Planted in Cherry Hill - Part 1

For some reason, mid-winter has become the time of year when we head to the Philly area for a weekend of brewery hopping. The last few years, we've been blessed with unseasonably warm weather... for the most part, anyway. This year, we set our sights on a string of new breweries in the southwestern New Jersey area as well as a few places in Philadelphia. With its close proximity to both Philly and the breweries we planned on hitting in Jersey, we set up camp in Cherry Hill at a large, well-appointed Crown Plaza Hotel. We're avid Priceliners, and we can usually secure a pretty slick deal on hotel rooms when we travel. Part of the secret is waiting a few days before you travel to book your room. Plus you have more money to spend on beer!

Rather than leave early on Saturday morning, we decided to head out right after work on Friday. So, we ended up hitting the road roundabout 4:30 p.m., a half an hour later than scheduled. Our first stop was Rebell Hill in Phoenixville, PA. It seemed like a good midway point between our house and Cherry Hill, and the area has since blown up in the last few years with several new breweries. I remember when Phoenixville's beer scene consisted of Iron Hill and Sly Fox. Now there's half a dozen places all within a few miles of each other. Rebel Hill was one of the ones that was new to us. 

I opted for one of its standard offerings, Bleed Green, a double dry-hopped IPA featuring Mosaic and Columbus hops. You can tell when you're deep into Eagles territory when a brewery names one of its beers "Bleed Green." While hazy and NEIPA-like, this beer presented quite a bit more complexity and bitterness than your everyday soft, juicy "haze brah" beer. I'd say this one straddles the line between east and west coast. Regardless, it was quite tasty. Off to a good start, I'd say!

We decided to share a snack while we were here, and after consulting the small menu, decided that the "flatbread of the week" sounded absolutely delicious. Check it... fig jam, brie, mozzarella, Brussels sprouts, Sriracha ranch, and cashews. Man, was it tasty! We also got the trip started on the right foot with some nice conversation with two locals. This would set the tone for the rest of the weekend, as we enjoyed talking with both customers and brewery staff at just about every stop.

After our initial beers, we decided to share a 10-ounce pour of Steady Grindin', an imperial coffee stout. This jet-black beer is brewed with a variety of specialty malts and a touch of milk sugar, then conditioned on a blend of equal parts "Sunrise" and "Hello Darkness" Colombian coffee beans from Stolen Sun Brewing and Roasting Company. As always, I was glad to see coffee from a local roastery used in this beer. Coincidentally, we recently visited Stolen Sun and enjoyed it quite a bit (see The best of times are when we're all drinking brew entry). This tasty coffee stout boasts notes of baker’s chocolate, raisin, caramel, and drip coffee.

Pleeps is up for some Steady Grindin'.

Also in Phoenixville is Root Down, which we enjoyed immensely last time we were in this neck of the woods (as documented in Under the Weather and Drinking). You may recall that its Bine IPA snagged a gold medal in the coveted "American-style IPA" category at the 2018 GABF competition, an impressive feat for sure. Even more impressive is that it's one of the most-entered categories, with 311 entries in 2018 (most categories get around 50 to 100 entries).

Root Down is one of those places that effortlessly combines a rare mix of classic and hip. Situated in the historic building that once housed the Superior Beverage Company, the space features lots of exposed brick, restored original flooring, high ceilings and even the original elevator! However, its penchant for 90's hip hop shines through with the likeness of several rappers and urban graffiti plastered about the tasting room. Seating is ample among the massive bar and throughout the 13,000-sq. ft. facility. Root Down also has a full kitchen and even a game room in the back complete with a projection TV, video games, bubble hockey, corn hole, and more. Sadly, they weren't viewing any cheeseball Kung Fu movies on this particular night. The TVs were dominated with - what else? - sports.

I had to chuckle at the name of the first beer I sampled: 1999 Called, They Want Their IPA Back. With a name like that, right off the bat I knew it was a throwback to the good old days when California was king and hop burps were plentiful. This beer is Root Down's ode to all things 1999 (think Myspace, Napster, boy bands, the Y2K scare). It harkens the time when malt and hops worked together to create something called "balance" that seems to be lacking in many IPAs these days. With this beer, Crystal and Vienna malts play nicely with Centennial, Columbus, and Mosaic hops. While it didn't take me back to those sunny, glorious early days of our very first trip to San Diego, I was glad to try this throwback IPA in lieu of a hazy juice bomb.

