"It all started in 1980… Hugh Sisson, a Maryland native, theater grad school major, and all-around good guy, joins his family’s restaurant & bar, “Sisson’s” located on Cross Street in South Baltimore. Craft beer wasn’t even on the radar back then. But, Hugh quickly recognized that to run a business, you need to do something to be different. Light bulb moment: “What if we turned Sisson’s into a brewpub and brewed our own beer?” Solid plan, right? Problem: Brewpubs weren’t legal in Maryland at the time. In 1987, Hugh worked with Maryland legislators to draft a bill to legalize brewpubs in Baltimore City – the bill passed on first attempt. Fast forward to 1989, “Sisson’s” becomes the first brewpub in the state of Maryland. After the brewpub scene for a few years, Hugh felt the need for a bigger stage (theater-pun intended.) In 1994, he left “Sisson’s” for his next business venture… and the rest, friends, is nothing short of Maryland craft beer history"
Bottle from Once Upon a Vine - South on 07/10/2010. Clear copper amber body with a small creamy off-white head. Sweet toasty malt and light honey aroma. Sweet toasty malt flavor with some light honey and faint hops. Medium body with moderate carbonation. 7/3/7/3/14 - 3.4 01/01/2006 - Thick off-white head on a light amber body. Sweet malty aroma. Light malty flavor. 6/3/5/3/11 - 2.8
Clear brown color with a frothy off-white head. Malty aroma. Sweet flavor that doesnt exhibit most of the standard barley wine characteristics. The aftertaste was a bit mediocre.
Thanks go to Darkover for the trade. Bright copper color with a medium thin soap-suds white head. Thin stringy lacing. The aroma is floral hops and citrusy. Medium-bodied with a fresh hops character. Caramel, fruit and piney hops interact well in the flavor. The finish is nicely bitter hops with a good malt undertone. This beer doesn’t go overboard (ha) with the hops like most IIPAs, and while I tend to like them that way this beer stands up pretty well by its own merits.
Paid $2.10 for a 12-oz single bottle at Wine Warehouse, Charlottesville. Pours a nice rubious red with a small off-white head. Nice aroma of sweet malts, spice (maybe come cinnamon, pepper), and some rum. Not overly flavorful, unfortunately. Has a decent amount of chocolate maltiness, backend citrusy hops... no hint of alcohol in any of it, except maybe the final aftertaste. Kinda disappointed in the thin mouthfeel, but a decent brew overall!
I am a hop fan so this beer was bound to appeal to me to some degree. Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer pours a bronze color with a small white head that fades quickly. The aroma begins with a sour tang and quickly moves into strong grapefruit and fruit cocktail notes. The flavor is intensely strong grapefruity hops with a sugary sweet undertone. Probably the strongest and deepest grapefruity flavors I have ever encountered in a beer.
Pour is a almost cloudy yellow with a white head. Aroma is a super hoppy and sweetness. Flavor is a bit weak but there are some malts and hops in there to let you guess what is used. Not a trace of the high alcohol makes this an even better brew. I getting to love this brewer!