For this month’s Hops Along article I made a stop at Bluestone Brewing Company in Sayre, PA. I will say up front that I love Bluestone. I’ve been coming here for years. I’ve seen Bluestone find their stride, mastering their brewing and the food they make to create a great experience. I honestly don’t stop here nearly as much as I should anymore. Maybe an opportunity for the next Pints for Public Media? [Editor’s note: YES!]
I started with Golden Boar Saison (7.1% ABV), a bright and crisp take on the style, spiced well. The higher ABV surprised me a bit, I had to double check the menu to be sure I read it correctly, I would have put it around 5%. I really appreciate a brewery that can master a Saison, the style doesn’t allow for flavorings or hops to cover any mistakes, and Bluestone certainly didn’t make any mistakes with this one.
If Bluestone Brewing is a new name for you, you may be shocked to hear that they have been in business for ten years! (I wasn’t kidding when I said I’ve come here for years) To celebrate this, they had their Anniversary beer on tap: Ten, an 8% ABV Maple Bourbon Berry Brown Ale. A beautiful base of their English Brown Ale, aged in Bourbon Barrels that previously aged Maple Syrup, then berries were added. This poured dark, almost a stout or porter color, very little light shining through. It brought a well balanced Bourbon flavor with a berry and maple syrup sweet finish. Understandably it came in a small pour and I drank it all before I remembered to get a picture, so you are going to have to just check it out yourself if they still have it around!
Now with two beers above 7%, I knew I needed to pace myself. Luckily, Bluestone has a perfect option for this, The Pub Ale (3.8% ABV), an English Pale Mild that is anything but mild in flavor. These lower ABV styles are starting to take off more, and I for one am here for it, especially with this one. It pours a nice light brown, it’s well-carbonated and brings a lot of flavor in a light package. Not too hoppy, not too sweet, it was a perfect beer to sip while catching up with friends.