TULLYCROSS TAVERN

United States Brewpubs

 

 

MANCHESTER, CONNECTICUT

Located inside a tan barn stable with green and brown trim in a freestanding mall-bound building, Manchester’s TULLYCROSS TAVERN took over the space previously occupied by John Harvard Brewpub and had its grand opening October 1st, 2011 (but closed down November ’13).

A hybrid sportsbar, mahogany furnishings bedecked the hunter green walled interior and a rectangular oak bar served the main area and outer perimeter dining space. A new patio to be constructed in spring would’ve provided outdoor dining. Plus, a newly designed menu featuring upscale pub fare with an Irish flare was just introduced.

Like Willimantic’s Wollner, Tullycross brewer Brian Flach grew up on Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Sam Adams Boston Lager, thereupon becoming a Dogfish ‘Head.’ After home brewing several IPA’s, an 18-month New England Brewing internship afforded the Worcester resident the chance to come aboard for Tullycross’ July ’11 soft opening. A 22-ounce ceramic mug club offered discounts and special happy hour pricing on Flach’s solid offerings crafted at the front side brew tanks.

On my January 2012 visit, it’s Tuesday Night Trivia, and following some chicken wings and quesadillas, a large crowd gathered for tonight’s 9 PM contest. While digging the scene, I tried four year-round libations, a nifty winter stout and a Belgian IPA.

Eric Burdon & War’s cryptic “Spill The Wine” played as I revisited Tullycross the following day to meet with Flach, who promised a cream ale, German altbier and sundry IPA’s in the near future.

As for today’s beers, I started off with Tavern Light, a Kolsch-styled sourdough softie with citric esters, rice niceties and popcorn buttering that’s just right for indiscriminate pilsner fans as well as bolder folk better suited for the next three ales.

Best selling Tully’s Irish Red retained a bigger body than most stylistic competitors, bringing amiable red-fruited spicing and caramelized wheat-honeyed cereal grains to a stable earthen bottom. Better yet, TCT Pale Ale had a heady IPA-like wood-toned grapefruit rind bittering and tangy peach-tangerine spicing.

“If you’re gonna drink a pale ale, why not go to an IPA,” Flach said. “It’s made hoppier for our customer base. But there’s not a lot of alcohol.”

Next up, Flux IPA #8 saddled subtle yellow fruiting with spiced hop bittering.

Flach contends, “All Fluxes have different hop profiles but the grain bill generally remains intact.”

Another Tullycross standard, Silk City Stout, maintained a soft cask-like chocolate creaminess, malt-smoked hop char, vanilla sweetness, dewy peat resonance and peanut-shelled cola-walnut conflux. Likeminded Siberian Winter Imperial Stout doused Christmastime cinnamon-toasted gingerbread spicing atop oats-toasted dark chocolate, nutty coffee, black cherry and raisin notes.

Though not in regular rotation, mild Scottish 80 Shilling plied toasted cereal grains to peat-y earthiness in an approachable manner.

But the best bet may be Convergence Belgian IPA, where white-peppered basil, thyme and peppercorn regale lemon-dried orange rind bittering, snippy juniper piquancy, tangy peach-pineapple sweetness and buttery crystal malting.

“Convergence was a collaboration with New England Brewing, whom I’m still good friends with,” Flach affirms. “They were happy to oblige. They make 668 Neighbor Of The Beast. We borrowed their yeast strain and hopped it up.”

www.tullycrosstavern.com

 

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ROGUE JOHN JOHN HAZELNUT BROWN NECTAR (RUM BARREL)

Beers A-Z

Stylistically thin barrel-aged rum spicing and iffy hop-toasted hazelnut flavoring downsize perfectly fine Hazelnut Brown Nectar Ale. Nevertheless, this ‘nutty twist to a European Brown Ale’ succeeds as a soft-toned crossover for lighter tastes dipping their toes into bigger beers (much like Innis & Gunn’s oak-aged subtleties). Hazelnut coffee glint reaches caramel nougat center as brown chocolate, toffee, vanilla and butterscotch illusions reach fruition above fig-soured raisin-prune conflux and caraway-seeded pecan-praline-chestnut nuances. Clean mineral watering abates wispy rum influence.

