Pig's Ear Brown, Woodstock Inn Brewery, New Hampshire, USA

People email me. They ask if they can post something to the beer blog. I generally say "Sure!" and then I never hear from them again. I was really looking forward to that Italian writer who knew all the Czech beers. If he is reading this - WHAT'S TAKING YOU?!?

Anyway, kind correspondent Gary in New Hampshire wrote this and sent a photo...

The Woodstock Inn is about 80 miles north of my home is southern New Hampshire, and I had not heard of it. I havn't heard of many things, it is true, but I am glad my store had Woodstock Brewery Pig's Ear Brown Ale. What luck! What a treat! They have been brewing for awhile apparently and, as you can see from their website, there is quite a lot going on up there. Anyway, I have never seen these offerings at the grocery store before, and I am glad they are apparently breaking into the mainstream. Harpoon and Shipyard are larger microbrews, and average about 6 bucks a six-pack, this was 7 bucks for a six-pack.

My problem as a reviewer is that I like many many beers, except for the type that rhymes with 'Sudsweiser' or 'Swiller'. That said, this brown ale is reminds me of one of my favorite beers, Newcastle Brown Ale, and I like it much better than Portsmouth Brewery's Smuttynose Brown Dog. I love it when flavors are strong in beers, hotsauces, etc, and this is not a strong tasting beer like, if memory serves, Samuel Smith's. It is a perfect, mellow brown ale. Looking at the website, the company has stronger offerings, like stout, so mellow brown is perfect considering the other possibilities.
The brewery is located at a restaurant and Inn, which suggests a remarkable opportunity for a week of staying, eating, tasting! Beer lover's paradise, perhaps.

Interesting observations, Gary, especially about the Newcastle and other browns. There are three general sorts of English-speaking world brown ales which make something of a range into which you get to consider dropping any new brown you meet someplace or another:

hoppy US style which echoes old-style hoppy porter in lighter form,

the singular tangy legacy of the blended old stale or stock and old-school mild we find in northern English browns like Newkie Broon and Sammy Smith's and

the richer, lucious sometimes uncious southern English style like Thunder Hole from Baaa Haaa Baaa and perhaps, at the light end, that Smuttynose Old Dog Brown, sitting one notch below modern rounder porter and another notch above modern mild.

Browns are good. Worth thinking about.

Comments

Alan - November 21, 2006 6:36 PM

I got this press release in the email bag this morning:<blockquote class="smalltext"><center>Woodstock Inn Brewery 
Route 3, Main Street 
North Woodstock, NH 03262 
Scott@woodstockinnnh.com/ www.woodstockinn.com Contact: Scott Rice (603) 745-3951FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 21, 2006</center>New Hampshire’s premier White Mountain brewery, the Woodstock Inn Brewery, has garnered yet another accolade for one of its meticulously hand-crafted ales and beers. Pemi Pale Ale, sold as the “pale ale for hop heads”, was recently awarded the top spot in the Best Pale Ale category for the Northeast at the 12th Annual United States Beer Tasting Championships in Buffalo, NY. The USBTC rated a total of 358 beers in blind tastings from 129 breweries.A great place enjoy a pint of Pemi Pale Ale, or any of the other dozen or so regular, specialty and seasonal brews offered by the brewery, is with a great meal at the Woodstock Inn, Station & Brewery. However, beginning this week, Pemi Pale Ale will also be available in 6- packs to compliment good times throughout New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts.Pemi Pale Ale joins the company of other award-winning ales from the Woodstock Inn Brewery such as Pig’s Ear Brown Ale, which won the award for best brown ale in the country in 2004 and 2005, and Loon Golden Ale which received honorable mention from the USBTC this year as well. You can savor Pemi Pale, as well as selection of other fabulous Woodstock Inn brews in the new Mountain Variety 12-pack— watch for it the first week of December!The Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery is nestled in the town of North Woodstock, NH, in the heart of the White Mountains. The 33 well-appointed guest rooms, 2 acclaimed restaurants, and of course the Brew Pub, which consistently offers a premium selection of freshly brewed ales from its seven-barrel brewing system, all add up to a memorable weekend or evening. More information about visiting, dining and enjoying the good life at the Woodstock Inn, Station and Brewery can be found at www.woodstockinnnh.com.</blockquote>

Dru - October 15, 2010 11:16 AM

I went to college a few exits south of the Woodstock Inn and friends and I frequently visited the brewery whenever we had the chance. Great food and great beers, their seasonal Autumn Ale is amazing... defenitly one of my favorite beers!