Craft Beer

“He was a wise man who invented beer.” – Plato

Perfect Porters

Try one of these fabulous porters to brighten up any cold dreary winter day.

Porter Mayflower Brewing Co.

Mayflower Porter is a rich, complex brew that is smooth and full-flavored. Five varieties of malted barley provide notes of roasted coffee beans and bittersweet chocolate with a hint of smokiness. 100 points Beer Advocate

EuGene Porter Revolution Brewing Co.

A striking, robust porter full of warmth and chocolate malt. Eugene is a robust porter named after Eugene V. Debs, an American union leader and activist who led the Pullman Railroad strike in 1894. An assortment of Belgian specialty malts form a complex structure of toasted grain and caramel flavors. Dark chocolate malt makes this porter black as night and infuses it with its distinct intense, chocolate essence. 90 points Beer Advocate

Death By Coconut Oskar Blues Brewing Co.

Intense fresh cacao flavors swirl with popping coconut aromas, all supported by a semi-sweet porter made from loads of dark chocolate and extra dark caramel malt. This limited release specialty comes around once a year to satisfy that sweet tooth, so get ’em while you can before they disappear. At 6.5% ABV and 25 IBUs, this choconut goodness will have you yellin’ “Pass. Dash. Hit.” all winter long. 92 points Beer Advocate

Coconut Porter Maui Brewing Co.

Our CoCoNut PorTeR is a fresh handcrafted robust Porter brewed with six varieties of malted barley, hops and hand-toasted coconut. It begins with a malty-toasted coconut aroma followed by a rich, silky feel with tastes of dark malt, chocolate and hints of coffee. It then finishes with flavors of toasted coconut and hoppy spice to balance the finish.

Early Riser Coffee Porter Boulevard Brewing Co.

At 5.2 ABV and 28 IBU, Early Riser Coffee Porter features a blend of pale, caramel and chocolate malts with just a touch of wheat to form a round, smooth bodied beer with notes of coffee and chocolate that elevate rather than overpowering the beautiful coffee supplied by our friend Vincent. Hopping with Magnum and Bravo is limited to the beginning of the boil to provide just enough bitterness to balance out the sweetness of the malt. The coffee is, as it should be, the star of the beer as it shines in the flavor and aroma.

Victory at Sea Ballast Point Brewing Co.

Our Victory at Sea Imperial Porter is a bold, smooth brew with just the right amount of sweetness. We infused this robust porter with whole vanilla beans and San Diego’s own Caffe Calabria coffee beans. The subtle roasted notes and minimal acidity of the cold brewed coffee, balances perfectly with the sweet caramel undertones of the malt, creating a winning combination for your palate. 96 points Beer Advocate

Black Marlin Porter Ballast Point Brewing Co.

Our Black Marlin Porter stands out in a town known primarily for its IPA’s. We craft it from a unique blend of roasted and crystallized malts that give it a smooth, chocolaty, caramel profile. Then toss in a healthy dose of American hops to serve up full-bodied flavor worthy of its San Diego roots. 96 Points Beer Advocate

Homework Series Robust Porter Ballast Point Brewing Co.

Dark black with ruby red highlights, this Robust Porter is rich and complex. A blend of UK malts, chocolate rye and Belgian candi sugar provide a sweet chocolate, yet rich earthy quality. Malt forward with an aroma full of roasted malts, toffee and dark fruit, this National Homebrew Competition medal-winner is a great dessert beer or to pair with hearty foods.

Uncle Lumpy’s Vanilla Porter By Woodstock Inn & Brewery

This dark full-bodied porter with black patent and chocolate malts shining through, features a light vanilla aroma and finish. Uncle Lumpy’s Vanilla Porter is the first in the BBC Line up of beers brewed in collaboration with Woodstock Inn & Brewery.