It was dinner time, and we'd decided to eat here since we enjoyed the food quite a bit during our inaugural visit. This time around, we delighted in some bangin' Fajita Burritos (me with vegan chorizo, her with chicken) that curiously came with a side of herbed popcorn and delicious dill-heavy pickles. Since we were eating, I decided to get something lighter and neutral to drink with my meal. I'm not too keen on drinking beer with my meal, although I do love a good beer and cheese pairing.
So I opted for PA Lager, a lager brewed with locally sourced ingredients including malted barley from Deer Creek Malthouse based out of the West Chester area. I had the opportunity to tour Deer Creek's facility during its early years when Tröegs began using some of its malts in a few Scratch Series recipes. They make a quality product, and it's great to see more and more local maltsters popping up around the country. The beer itself was simple but effective. I've definitely been digging lagers more and more as the haze craze continues to grow.

Random weirdness at Root Down.

While we were at Root Down, we decided that we had enough time to get to Forgotten Boardwalk, which was within close proximity to our hotel in Cherry Hill. It was about an hour drive to the hotel, and we had this brewery as an "audible" since we'd been there several times in the past. So barring any traffic inconveniences, we could easily get there and enjoy a nightcap. 

We arrived with less than an hour to go before closing time, so we figured we'd each have a beer and maybe split one. Turns out that the owner, Jamie, and marketing manager, Laurel, were working the bar on this particular evening. Once Laurel introduced herself as the marketing manager, I replied with, "Awesome! I too work in marketing for a brewery." We then proceeded to park ourselves at the bar for about 90 minutes after the brewery should have closed. I suppose if you're the owner, you can stay open as long as you'd like. So needless to say, this visit turned from a one-and-done to over two hours of delving into the vastness of its tap list... and then some.

Coincidentally, one of the first things I recall from our initial visit to Forgotten Boardwalk was just the atmosphere of the place. When you walk in, you're transported back to a turn-of-the-century (20th, not 21st) amusement park at the boardwalk. Think a small taste of Coney Island. Their mascot, a three-eyed cat, hearkens back to those oddity shows featuring assorted freaks of nature that were popular at old-time carnivals. According to the brewery's bio from its website, there's a cool story behind the cat. I'll let them explain:

The feral cat is the sideshow attraction and mascot to the boardwalk. No one quite knows exactly when the undomesticated felines made their homes under the piers, but most say it happened when the boardwalk was first built back in the 1880s. The reason? Some say it is due to the scraps of food dropped by tourists that slip through the cracks of the planks. These curious creatures have roamed the boardwalks for over a century, spending their days in the shadows largely undetected by human eyes.

I always thought the branding and imagery of its beer labels and merchandise stood out from most other smaller breweries we'd encountered. I own a forgotten Boardwalk T-shirt, which should speak volumes regarding my infatuation with their art. God knows I have enough T-shirts to wear a different one every day for, like, 4 1/2 years. So buying a brewery shirt is something that happens pretty infrequently. I have to really like it. It also usually needs to be black, or some version of off-black, like dark heather gray or whatever the fuck you guys call it. Sorry for the unnecessary Jerky Boys reference. Actually, no I'm not, sizzlechest.

Skee Ball, anyone?

Anyway, on to the beer.

I kicked off our visit with a small pour of 103 Years Later, a black IPA hopped with Huell Melon, Mosaic, Denali, Cashmere and Comet. Notes of dark fruit and light chocolate mingled with lots of citrus and a hint of brash resinous hoppy goodness. I'm not sure why black IPAs seemed to have fallen by the wayside in the last 5 years or so. When properly executed, they are delicious!

The next beer we tried was probably our favorite of the bunch: Bourbon Barrel Aged Gravity Road. This one was a variation of its imperial stout aged in Jim Beam barrels for 7 months with Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans. Slick and warming with very minimal carbonation, this bourbon-forward stout boasts plenty of chocolate and coffee notes with a lush, vanilla finish. Nicely done!

Last Brunch, a coffee porter with cinnamon and vanilla, sounded good, so I ordered a small pour of that. This one wasn't super coffee-forward, but it did feature a hint of roast and smoky chocolate followed by a smooth vanilla finish.

Who doesn't love a ride on the merry-go-round?

After gifting a can of an Urban Artifact beer for her and the staff, Laurel was kind enough to bring out a pair of one-off beers for us to sample that had been featured at a recent brewery event.

