Spencer Brewery
Microbrewery in Spencer, Massachusetts, United States 🇺🇸
Established in 2013
Closed in 2022
Contact
Description
St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts, is home to a community of Trappist monks and the first American Trappist brewery. Following the Benedictine tradition of ora et labora (prayer and work), the monks pursue a simple life of contemplative prayer, manual labor and hospitality. The brewery helps support the monks and their charitable outreach. The brewery, being far into the abbey's land, is not open to the public for tours or tastings.
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle. Pours dark brown with a creamy tan head. Roasted malt, chocolate, ash, hint of dark fruit. Nice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Nov 2020
at 03:46
6.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Certainly nailed the Belgian vibe; fruity yeast esters offset unsweetened chocolate and coffee, with some caramel, raisin, and cascara beneath. Finishes super-dry and roasty. Somewhat metallic, and the esters really start to take over as it warms. Not bad, but not my thing, either.
Tried
on 23 Nov 2020
at 00:58
7/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6
Fairly standard IPA, notes of grapefruit, berry, pineapple, earth, and a little pine/mineral bitterness, but the yeasty spiciness is a nice addition. Nothing amazing; still a nice pint.
Tried
on 15 Nov 2020
at 01:17
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle. Dark amber-brown, creamy light beige head. Malt, dark fruits, Belgian yeast, clove notes, spice. Good stuff.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Nov 2020
at 05:59
7/10
Tried
on 06 Nov 2020
at 15:14
7.3/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7.5
Texture 7
Overall 8
Strong herbal & spicy nose. Clear deep ruby brown, small fizzy off-white head, vanishes within no time, almost no lacing. Aroma roasted malt, caramel, mix of spices (coriander seed, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, anise, licorice root), some wood, brown sugar. Taste light heavy sweet, light bitter, roasted malt, caramel, spices, alcohol. Medium body, oily to sticky texture, average carbonation, sweet and sticky sweetbitter aftertaste, sugary, spices, some orange peel, alcohol notes, complex, tasty, in fact easy to drink – or better to sip because of the pronunciated spiciness, very nice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Nov 2020
at 19:57
5.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 3
Flavor 6.5
Texture 6
Overall 6
Small off-white head over fully hazy pale ochre-amber beer. Sharpish sour-salty nose from the outset; acetic acid and fatty acids. Mineral hints throughout. Light acidity remains in the mouth; finally fruit notes appear. Bit meaty esters, taking over - not completely - the mineral component in the nose. Sweet and lightly sourish main taste, fruity - which might well be peach. Bit of solvent, and yeasty, as from white bread. Good carbonation; faintly tart, quite (fruit)slick; light to medium bodied. Nose is a disaster, rest not thàt much better. Such things ought never have been allowed the Trappist logo.
Tried
from Bottle
at
Beerlovers Bar
on 19 Oct 2020
at 12:49
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
Bottle. Dark mahogany beer with a tan head. Yeast and dark fruit aroma with light spice. Yeast and spice flavor with dark fruit, light roast, and rich malt. Medium bodied. Yeast and roast linger with rich malt, dark fruit, and dried fruit.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Oct 2020
at 23:14
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
33cl bottle from Sip, Tallinn. Pours dark mahogany coloured with a beige head. Malty and fruity with notes of dark dried fruits, Belgian yeast and caramel. Medium sweet with medium flavour intensity and a balanced bitterness. Carbonation more lively than expected, but still not disturbing. Quite smooth, desserts and enjoyable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Sep 2020
at 16:15
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Hazy amber colour, white foam. Strange nose of peach, bread, yoghurt. Taste is tart, lots of peach, a bit cheesy and grainy also. Not bad, In like it.
Tried
on 24 Sep 2020
at 21:01