DELAWARE
South of Wilmington, inconspicuous town of Bear boasted sturdy blue-collar hangout, STEWART’S BREW COMPANY, visited February ’06, November ’07, and August ‘08. In Governor’s Square Mall behind Mc Donald’s, its brick façade entrance opens to central bar sidled by right-left dining areas. Multi-televisions plus darts, video golf, and trivia contests provide sports bar atmosphere. To the right are brick-enclosed brew kettles serving cereal grained woody-hopped softie Governor’s Golden Ale, dry red fruited India Pale Ale, sticky caramelized red apple-like Irish Red Ale, and meagerly dark fruited blandly malt-y date-fig-tinged Big Bear Amber Ale.
Better were alcohol-smitten piney hop-embittered apple-orange-cherry-centered floral-dabbed brandy-like Lockjaw Double IPA (propelled by grapefruit peel surge), biscuit-y raspberry-seeded sweet-corned Wacky Wheat Ale, dry wood-smoked espresso-black coffee-like Pacific Coast Porter, and sugary citric-tart alcohol-sharp Stumblin’ Monk. November ’07 offerings included wood lacquered grapefruit rind-embittered twig-leafed Rocky Mountain IPA, pumpkin pie-like cinnamon-allspice-clove-spiced hop-tingled Mischief Night Pumpkin Ale, and Band-aid-scented wood-smoked tobacco-chewed Belgian chocolate-sopped black coffee-finishing Smoked Porter.
Best bet: black chocolate-y hop-toasted nut-roasted coffee-beaned softie Highlander Stout. August ’08, enjoyed Maryland Crab Bisque after soaking up oaken vanilla-softened bourbon-blustered hop-roasted firewood-charred black cherry/ white grape/ green raisin-soured Bourbon Stout. For dessert, thoroughly enjoyed Cherry Dubbel, a Belgian-styled Abbey Hoffman Dark Strong Ale re-fermented with sour cherries. Its smoothly medicinal cherry-ripened surge received candi-sugared cranberry-mulberry-red grape tartness.
www.stewartsbrewingcompany.com
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