Happy Massachusetts Beer Week! If I had my stuff together I would have had a whole series of articles lined up about the great beers in the state that you need to try, but I was in Maine with friends last weekend and I fell behind on getting my links article out, so all I have is a lonely review. I also won’t be attending any events this week, it’s my son’s second birthday on Saturday and we have a bunch of family in town, so the weekend will revolve around that. I do have some more amazing Massachusetts beers in my fridge, so I will be celebrating in spirit. Fortunately I do have one local beer in my review queue, Danko, the double dry-hopped rye ale from Exhibit A in Framingham. I really like the way Exhibit A has started, they test-run new beers through their Demo Tape series and then tweak the recipes until they turn into a regular release. Exhibit A Danko is brewed with local rye from Valley Malt and a copious amount of Simcoe hops. It is available on a rotating basis on draft and in 16 oz tallboy cans.
Exhibit A Danko pours a murky light orange with a small white head. The scent is a big burst of fruity new world hops. There is also plenty of hop flavor, notes of orange, grapefruit and cut grass along with a little bitter bite. This is balanced by substantial malt character, spicy rye and bread crust. Some hoppy rye beers skimp on the grain to the point that you can barely tell that the rye is there, this is not one of those beers. The hops and the rye complement each other pretty well. Danko is medium bodied, drinks easy and isn’t overly boozy at 6% ABV. The finish is crisp with lingering hop and rye flavor. This is another very tasty beer from a brewery that has come out of the gate hitting on all cylinders. Hoppy Boston score: 4.25/5.
Previous Exhibit A Reviews:
Hoppy Boston 