The first, Spice of Life IPA, features tropical flower blossom honey and ghost peppers as well as Waiiti, Cashmere and Sultana hops. It's spicy, hoppy, and sweet with flavors of orange, peach, and a hint of honey amid a touch of provocative heat. The beer had just been released on January 26 at the brewery's 6th annual "Spice of Life" fundraiser event to benefit the Living Kidney Donors Network as well as The Gift of Life Donor House. I really enjoyed this one!

The other beer, simply called Spiced English Ale, is an English Strong Ale inspired goda masala, a unique spice blend exclusive to Maharashtrian (i.e. region of India) cuisine. After fermentation, the beer is conditioned on toasted coconut, coriander, cinnamon, bay leaves, clove, and black peppercorn. Very unusual but simultaneously enjoyable. We love Indian food and definitely appreciated the experimentation with this one. The spices all seemed to blend effortlessly, making for a complex but drinkable beer.

We've had the pleasure of visiting Forgotten Boardwalk a few times in the past, and this was definitely the most memorable and enjoyable. Before we left, Brewslut picked up a new tank top, a six-pack of its flagship Funnel Cake cream ale, a bottle of the BBA Gravity Road and a 4-pack of one of the seltzers. Quite a haul for her!

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On Saturday, things got off to a great start at Neck of the Woods. Situated in Pitman, NJ, in the Total Turf complex, a massive full-service sports complex offering all types of youth and adult sports as well as a fitness center and more. It's also the home of the American soccer league’s Philadelphia Fury and arena football team, Philadelphia Soul. And what better way to wind down after a workout or long, gruelling racquetball match than with a cold glass of beer? I can't think of one.

For my first beer, I settled on Guess Who's Back?, a golden coffee stout. The recipe for this beer took shape back in the "garage days" of the brewery's infancy. Silky and creamy thanks to a boat-load of flaked oats, Maris Otter and German roasted malts provide this delicious beer with its deep, roasty backbone. This one finishes sweet and roasty with a touch of bitterness courtesy of cacao nibs, coffee and vanilla additions. This was a fantastic interpretation of this newish style.

Inside Neck of the Woods' tasting room.

I moved into higher ABV territory with Coffee Chocolate Cayenne PTP, a variation of the brewery's signature PTP Porter, which serves as the base beer. (PTP stands for Pittsgrove To Pitman, by the way.) The twist, however, comes from conditioning the beer on Colombian roasted coffee beans, Dutch cacao chocolate powder, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. This one was very good overall, but could perhaps use a hint of contrast by way of cinnamon or vanilla. While I preferred the golden stout, this one was still quite tasty and enjoyable.

"Hey there, dark beer... you wanna get in my belly?"

Meanwhile, Brewslut worked on a generous sampler flight consisting of four different sours. She was pretty enamoured with everything, which is a rare occurrence indeed. One of the beers, No OJ No Straw, was pretty freakin' remarkable! Described as a kettle sour NE-style milkshake IPA, this complex, delicious beer features milk sugar and a healthy dose of Amarillo and Centennial hops before being conditioned on orange and cranberry puree. As if that wasn't enough, the beer is dry-hopped with El Dorado for a juicy smack of grapefruit in the finish. I snuck a few sips of this one! It was easily one of the standouts of our weekend.

Pleeps posing with Brewslut's sampler flight.

Overall, Neck of the Woods was one of our favorite breweries of the weekend. Brewslut loved all of the sours in her flight, and my beers were no slouches either. The golden stout was particular delicious. I'm glad to see that this new brewery is off to an amazing start.

Also in Pitman is Kelly Green, a small brewery named after the green color that adorns the Philadelphia Eagles team uniforms. Another Eagles reference! Kelly Green officially opened its doors on May 7, 2016 as Gloucester County's first brewery.

The small, sparsely decorated tasting room features a tiny bar in the back with a few tables scattered around the space. We weren't sure what to expect here, so we opted to share a flight.

• Chocolate Cherry Jelly - smoothie sour ale with chocolate and cherries. Delicious! This was one of our favorites of the trip, especially Brewslut.
• Matty Ice - sour ale brewed with plums and apricots
• Groceries - double dry-hopped IPA
• The Informant - Russian imperial stout

Outside Kelly Green. (Photo courtesy of Beer Busters podcast.)

Overall, the beers here were solid. Comparatively, Brewslut wasn't as jazzed about the other three beers as she was with Chocolate Cherry Jelly. I mean, it definitely was the best of the bunch. I thought Groceries was a solid stab at a hazy IPA, and Matty Ice - great name, by the way! - was pretty tasty. I also had a great conversation with a local homebrewer, who was sharing the bar space with us. His stuff sounded great, so I gave him one of my business cards because he said he gets up our way every once in a while.

