The total number of breweries in Massachusetts has exploded over the last few years, there are now around 100 that have a physical brewery that you can visit for samples/pours/growler fills, plus a number more that contract brew. It’s honestly hard to keep track of all of them, although one great resource is the Mass Brew Bros. Bay State Breweries page (worth a bookmark for MA beer fans). I did a quick check and found that I’ve visited ~40 of the breweries at least once, a number that is far too low and I will need to amend. Fortunately more and more of these breweries have ramped up capacity to the point that they can start distribution, so I can grab cans at local stores without making trips all over the state. One brewery that I’d heard some good things about but hadn’t sampled was Abandoned Building Brewery in Easthampton. Abandoned Building brewer/founder Matt Tarlecki renovated a former plastic bag factory into a 15 barrel brewhouse with a taproom and beer to go. More recently some of their cans have made their way east to finer Boston area bottle shops. I was able to procure some of Lola’s Saison, a Belgian style ale brewed with locally malted wheat and a solid dose of classic European hop varieties. Abandoned Building Lola’s Saison is available year round on draft and in 16 oz tallboy cans.
Abandoned Building Lola’s Saison pours hazy light yellow with a mild white head. The aroma is led by some fruity and spicy Belgian style yeast. The flavors imparted by the yeast also come to the forefront with notes of green apple, clove and a touch of funk. There is also some old world hop flavor, floral, grassy and earthy, that complements the yeast strain well. Some light malts round out the flavor with touches of crackers and wheat bread. Lola’s Saison is very light and easy to drink, sessionable at 5.0% ABV. The finish is bone dry with some lingering yeast and hop flavor. This is a really nice beer, a smooth every day type of saison. I look forward to trying more of Abandoned Building’s offerings in the near future! Hoppy Boston score: 4.25/5.
Hoppy Boston 
