Welcome to back Strange Brew, where each month we’ll take a close look at a new or notable beer, or just one we think you should be drinking…
I’ve been slacking a bit over the last few months with this column, but it’s not from a lack of enjoying my fair share of great beers. So let’s remedy that, by brushing the dust off of the proverbial Strange Brew bottle for our first column of 2011. This time around we’re featuring a selection from a relative newcomer to the craft beer scene – Pretty Things Beer And Ale Project, who have only been around since 2008, and released its first beer for public consumption just two years ago. Based in Westport, MA and run by the husband and wife team of Dann and Martha Paquette, Pretty Things is part of a growing movement of “nano-gypsy” brewers who don’t have their own permanent space, instead choosing to rent space at other breweries to produce their beer.
The small batch brewery produces rustic British and Belgian-inspired beers and even designs the label art. Pretty Things offers up three year-round releases: Jack D’Or (their flagship beer), Baby Tree and this month’s Strange Brew pick – St. Botolph’s Town, as well as a rotating selection of seasonal offerings.
Why You Should Drink It?: Pretty Things St. Botolph’s Town pours a deep chocolatey brown, with a thin almost nonexistent white head. Your immediate smells of this rustic dark ale, which was inspired by some of the brewers favorite beers from Yorkshire, Enlgand, are of sweet dry fruits (raisins, dates), brown sugar and chocolate. This very drinkable medium bodied beer has a dry, nutty, slight smoky flavor upfront that mixes well with its malty sweetness that lingers after your first sip. For those lucky enough to live in a state where Pretty Things distributes their beers, St. Botolph’s is a great starting point. Especially for those who might be intimated by some of their stronger offerings.
READ ON for more on Saint Botolph’s Town Rustic Dark Ale…
