About
"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"
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"
7.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Deep dark brown coloured body with a slightly lighter and more clear amber, ruby and violet tint with a small, single centimetre tall tan head that fades quite quickly. Aroma of molasses, caramel, toffee, earth, nuts, figs, plums, vanilla, oak, dry grain and a big dose of alcohol warmth. Full-bodied; Strong oaky and vanilla flavours at first with some cognac and bourbon notes along with a good deal of sugars, most arriving from pitted fruit and caramelised sugars but some from molasses and a touch of honey also noticeable on the end (more like buckwheat-based honey) and a great balance of malt with some specialty grains around, but all dried out by the grain and oaky finish. Aftertaste shows a lot of alcohol, some cognac elements with a dry vanilla flavour, but the grain and earthy malts hit soon afterwards and only leave a bit of the toffee and molasses behind to attempt to balance it all out. Overall, a nicely structured and robust beer with a lot of flavour, complexity and depth; Even while the alcohol hasn't tempered too much in two+ years, the body has thinned out and the flavours are mellowing out too, it seems, with a softer beer throughout aside from the alcohol notes still evident. Nice to sample, but if I had another bottle of this (I don't), I'd keep it for another three years at least, so 5+ years, which is tough to do in this current environment of cellar-based beers. I sampled this 65 cL bottle purchased from Costco in Pentagon City (Arlington), Virginia on 01-May-2016 for US$7,69 sampled at home in Washington, a few blocks away on 14-June-2018, a bit more than two years after purchasing the beer, with a vintage of 2016 on front.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Jun 2018
at 07:28
3.5/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 3
Texture 2
Overall 2
Warmer bottle. Golden yellow clear with a head that smells like hoppy perfume. Big and bitter and bordering on IPA territory. Thicker like many IPA fer sure. This loose cannon sher is merrickan made independence.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Jun 2018
at 20:56
6/10
Clear gold bod sml wht head. Bready earthy arma. Earthy floral flav. Med bod mod carb. 7/3/7/3/13 3.3
Tried
from Draft
on 01 Jun 2018
at 18:49
7/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 May 2018
at 08:03
6.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Poured from bottle hazy golden with a white head. Aroma is rye caramel malt floral notes. taste is semi sweet caramel mild hops grain citrus. Might have passed its prime.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 May 2018
at 19:56
6.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
22 oz. bottle shared by TJ. Split 6 ways. Appearance is a near clear orange color. Aroma has weak oak, rye grain, with a chardonnay element. Oaky, buttery barrel, with a backbone of rye grain. How old is this bottle? Not sure if the age helped it or harmed it. Overall, not bad.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 May 2018
at 10:56
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 May 2018
at 21:25
6.6/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 8
Overall 5.5
Bottle. Orange, peach, biscuit malt, and grapefruit peel aroma. Hazy golden yellow with large off-white head. Moderately sweet orange, light biscuit malt, and moderately strong grapefruit peel flavor. Good body.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Apr 2018
at 00:13
6.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
22oz bottle pours a pulpy orange with some creamy white head. Nose has huge with booze at first, settled out some and left pineapple, candi sugar, yeast, clove, herbs, sort of a mint julep. Flavor has mint, sumac, clove, candi, pineapple, orange rind. Full bodied, sticky finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Apr 2018
at 12:36
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
4 oz pour on draft at Spacebar. Dark brownish black with tan head. Aromas of roast, dark chocolate, coffee. Tastes of dark chocolate, cocoa, malt, roasty notes, coffee. Medium body with a dry finish. Tasty.
Tried
from Draft
on 26 Apr 2018
at 03:02