Fiddlehead Brewing Company
Microbrewery
in
Shelburne,
Vermont,
United States 🇺🇸
Associated Venue: Fiddlehead Brewing Company
Established in 2011
Contact
Description
Fiddlehead Brewing Company is located just outside of Burlington, VT in the scenic town of Shelburne. Our owner and Brewmaster Matt “Matty-O” Cohen opened the doors on New Year’s Eve of 2011 and since then we have gained worldwide acclaim with our lineup of approachable, multidimensional beers.
When we first opened in 2011, we did so with a completely manual 15 barrel system and just 30 barrels of capacity. Within the first month Fiddlehead IPA, the flagship ale, was on tap with at over 50 bars and restaurants in Vermont.
With the immediate success, we quickly outgrew the 3,000 sq foot space that was split between retail and production. After the last fermenter was added in 2015, we knew we needed a bigger boat.
In January of 2017, our brand new 10,000 sq foot brewery opened for production just behind the tasting room. The added space meant room for more fermenters as well as some much needed upgrades like a laboratory, grain silo, office space, and our own canning line. This expansion has allowed us to increase distribution of kegs and cans within our home state, branch into New York and Massachusetts, and renovate our tasting room (coming soon!).
While we do not currently offer tours of our production facility, our knowledgeable tasting room staff is always happy to chat about our beers and the brewing process. Our beer can be found on draft or in cans at over 650 Vermont establishments as well as an increasing number of locations around Massachusetts and New York State.
The tasting room remains at the original Shelburne Rd. location, as do countless memories of where it all began.
When we first opened in 2011, we did so with a completely manual 15 barrel system and just 30 barrels of capacity. Within the first month Fiddlehead IPA, the flagship ale, was on tap with at over 50 bars and restaurants in Vermont.
With the immediate success, we quickly outgrew the 3,000 sq foot space that was split between retail and production. After the last fermenter was added in 2015, we knew we needed a bigger boat.
In January of 2017, our brand new 10,000 sq foot brewery opened for production just behind the tasting room. The added space meant room for more fermenters as well as some much needed upgrades like a laboratory, grain silo, office space, and our own canning line. This expansion has allowed us to increase distribution of kegs and cans within our home state, branch into New York and Massachusetts, and renovate our tasting room (coming soon!).
While we do not currently offer tours of our production facility, our knowledgeable tasting room staff is always happy to chat about our beers and the brewing process. Our beer can be found on draft or in cans at over 650 Vermont establishments as well as an increasing number of locations around Massachusetts and New York State.
The tasting room remains at the original Shelburne Rd. location, as do countless memories of where it all began.
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
Reviewed from notes.
Growlette to becher glass.
Appearance: semi-bright yellow haziness with a two finger white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: sweet floral to mixed citrusy hop tones underscored by some light peachy to melon-like hop tones; super light cracker-like malts
Flavor: meshes the prior noted aromas to a fine sweet tone onto a bittersweet quality; finishes somewhat peachy and mixed citrusy hoppiness
Texture: light to medium bodied; sessionable; some smoothness but also some hop bitterness nicking tongue a bit. Good carb level
Overall: nice enough APA I believe I could bang again.
Growlette to becher glass.
Appearance: semi-bright yellow haziness with a two finger white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: sweet floral to mixed citrusy hop tones underscored by some light peachy to melon-like hop tones; super light cracker-like malts
Flavor: meshes the prior noted aromas to a fine sweet tone onto a bittersweet quality; finishes somewhat peachy and mixed citrusy hoppiness
Texture: light to medium bodied; sessionable; some smoothness but also some hop bitterness nicking tongue a bit. Good carb level
Overall: nice enough APA I believe I could bang again.
Tried
from Growler
on 04 Apr 2026
at 16:43
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
Growlette share.
Poured into a tulip.
