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.
7.6/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 5
Overall 8
Tall boy from Brooklyn Fare on the walk back to my hotel. Born on 5/06/26. Half plastic cup have direct. I'm thirsty after some mid szechuan.
Very fragrant sweet pine immediately after cracking the can. A little maltier in the cup & also with a pineapple-based fruit punch whiff.
Murky, unfiltered fresh apple cider, oily, weak head, looks like it could be flat.
...So not quite flat, but close. Flavor is excellent though, with plenty of dank & orange potpourri, apple hookah & a middling astringency. Nip of. cigarette ash on the very tail. Finish is a little salty & leaning dry but under attenuated & almost, almost flat, making it feel gloopy.
This is a really easy 6.2% with a more old school hop profile. Good.
Very fragrant sweet pine immediately after cracking the can. A little maltier in the cup & also with a pineapple-based fruit punch whiff.
Murky, unfiltered fresh apple cider, oily, weak head, looks like it could be flat.
...So not quite flat, but close. Flavor is excellent though, with plenty of dank & orange potpourri, apple hookah & a middling astringency. Nip of. cigarette ash on the very tail. Finish is a little salty & leaning dry but under attenuated & almost, almost flat, making it feel gloopy.
This is a really easy 6.2% with a more old school hop profile. Good.
Tried
from Can
on 14 Jul 2026
at 01:37
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7.5
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
On tap at the brewery taproom. Darker golden coloured, small to medium sized off-white head, malty and light floral nose. Sweet malty, floral, light fruity and touch of alcohol with sweetish finish. Bit sweet but ok.
Tried
from Draft
at
Fiddlehead Brewing Company
on 24 Jun 2026
at 17:41
7/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
On tap at the brewery taproom. Yellow coloured, medium sized white to off-white head, wheaty and mild coriander nose. Wheaty, light sweet, notes of coriander and mild yeasty with sweetish finish. Pleasant.
Tried
from Draft
at
Fiddlehead Brewing Company
on 24 Jun 2026
at 17:32
6.3/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 6
Flavor 6.5
Texture 6
Overall 6
On tap at the brewery taproom. Pale golden coloured, medium sized white head, grainy nose. Grainy, floral, light herbal and bit dusty with bitterish finish.
Tried
from Draft
at
Fiddlehead Brewing Company
on 24 Jun 2026
at 17:29
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
On tap at the brewery taproom. Unclear darker orange coloured, medium sized off-white head, citrusy floral nose. Herbal, floral, citrusy and bit grassy with moderate bitter finish.
Tried
from Draft
at
Fiddlehead Brewing Company
on 24 Jun 2026
at 17:20
7.3/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
Poured from a can dated 5/28/26 into a becher pint
Pours a hazy murky apricot orangish gold with two fingers of tight fluffy head that slowly settles to a dense cover. Leaves lots of sticky soapy lace
Aroma is initially pithy citrus and grapefruit. It's followed by more dank and resinous piney notes.
Taste tends to follow with a bit of sweeter orange notes mingle with the prior citrus. It's moves into the piny notes with a fairly assertive bitterness coming into play.
Medium light bodied with medium high carbonation leaving a prickling across the tongue. It leans towards being a sipper but one you can keep on sipping. Bitterness is long in the finish giving it a rounded dryness that has you coming back.
Overall it's a staple NEIPA. While a bit more rugged and old school compared to today's standards it stands its ground. I come back to this one fairly regularly and will continue considering the price and convenience and freshness.
Pours a hazy murky apricot orangish gold with two fingers of tight fluffy head that slowly settles to a dense cover. Leaves lots of sticky soapy lace
Aroma is initially pithy citrus and grapefruit. It's followed by more dank and resinous piney notes.
Taste tends to follow with a bit of sweeter orange notes mingle with the prior citrus. It's moves into the piny notes with a fairly assertive bitterness coming into play.
Medium light bodied with medium high carbonation leaving a prickling across the tongue. It leans towards being a sipper but one you can keep on sipping. Bitterness is long in the finish giving it a rounded dryness that has you coming back.
Overall it's a staple NEIPA. While a bit more rugged and old school compared to today's standards it stands its ground. I come back to this one fairly regularly and will continue considering the price and convenience and freshness.
Tried
from Can
on 22 Jun 2026
at 01:59
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6.5
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
On tap at the Archives Bar Burlington. Murky orange coloured, medium sized off-white head, tropical fruits and light alcohol in the nose. Sweet malty, citrusy, tropical fruits, bit grassy and quite boozy finish.
Tried
from Draft
at
The Archives
on 21 Jun 2026
at 02:11
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