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When it comes to craft brews, there is a great diversity in beers and breweries. Many beers fit nicely into their own categories, delivering just what you’d expect in terms of taste and texture, but sometimes you just want something a little different. Greenbush Brewing Co. is a good brewery to look at if you are interested in trying something that’s just a bit out-of-the-ordinary. They have a wide variety of beers to choose from, including 8 regular, 6 specialties and 9 seasonal. We tried 6 of their offerings and found that it was good to expect the unexpected from their beers.
Closure
Pale Ale
“When one door closes…”
Most Pale Ales have more of a mellow hop bitterness to them; this one is more robust, with a aftertaste that some might find to be a bit nutty and heavy for a lighter ale. But if you are looking for bolder Pale Ale, this would be something to try.
Brother Benjamin
Imperial India Pale Ale
“Prepare to be Mystified”
We were pleasantly surprised by this beer. We were bracing ourselves for a full on Hop attack that most Imperials here on the West Coast boast. Instead, we were met by a sweeter, mellower nose, followed by just a hint of hops at the end. After a few sips, we noticed notes of honey and butterscotch candy. This beer is a great transition beer for those who’d like to try more IPA’s but are off put by the traditional bitterness of Imperials.
Sunspot
Hefeweizen
“A hot way to cool down”
This is another beer that we were taken off guard by. While most US Hefeweizens tend to be fairly light and crisp, this beer had more body and stronger flavors. If we had not known that it was in the Hefeweizen class, we probably would have pegged it for a Belgium-style ale.
Anger
Black India Pale Ale
“A haughty black India Pale Ale with a bit of pent-up attitude for those “special” days.”
Right off the bat this beer had a big presence to it. With deep brown (almost black) color, this beer is one to be sipped on a cold night. The nose had a lot of coffee that translated through to the palate as well. It had a good dose of hops to it, but they were off set by a subtle sweetness. This is a beer to be savored since it has a nice, long finish to it.
DuneGras
Inda Pale Ale
“A justly hopped india pale ale with absolutely no dunegrass.”
This beer had a fairly floral and hoppy nose but still had a slightly bitter bite to it, before mellowing out with a nice sweet finish. Not your typical IPA that is loaded down with hops, we thought it had a pleasant balance. Plus, its somewhat unusual style makes it worth a try.
Distorter
Stout/Porter
“A stout-ish porter with a touch of porter-ish stout.”
The full on curve ball of the group that caused a bit of debate of what separated porters from stouts. Regardless, we enjoyed the strong coffee notes on the nose with the occasional aromas of sweet spice. As you would expect, the palate offered roasted coffee notes accented with a smoky aftertaste. This beer is lighter that one might expect for its class, so it could serve as a nice introduction to darker beers for the uninitiated.
Written by Matthew Phillips with input from Nicholas Boitnott and Jason Barlow
