Bissell Brothers Seed

A couple weeks ago I took a trip with my family up to Maine to see my parents and some friends. The trip was a little quicker than I would have liked, we needed to squeeze it in between the end of our move and the start date for my new job. Fortunately I was still able to visit a couple breweries during the brief visit north. One must-stop on my list was the new Bissell Brother’s brewery on the South Portland waterfront. I loved the old Bissell location, especially with the proximity to other breweries, but I understand the need to expand given the popularity of their beers. We stopped on the drive up and at 1:45 on a Wednesday afternoon they were completely sold out of the day’s allotment of cans (they opened at noon). Fortunately this gave me an excuse to stop again on the way home on Saturday, which also happened to be the release day for Seed, a beer brewed with Maine grown strawberries and raspberries that is only released once a year. After a little wait in line I made it out with a few 4-packs of Seed along with some of the last cans of their standout flagship The Substance released that day. Totally worth the stop.

Bissell Brothers SeedBissell Brother Seed pours a hazy pink with a substantial off-white head. The scent is mostly fruit along with a little acidity. Seed is a great summer beer, light and refreshing but still complex and full flavored. The strawberry and raspberry flavors are well represented without overwhelming the beer. Unlike the older generation of fruit beers there is minimal residual sweetness, instead the fruity notes are complemented by a subtle tartness. A light malt backbone and minimal hops round out the beer. Seed is light bodied and extremely easy to drink, I couldn’t believe that it was 6% ABV. The finish is dry with a little lingering tartness, strawberry and raspberry. I really enjoyed Seed, it is no surprise that people lined the block in order to grab 4 packs of this year’s release! Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.

Previous Bissell Brothers Reviews:

Bissell Brothers The Substance

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