NEWFOUNDLAND, PENNSYLVANIA
Inside a beige aluminum Village RV Center with its vinyl record-like JAM ROOM BREWING CO. sign just above the door, this rural countrified Newfoundland nanobrewery has been making small batch ales from a small two-barrel system (mostly one-offs) since 2016. Recently, they began distributing to local bars and restaurants.
During July ’18, entrepreneurial co-owner Austin Lehrian poured me some worthy ales crafted by brewmaster Bill Reese while I took a seat at the 7-stool serving table around noontime. The cozy barroom also included two small front tables, multiple wall-bound brewery stickers, sundry rock and roll music paraphernalia and a beer list strewn across a large right side blackboard. The lacquered wood countertop was inlaid with Jam Room script lettering. A few outside picnic tables provided extra seating for the dedicated night crowd.
Cool V guitar-shaped serving trays contained four of the seven samplers I’d quaff.
Our favorite brew, vibrant Fade To Red Hefeweizen captivated the tongue with joyously sun-drenched mango and red raspberry tanginess as well as sweet orange-peeled peach, nectarine and tangerine sweetness. Over time, stylish banana-clove conflux, zesty lemon twist, brisk pineapple juicing and SweeTart-candied tartness enjoin summery mango-raspberry burst.
Utilizing a lactic lager yeast, Maggie’s Farmhouse Lager brought sour lemon rot, desiccated orange tartness and mild lemongrass herbage to oats-dried spelt-like graining.
Traditional Golden Ale had more body than most lighter stylistic competitors as its yellow-fruited spritz gained mineral-grained pale malting and mildly pungent hop bittering in a brisk manner.
Dry Microgroove IPA let yellow grapefruit, orange and tangerine tanginess take the lead as candy-spiced pale malts contrasted moderate piney hop bittering to the gentle toasted biscuit spine.
Honey-glazed liquid fruit salad, Stereophonic Double IPA, a northeast-styled medium body, regaled tangy grapefruit, orange, pineapple, mango and tangerine zest with mild lemon snips above sugary pale malts.
Moderately legume-influenced Muddy Waters Brown Ale slid peanut-shelled walnut and hazelnut illusions across dry cocoa-chocolate malts.
Recalling sweet vanilla ice cream, Winterland Vanilla Porter benefited from its rich chocolate malt setting and distant pecan smidge.
