Willibrew Guest Taps

On a recent visit to Willimantic Brewing Company I had every single one of their house brews - all nine of them!  A flight of some, pints of others.

But WBC also has some amazing guest tap offerings.  And as much as I wanted to, I couldn't sample them all.  So, I opted for a flight of five.  The choices were difficult but I managed to make a decent selection.  

Several factors figured in my decision making. But I started out with all the guest brews from local breweries and then went with one of my favorites from elsewhere.

I really did want to try them all.  So many beers, so little time.  A girl can only consume so many beers before either falling off her stool or becoming unbearably obnoxious (or both).

This is what I got.  It's kind of funny that all the beers I picked out are all the same color and clarity.  I assure you, they are all very different!



Ten Penny Ale (5.6% ABV)  by Olde Burnside is a Connecticut brewery.  This is their version of Scottish ale that is characteristically rich and malty though lighter in alcohol than most Scotch ales. Malty, caramelly and delicious!  Overall: very good!

Arch Amber Ale (?% ABV) Hartford Better Beer is contract brewed at Shipyard Brewing Company so it's not as local as I thought but is the original recipe of the now defunct Hartford Brewery (Connecticut's first brewpub).  It is a clear amber.  The flavor is light and malty, promising but lacking.  Overall: good.

Hooker Irish Red (5.5% ABV) Hooker Beer Company.  I know that I can't like every beer I taste but this one was sadly disappointing.  The color was a beautiful clear amber.  However, the flavor was watery, dank and blah - almost moldy.  If this is any indication, between my husband and myself we didn't finish the 4-oz sample.  A dirty line?  A bad batch?  Overall: bad

Spring Ale (5.7% ABV) by Back East Brewing.  Like all the others in this flight, it is a clear amber color with a wisp of a head.  It is light and malty with a touch lemon.  Tasty but it comes up a bit short.  Overall: good

Aprihop (7% ABV) Dogfish Head.  This is a brew I've been meaning to try.  I haven't met a Dogfish Head beer I didn't like.  This was no exception.  The aroma is ripe with grapefruit and apricot.  The flavor is a lovely pairing of the two - lightly sweet, mildly bitter - very nicely balanced.  Overall: very good!


My recommendation is that if you're visiting Willimantic Brewing Company for the first time that you focus on their house brews.  They are always fresh and consistently good. You won't be disappointed.  But once you've tried them all, there is invariably a number of good brews on the guest taps.  

Cheers!