Stone Smoked Porter

When first released, our smoky version of a traditional English porter was ahead of its time. Today, it’s a highly regarded staple among craft beer fans and our go-to food complement, pairing effortlessly with all kinds of cuisine, from peanut butter and banana sandwiches to braised pork belly and apple pie. This worldly libation is dark, smooth and complex, with chocolate and coffee flavors suffused with subtle smokiness from the addition of peat-smoked malt. 90 Points Beer Advocate

Saisons and Farmhouse Ales

Saisons are sturdy farmhouse ale that was traditionally brewed in the winter, to be consumed throughout the summer months. Not so long ago it was close to being an endangered style, but over recent years there’s been a massive revival; especially in the US.

This is a very complex style; many are very fruity in the aroma and flavor. Look for earthy yeast tones, mild to moderate tartness. Lots of spice and with a medium bitterness. They tend to be semi-dry with many only having touch of sweetness.

Two Roads Worker’s Comp. Saison

A traditional farmhouse ale made with a very expressive yeast strain that contributes an array of tropical fruit, spice flavors and aromatics. Brewed with a variety of harvest grains including barley, wheat, oats and rye as was likely the case with farmhouse brewers of yore. The result is a complex, refreshing and distinctive example of this esoteric style. Intensely fruity (passion fruit, pineapple, mango, lychee), slightly spicy (clove, white pepper)

Cambridge Brewing Company Sgt. Pepper (96 points BA)

Farmhouse Ale with Peppercorns

First brewed in celebration of our 20th Anniversary, and #23 is coming up soon – May 12, 2012! It was April Fool’s Day, 1989, when Phil “Brewdaddy” Bannatyne first opened the doors to what would become one of the preeminent breweries in the country.

Sgt. Pepper has been brewed with Pilsner, CaraVienne, and Rye malts, plus Magnum and Spalter hops. But the driving force behind this beer is the contribution from whole Black, Green, White, and Pink peppercorns. Added to the brewkettle, these four fab peppercorns harmonize with spicy hops while the malted rye and our Belgian yeast hold down the backbeat.

Boulevard Brewing Co. Collaberation No. 4 Saison

To pay tribute to our new familial ties, brewmasters Steven Pauwels and Phil Leinhart chose to create a Saison, the traditional Belgian farmhouse ale. They began by brewing two separate batches of beer, both at Boulevard Brewing Company, each with a grain bill of pale malt, oats, rye, corn, and wheat, subtly spiced with coriander, grains of paradise, and dried peels of lemons and oranges. Perle was used as a bittering hop with Safir and Saaz added for aroma. Each of the two batches was fermented with the unique house yeast from our respective breweries. The batches were then blended post-fermentation, allowing both of the distinctive yeast signatures to manifest in the finished beer. The result is crisp and bready, with a bracing hoppiness and a hint of spice lingering in the background. Join us in raising a glass to family.

Brewery Ommegang Hennepin (95 points BA)

This style is a farmhouse ale, and is considered to be in the domain of the Belgian Saisons. Hennepin is a delicious brew for all seasons, it is spicy and refreshing.

A moderately hoppy, farmhouse-style ale with a champagne-like effervescence, Hennepin has a crisp start followed by malt sweetness balanced with a firm bitterness. Hennepin has a bounty of great flavors: ginger, spice, orange and toasted grain. Pouring a bright golden color with a spicy-sweet balance of orange peel, sweet malt, hops and ginger, Hennepin makes way for a dry finish with a slight bite of ginger.

Foolproof La Ferme Urbane

La Ferme Urbaine (LFU) is our unique take on a farmhouse ale. Influenced by the Belgian saison style, LFU features a complex blend of German hops, pilsner and pale malts, wheat, rye, oats, and spelt. The beer pours a hazy straw color and delivers a spicy, dry finish. So raise a glass and enjoy!

Dogfish Head Noble Rot

This saison-esque science project gets complexity and fermentable sugars from two unique wine grapes sourced with our friends at Alexandria Nicole Cellars in Prosser, Wash.

The first addition is unfermented juice, known as must, from Viognier grapes that have been infected with a benevolent fungus called botrytis. This noble rot reduces the water content in the grapes while magnifying their sweetness and complexity. The second is pinot gris must intensified by a process called dropping fruit, where large clusters of grapes are clipped to amplify the quality of those left behind.

