Saturday, February 23, 2013

A tour of Tuckerman Brewery



After visiting Sap House Meadery we made a stop at Tuckerman Brewery for samples and a tour.  Well, more for the samples because we'd already done the tour.  Okay, that's not being completely honest either.  We'd done the tour of Tuckerman's before and wanted to see how they've grown and what they're up to these days.

They've definitely expanded their operations since we last visited. Considering their volume, it's amazing how much of their process is done by hand.  

It was snowing like crazy when we arrived and we were greeted at the door by brewery co-founder Kirsten.  I let her know that Ash from Sap House said "hi" (which he asked us to do) and then headed up to the tasting room where there was already a room full of folks sipping the various brews.  

Stumpy, the brewery mascot, was bopping around from person to person; taking no particular interest in anyone.  Rumor has it he's a fan of pizza and since no one was handing out pizza bones he wasn't interested in them.  Then he crashed out on the floor in the middle of everyone.  Funny dog.

The tour is short but informative.  Basically, discussing the brewing process and how Tuckermans brews their beer. The facilities are small so there really isn't a lot to see but the information is great.  The best part is that the tour begins and ends with samples of their yummy beer.



Headwall Alt. (4.75% ABV) is my favorite Tuckerman brew.  It is an altbier brewed true to the German style.  It is brown in color with a fuzzy head.  It's malty, grainy and slightly sweet with a touch of hoppy bitterness.  The lightest of the Tuckerman brews, it is a very drinkable, smooth beer.  It finishes with a nice lingering bitterness that begs for another sip.  Overall very good.

Pale Ale (5.5% ABV) is a clear golden American style pale ale.  Citrus, malt and lightly sweet.  It's crisp and refreshing with a big bite of hops - not IPA big but big for a pale ale.  This pale ale is very drinkable and an overall great beer.

ALTitude (7.5% ABV) is a bigger altbier.  Bigger flavor, bigger alcohol bite.  It is a rich brown with a nice head.  It's bursting with malty goodness followed by a touch of sweetness and a bit of nuttiness.  There is nice hoppy bite in the finish.  It tastes great but ALTitude can be dangerous.  The alcohol can be felt as well as tasted, so take it easy with this bad boy.  Really good though!

I'm glad we stopped by.  The staff is knowledgeable and friendly.  Especially Stumpy.  

Thanks for the tour and the beer.  


Visit Tuckerman Brewery's website for more info or Like them on Facebook.

Cheers!




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