Appearance: burnt orange haziness with a quarter finger's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: grapefruity/mixed citrusy hop bitter rind to bittersweet pith-like tones; light clean malts
Flavor: meshes the prior noted aromas to a fine bitter to bittersweet quality; finishes semi-bitter with a little bit of mixed citrusy rind bitterness
Texture: light to medium bodied, somewhat sessionable; good smoothness, nice low carb, medium to low hop bitterness assertiveness
Overall: mostly a good IPA I could return to but might need a little bit of work to get it to a true NEIPA.
Poured into a tulip.
Appearance: burnt orange haziness with a quarter finger's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: grapefruity/mixed citrusy hop bitter rind to bittersweet pith-like tones; light clean malts
Flavor: meshes the prior noted aromas to a fine bitter to bittersweet quality; finishes semi-bitter with a little bit of mixed citrusy rind bitterness
Texture: light to medium bodied, somewhat sessionable; good smoothness, nice low carb, medium to low hop bitterness assertiveness
Overall: mostly a good IPA I could return to but might need a little bit of work to get it to a true NEIPA.
Tried
from Growler
on 01 Apr 2026
at 01:37
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
On tap at McGillicuddy's, Essex Junction, VT.
Appearance: bright yellow haziness with a finger's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: mixed citrusy hop tones and piney hop tones then some lemony hoppiness; nice light clean malts
Flavor: melds the prior noted aromas to a fine bittersweet to sweet quality; finishes semi-juicy with a touch of citrusy zest
Texture: light to medium bodied; sessionable; good carb level; some smoothness
Overall: nice easy going APA or NEPA depending on who you talk to.
On tap at McGillicuddy's, Essex Junction, VT.
Appearance: bright yellow haziness with a finger's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: mixed citrusy hop tones and piney hop tones then some lemony hoppiness; nice light clean malts
Flavor: melds the prior noted aromas to a fine bittersweet to sweet quality; finishes semi-juicy with a touch of citrusy zest
Texture: light to medium bodied; sessionable; good carb level; some smoothness
Overall: nice easy going APA or NEPA depending on who you talk to.
Tried
from Draft
on 01 Apr 2026
at 01:22
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Reviewed from notes.
On tap at McGillicuddy's, Williston, VT.
Appearance: hazy burnt orange color with a two finger white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: dark berries, lemon and piney hop notes; light clean malts
Flavor: melds the prior noted aromas to a fine bittersweet to sweet quality; finishes clean and semi-juicy through the lemon and piney tones
Texture: light to medium bodied; sessionable; good smoothness, low hop bitterness assertiveness and nice low carb
Overall: nicely done NEPA I'd return to.
On tap at McGillicuddy's, Williston, VT.
Appearance: hazy burnt orange color with a two finger white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: dark berries, lemon and piney hop notes; light clean malts
Flavor: melds the prior noted aromas to a fine bittersweet to sweet quality; finishes clean and semi-juicy through the lemon and piney tones
Texture: light to medium bodied; sessionable; good smoothness, low hop bitterness assertiveness and nice low carb
Overall: nicely done NEPA I'd return to.
Tried
from Draft
on 01 Apr 2026
at 01:12
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
Draft at brewery. Clear golden and frothy head. Nose is grassy and herbal. Tatsss of lemon, cloves. Grassy, herbal, floral, gummy bears.
Tried
on 28 Mar 2026
at 20:11
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Drat at the taproom. Light yellow and frothy head. Nose is coriander and wheat and cloves. Tastes much the same. Refreshing and light and flavorful. --- Beer aliased from original tick of Aetherium White Ale on 11 Jun 2022 at 01:21 - Score: Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 8. Original review text: Tap at a place we often stop at on route to my in-laws that I am incapable of remembering name of. Milky light yellow colored and smallish head. Nose is some yeast and banana. Tastes of wheat, bubblegum, banana, grass. Thin bodied.
Tried
on 28 Mar 2026
at 20:03
7/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
Draught @ Fools Gold, Manhattan NYC (Aug 2025). Inky black with a very small frothy tan head, caramel-mocha aroma, high carbonation, medium bitter caramel malt-mocha taste, thin body, long caramel-mocha finish. A bit thin but tasty.
