Beer In Review: Otter Creek Turns 15

Otter Creek Brewery turned 15 last month so a belated "Happy Birthday" goes out to them. They're located in Middlebury, VT, right next to their namesake stream. They're owned by the Wolaver family and thus the Wolaver organic beer line is made right there. Organic beer? Yes, hops and barley can be organically grown. When you think about it, all beer was organic until about a century ago. But anyway, today I'm here to write about two of Otter Creek beers: the Otter Summer Ale and Stovepipe Porter.

I realize that summer unofficially ended Labor Day Weekend, and the cooler than average temps have reinforced that argument, but too bad. I'm just getting around to reviewing this one. The Otter Summer Ale is a straw colored, light bodied beer. Kinda what you'd expect from summer fare. But this wheat ale isn't sweet like the fruity ales that I've been reviewing this summer. In fact, it's quite tart, almost bitter. The citrus-like finish the web page talks about is there, but I found it to be subtle. I didn't even notice it in the first bottle. And I didn't find it "refreshing". It seemed a bit dry. And it didn't seem to complement anything that I've eaten it with, even seafoord, so that's was a big minus. With so many summer ales out there, I'll opt for something else next year.
 
A beer that Otter Creek got right, in my opinion anyway, is their Stovepipe Porter. It's a robust, well hopped dark beer. If served in a glass in a well lit room, a rich red hue will be revealed beneath the blackness. And there's just enough chocolatey goodness in the malt (chocolate, crystal, and roasted) to please the palate. If you're lucky enough to find a bar that serves it on tap, grab a pint right away. It's even better in a keg!

Otter Creek's beers can be found throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and down the east coast to North Carolina. As one heads west, one can find it in Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Now that the cooler weather has arrived, it's safe for porters and stouts to return. I'll mourn the stupidity of that other Vermont brewery that sacrificed the Ravell and Heart of Darkness as I walk past their stacks of redundant, lame pale ales. Yeah, technically it's Oktoberfest. I'll try to get a couple of those in too. But don't wait on me. Go find an Oktoberfest celebration near you and relish the return of Autumn.

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DED