#gifted from
@fermentbrewing here are our thoughts, and (currently) on draft at the brewery.
Spring may flirt with sunshine and blossoms, but it hasn’t signed any exclusivity deal with crisp lagers and breezy pales. When the sun slips behind the hills and the evening air remembers its winter bones, there’s still a rightful place at the table for beers with a little more gravity—those slow-sipping companions that warm the hands as much as the spirit.
Take, for instance, the Stock Ale—drawn from the cellar’s quiet patience, released back in December but in no hurry to be forgotten. This is a beer that seems to carry twilight in its glass: a clear burgundy body crowned briefly with a khaki-tan head before settling into a delicate wreath. Its aroma drifts upward like a memory—freshly dehydrated grapes, brown sugar, vanilla, and something warmly reminiscent of a cobbler cooling on a windowsill. A sip reveals its deeper musings: herbaceous tones layered with dark fruit, that familiar duet of brown sugar and vanilla, and a gentle whisper of wild yeast—just enough sourdough character to remind you it’s alive. Full-bodied, warmly spirited, and just a touch sticky, it lingers like the last glow of sunset, punctuated by a subtle tart flicker.
And then there’s the Imperial Stout, arriving earlier this year as if to gently push back against the notion that spring must be synonymous with lightness. This one pours like midnight itself—an inky pool crowned with a mocha-colored head that leaves a resolute wreath as it settles. The nose is rich and contemplative: molasses, toffee, oak, vanilla, a hint of leather, and a peppery edge that keeps things interesting. On the palate, it unfolds in slow layers—tobacco, dark fruit, crushed nuts, and that persistent oakiness, all wrapped in a thread of molasses sweetness. It’s weighty, warming, and unapologetically bold, with a lingering heat and a sticky bitterness that stays with you long after the glass is set down.
So no, spring isn’t the end of strong beers—it’s simply their second act. When the breeze cools and dusk settles in, these are the brews that remind you: warmth isn’t just a season, it’s a choice.