Tried
from Draft
at
Fools Gold
on 23 Mar 2026
at 00:31
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
Bottle to tulip.
Appearance: pale orange cloudiness with a finger's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: hay to straw to grassy sweetness; some lemongrass; some lemon-like whiffs; light funk with light sour then tart mixed citrusy accents
Flavor: meshes the prior noted aromas to a fine rustic sweet to sour to funky quality; finishes slightly lemony with some hay and funky tone
Texture: light to medium bodied, leaning into being a sipper; some smoothness but also some light tart to sour aggression - but nothing overbearing, slightly dry over the tongue
Overall: nicely done saison done up as a sour saison. I believe I could return to this.
Bottle to tulip.
Appearance: pale orange cloudiness with a finger's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: hay to straw to grassy sweetness; some lemongrass; some lemon-like whiffs; light funk with light sour then tart mixed citrusy accents
Flavor: meshes the prior noted aromas to a fine rustic sweet to sour to funky quality; finishes slightly lemony with some hay and funky tone
Texture: light to medium bodied, leaning into being a sipper; some smoothness but also some light tart to sour aggression - but nothing overbearing, slightly dry over the tongue
Overall: nicely done saison done up as a sour saison. I believe I could return to this.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Mar 2026
at 18:31
6.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Reviewed from notes.
Growler to becher glass. Consumed in 04/2019 but missing the actual day, sorry.
Appearance: pale yellow cloudiness with a finger's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: mixed tropical hops in the front with a decent balance from some vanilla/lactose - ish notes from under
Flavor: seems to blend the aromas together in a sweet to bittersweet sort of way; finishes like cream coated tropical fruits (others are saying "it's a creamsicle, Adam" 'yeah, yeah, alright, fine, I see it now' from me)
Texture: light to medium bodied; sessionable; very creamy on the smoothness factor along the tongue (got a little bit sticky)
Overall: I think this was close to the beginning or nearer to the middle of the "milkshake IPA effort" in Vermont and not many Vermont brewers do this very well.
Growler to becher glass. Consumed in 04/2019 but missing the actual day, sorry.
Appearance: pale yellow cloudiness with a finger's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: mixed tropical hops in the front with a decent balance from some vanilla/lactose - ish notes from under
Flavor: seems to blend the aromas together in a sweet to bittersweet sort of way; finishes like cream coated tropical fruits (others are saying "it's a creamsicle, Adam" 'yeah, yeah, alright, fine, I see it now' from me)
Texture: light to medium bodied; sessionable; very creamy on the smoothness factor along the tongue (got a little bit sticky)
Overall: I think this was close to the beginning or nearer to the middle of the "milkshake IPA effort" in Vermont and not many Vermont brewers do this very well.
Tried
from Growler
on 07 Mar 2026
at 18:23
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
Reviewed from notes.
Bottle to tulip.
Appearance: pale yellow color with a finger's worth of white foamy head which settled off at a nice pace but barely left any lace
Aroma: sour/Brett tones in front of some light lemon whiffs, subtle pineapple; slight acidic features
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas to a fine sour to semi-acidic tart and fresh lemony quality; finishes somewhat zippy with the lemon and tart/sour vibes
Texture: light bodied, leaning into being a sipper; light smoothness with a slight tart accompaniment to it
Overall: nice enough AWA with some zing to it. Might be a good ender to a night if I came back to this which was what it was the first time I had it.
Bottle to tulip.
Appearance: pale yellow color with a finger's worth of white foamy head which settled off at a nice pace but barely left any lace
Aroma: sour/Brett tones in front of some light lemon whiffs, subtle pineapple; slight acidic features
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas to a fine sour to semi-acidic tart and fresh lemony quality; finishes somewhat zippy with the lemon and tart/sour vibes
Texture: light bodied, leaning into being a sipper; light smoothness with a slight tart accompaniment to it
Overall: nice enough AWA with some zing to it. Might be a good ender to a night if I came back to this which was what it was the first time I had it.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Mar 2026
at 18:11