting room and they always have some interesting things on tap. FPA can be found throughout Portland but I would suggest taking home large growlers because you will miss it shortly after leaving Maine. I think FPA is one of the best beers I have ever drank. Pretty unique for a flagship and I think they hit a homerun. Would love to see this stuff hit MA distro!

 

I always try to work in a stop at Oxbow when in the area, with lunch after at Newcastle Public House or Lion's Pride/Lively Brewpub. It really is the HFB of Maine - without the external hype or lines. Always some great stuff on tap to taste and fill a growler with, and usually a nice bottle to take home. Also award-winning cheeses from Hahn's End sold there. Celeste & Jake are the taproom hosts with the mosts!

 

It'll be open, under whatever the name is that week. Unless they have their own stuff on finally, be prepared for overpriced drafts. I know it's not nice to be critical, but a simple Allagash White is $2-3 more there than in Portland (at least, last time I was in).

 

I doubt you'll regret going. Their house strain is pretty unique in the farmhouse arena. It's difficult to describe the exact quality that makes it different, but you'll taste it. Kind of like how HF IPAs are really on a different level from a flavor standpoint.

Great people, gorgeous location, and fantastic beer. Have fun!

 

If you are in the area it's worth a stop... but I personally wouldn't go too far out of my way to make a special trip. I think part of it was that we weren't feeling the farmhouse/saison styles much that day and thats pretty much what they do. We didn't buy any growlers, though we sampled most of everything.

 

I love me some Oxbow, a bunch of real good guys and gals making really good beer, but I will echo the sentiment that if you are not a fan of farmhouse/saison and not willing to travel far, it may be too far out of the way from Portland. In the summer, it's a great stop as you can take your sample and meander around the farm and enjoy the views and the pond, but it's definitely off the beaten path and you will drive by the entrance at least once.