Spencer Brewery

Microbrewery in Spencer, Massachusetts, United States 🇺🇸

Established in 2013

Closed in 2022

Contact
167 N Spencer Rd, Spencer, MA, 01562, United States
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.

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7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Bottle shared by Marcus. Pours hazy gold with a white head. Aroma is fruit and clove. Med body. Flavor is light fruity esters with clove. Pretty tasty.
Tried from Bottle on 05 Jan 2015 at 15:06

7.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle. Pours hazy dark orange with large spongy whitish head, typical Belgian yeast aroma, high carbonation, full body, vanilla flavor, medium finish. This is a fine specimen, astonishing to find a Trappist monastery in the US.
Tried from Bottle on 03 Jan 2015 at 23:03

6.5/10 Appearance 4 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 6
Draft. Murky golden color, thin white edge head, an ugly beer. Aroma of raw bread dough, orange peel, funk. Taste is spiced citrus, bitter, could be better balanced.
Tried from Draft on 02 Jan 2015 at 16:15

7.9/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Sample during the "Uber-Kurt (10,000) Celebration" on 12/13/2014. The beer is a slightly hazy deep golden color with a medium white head that diminishes steadily to a film. Stringy lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of dark fruits, yeast and pale malts. Medium-bodied with flavors of spiced fruit, earthy yeast and doughy malt. The finish is fruity with a clove and yeast aftertaste. Well-executed Trappist Ale overall.
Tried from Bottle on 15 Dec 2014 at 15:43

7.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 6.5
Bottle @ home, via the rotbox. Thanks to Lukaduke for sending. Pours a pretty clear golden orange appearance with an off white head. Aroma has apple, banana, nuts, nutmeg, and a little bit of pepper. Medium high carbonation. There’s some toasted grain in the flavor along with some white fruits (pear, banana, apple), white pepper, and a bit of flowers. Medium high bitterness. Fairly low sweetness. Little hint of the booze. Pretty good.
Tried from Bottle on 14 Nov 2014 at 17:33

7.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Bottle from a trade with WillRunForBeer. Pours slightly cloudy burnt orange color with off white head. Aromas of yeast and bananas. Doughy yeast flavor with banana, clove, fruit, and grass. Medium body with lively carbonation. Thanks Brian.
Tried from Bottle on 24 Oct 2014 at 19:11

7/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 8
My father in law sent me a 4 pack and the glass, very nice surprise. And it all survived despite no padding lol! Poured hazy golden, large foaming head, very stiff. Nose was clove and phenols mostly, a lightly fruitiness that hints at banana and pineapple, barest hint of bubblegum. Flavor is very restrained. Very dry, hint of spice and clove, lightly medicinal. Not much body, Highly carbonated but not that fluffy airy kind of carbonation you expect in the best trappist ales. Its more fine, with a slight carbonic bite at the end. Finish is dry and somewhat empty/watery. Lingering phenols.
Tried on 11 Oct 2014 at 15:17

6/10
Tried on 04 Oct 2014 at 01:26

7.1/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 6.5
Trade with mcox90. Well, not really a trade yet, as he came bearing this gift when we met today at Marthas Exhcange, and I did not have anything to trade back. Onto the beer...11.2oz bottle. white-haxzy gold. A-fruit-pear, some clove, lt malt-bready. T-follows along with an earthiness that overrides into the aftertaste .
Tried from Can on 04 Sep 2014 at 18:27

6.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 8
Bottle Ppurs unclear , darker blonde . Good white head . Smell is yeasty . Grains and heavy . Taste is grainy , bitter , sweet , some honey . Bit dry as well . Ok , pretty safe beer
Tried from Bottle on 13 Aug 2014 at 13:18