Situated in the Lake Winnipesaukee-bordering town of Gilford, New Hampshire is the small, family-run Cherry Valley Brewing Company. These folks brew in small batches and distribute in the local area around the Lake. I managed to pick up a couple of bottles of their latest creations: White House Honey Brown Ale and Chinook IPA.
White House Honey Brown Ale (5.3% ABV). Using a recipe supposedly concocted in the White House, this poured with a great amber-brown color. Smallish head and full of cool, tiny bubbles. It had notes of chocolate and, interestingly, pine.
Appearance: 4.25 | Aroma: 4.0 | Feel: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Overall: 4.1
Chinook IPA (5.3% ABV). This IPA is brewed with Chinook hops, both in the boiling process and in the dry-hopping process. This particular brew poured with a huge, fuzzy head and had a strong, sweet, hoppy aroma … obviously a good job on the dry-hopping! I really loved this beer.
Appearance: 4.5 | Aroma: 4.7 | Feel: 4.25 | Taste: 4.25 | Overall: 4.5
The Cicerone says: these beers are hard to find, but if you happen to find yourselves in a watering hole on Winnipesaukee’s south shore, inquire about the Chinook IPA from Cherry Valley Brewing … you might get lucky scoring a bottle or two!