CAMBRIDGE HOUSE – GRANBY

United States Brewpubs,

Full Bar - Picture of Cambridge House Brew Pub, Granby - Tripadvisor

GRANBY, CONNECTICUT

In a freestanding gray colonial edifice in the rural northern Connecticut town of Granby lies a reliable upscale sportsbar with a fine rotating house beer selection and respectable pub fare. Opened in 2005, CAMBRIDGE HOUSE was originally journeyed by my wife and I in January 2012 during a two-hour afternoon lunch stint.

Entering the sylvan two-storied restaurant-brewery through the back deck rear entrance, a silver-clad painted stallion welcomes patrons to the mid-sized mahogany-furnished first floor space. A rectangular bar (fronting glass-encased brew kettles) serves left side and rear tables as well as the outer perimeter dining area of the attractive public house. Several TV’s surrounding the bar offer full-time sports coverage. I munched on the Cobb salad with bleu cheese and my wife, Karen, chose the Tomato Florentine pizza. It’s worth noting that over 50 different house beers have been served since Cambridge House originated. And there were six available on my visit.

On the light side, Copper Hill Kolsch retained a crisply clean light-spiced yellow fruiting, straw maize dryness and carbolic Seltzer fizz. Though recommended to lite beer fanatics, all others should skip this and proceed directly to the better options.

A generous dried fruiting eased into the next four offerings. Glass-sugared fig spicing and earthen gourd gripped trusty ESB. Apple-spiced sugared fig overlaid the sour nuttiness sidling Pigskin Brown. Stewed prune, dried cherry and sugar plum embossed Farmer’s Daughter, a fruit-wined Biere De Garde worth a second look. Fig-soured green raisin and hop-roasted chocolate spicing enveloped Ominous Forecast, a veritable schwarzbier.

Another interesting libation was Stonehenge, an English strong ale gathering peat moss, cola nut, red grape, sweet potato and smoked malt illusions.

www.cbhgranby.com

(SHIPYARD) DOUBLE OLD THUMPER ALE

Beers A-Z

Assertive 11.2% alcohol ‘double’ Extra Pale Ale with coppery sienna hue seems closer to a strong barleywine with its medicinal red cherry splurge, bourbon-soaked brandy whir and warm cognac tinge. Chewy caramelized vanilla center sweetens bruised orange, sugared fig, candied apple and date illusions (but harsh alcohol-burnt vodka slipstream may put off lighter thirsts). Worthy slow slipper whiskey lovers should take a liking to.

HIGH & MIGHTY XPA

Beers A-Z

Chameleonic ‘extra’ pale ale not far removed from a summery saison on the fruity end and a German helles bock on the toasted cereal grain side. Boasting ‘English refinement with American swagger,’ its honey wheat sugaring contrasts soured apricot-apple-peach-orange tartness and bittersweet pink grapefruit scamper. Ancillary pineapple, mango, guava and kiwi tropicalia receives herbal respite above veiled sourdough breading.

 

CLOWN SHOES MUFFIN TOP

Beers A-Z

Vigorously full-bodied Belgian tripel/ American India Pale Ale hybrid (with exceedingly viscous copper clouding) benefits from frenzied floral fruiting, aggressive herbal spicing and zesty lemon juicing. Well-balanced attack less bitter and more sweet than most hop-headed IPA’s. Candi-sugared apple-peach-pear conflux, tropical melon-honeydew-cantaloupe-pineapple tang and chewy caramel malting overload stiff ethanol bite. Refreshing basil-mint accent provides unique divergence.

CUCAPA OBSCURA

Beers A-Z

In the can, peculiar Mexican brown ale retains weirdly sour lactic impulse above soy-sauced chocolate rye malting. Tart raisin-prune-fig-date conflux, vinous white cherry pucker and lemon-limed green grape curio bring saison-like appeal to sour ale-styled porter. Bottled version’s sourer mocha persuasion discernible.