Top 3 MA Breweries

I strongly doubt any switch to a neutral ale yeast would be detectable by most drinkers, let alone an improvement. If you're not arguing the merits of using WLP001 vs WLP007 in an IPA, I really doubt you're going to notice an improvement.

The lack of ale yeast holds them back from brewing estery styles (Belgians) but that's about it.

 

IMO with limited availability. TH being in pretry much everyone's top 3 is impressive.

 

You really think there would be a meaningful difference if they brewed it as an imperial stout rather than a baltic porter?

 

1. Cambridge Brewing Company
2. Trillium
3. Jacks Abby

 

I would expect an imperial stout version to be roastier and thicker. If that's not characteristic of the brewing differences between the two styles, then I'm totally able to admit I'm wrong.

 

I've had thick roasty porters and plenty of thin less roasty stouts. That beer is exactly what JA wants it to be and the yeast wouldn't make any difference to the characteristics you take issue with..

 

ipswich, jacks abby, trillium.

 

honorable mention would be wormtown and mayflower.

 

Trillium > Treehouse > Brewmaster Jack

Trillium - crushing on all accounts. IPAs / DIPAs / Stouts / Saisons

Treehouse - see above (their Double Shot - Sumatra is the best stout in MA)

Brewmaster Jack - so impressed with Hoppiness is a Warm Pun and Little Brother. Ambrewsia is a cool winner and perfectly priced. Brewmaster Jack / Paper City are doing things right with hops right now.

Honorable Mention: Jack's Abby, Wormtown, Clown Shoes (BA Stouts / BW), Cambridge Brewing Co

 

If you were to pervert the question a little and consider physical breweries, you've got to include Mercury (Ipswich) in the top three. The MA beer scene would look pretty good if you just limited it to beers that came out of that plant: Ipswich, Notch, CBC, Clownshoes, a batch of Trillium, etc...

 

I'll join in on the fun.

1. Trillium (absolute best hoppy beers I've had from anywhere. The double dry hopped and galaxy fort point are in my top 10 beers period.)

2. Tree House (nice laid back brewery in the country. A little far for me but green, julius, haze, good morning, double shot, and twss makes up for it)

3. Night Shift (5 minutes from my house and the best taproom around. Ever weisse is my favorite and 90% of the time there sours are on point.)

 

Understanding that they are a tenant brewer, and agreeing with the Trill/TH/JA top 3, I am surprised that Pretty Things doesn't even get an honorable mention in these threads. Jack d'Or, Meadowlark, Fluffy White Rabbits, Baby Tree, Barbapapa - all really good beers. I do wish they sold some of their beers in six packs, but I would surely take their output over, to choose one example, Clown Shoes.

 

I'm just not going here. I feel like we are extremely lucky to have access to all the great beer that we do in MA. I don't even know how I'd begin to pick my favorite. It often changes every time I try a new offering from one of the aforementioned places.

 

Not to mention the absolutely fabulous 1855 EIP.

 

1. Treehouse
2. Trillium
3. Jack's Abby

honorable mention:

4. Night shift. I went here when they first opened the new place and was not impressed. The best beer was member only. the pale was thin. everything seemed over complicated and over thought. contrived maybe. I've tried some other offerings from them outside the brewery and every time I've been impressed. lol

5. Brewmaster Jack. man his stuff is good when fresh. every time I go to Yankee in Sturbridge I check bottle dates which I have noticed he doesnt do to much any more. which is bad becasue I love this beer fresh but with no bottle dates I'll have no clue how old they are. ultimately taking brewmaster jack right out of my decision process which is a damn shame.

 

Did the OP actually put Berkshire in the mix as a contender?

Love to try Trillium and Jacks Abby. But if they are as good as Tree House, then MA is doing very well

 

Living as close to the New York border as can be and the fact that I work when breweries do their sales I have to state that Trillium and TreeHouse are NOT that easily accessible to those of us that wish them.

 

I keep forgetting about Bog Iron! Totally solid beers and I need to revisit as they've released a handful of things since I was last there, which was too long ago now. That's another contender for top underdog brewery for me