About
Established in 1994 in South Deerfield, MA, Berkshire Brewing Company is New England’s premier regional craft brewery. We keep it simple: brewing our ales and lagers fresh in small batches. We keep it real: all of our beers are unfiltered, unpasteurized, and contain no chemical additives or preservatives. And we keep it creative: producing a broad range of year-round and seasonal ales and lagers, and frequent brewer’s specials.
We believe in staying relaxed, down-to-earth, and enjoying an abundance of great beer. There are no secrets here. We share our process, our culture, and of course, the final product – because that’s the way we believe a craft brewery should be.
#JustGoodBeer
We believe in staying relaxed, down-to-earth, and enjoying an abundance of great beer. There are no secrets here. We share our process, our culture, and of course, the final product – because that’s the way we believe a craft brewery should be.
#JustGoodBeer
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Black with a thick tan head. Stronger booze notes than I was expecting. Dark fruit, roasted malt, chocolate. Straightforward. Good.
Tried
on 31 May 2017
at 21:27
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Enjoyed on tap at Thirsty First in Lowell, MA while on a tour, unfortunately didn’t take tasting notes while I had this, but I remember this being very good, dry, and robust. Would have again.
Tried
from Draft
on 28 May 2017
at 16:30
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Poured into a thistle, the appearance was a ruddy burnt amber color with a finger’s worth of white foamy head that slid off at a decent pace. Sly messy lace.
The aroma had a good assortment of peat, smoke, sweet meat, wood, caramel/toffee malt, leather, some earthiness, dried leaves, and a light contour of bread.
The flavor was moderately sweet with the earthiness and smoke coming in to try and balance. Smoke to malty sort of aftertaste and finish.
The palate was almost medium bodied with a good sessionability about it. Low carbonation with a good ABV. Pretty smooth to the touch along my tongue.
Overall, pretty good as a Scotch ale, could have a bit more herbal quality that I normally get in the style, but still do-able enough to have again.
The aroma had a good assortment of peat, smoke, sweet meat, wood, caramel/toffee malt, leather, some earthiness, dried leaves, and a light contour of bread.
The flavor was moderately sweet with the earthiness and smoke coming in to try and balance. Smoke to malty sort of aftertaste and finish.
The palate was almost medium bodied with a good sessionability about it. Low carbonation with a good ABV. Pretty smooth to the touch along my tongue.
Overall, pretty good as a Scotch ale, could have a bit more herbal quality that I normally get in the style, but still do-able enough to have again.
Tried
on 21 May 2017
at 15:25
7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 7
Poured into a becher pint glass, the appearance was a murky dark orange color with a finger’s worth of white foamy head that slid off at a decent pace. Mild stringy lace.
The aroma had some herbal to earthy hop qualities blending with some smooth semi-sweet cereal to biscuit-like malts. Light butterscotch and some caramel to toffee malts even come out to balance fairly nice.
The flavor had the semi-dry and semi-sweet clean malt quality about it with a low hop bitter character about it. Sly aftertaste of this malt rides into the finish with the same low hop quality about it.
The palate was about medium bodied with a fair sessionable smooth aspect to it. Hop bitterness was quite contained. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt as projected.
Overall, pretty good pale ale, seemed close to an English styled one, but still worthy of coming back to.
The aroma had some herbal to earthy hop qualities blending with some smooth semi-sweet cereal to biscuit-like malts. Light butterscotch and some caramel to toffee malts even come out to balance fairly nice.
The flavor had the semi-dry and semi-sweet clean malt quality about it with a low hop bitter character about it. Sly aftertaste of this malt rides into the finish with the same low hop quality about it.
The palate was about medium bodied with a fair sessionable smooth aspect to it. Hop bitterness was quite contained. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt as projected.
Overall, pretty good pale ale, seemed close to an English styled one, but still worthy of coming back to.
Tried
on 21 May 2017
at 15:15
6.9/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottle. Pours slightly hazy orange, large off-white head, creamy and slow to dissipate with nice lacing. Aroma is oranges, grass, tea, pine. Flavor is medium sweet, medium bitter. Medium body, lingering bitterness.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 May 2017
at 14:23
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Poured into a snifter, the appearance was burnt dark caramel color with a light tan foamy head that stiffened and let up to a sly stringy lace after dissipation.
The aroma had some sweet dried tobacco leaf, nice caramel/toffee malt base, citrus rind, soft dark bread, light toast, subtle butterscotch, some damp word, just a touch of vanilla, light red cherries and ended with a little bit of earthy hops.
The flavor blended fairly nice the sweet to a light yet firm bitterness from the hops. Tobacco dry sweetness clings to the dark breadiness and hits upon the aftertaste in the same sort of way. Light tobacco in the finish with a touch of vanilla and citrus rind.
The feel was about medium bodied with a good sipping quality about it. Carbonation was fine and the ABV felt god as well.
Overall, pretty nicely done English styled barleywine that I would have again.
The aroma had some sweet dried tobacco leaf, nice caramel/toffee malt base, citrus rind, soft dark bread, light toast, subtle butterscotch, some damp word, just a touch of vanilla, light red cherries and ended with a little bit of earthy hops.
The flavor blended fairly nice the sweet to a light yet firm bitterness from the hops. Tobacco dry sweetness clings to the dark breadiness and hits upon the aftertaste in the same sort of way. Light tobacco in the finish with a touch of vanilla and citrus rind.
The feel was about medium bodied with a good sipping quality about it. Carbonation was fine and the ABV felt god as well.
Overall, pretty nicely done English styled barleywine that I would have again.
Tried
on 12 May 2017
at 18:32
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Reviewed from notes when I had this fresh.
The appearance was a slight copper to golden color with a finger’s worth of white foamy head. Glistened and softly melted into the beer with light stringy lace.
The aroma had some stone fruit hop sweetness. Had a decent juicy recover to the sweetness. Light malt base.
The flavor had a firm bitterness over top of a light juicy hop sweetness. Delicate wet clean malty to hoppy aftertaste. Finish was something of the same.
The feel was about medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Good carbonation with the ABV.
Overall, well, looks like I get to retire this beer seven years later, though it has been retired in real life. It was good when I had it and I’m glad a Vermonter got to end this. Thanks BBC! We recovered!
The appearance was a slight copper to golden color with a finger’s worth of white foamy head. Glistened and softly melted into the beer with light stringy lace.
The aroma had some stone fruit hop sweetness. Had a decent juicy recover to the sweetness. Light malt base.
The flavor had a firm bitterness over top of a light juicy hop sweetness. Delicate wet clean malty to hoppy aftertaste. Finish was something of the same.
The feel was about medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Good carbonation with the ABV.
Overall, well, looks like I get to retire this beer seven years later, though it has been retired in real life. It was good when I had it and I’m glad a Vermonter got to end this. Thanks BBC! We recovered!
Tried
on 12 May 2017
at 18:25
8/10
Tried
on 11 May 2017
at 19:36
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Draft 6 oz. sample at The Flight Center, Nashua. Hazy golden color, thin head. Aroma is melon rind, light herbal notes, malts.
The flavor has a good amount of melon, mild citrus, and again displays a slight herbal hint. This is different. Little odd but not odd in a bad way, just strange.
The flavor has a good amount of melon, mild citrus, and again displays a slight herbal hint. This is different. Little odd but not odd in a bad way, just strange.
Tried
from Draft
on 29 Apr 2017
at 14:51
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
From old tasting notes. Hazy Amber brown color. Thick creamy beige head. Tart celery malt nose. Bittersweet toasted malt flavor has spicy bitter hop aftertaste.
Tried
on 11 Apr 2017
at 19:26