Medicinal candy-glazed red cherry sweetness gains slight hard-candied orange tartness and tangy tangerine tease for rummy kriek-derived Belgian quadrupel. Quad-like dried fruit spicing knocked back by kriek-ish sweet 'n sour cherry abundance coating richly creamed wheat malt base. Anyone for cherry rhubarb pie?
Inside a spacious white shopping center-like corner pub, CHATHAM BREWING resides in the heart of Chatham's Main Street. On top of crafting diversified local beers, Chatham's also well-known for its 'build your own burgers.' Despite its inconspicuous blue collar rusticity, casual smalltown appeal and olden yellow wood paneling, the cement-floored, maroon-walled microbrewery operates a sizable backspace canning line, distributing throughout New York.
The left side main space features a 12-seat U-shaped bar where 24-plus draughts get tapped and 3 TV's are situated. A few windowed front tables, a wood-benched atrium and a few booths add further seating. Exposed pipes hang from the black art deco ceiling and a few semi-private 4-seat wood tables reside in the rear.
I had quaffed a few Chatham brews in the can previously (all reviewed in Beer Index) before visiting March '25 on a Friday at noon. Took home Blitzkriek Belgian Quadrupel for good luck.
Dry maize and corn-sugared starching fortified light lager, Local Hero, leaving a mild lemon spritz.
Lightly wood-smoked maple syruping glazed toasted amber graining of red ale, Maple Amber, a mildly spice-hopped moderation.
Smoky peat surfaced in the dewier Irish Red Ale, a richer grained, somewhat fruitier turnabout.
Zestful soft-toned Imperial IPA, Nectaron Of The Gods, placed peachy nectarine sweetness across lemony grapefruit bittering and dry pine resin.
Another tropical Imperial IPA, Mango Bombogenesis, retained salted mango resonance as mild yellow grapefruit bittering and floral perfumed spicing drifted above buttery pale malts.
Re-tasted Dry Irish Stout, in its draught (instead of canned) version. Its dry Black Patent malts left smoothly creamed coffee nuttiness upon its bittersweet dark chocolate frontage.
A bit dry for and Imperial Stout, Northern Comfort stayed bitter as dark-roast coffee, black cocoa powder and raw molasses coalesced.
Lemon-candied blood orange puree rides above coriander-salted white wheat base of mildly acidic fruited gose. Tart Pez candy powdering consumes 'simple sour' New York moderation (as waltzing tangerine tang surfaces).
On tap at Ambulance, rangy bock brings mild brown-sugared dried fruiting to caramelized Vienna malting, brown chocolate sweetness and dewy wood-soaked foliage. Spiced fig, date and plum tones crystallize at the finish.
On tap at The Oath, "easy drinking" dry stout layers bittersweet dark chocolate roast above mild charred hop sedation. Wispy anise, blackcurrant and soy illusions drape lightly smoked mocha finish.
On tap at The Oath, curious bourbon-aged brown ale brings lightly creamed chocolate-soured vanilla esters to Hillrock Estate bourbon sweetness. Ancillary black cherry, fig and date notions swirl below stylishly mellow and strangely soy-soured (8.5% ABV) strong dark ale.
On tap at The Oath (and ironically coming off a March Noreaster storm), resolute East Coast India Pale Ale places crisply bright yellow grapefruit, orange rind, pineapple, peach and mango juiciness atop gentle caramel malting. Wood-toned Simcoe hops lightly embitter floral fruit-spiced Citra-Mosaic hops.
Fine auburn-browned "Abbey"-styled medium body in a can. Belgian candi-sugared yeast sweetness reinforced by mildly creamed chocolate malting as well as burgundy-dried raisin and banana fruiting. Wispy chestnut, butternut and pecan undertones add subtle warmth to rounded Belgian-styled New Yorker.
On tap at Grand Cru - Rhinebeck, briskly dry-hopped medium body brings luxurious yellow grapefruit-peeled orange rind tang to resinous piney hop bittering and sharp citric-spiced crystal malt sugaring.
Finicky bourbon sugaring affects sweet caramel-toffee-vanilla conflux as well as dried wood base. Tertiary black cherry, black grape and fig notions fade into the backdrop of stylishly moderate sedation.