Just a few words on some beers I tasted during my first visit to The Bronx Brewery ("TBB"). First of all, shame on me for not getting up there sooner. I made the poor assumption that they were located in a far off corner of the Bronx that a Manhattanite would never trek to. Much to my chagrin it turns out it's only three stops into the Bronx off the 6 train and a short walk from there.
I've been drinking the variants of American pale ales they've been putting out for years now and generally speaking really enjoy most of what I've tried. When I'm at Madison Square Garden for a Rangers game I almost always seek out the Bronx taps and the Rye version is my go to anywhere I see it and the Belgian is also delicious. I knew that they also did a few releases of wine barrel aged beers as well but had never gotten my paws on them.
When I sat down in the taproom and looked at the board I saw the usual suspects but also noticed the B-side beers which are seasonal and limited releases. The first thing I tried was the Uptown Coffee Milk Stout, it was lighter in body like most milk stouts but the coffee helped to balance out the sweetness that usually comes with the style due to the addition of lactose. It was exactly what I'd want in a lighter stout and something I was pleasantly surprised seeing out of TBB.
In between drinking that pour I was talking to Miko behind the bar (who was awesome) and I mentioned that I was fan of the original Rye so she recommended I try another B-side, Sticky Rye. As is the case with so many beer creations this was a happy accident which occurred in the midst of a long brewing session that resulted in the original Rye recipe to getting a double dose of hops. I was apparently drinking a batch that wasn't even very fresh but was still incredibly impressed and immediately declared that it was my favorite beer from TBB. It had the same spiciness as the original Rye but the double dose of hops it turned into a delicious Rye IPA. Apparently the batch I was drinking wasn't even incredibly fresh and it was still an great tasting beer. Hopefully they'll keep making this beer because I'd love to try it at its best and I something even the serious beer nerds will enjoy.
Away from the brewery I also picked myself up a bottle of TBB's No Resolutions double IPA which was being exclusively being distributed through Whole Foods in the city. The aroma is 100% in line with what you would typically expect from a West Coast IPA, lots of citrus and pine with the citrus pushing towards grapefruit. As expected from TBB there was a pretty stiff malt backbone but it came with enough bitterness that it was still a very drinkable beer. As long as people are drinking this beer fresh and before the end of January they are in for a real treat.
I'm happy to see TBB straying from their normal Pale Ale variants and even happier that getting off that path has lead them to making some damn good beers.
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