Of all the breweries we visited in Jersey on this day, Bonesaw was clearly the largest. I'd never heard of them prior to the trip, but they seem to be running a pretty legit operation at their facility in the town of Glassboro. The brewery takes its name from an antiquated surgical instrument used to literally saw through bone. So it should come to no surprise that the owner of the brewery is also an orthopedic surgeon. Long story short, the owner (Rich DiVerniero) started homebrewing back in the 1980s and - like most people - got hooked. After 30 years of brewing as a hobby, he decided to throw his hat into the ring. After enlisting a multi-GABF-medal-winning brewer, AJ Stoll (who's credentials include Funky Buddha Brewing), Bonesaw became a reality. The brewery opened its doors in late 2018, and business seems to be doing well.

I kicked off our visit with a beer named Peach, Love & Happiness. Here we go... another peach beer! This one is a hazy American pale ale brewed with 500 pounds of local south Jersey peaches. Naturally, the aroma was heavy on stone fruit, while the flavor featured plenty of juicy peach and a hint of bitterness in the finish. The peach definitely came across much more in the flavor than the nose. Overall, it was quite enjoyable.

Pleeps, Love & Happiness.

Even though I had my sights set on a different IPA, Pleeps was on the warpath about this beer named Why is this Monkey Called Steve?. Apparently named after an odd brewery mascot, this heavily oated IPA is a ghostly, pale beer hopped excessively with Denali, El Dorado, Citra and Mosaic to elicit hints of melon, green mango, papaya, pineapple, and pine. So, why is the monkey called Steve, exactly? Inquiring minds (OK, Pleeps) wanted to know. He begged us to get this beer, which featured a chalk drawing of a sock monkey on the beer board. Once he gets fixated on something, forget about it. You just need to bow to his whims. Editor's note: We never found out why, in fact, the monkey is called Steve.

Pleeps and a monkey called Steve.

While we were at Bonesaw, I noticed an older guy wearing a Rush T-shirt when I was visiting the facilities. A Rush shirt is conversation bait for me. Naturally, I engaged him. Turns out he'd seen the band like 87 times since 1975 (when I was but a wee carpet crawler). We talked for a while, and he was surprised to learn that I played drums in a Rush tribute band. It's always great to meet a fellow Rush fan, and this guy was the real deal. All in all, it was a pleasant visit to Bonesaw, and it seems like the sky's the limit for this new brewery. 

Obligatory coaster pose.

The next stop on the Pour Travelers train was Axe & Arrow, a small brewery situated in the town of Glassboro. The brewery opened its doors in April 2019 and offers 20 taps including standard offerings and seasonally rotating beers. During our visit, the tap list was slanted toward IPAs and sours, but there were still a few lagers and other traditional styles available too.

Its brewhouse boasts a system know as a Brewha BIAC (Brew In A Conical), which is designed such that the mash tun, brewhouse and fermenter are the same piece of equipment. This design reduces energy utilization, water consumption, cleaning and sanitation chemical usage, and allows for the use of energy from renewable sources. You can read more about it here.

Our view from the bar at Axe & Arrow.

Since we weren't sure what to expect, we opted for the old sampler flight. We went heavy on the sours this time, with three of our four selections from the brewery's "Sour to the People" series. Here's the skinny:

• Cherry Fluff - A variation of the Cherry Berry with lactose and conditioned on vanilla bean to give a sweet twist to this sour brew! 
• Cherry Berry - Brewed with blackberry puree and then conditioned on more blackberry as well as sour cherry purees, this sour blends the sweetness of the blackberry with the tartness of cherry in a delightful kettle sour.
• Tropic Thunder - A fruited sour made with over 200 pounds of guava, mango, and passionfruit.
• Corky Beans - coffee stout with Sumatra and Kona beans added during fermentation. Sounds great on paper, right? Sadly, this one didn't deliver. While the sours were all fairly reputable, this beer was - for lack of a better term - pretty horrific. Not sure what was going on here, but it reminded me of old shoe leather with a hint of mushroom farm. We lived near a mushroom farm once for about a year and - TRUST ME - it's not a pleasant smell. 

Although this episode seems to end on a down note, there's still plenty more to cover. Stay tuned for the second half of our little weekend jaunt, which features more Jersey adventures and a few hours hitting up some new places in Philly. Until next time...