WBOB Original Reads

Ponte: Top 9 Beers in New England

2/17/2017

Joe Ponte

What a time to be living in New England! With over 450 breweries and an ever expanding selection of tasty craft brews, New England is at the forefront of the craft brewery scene. And I am just one of the many aficionados. Still, I wanted to take a chance at create my own “Top List,” whether for my own pleasure or your pleasure.

A bit of a disclaimer first, I was really torn on deciding how I wanted to go about making this list as there are literally hundreds of “Top Beer” lists searchable on the internet. I had to have a strategy, which I am about to reveal to you. It is possible with a different “formula” this list would look different. But, I think it is pretty good and truly reflects the “best of the best.” After around 30 different attempts, and a few discussions with myself, I settled on choosing my top 9 New England Breweries, and then my top beer from each that are on regular rotation. I figured this would give my list more variety and newcomers to craft beer could actually go out and get them. As with most “Top Lists,” this is subjective. However, I'm sure most New England beer enthusiasts can agree that some of these are in their own top 9.

Here are my picks for top beers in New England - Feel free to comment with yours.

9. Lunch
Maine Beer Company
American IPA / 7.00% ABV

“East Coast” version of a West Coast-style IPA. Intense hop flavors and aromas of tropical and citrus fruits. Pine dominate with a sweet maltiness. Pours a nice golden yellow and has a whipped cream foam head that laces the glass as you sip. The balance between hops and maltiness is what makes this a great IPA versus a good IPA.This is the only beer on my list that you can occasionally find at local liquor stores and is available at the brewery in Freeport, ME.

8. Epiphany
Foundation Brewing Company
American Double / Imperial IPA / 8.00% ABV

Epiphany was designed to showcase the glorious flavor and aromatics of hops without any astringent bitterness. Citrus, tropical fruit, and pine blend to provide you with a sublimely juicy hop experience. This beer pours with a hazy golden hue and a nice strong head with an aroma of grapefruit and passion fruit. This beer is a brewery only release, so next time you are up in Portland, ME, make sure you grab some.

7. Prospect
Foley Brothers Brewing
American Double / Imperial IPA / 9.00% ABV

This beer is a heavily fruit-forward IPA with very dank and resinous hop aroma that smells like used cat litter. While not alluring in smell, the taste is worth the odor. With a juicy peach sweetness and a fairly dry finish, the alcohol is very well hidden in this one. Prospect is a great beer for someone who is newer to IPA’s as it has a nice sweetness to balance off the heavy hops. Along with Lunch, this is the only other beer you can find in a liquor store, VT only. If you are in search of a can, head up to the brewery in Brandon, VT or surrounding liquor stores.

6. Focal Banger
The Alchemist
American IPA / 7.00% ABV

The baby brother of Heady Topper, smells like tropical fruit and citrus with a nice taste of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, melon, and lemon zest. The appearance is a nice pale orange with a nice thick head. With most New England IPA’s, Focal Banger has an aroma of pine and grapefruit. There is a lot going on with this beer which makes it my favorite among the Alchemist’s offerings. If you are in search of a can, head up to Stow, VT and hit up the Brewery. You can also find is scattered about in various Vermont bars.

5. Double Fuzzy Baby Ducks
New England Brewing Co.
American Double / Imperial IPA / 8.20% ABV

This double version of Fuzzy Baby ducks, pours a nice hazy golden yellow with a nice head and a sticky lacing. Smells like the Typical New England style DIPA, juicy, pine and citrus notes. This is a sweet and juicy beer with little to no hop bitterness that has more of a malt backbone. Double Fuzzy is a very crushable DIPA. Head down to the brewery in Woodbridge, CT and local surrounding bars to find this brew.

4. Abner
Hill Farmstead Brewery
American Double / Imperial IPA / 8.20% ABV

Nestled in the mountains way up north in Greensboro Bend, VT, you will find arguably one of the world's best breweries, Hill Farmstead. I have never had a beer I didn’t like from Hill; however, Abner is one of my favorites. It pours bright orange with a nice frothy head. Has a nice pungent nose of tropical fruit, citrus and pine. This well-balanced beer tastes of grapefruit, guava passion fruit with a nice sweetness that finishes off with a moderately aggressive bitterness and a tiny bit of spice. Abner is on tap at a few venues in VT and regularly on tap at the brewery for Growler fills.

3. Swish
Bissell Brothers Brewing Co.
American Double / Imperial IPA / 8.00% ABV

This highly sought after beer is dangerously drinkable. This beer is loaded with Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe and Apollo hops and is unbelievably smooth. What makes it so dangerous is that you can easily throw back a sixer and at 8%, it’s gonna hit you like a ton of bricks. This beer pours a hazy yellow and smells of straight pineapple juice. As with the smell, it also tastes very much like pineapple juice, with notes of citrus mango and peach with a nice bitter finish. While you are up in Portland, ME getting some Epiphany, make sure you stop by Bissell Brothers and get as many cans of Swish as humanly possible.

2. Scaled Up
Trillium Brewing Company
American Double / Imperial IPA / 8.00% AB

For me, Trillium is overall my number one ranked New England brewery. I’m only about 45 min away and can walk away with half a dozen cases of world class quality beer. Trillium easily holds 10+ spots in my top 50 and Scaled Up is king. It features massive amounts of Mosaic, Nelson, and Galaxy hops. As with most Trillium beers, Scaled way up, pours out murky yellow. Smells of pineapple, orange, and pine. This beer tastes absolutely amazing, BOLD tastes of clementines mangoes, peaches and a dank grassy undertones. If Trillium doesn't happen to have Scaled Up, make sure to grab Scaled Way Up, Scaled or Double Dry Hopped Scaled as they are almost as good. Having 2 location in Massachusetts is awesome, but I personally like the Canton, MA facility as they have a tasting room.

1. Haze
Tree House Brewing Company
American Double / Imperial IPA / 8.20% ABV

Having said that Trillium is my overall #1 brewery, Tree House Brewing is the King as far as taste goes. It would be overall #1 if it weren't for the fact of such low allocations of beer available. Making the 5 hour round trip and coming away with only 10 to 12 cans of the BEST IPA’s in the world can be a bit disheartening, Hopefully the new facility they are building in Charlton, MA will remedy this. Every IPA style beer that Tree House makes is absolutely amazing and well sought after by beer enthusiasts. #1 could have as easily gone to Julius or Green, both brewed by Tree House, but Haze wears the crown for me. Pours opaque orange in color with a nice bone white head that lingers for a while. The smell is incredibly juicy as in oranges, mangoes, and apricots, with a nice bit of dankness. With most Tree House offerings, Haze has that nice juicy bubble gum taste with a blast of nice candied peaches, oranges, grapefruit and mango with a really nice dry finish. Clocking in at over 8%, Haze is one of the most crushable DIPA’s you can find. Head down to the middle of nowhere on Monson, MA to get your hands on some Haze, or any other Tree House offerings.