RI Breweries

No.

 

I'm still a bit disappointed in Rhode Island's beer scene. Foolproof is probably the "best" up and coming brewery in the state. Whaler's and Proclamation are fairly new in the southern half of the state. Trinity is garbage, Revival is ok, but they contract brew so you won't be able to visit their brewery. Ravenous has a nice coffee milk stout, but their pale ale is average. I'm sure I'm missing some, but there's my contribution.

 

Grey Sail is a pretty cool little brewery. They're located in Westerly if you're ever down that way - with tastings on Friday from 3-6pm, and tastings+tours Saturday and Sunday from 1-5pm.

They have a new tasting area/bar that can have 9 beers on tap now, so you get their regular beers and usually a couple extras.

 

Here's my quick take on the RI breweries. I think this is all of them...

Grey Sail: Cool area, the people there are really nice, I'm not sure their policy on tours anymore because I haven't been down in a while but it used to be buy a glass and get unlimited full pints. I heard that the guys working got in trouble from the owner for giving away so much beer so I'm not sure what they do now. Their beers are almost all really good, they usually have at least one brewery only beer and there are some good bars/restaraunts around there. Malted barley is awesome and bridge has awesome food but the beers arent very special there.

Ravenous: Haven't been on their tour but the coffee milk stout is real good fresh and some of their other random beers I've tried are pretty good so might be worth the visit.

Foolproof: Gives pretty good sized samples, really really nice brewery, cool people working there and the beers are pretty good, I like la ferme urbaine and barstool.

Revival: Cant visit but their beers are all pretty good, The brewer sean larkin also brews at brutopia brewpub in cranston and their beers are pretty good, and the food is really good.

Trinity: Beers are ok, cant really tour it, and the food is ok

Newport Storm: I feel like they have been getting better, stopped in the other day for a tasting, their amber is nice and toasty and the newest cyclone "Zach" is an oatmeal stout and is really really tasty. Didn't tour it but I like the people there too.

Whalers: Haven't been but they seem to really enjoy having people visit so it could be cool to visit.

Proclamation: Tendril is in my opinion the best IPA in the state, I keep missing my chance to try out ZZlumber their barrel aged stout but they have it at rogue island in the arcade sometimes. They also have a couple special beers that they release at the brewery, they are releasing a triple ipa tomorrow or today and they released a brett beer and another one last week.

Bucket: Their beers are all solid but nothing overly special, the guys love to talk beer and have cool events (live music in the brewery for like 5$ and you get tastings) and the tour is pretty good.

 

Depends when you are in town. I would suggest hitting Proclamation (super nice guys and I've been pretty happy with their beers), head down to Grey Sail (they have a beer engine now and have been doing some speciality logs) and then cross the border and hit Beer'd in Stonington (these guys are killing it with their IPAs and APAs).

Haven't hit Whaler's yet, but I'm a little turned off by the fact that their website lists their 32oz. growlers at $10 (most I've paid is $5 and I think I've seen them as low as $2.50).

Welcome back.

 

I would say proclamation is a must. They make the best ipa and are really the only local brewery messing around with sours and barrels. The rest I find very mediocre and can be found in local stores without having to visit. I would go to mass and visit night shift, trillium and jacks

 

I like Foolproof and Grey Sail quite a bit. Havent had all their offerings and probably never will but they are pretty decent. Newport Storm I dont even bother with to be honest. Im sure they are ok they just dont appeal to me. Havent had Whalers and Proclamation yet.

 

Definitely get to Proclamation for some Zzzlumber and Tendril. Also, Beer'd has some of the best DIPA's and Pale Ales around. Make sure you check them out. Grey Sail is ok in my opinion. Every now and then they release a limited beer that can go either way, but they stick a lot to their flagship cream ale and flying Jenny IPA. I can't attest to the others.

 

Grey Sail is solid as is Fool Proof. Both would be worth checking out I think.

Bucket Brewery made a decent Kolsch. Can't see much more about them.

Haven't tried Whalers, Ravenous or Proclamation.

Trinity is terrible.

Newport Storm is not good.

Revival is nothing special in my opinion, though I did enjoy Larkin's Dry Irish Stout.

Overall, our beer scene is lousy. We're light years ahead of where we used to be, but nowhere near what the rest of New England is doing. Even when taking Vermont out of the conversation, we're still pathetic when compared to our immediate neighbors in Mass. and Conn.

 

To fill in the blanks on a few of the lesser known breweries from above:
Whalers was a good visit, agreed that the growler prices (for a 32-oz) are a bit much. I have compared their strong ale to Harpoon's Leviathan IIPA. Their English mild I had a few weeks ago was a great example of style. They do an $8 tasting with glass, I was told 3 pours going in but they did not count too carefully.

Proclamation is an even smaller space. Dave is a great guy to talk beer, not only his own but in general. The zzzlumber is probably the best growler of beer you can get in the state. A very good coffee stout. And Tendril is a nice IPA as well (you'll find other breweries in this state just make their IPA's as bitter as possible without trying to balance the flavor). This brewery has the best chance of achieving a cult following from outside of RI going forward, especially with their enthusiasm towards barrel aging. Same as above for tastings with glass.

 

Proclaimation stuff sounds great. Location is rough for me in SE Mass. Over an hour away and I believe hours are limited. Would love to try their IPA as well as some of their bottled offerings

 

Any comparisons for Tendril? Hoppy or malty? Missed going there a month ago, and might be able to squeeze it in this week.

 

Hows the Grey Sail Hazy Day Belgian Wit ? I see it around all the time and want to pick some up. I am definiitely a witibier fan. Its 4 pack 16 oz cans like the Chimney Porter.

 

I thought Hazy Day was good. Not a world beater but quite easy to drink.

 

grey sail has that chalkboard series saison. nice bit of funk to it and a pretty good beer. plus, fresh flying jenny ain't bad either.

 

Tendril tends towards hoppy with the dry hopped late addition thing going. Lots of citrusy bright flavors coming off of it. Not too bitter at all. Just a really nice drinking IPA and one that I enjoy a lot. Definitely the best in the state (although that isn't exactly a ringing endorsement I understand .... but it is good).