Today I’m writing about a Jacks Abby/New England Brewing Co. tasting on July 27th in The Armonk, NY DeCicco’s. This is a little gem of a craft beer spot. It’s in a grocery store with shelves and coolers full of craft beer offerings. I almost always find something I’ve never had and/or want to try when visiting there stores. When in Armonk, do not neglect the large selection in the mezzanine. My first visit I only perused the coolers on the main floor. What a mistake. There are several more rows to see upstairs and the entire area is ringed with tables and boxes of great options to choose from.
They were hosting a Jack’s Abby Brewing and New England Brewing Co. (I’m going shorten to NEBCO from here on) event. I sampled 4 beers, 2 from each brewery. From Jack’s Abby I chose Cucumber Basil Sour and Brandy Barrel-Aged Framinghammer. From NEBCO I took advantage of this being my first opportunity to taste Fuzzy Baby Ducks and Double Fuzzy Baby Ducks.
Before I get to the beer I want to acknowledge how smooth this event was. These folks at DeCicco’s know what they are doing. Promptly at go time they started pouring. In minutes everyone was enjoying their beers. New arrivals were handled quickly and refills were easy to come by. There was no delay when ordering a flight vs single glasses. Only difference was you got a sheet of paper with everything on tap and you were asked to circle your four options. That was it. A few minutes later the flight was in front of me ready for tasting.
Here are the beers listed in the order that I drank them, ABV lowest to highest:
Jack’s Abby – Cucumber Basil Sour
This was one of the most unique flavor combos I’ve ever seen. I am still pretty new to sour beers so take my views with a grain of salt. I thought this was a very delicate beer. It lives up to the cucumber name. I was little surprised they were able to bring that very light vegetable flavor forward as much as they did. It is a light, crisp beer. The earthy basil levels out the almost vinegar/fruity tartness. This is not some huge funky beer. It was light, smooth and enjoyable.
NEBCO – Fuzzy Baby Ducks
This lite hazy New England style IPA has gained a serious following. After missing out a few times on visits to their tap room I was determined to get a taste of FBD on this day. It did not disappoint. This beer has bitter, grapefruit and citrus rind on full display in the aroma. It was surprisingly smooth in flavor, the bitter hops fade nicely on the back end rather than just punching your taste buds relentlessly. Another thing I really enjoyed was that there was none of that malty-ness you sometimes get from higher ABV IPAs.
NEBCO – Double Fuzzy Baby Ducks
Delicious. I could just leave my notes at that and it would be completely accurate. It’s a wonderfully smooth, juicy New England IPA. It’s got a similarly lite haze like its forbearer but it takes everything up a notch. It’s silky smooth, lightly bitter and a complete juice bomb with notes of citrus that leave you looking for pulp at the bottom of your glass. Easily my favorite beer of the day and NEBCO beer overall.
Jack’s Abby – Brandy Barrel-Aged Framinghammer
The biggest surprise of the day for me had to be Brandy BA Framinghammer. I had a Bourbon BA Framinghammer a few years ago that was OK but nothing especially noteworthy. Here in my notes on Brandy BA Framinghammer I have written WOW as the first entry. This Baltic Porter comes off more like a Stout. The slight thinness reminds you that it isn’t a stout but otherwise it might as well be. There is a deep roasty smell and there is no missing the brandy either. It might be a bit boozy for the uninitiated but overall this is a fantastic BA beer. If I had to make one critique it would be that it was a little over carbonated. I could do with a little less of the effervescent mouth feel so the dark fruitiness of the brandy and the smooth roasted flavors could have presented better. Still, this was probably my second favorite beer of the day and easily the biggest surprise.
Higher Standard is a great imperial IPA. I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying it several times and have never been let down. It packs a punch at 9.5% ABV but with Simcoe and Citra hops it has a little west coast/east coast thing going on. It’s not all bitter or juice. There is some resiny bitter, unmistakable citrus and a malty character that comes in late. It’s a great beer from start to finish.
Amazeballs may be my new favorite PB beer. I know I had it in the past but I don’t remember enjoying it so damn much. First, gotta love a fun name for a beer (The can is equally as fun). Second, 
Recently my local grocer started carrying bottles from 
What really struck me about this beer was the lightness of the flavors. That is not to say it lacked flavor, not in the least. It was slightly tart, lots of sweet fruity (mostly pear) notes dancing around that funkiness of a wild ale. There is no question pears were involved as they bring a slight sweetness forward to even out the tartness. The balance was so pleasing to a novice to this style. It poured a bright straw yellow color that was partly hazy and with a thick, bright, fluffy white head that dissipated quickly to a lingering thin white foam covering from edge to edge of my stemmed “wine” glass.