Wachusett Brewing Company is one of those breweries that is often overlooked by beer enthusiasts, but the way they're growing tells us that they’ve got to be doing something right! We’ve long appreciated the work that they do over in Westminster, MA and, if you show up on a growler fill Saturday, you’ll see what kind of loyalty they’re breeding. Beer isn’t always about hype, imperial stouts and hops; sometimes it’s about making a delicious product that you can come back to again and again. When we visited the brewery back in 2007, that’s what they were doing. Since then they’ve turned up the volume just a bit, introducing Larry (one of the best Double IPAs in the area in our minds), Ryde (a delicious and drinkable hoppy rye ale), a rotating set of 22oz bombers (including a delicious Milk Stout) and some more limited brews. Today, though, I want to go back to an old mainstay that helped get them to where they are today: Wachusett Winter Ale.

Wachusett’s Winter Ale pours a rich coppery, almost red, crystal clear hue with a tan, thick, creamy head. It looks almost the color and consistency of honey, though I doubt it is nearly as thick.

The smell is such a refreshing change from what I expect now from so many winter ales: over-spiced nutmeg and clove bombs. Instead, this brew’s flavor comes almost entire from the malt. It smells of a deep, whole wheat loaf of bread that just came out of the oven. There is little, if any, hoppiness in the aroma and that’s just fine by me! A “classic scotch ale” (as the label says) by design, this nails it right on the head.

What do I want in a winter ale? Let’s see...I want a malt backbone to keep me warm on a winter night...I want some body to let me know that this is a sippin’ beer to be had by a wood fire...I want flavor and lots of it, I’m not looking for a crisp summer thirst quencher now! Guess what? Wachusett’s Winter Ale has all of this. It’s got a rich maltiness that goes along with the fresh bread smell. The beer isn’t too clean, but rather has a bit of fruitiness from the fermentation that goes very well with base. It’s a bit chewy, even, which is probably related to the sweetness on the finish. All in all, the folks at Wachusett will tell you they didn’t put any spice into this winter ale and that’s because they didn’t need to! One taste and you know that this is a tipple meant for the chilly nights we get in New England.

This bottle was a sample sent to us by Wachusett Brewing Company. Thanks folks!

I have to admit I'm a bit of a sucker for saisons, but that's certainly not to say I love them all. When I come across a good one, though, it tends to be something I'll buy over and over. As a Summer/Fall seasonal I've been meaning to write up this beer for a while, but I still see it in stores here and there, so I'm writing this now as a heads up to you all: if you see it, buy it. The beer pours a slightly hazy pale straw color with a light fluffy head. The aroma is what really grabbed me, though, nice light pepper notes give way to light citrus and a fantastic earthy funk. Those who have had more traditional Belgian saisons will recognize said funk from beers like Saison Dupont.

The earthiness in the aroma translates very nicely to the flavor. Pas de Dieux is lightly peppery with a nice yeast character but no one flavor dominates. In fact the beer overall is a bit understated, which is one of the reasons I liked it so much. This is very accessible, I shared it with a number of people who had never tried a saison and all but one person liked it. It's a perfectly refreshing beer and something I'll be looking forward to again next year