#13 Relic Brewery
First off, I apologize for no posts in nearly two weeks! I had severe technical difficulties! But now, with a new laptop in hand, and the contents of my old laptop in my possession once again, I bring you a review post I was SO excited for!
Relic freaking Brewery! They have been getting a lot of exposure lately, and to me, its more than well deserved. As it stands in my eyes, Relic makes some of the best beers in Connecticut.
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| You have NO idea how many times I turned around before I found the place! |
This trip was an adventure! I got stuck in traffic for 35 minutes, turning my already long drive, into an even longer one. Ugh, if there's anything I noticed in my craft beer experiences in Connecticut, it's that Colchester is a terrible location for me to live. Everything is about 9,372 miles away. But you know what? The trips are always worth it.
Lets go inside and take a look, shall we?
I had no idea what to expect, at all. I was greeted with a quiet murmur of folks in conversation and entered what I thought was some kind of foyer...Nope! This room was as big as my living room, very cozy and filled with the essentials!
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| Blurry, I know. My photographer had the day off. |
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| Stuff you can take home! ...After you buy it! |
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| And this is where the magic happens. And science. Mostly Science, with a bit of magic. |
Mark, the Owner and Brewer was there, greeting and engaging people in conversations. I shook his hand, introduced myself and was greeted with something that secretly always makes me wicked giddy, "Are you Hipster Brewfus?" Puts me right on cloud 9, I tell you. So after a quick introduction, I wanted some damn beer that I drove an hour and a half for! Katie, I believe her name is, was super accommodating and already had a cup ready for me! Wanna see what I was in store for?
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| I want all of them, all at once. Please and thank you. |
The first cup I was greeted with was a Houndstooth. I loved it. It must have been poured at the exact temperature it should have been, because as mellow and smooth as this beer was, there was a lot going on with the flavor profile. I was getting a menagerie of things from a wonderful , smooth chocolate, to some nuttiness and caramel. And if I wasn't mistaken, a slightly burnt, malty flavor on the back end? At this point in my beer drinking career, the only beer I'd have been able to compare it to, would be a Newcastle. But imagine a Newcastle...just a bajillion times better. I wanted more! But there were still three other beers! 5/5
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| Houndstooth Action Shot! |
Going from dark to light, the next cup she poured me was a Fortnight. A citrus IPA with 8 different hops! This got me all kinds of excited. Now, you don't normally see the term "Citrus IPA" too often. You'll see "citrus" used in a description, sure. But this was way, way different. This was (in my head) some strange hybrid of a really good White Ale and IPA. It smelled nice and sweet, like a grapefruit, the hops was definitely there, but not so prominent as you see with a lot of IPAs this day. And that was what I really enjoyed about this. I told Mark that if he didn't tell me, I'd have never guessed it was an IPA. And from what he explained to me, this isn't the first incarnation of Fortnight. Apparently its something he manipulates with each batch, changing this and that around. I wish I could have tried each batch just do a comparison post! I think that's really cool though and I'm curious to see what it evolves into when it's "finished," because it's already so different. 4/5
Aaaaaand back to the darks, I was handed an Antiquity. I admit, I've had maybe....one or two...probably closer to one...Old Ales, ever in my life. It smelled great! A veritable plethora of aromas! Molasses first and foremost, but not in an overwhelming way, sweet and fruity. Someone said "Smokey" and I can totally get down with that. There were also a pinch of hops, and a bunch of malt, just chilling in the background. This beer was delicious. Surprisingly crisp, mellow and the small tingle of a hops bite was a pleasant surprise! 4/5
And last, I had the Shipwright, a British IPA. I didn't even know such a thing existed. I'm not quite sure how to approach this. I think I have been so brainwashed by American IPAs that when something comes along that doesn't necessarily "fit the bill" I have a hard time figuring out how to accurately describe my experience. This is the maltiest IPA I have ever had. The hops is definitely still there, but its not the main focal point. And I LOVE that about it. 3.5/5
In fact, that is one thing that I absolutely LOVE about Relic. The beers he makes, are unlike anything I have ever found anywhere else. It is just so refreshing to see a group of unique brews. You simply don't see these styles everywhere and that is so goddamn important. Well, to me at least. I love IPA's and Blondes and every other style you see every other brewer doing, but I get burnt out on them quickly. Marks beers are like some kind of saving grace. Something saying "Uhm, you're aware there are other styles, right?"
Best part about it, he is the most humble and gracious man I have met in this business. And he will sit and chat with you and tell you all about his experiences and his travels and what brought him into beer making. He answered all my questions and didn't once make me feel like I was wasting his time or being a nuisance. It was a great experience to be able to stand and chat with him, and a great experience overall. And I absolutely can not wait to go back.
And the bottle labels, are some of the coolest I have ever seen. AND THE TASTING IS FREE!
More pictures!!
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| This cool collection seems to be a hi-light of everyones trip from what I've read! |
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| I took a group shot, "for the blog!" |
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| No way in hell I was leaving empty handed! L to R: 32oz Growler of Houndstooth, Fortnight & Whiting |
This brewery pairs well with If These Trees Could Talk - Breath of Fire/The First Fire
But wait, there is more!!
If you DO go to Relic, and find yourself starving....Well, there's only one option.
J. Timothy's Restaurant, which is literally, about 7 minutes away. They have a superb beer list (seriously, I was impressed), incredible service (I had a server at my table in about a minute after sitting) and the food was so good, I wanted to eat till I was in a food coma. Oh my god their dirt wings made me want to cry. So good. And whoever the mystery person is that runs their twitter, they are a lot of fun and I'll meet them one of these days! ALSO, On a busy Friday night, I was able to find a seat for my lonesome self!
I can not recommend this place enough!
You can check them out online on their website, Facebook, and Twitter!
But wait, there is more!!
If you DO go to Relic, and find yourself starving....Well, there's only one option.
J. Timothy's Restaurant, which is literally, about 7 minutes away. They have a superb beer list (seriously, I was impressed), incredible service (I had a server at my table in about a minute after sitting) and the food was so good, I wanted to eat till I was in a food coma. Oh my god their dirt wings made me want to cry. So good. And whoever the mystery person is that runs their twitter, they are a lot of fun and I'll meet them one of these days! ALSO, On a busy Friday night, I was able to find a seat for my lonesome self!
I can not recommend this place enough!
You can check them out online on their website, Facebook, and Twitter!
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