It is crazy how quickly the idea of Allagash beer in cans became normal. They were one of the last “bigger” local breweries to start canning (aside from one big notable holdout), people were excited when cans of White first dropped, and now it just feels normal to grab many of Allagash’s core and seasonal […]
Tag: Belgian Dark Ale
Allagash Haunted House
I think it is important for breweries that have a substantial distribution footprint to still make brewery-only beers. People who take the time to visit the brewery should have something special or unique to try, and it allows the brewery to run some small-batch experiments and get feedback from regular customers. If any of these […]
Allagash Hibernal Fluxus 2016
Allagash Brewing Company might be the best brewery when it comes to special occasion beers. Don’t get me wrong, their year-round regular releases are stellar, but you don’t get a full appreciation for Allagash until you start tasting their limited release bottles. I call these beers “special occasion beers” because while I would love to drink […]
Lamplighter Blitzen
Merry Christmas (a day late) and Happy Holidays! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend celebrating with friends and family, and that it included a number of delicious beers. I am enjoying a large variety of styles over the holidays, from hop-bomb IPAs to malty stouts and barleywines. In my opinion you don’t need a specific style for […]
Spencer Trappist Holiday Ale
When Spencer Brewing officially became the first American Trappist brewery last year they had an interesting business plan. The initial plan included an aggressive scale of production and distribution for a single beer, their Spencer Trappist Ale. The reasoning for sticking to a single style was mostly tradition, many of the European Trappist breweries make a […]
Trillium Sinister Kid
This is Trillium week on Hoppy Boston, with a beer review today leading into the second entry in my brewery overview series (hopefully posted tomorrow). It is a fortuitous coincidence that the week I had selected to feature Trillium they come out with some huge news. If you missed it, Trillium is planning on opening […]
Troegs Mad Elf
Some holidays have very defined food and drink standards, like turkey on Thanksgiving, champagne on New Years and obscene amounts of candy on Halloween. Food on Christmas in the U.S. seems to vary from family to family. My parents usually cook up a roast beef or pork while my in-laws enjoy lasagna Christmas Eve and turkey on Christmas Day. There is […]
Allagash Black
Belgian style ales have become a staple of the American craft beer scene, due to their diverse boutique of malt and hop profiles and flavorful strains of yeast. This wasn’t always the case. German and British influenced beer styles gained a major foothold in the US long before their Belgian counterparts. One of the breweries […]
Ommegang Take the Black Stout
Brewery Ommegang has been making Belgian inspired ales in Cooperstown, NY since 1997. Originally a local brewery, Ommegang was purchased by European brewery Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, but all of their beer is still developed and brewed in Cooperstown. The backing by a major brewery has helped with distribution, as Ommegang beers are now available in […]