Wow … what a year 2020 has been. This Thanksgiving, the Cicerone opted to review Lucy & Howe Brewing Company. L&H is a relatively new brewery, or more specifically, nano-brewery with operations based in Jericho, Vermont. This brewery is bucking the local IPA trend … they focus on “Belgian inspired ales and world inspired lagers.”
L&H “makes beer for their neighbors and friends” … luckily, I was able to secure some of L&H’s releases at my local shop, the Stowe Public House and Bottle Shop, which even included an American Pale Ale.
With four types of beers in my possession, I recruited some associates for a beer guessing game and taste test. Accompanied by a gorgeous cheese plate (courtesy of The Butchery in Stowe, Vermont), the crew did a good job guessing the beers; on there other hand, the grades were all over the place as clearly taste preferences came in to play.
These are the four beers we tried, along with their composite scores.
Penguins at the Rock Show (5.6% ABV) An American pale ale with Azacca hops … very smooth-tasting with a pleasant, but not overpowering hoppy aroma.
Appearance: 4.8 | Aroma: 4.6 | Feel: 4.5| Taste: 4.5 | Overall: 4.5
Meal Ticket (4.9% ABV) A milk stout ale … this was the obvious guess by the crew! It was also rated as the best beer by the team. Not overly heavy, with a crisp, tingly feel in the mouth.
Appearance: 4.7 | Aroma: 4.0 | Feel: 4.5| Taste: 4.5 | Overall: 4.6
Grade School Ninja (4.6% ABV) A fresh hop saison … a very subtle sweet-sour taste. However, after a few sips, I needed to switch back to the APA to quench my palate.
Appearance: 4.6 | Aroma: 4.7 | Feel: 4.5| Taste: 4.2 | Overall: 4.3
Biere Maison (5% ABV) Belgian-style table beer … this beer had good promise. It looked great in the glass, but literally fell flat in aroma and taste.
Appearance: 4.4 | Aroma: 4.0 | Feel: 3.5| Taste: 3.5 | Overall: 3.9
The Cicerone says: I hope to find more of these beers around soon; as of this post, L&H is doing curbside pick-up or go here for a list of shops they distribute to.