BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Tucked into the friendly confines of Boston’s Jamaica Plain section (one-half mile South of Sam Adams Brewery), TURTLE SWAMP BREWING came into existence during May 2017. Led by former Harpoon brewer, Nicholas Walther, this L-shaped fortress features a roomy red-bricked patio, overhead-doored tap room (with community tables), rustic left side lounge (with cozy loft) and enormous right side brew room.
Expressionist art lines the tap room walls where several draught lines serve a rounded selection of fine brews utilizing locally sourced ingredients.
I conversed with assistant brewer Tanner Cobb while downing five brews with my wife on an early Saturday afternoon, December ’19.
First up, easygoing All Ears Golen Ale let dry grassy-hopped astringency and tart lemondrop zesting gain corny sourdough malting to its white breaded bottom.
Next, dry herbal lemon spicing perked up 02130 Copper Kolsch, an amber grained moderation with mild dry-hopped bittering.
Cascade-hopped citrus juicing lent a quirky twist to Nik’s (English) Bitter, leaving dry lemony orange illusions upon its dewy earthen mossing and toasted bread spine.
Dry peanut-shelled walnut, sweet hazelnut and caffeination cola imbued black chocolate-fronted JP Porter, picking up tertiary cocoa, coffee and caramel latte tones at the nutty mocha finish.
Sweet brown-sugared molasses dripped over pumpkin pie-spiced butternut squash, acorn squash and sweet potato illusions for Skwashbuckle Imperial Porter, a zanily profuse Halloween treat with dark-fruited cinnamon, ginger and clove illusions as well as mild fern, cocoa and pecan snips.