“This is the absolute closest to equal meshing of the wine world and the beer world thats ever been done commercially,” says Dogfish’s Sam Calagione. Noble Rot is brewed with pils and wheat malts and fermented with a distinct Belgian yeast strain. It has a spicy white wine body and a dry, tart finish.

Two Roads Worker’s Stomp

We have taken our Workers Comp saison and “stomped” all over it. Using a variant of our classic saison recipe and aging it in white wine barrels, this beer is the newest in our “Road Less Traveled” series. Majorly fruity and spicy with a hint of dry white wine notes.

Allagash Interlude (Farmhouse Ale aged in Wine Barrels) (94 points BA)

Two yeast strains were used to create this unique 9.5% ABV Belgian style ale. The first, a Belgian farmhouse yeast, establishes the flavor foundations of a classic Belgian-style ale. The second, a house strain of Brettanomyces yeast, brings it to the next level contributing an intriguing myriad of flavors including pear, apricot, graham cracker, and bread crust. Finally, a portion of the Interlude is aged in red wine barrels, which impart a distinctive vinous plum character and a drying, almost tannic finish.

Boulevard Tank 7 (95 points BA)

Most breweries have at least one piece of equipment that’s just a bit persnickety. Here at Boulevard we have fermenter number seven, the black sheep of our cellar family. Ironically, when our brewers were experimenting with variations on a traditional Belgian-style farmhouse ale, the perfect combination of elements came together in that very vessel. You could call it fate, but they called it Tank 7, and so it is. Beginning with a big surge of fruity aromatics and grapefruit-hoppy notes, the flavor of this complex, straw-colored ale tapers off to a peppery, dry finish.

Boulevard Spring Belle

Spring Belle Saison marries the crisp, spicy flavor of a traditional farmhouse saison, with its citrusy hop notes, to the fresh floral aromas of chamomile, rose petals, and elderflower. Late hopping with Calypso and Lemon Drop rounds out this drinkable spring bouquet.

Mayflower Brewing Co.

Beer was the staple drink on board the Mayflower. Unlike water, which quickly spoiled when stored in the hold of ships, beer contained no bacteria, and the then-recent introduction of hops made it keep longer. It was also a terrific source of carbohydrates. Men, women and children drank beer daily, and sailors aboard the Mayflower received a daily ration of a gallon.

Almost 400 years later, there is still some great beer being made in Plymouth by our friends at Mayflower Brewing. They’ll be doing our “Chill and Grill” on Friday, July 11 and will feature “Hop Chef” winner Johnny Sheehan of New World Tavern on the grill. They make some terrific beers and for that reason, we’re featuring them as our “Beer of the Week”.

Pale Ale – Traditional English pale ales have mild malt character and aroma offset by pronounced hop bitterness. Mayflower Pale Ale is a dry version of this classic beer style. Its bready and toasted malt flavor is balanced by earthy and herbal aromas from two varieties of traditional English and American-grown hops.

Golden Ale – Mayflower Golden Ale is crisp and dry with a slight malt flavor and a subtle hop spice. This straw-colored ale offers easy drinkability for the novice yet plenty of flavor for the discriminating connoisseur.

India Pale Ale – As the British Empire expanded, English brewers added extra hops to keep beer fresh for increasingly long sea voyages. Mayflower IPA balances a powerful hop profile with full malt flavor to create a smooth brew with well-rounded bitterness. Four varieties of American hops lend a delightful piney flavor and fruity aroma.

Porter – Mayflower Porter is a rich, complex brew that is smooth and full-flavored. Five varieties of malted barley provide notes of roasted coffee beans and bittersweet chocolate with a hint of smokiness.

Summer Rye Ale – Mayflower Summer Rye Ale is the ultimate summer session beer. Brewed with pilsner, rye, and wheat malts and plenty of American hops, this beer is dry and spicy with mild and fruity bitterness.

The Perfect Valentine’s Day Craft Brew

Love Fest By Boston Beer Works

This robust Chocolate Strawberry Stout is brewed to warm up even the coldest, darkest, dreariest New England winter evening. A very rich and malty brew with hints of cocoa and real strawberry, this beer is perfect for sipping fireside!
OG:16.5°; IBU:40; ABV:6.5%