Earth Eagle Brewing opening

Discussion in 'New England' started by Auror, Nov 24, 2012.

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  1. Auror

    Auror Pooh-Bah (1,641) Jan 1, 2010 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah

    Looks like Portsmouth, NH's newest nano Earth Eagle is open according to this article. Anyone stop by while it's been open?
     
  2. straffordmilitia

    straffordmilitia Initiate (0) Apr 10, 2009 New York

    I'm headed over in 10 minutes. That will make it three times this week. Butch and Alex have done a great job with this tiny space. With a wonderful little tasting room, a small bar, and their brewing space right behind, it is a nice rustic addition to Portsmouth. They have six draft lines (only three today) with a mixture of gruits and ales. All have been wonderful. I'm a big fan of the ipa (New England Gangsta), the Bouillabaisse (gruit with yarrow root, heather, and oat), Love Potion #9 (gruit with yohimbe bark and muira puama) and the chocolate raspberry stout. I'm pumped to try the double ipa that is currently on, Jack Wagon. They always have some snacks or bar mix to munch on, and yesterday there were several thanksgiving pies. Can't say enough great things about these guys.
     
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  3. FrankLloydMike

    FrankLloydMike Maven (1,284) Aug 16, 2006 Massachusetts

    I stopped by with a friend Friday afternoon. Butch was brewing and Alex was pouring flights and growlers. When we got there, a little after they opened for the afternoon, there were three other people at the bar. By the time we left about an hour later, there had probably been about 20 people in and out, doing flights and getting growler fills, which was great to see. We didn't see the pies until just before we left, but it was a really nice touch. And the space was as nice a taproom as I've seen--cozy and comfortable, with a very laid-back vibe. We got to try Jack Wagon, just as it went on, and really enjoyed it, though I preferred the New England Gangsta IPA. What I was most excited about, though, was the range of gruits--three that day, I believe. I've really enjoyed gruits at the CBC and other places, but I don't think I've ever had multiple in one sitting, and it was great to see such a range. Overall, the beer, people and vibe were all top-notch, and it's great to see a brewery taproom right in downtown Portsmouth.

    I also had a chance to try out some of the other new breweries in the state. I didn't have a chance to make it to Blue Lobster, but my friend's sister picked us up a couple growlers of Gales of November and the Gold Claw Pale Ale. Gales of November was nice, but Gold Claw was really wonderful, with a big, floral hoppy nose.

    In addition to stopping by some of the more established places like White Birch and Throwback, we also headed up to Canterbury AleWorks, and that place was nuts. It took about 25 minutes on I-93 from Manchester, and about another 25 to go the next five miles on dirt roads, and a driveway with more switchbacks than I've seen on many roads in the White Mountains. The brewery is in the cellar of a beautiful barn and powered by a waterwheel by the entrance. We walked in to the smell of a beer being brewed and the crackle of a fire, as the kettle is wood-fired. It was extremely rustic and cozy. Unfortunately, the grand opening the previous weekend had nearly wiped out their supply, but we tried the altbier and hefeweizen, both of which were welcome departures from the IPAs and pale ales we'd mostly been drinking all weekend. Again, a couple groups of people came in for tastings and growler fills while we there.

    While its remoteness means I'll definitely visit Canterbury less often than Blue Lobster or Earth Eagle, it's amazing to see how far the brewing scene has come in New Hampshire in the past few years. And it's heartening to see, whether at the more established places or those that just opened, steady crowds of beer drinkers coming in and enjoying local beer.
     
  4. Maxwell

    Maxwell Initiate (0) Apr 2, 2012 Massachusetts
    Deactivated

    I've checked out Earth Eagle twice now. They are doing a phenomenal job, and I have to agree with straffordmilitia that the tasting room has a superb vibe. Just about everything I've had there was fantastic. Their IPA's are all really juicy, and their gruits are amazing. Exhilaration, which unfortunately kicked the first weekend, is one of my favorite beers of all time, I think. I had a growler of it for thanksgiving and even my non-beer drinking family members loved it. I've got a growler of Jack Wagon and a growler of Love Potion #9 waiting in my fridge, and I cannot wait to crack them. So glad to see some great new breweries coming to New Hampshire!
     
  5. BlueRogue

    BlueRogue Initiate (0) May 1, 2011 Maine

    I'm hoping to make it down there some time next month to check them out.
     
  6. drocpsu

    drocpsu Zealot (577) Dec 25, 2006 New Hampshire

    Question: Can you get any growler you own filled at places like this (nanobreweries) in NH? Or do you have to use a purchased-at-the-brewery growler?
     
  7. FrankLloydMike

    FrankLloydMike Maven (1,284) Aug 16, 2006 Massachusetts

    Pretty sure state law says breweries can only fill their own growlers. I can't recall the exact price, but the bottle was pretty cheap (and I believe a deposit) at Earth Eagle.
     
  8. wildcats10

    wildcats10 Initiate (0) Mar 18, 2012 New Hampshire
    Trader

    It was $8 for the 32oz and (IIRC) $12 for the 64 oz glassware. While I was there he said that they could fill blanks but not branded growlers and the reason was due to a labeling issue involving the filling other breweries' glassware with their product.... or something like that.
     
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  9. drocpsu

    drocpsu Zealot (577) Dec 25, 2006 New Hampshire

    Thanks for the info. Maybe I'll try to pick something up to give to my dad for Christmas. I bet he'd love to try something new and local, (to here).

    Do they change up their offerings frequently? Got any suggestions of what I should first try from them?
     
  10. wildcats10

    wildcats10 Initiate (0) Mar 18, 2012 New Hampshire
    Trader

    Because the batches are so small (17-50 gal), the offerings have been rotating through at a pretty good clip. The highlight of my tasting was the Obsidian Cassonade (choc. rasp stout) but according to FB its almost gone...
     
  11. BlueRogue

    BlueRogue Initiate (0) May 1, 2011 Maine

    I'm heading down to Portsmouth and Hampton Friday afternoon. Can't wait to finally check these guys out.
     
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  12. pveilleux

    pveilleux Zealot (664) Feb 3, 2012 Massachusetts

    The guys at Moat in North Conway told me it has to be a growler purchased in NH. It doesn't have to be that brewery's growler, just purchased in state. This brewery may have a policy only to fill its own, though.
     
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