The Shed Brewery

Client Brewer in Middlebury, Vermont, United States 🇺🇸
Owned by Harpoon Brewery
Associated Venue: Shed Restaurant and Brewery - Out of business

Established in 1995

Contact
793 Exchange St, Middlebury, VT, 05753, United States
Description
The Shed Brewery has been a Vermont staple for nearly 50 years. The original building on Mountain Road in Stowe was built in 1830 as a blacksmith shop. It later served as a cider mill and local gathering spot for Stowe farmers. During harvest, the local farmers would drop off their harvested apples and stay for a drink of hard cider and spirited conversation.

After a short stint as a variety store and youth hostel, the old cider mill became The Shed Restaurant in 1965. Spirited conversation returned in the form of tall tales of downhill glory as skiers filled the Shed and set the roots for the après ski culture in Stowe. Steeped in history and rooted in Vermont skiing lore, the Shed became THE spot for locals and tourists alike.

On a frigid evening in 1994, a fire destroyed the restaurant. Rising from the ashes, the restaurant reopened the following year with the addition of a seven-barrel brewery that focused on English-style, handcrafted ales. The Shed Mountain Ale soon became as steeped in Stowe folklore as the ski area up the road.

One of the first brewpubs in Vermont, the Shed's tradition of brewing fine ales remained part of Stowe's culture until 2011 when production shifted to Middlebury. Now, for the first time in our storied history, people outside of Vermont are able to enjoy Shed at their neighborhood bars and restaurants or pick up a six-pack from their local store. The legacy of the original Shed lives on in every batch of Mountain Ale, IPA and the spirited conversation that erupts over a shared pint.

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6.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Otter Creek Brewery: Pours a brownish color without much head. Aroma is English-like malts, some fruitiness, sugar, and a few other flavors. Nobody is going to say that this beer does not have a lot of different flavors. Taste is full of it too. This is mostly a malt monster, with a bunch of fruitiness and some sugar. High alcohol well-covered would be nice to session. Apparently the Shed is owned by Otter Creek now...

Tried on 27 Dec 2011 at 16:35


6.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

on tap-pours a rich brown head and black color. Aroma is roasty dark malt-molasses/cocoa, some earthy. Taste is roasty dark malt-licorice, secondary earthy/acidic hops. Grainy mouth feel.

Tried from Draft on 07 Dec 2009 at 18:22


7.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

on tap-pours a rich tan head with some lacing and hazy amber color. Aroma is mild resin/citrus. Aroma is more prominent as it warms and some orange comes in then. Taste is resin/citrus-grapefruit hops bite, secondary medium malt. 3.9

Tried from Draft on 07 Dec 2009 at 18:21


5.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

on tap-pours an off white head and gold color. Aroma is tart/sour, woody/herbal. Taste is tart/sour/vinegar, light malt, woody/herbal. Not my taste but it is sour.

Tried from Draft on 07 Dec 2009 at 18:15


7.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Good, strong IPA. Had some on draft at Ri Ra in Burlington. Lovely orange color, sweet hop aroma, nice bitter, hoppy taste with notes of grapefruit and other citrus, dry, lip-smacking finish. Tasty.

Tried from Draft on 02 Oct 2009 at 11:33


7.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Handbottled. An unclear brown beer with a thin tan head. The aroma is sweet with notes of malt, caramel and a some oxidation. The flavor is sweet with notes of malt, caramel, over ripe fruit, and alcohol.

Tried from Bottle on 13 Jun 2009 at 05:36


7.3
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

Rather old hand-labeled bottle shared by Ughsmash... @ flossmoor pre DLD ... Red copper ... sweet fruity juicy malts nose ... sweet with a little vanilla ... good berry fruits ... light tartness... plesant

Tried from Bottle on 02 May 2009 at 14:36


6.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Handbottled. Pours hazy to murky brown with a lacing white head. Oxidised and fruity aroma. Smooth and sweet flavoured brew. Light bitterness and spice note following although quite oxidised. Fruity lingering into the finish.

Tried from Bottle on 06 Aug 2008 at 14:40


6.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6.5

[BCTC ’07] - dark purple-ish brown pour, with a light, fizzy lace - thick, highly alcoholic, boozy aroma, with notes of scotch, plums, figs - alcohol burns the tongue and throat throughout - heavy caramel and brown sugar, with candied dates, raisins and figs - light notes of smoke and whiskey - full-flavored, but way too boozy - this stuff needs at least a few years to loose some of that heat.

Tried from Can on 23 Jul 2007 at 19:27


8.2
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Draught samples at Kennett 06 and Boston’s Belgian Beer Fest 06
Lightly hazy golden beer, very saison like in appearance, with tiny bubbles apparent in the liquid and a medium amount of well-retained white head that provides plenty of lacing.
Light honey fermentation notes in the nose (pepper, flowers, light medicinal notes and some vanilla) immediately complement the delicate B. Brux fruitiness. Some more residual sugar than Substance D seems to give the beer more an Orval-like note, with a moderate hoppiness, lots of perfume, lilacs and fresh grass. Very strong aroma, growing very tart, lemony and lightly herbal-astringent on the end. Honey dabbled over biscuits, with some very soft suggestions of light caramel are the extent of the malt notes. Not lactic or acetic, but just very dry fruit skin notes from the brett.
Both sour and tart at once, in the flavor, from the honey (which lends a light bittersweetness) and the very tart, and very prominent brett. Meanwhile, plenty of spicy notes form all over the palate, not being anywhere overdone. Engaging carbonation, and a moderate level of it help keep things very bright and crisp. Some sharp esters grow apparent with warming, as well as just a touch of alcohol warmth, and definitely some spicy phenols, but some (hops?) are noted on the end, adding some hay and grass notes and bringing the beer back down to earth. Touch of sweet honey on the finish and plenty of light dough and vanilla.
The Kennett version had a very large amount of diacetyl, nearly ruining the beer for me. Shaun thought it was an infected keg with pediococcus adding the diacetyl, and I believe it, it reminds me of the diacetyl issues with RR’s supplication. The keg at BBF was flawless, however. Score is for the BBF version

Tried on 17 Dec 2006 at 13:58