Top 3 MA Breweries

It was me who put them in my top three.

Let me know if there is a Treehouse offering I can do a side-by-side with BBC's Czech Pils. Maybe their Maibock or their Octoberfest? Oh wait, Treehouse doesn't have a pilsner, or even a lager. All they brew is hoppy beer and stouts, catering to today's beer geek.

Berkshire knows what they're doing, and they've been doing it in MA for quite some time. If I'm going to compare breweries, I'll compare something like their Czech pilsner, which tells me FAR more about them than their flavor bombs.

Berkshire will never get major press because they don't have a Julius or a Fort Point Pale Ale or a Heady Topper. But my opinion is moot anyways, I've been here over 10 years and only have 28 reviews.

 

Berkshire Octoberfest is a rad brew.

 

We should probably just turn this thread title into, "After Tree House and Trillium in some order, what's your 3rd favorite MA brewery?"

Also - how do we turn this into some type of New Japan Pro Wrestling Death Match to decide. I'd be lying if I said I've never wanted to see someone get powerbombed through a canning line. . .

 

1.) CBC - Pros - quality, price, diversity Cons - limited distribution

2.) JA - Pros - Distribution, Price, Quality Cons - None, but I still won't put them ahead of CBC

3a b) Trillium / Treehouse - Pros - Quality Cons - Cost & Distribution

 

I've not had any TreeHouse, but based on what others say, this seems right to me. Wormtown vs. Jack's Abby is close. Nightshift would be next, followed by Clown Shoes. Lots of other very good breweries in the state for sure. Surprised more people aren't listing Wormtown highly. Their IPAs, IIPAs and even the triple I had were fantastic. But so was Norm.

 

Funny, someone just posted a thread on top beers in your state. So I took a look at NH (since I live here) and then looked at MA since I buy most of my beer in MA. Holy shite! Tree House and Trillium are dominating the top beers in MA (16 of the top 20). So it looks like people are more than justified in their Trillium and Tree House love.

 

So the thing about Berkshire is that Coffee is like $4 a bottle and available everywhere. It's a great beer at that price. Tree House Double Shot blows any other coffee stout out of the water, period. It's also a great price but, I have to drive 4 hours round trip to buy it. And I do sometimes. But sometimes a man wants to go to the local package store and go home to drink.

 

The fact that they use Dean's Beans (Orange, MA) for their Coffeehouse Porter is enough for me to consider it one of my favorites! Check out Dean's Beans if your also a coffee snob like me!!

 

Trillium
TreeHouse
NightShift
is my vote... And luckily 2/3 are very accessible. TreeHouse on the other hand... About an hour out. There beers I've only had 2 of and just recently, and Trillium I've had just about every beer they've put out in the 6 months. Being across the street while I work is both fantastic and dangerous to my wallet.

 

I'm just gonna pick up this mic here.....

Hi, hello....Tree House has a Kellerbier on tap (Trailbreaker, brewed by Brendan Prindiville) and is the start of their Lager program.....also a Amber Ale called Ma.

Ok, I'm just gonna gonna put the mic back down here....I don't want to drop it, it isn't mine. Or I can hand it back to you, let me know.

 

Trailbreaker is incredibly delicious - cans please?

 

Oh wow, didn't know that. It'll be interesting to see how their lagers turn out. If they crank out a great pils or Helles...etc. I bet those will be easier to get than something like Julius.

 

Stay tuned, but I suspect that when this is done by any of the other top three mentioned here, it will be superior to Berkshire. I prefer Pilsner Urquell to BBs Czech Pilsner

You took me out of context on the bold part. I simply asked if there was a reason why some here have thousands of posts on the forum but only a few beers rated? You might have stated that the beer ratings are messed up by people joining just to vote for a certain brewerys beer for instance. Instead, you spun my question into me saying that there was something wrong with one who only posts on the forum - or that those who only post on the forum don't know what they are talking about as related to beer. It was obvious to the most casual observer what I was asking because I did not know why some choose to post on the forum without rating beer. But I do know this. We clearly have a different opinion on Berkshire Brewery. I love other beer styles, and have high hopes that Tree House and the like will continue to expand their product line. But don't say that people are beer geeks (whatever that means) because the recognize and celebrate the astounding quality coming from any of the breweries mentioned (save for BB). Berkshire is good and sometimes very good (sometimes OK at best), but not exceptional. Your mileage clearly varies.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

 

There are plenty of BAers who don't rate. The typically feel that rating takes the fun out of simply just enjoying the beer in your hand...I'm not necessarily one of these people, as I do rate (usually just to track what I've had), but I can fully appreciate the "don't over analyze, just enjoy" mentality. I'm trying to lean that way a bit more these days.

 

On Untappd I've give many beers a 5 because i was in really good mood and everything seemed perfect.

 

I stopped into 4 MA breweries this weekend. It is tough to rate because aside from the beer, the experience for me plays into it (being able to hang out, grab a flight/tasting, etc.). With that, I'll say this:

1 - Treehouse
2 - Night Shift
3 - Trillium
4 - Aeronaut

The top beers, for me, are from Treehouse and Trillium. But the size and lack of on site drinking, for me, inhibits these places for me. Especially not living nearby. Night Shift makes great beers and has an awesome space/ambiance. That is why I snuck them up into 2, although Treehouse and Trillium make better beers. I wonder why Treehouse didn't build a bigger space to enjoy a few beers. My guess is $$$ and permits. Will be interesting to see how Aeronaut does. They were the most fun, but it also was the anniversary party. Need to check out a few others on my next run up there!

 

I also don't rate beer here, though I find ratings and reviews of new beer in New England helpful for suggestions. I really only participate in the New England forum because I think it's a good place to catch up on news, not to mention beer and food recommendations. I've found beers I wouldn't have otherwise tried because of the forums and the rating system. I appreciate both even though I personally use one.